Happy Navratri

A very Happy Navratri to all my dear Indian Blog readers and blogger friends! Navratri is a traditional 9 night/ 10 day festival dedicated to the three sacred Goddesses of Hindu tradition - Goddess Lakshmi, Saraswati and Durga. The last day Vijay Dashami is a special day and marks the end of Dussehra. This week has been busy with this Festival at our home. I love celebrating Indian festivals! It brings back memories for me and makes me feel closer to home. And for another, it teaches my kids some of the rich Indian culture and tradition that we are part of. I started following this tradition of Bomma Kolu (in Telugu) or Golu (in Tamil) at my home. As a little girl, I have fond memories of this festival the way it was celebrated in my home. My mom and grandmom used to arrange dolls on odd numbered steps and perform a Pooja everyday. Everyday my mom would dress me up in a different costume (kind off like a fancy dress – each day a different one ex: one day Karnataka bride, one day Tamilian bride, one day Manipuri dancer etc.) and I would go to every neighbour’s home to invite them for Parentum (in telugu) or Haldi Kumkum (Harshina Kumkuma in Kannada, Vetalai Paaku in Tamil). It was fun! This did not last for very long though, because soon I got to a point where I did not want mom to dress me up anymore and I did not want to go invite all those people! And my mom scaled the kolu down considerably :-)
Here are a few pictures of mine and my friend’s Kolu (Golu) here in Omaha. More pictures of golu’s and more food pictures coming soon.
To read more about the Golu culture please read here.

October 2nd - Updated with new pictures. A happy Dassehra to all my friends again!

My Bommala Kolu or Golu

J's Bommala Kolu or Golu

S's Bommala Kolu or Golu

Praying to the Godesses

Naivedyam or Offering to God - Rava Kesari, Black Eyed Peas Sundal and Mango Rice

Larger Batch of Rava Kesari or Kesari Bhaat

Larger Batch of Mango Rice

Hope you guys enjoyed my Post!

Simple and Easy Rava Dosa

Time just flies! Life has been hectic with work and other activities. In Omaha, every year we celebrate our Indian heritage and culture by organizing a cultural festival called “Rhythms of India”. This is usually organized by the Indian Association here and is a planned event. A lot of work goes into this. Kids and adults, all the same practice for a few months to put up lovely dances to latest movie numbers, folk songs or classical tunes. And I have been busy this year choreographing a dance for my daughter and her friends and also choreographing and practicing a dance - I and my friends are putting up for the event. Now you know what I am doing besides blogging!
But in the meanwhile, I still am clicking away as I cook. Unfortunately I am not making too many exotic dishes. Just the regular mundane stuff.
So anyways, here a simple but yet tasty combination of Rava Dosa with Peanut Onion Chutney. Thanks to my friend Vani for the chutney recipe!
Rava Dosa is a crunchy, flaky Dosa that tastes best when it is served hot. I remember my Bangalore days when we would eat Rava Dosa with Sambar and Coconut Chutney at Woody’s in Commercial Street. They were awesome. I suppose everyone makes Rava Dosa. Here’s my way of making it.

Ingredients:
1 cup Fine or Coarse Rava or Soji
½ cup Rice Flour
¼ cup Maida or All Purpose Flour
Salt to taste
¼ tsp Pepper Powder
1 big Red Onion – Chopped fine
4 Green Chillies – Minced or chopped really fine
2 sprigs curry leaves – Washed and Chopped fine
½ bunch Cilantro or Coriander Leaves – Washed and Chopped fine
½ tsp Jeera or Cumin seeds

Rava Dosa Batter
Method:
Combine the three flours, salt and water and mix well. Make sure there are no lumps in the batter. Add enough water to make the batter runny or thin. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
To make the Dosas: Heat a tava or griddle. Take a ladleful of batter and pour the dosa from the sides unlike a traditional dosa that is poured form the middle. Spread evenly. Dribble oil onto the dosa and cook on both sides until golden brown. Serve hot with Chutney and Sambar.

Rava Dosa with Peanut Onion Chutney

For the Peanut Onion Chutney:
½ cup Roasted Peanuts (with the skin removed)
1 medium sized onion – chopped and roasted with some oil
A few dry red chillies – roasted with a few drops of oil
A pinch of hing
Some tamarind juice (soak a small piece of tamarind in warm water for about 10 minutes and squeeze to extract juice)
Salt to taste

Ingredients for Peanut Onion Chutney
Combine all the above ingredients and grind to a coarse paste with some water. The chutney is ready to be served.


Peanut Onion Chutney

Meme about me!

Dear Friends,

I am so engrossed in work nowadays that I have not had much time to post anything. I just got Madhu's email about the Meme and it looked like fun. Here's about me...

I am Thinking about: Madhu and her life in Alaska :-) Just read her post about Barrow, Alaska and coconut chutney.
I said: Hi to a passerby on my way in.
I Want to :be in India for my cousin's wedding!
I wish: I knew what I really want to be when I grow up (not that I'm not already grown up, but figuratively!)
I regret: nothing so far.
I hear: my colleagues talking
I am: secure and self sufficient.
I dance : whenever I feel like.
I sing: in the bathroom and in the car.
I cry: silently on my own.
I am not: a prude
I am with my hands: very competent.
I write: almost everything. lists, everyday appts, to do's etc.
I confuse: my daughter
I need : more determination.

I tag Prema, Asha of Foodie's Hope, Saffron of Saffron Hut and anyone who has not been tagged so far!