Onam

Thiruvonam-Day Ten Of Onam Festival

"To everyone, Onam Wishes".

Thiruvonam-Day Ten

On this day the enchanting state of Kerala reverberates with the chants of Onaashmsakal. According to the people, the spirit of legendry King Mahabali visits the state of Kerala.The main day of Onam where new clothes are given as presents followed by a grand feast. On the ninth day, tenants of the family, dependants and hangers-on present the fruits of their labor, such as vegetables and coconut oil to 'Karanavar', the eldest member of the Tarawad in a ritual called 'Onakazhcha'. In return, they are treated with a sumptuous feast on the main day of Onam. It is also customary for the village artisans to present the Karanavar of each Nayar Tarawad, a specimen of his handiwork in return of the presents of cloth or rice.
AVIAL

Ingredients:

2 cups of cubed and boiled vegetables (beans,carrots,potatoes,drumsticks,raw bananas,cauliflower)
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tablespoons of coconut
4-5 green chillies
3/4 packet buttermilk
A pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste
3 tsp cooking oil for seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped finely

Method:

• Blend the boiled vegetables to a smooth paste:
• Add the salt, turmeric and the coconut paste to the buttermilk.
• Add the boiled vegetables.
• Heat on a low flame till the buttermilk mixture reaches a thick texture.
• Keep stirring continously.
• Now add the chopped coriander leaves.
• Season with mustard, curry leaves, hing , cumin and red chillies in hot oil.
• Heat hot with plain rice.

Uthradam-Day Nine -Onam Festival

Uthradam-Day Nine
On the day of Uthradam, the tenants and dependents of large traditional joint families bring the produce of their farms or the product of their toil to the Karanavar (eldest member of the Tarawad). These gifts from the tenants to the Karanvar are called Onakazhcha. Karanvar greets these people warmly and treats them with a sumptuous meal on Thiru Onam.
Special Onam Recipe Pineapple Pachhady
Ingredients :

* Ripe pineapple cut into 1/2" square pieces - 2cups
* Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
* Salt - to taste
* Grated coconut - 1cup
* Dried red chilli - 1
* Coconut oil - 2dsp
* Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
* Dried red chillies - 3 (cut into 6 pieces)
* Curry leaves - 1sprig
* Crushed mustard - 1tsp
Method of Preparation :

Boil pineapple, with turmeric and salt in 1/2cup water.
Grind coconut with dried chilli to a fine paste.

Heat the oil and season with mustard seeds.
Saute the coconut paste and add the curry leaves and dried red chillies.
When it is done, add the boiled pineapple pieces.
The gravy should be thick and the cover the pineapple pieces.
Add the crushed mustard just before removing the pachhady from fire.

Pooradam-Day Eight of Onam Festival

Pooradam-Day Eight
Pooradam is the eighth day of the ten-day long carnival of Onam. On this day the devotees create clay idols called Ma. As the idol is created on the day of Pooradam, it is also called Poorada Uttigal. Each Ma is decorated with flowers. Pulikali/Kuduvakali Performance This is the most amusing custom of Onam. In this performers dress up like tigers. They paint their bodies yellow with patterns of black and red. Scenes of tiger hunting goats and tigers being hunted by humans are beautifully depicted through this folk art.

Theeyal

Ingredients

Large onions - 2(sliced fine) Garlic cloves - 2 Grated coconut - 1 cup Shallots -1 cup Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp Chili powder - 1 tbsp Jackfruit seed- 100 gm(cut into 4) Tuvar dal-1/3cup Coriander seeds - 1 tsp Green Chilly(slit)-3 Salt to taste Oil-4 tsp Tamarind extract - 1 tbsp Turmeric powder - 1 tsp Curry leaves - a few

Method of preparation
Heat two tsp of the oil in a frying pan and add ½ cup of the chopped onions. Saute the onions well till brown, add the curry leaves, coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds. Stir for a few more minutes and remove and keep aside. On a low heat, dry roast the coconut till it becomes brown. Blend the coconut with the onion mixture adding half a cup of water. In the meanwhile, cook the dal and jackfruit seed in pressure cooker with water. Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the curry leaves and remaining onions and shallots and fry till brown. Add the tamarind extract and ½ cup water and salt. When it starts to boil, add the blended paste and dal and cook on a low flame for 15 minutes.

Moolam-Day Seven Of Onam Festival

Moolam-Day Seven
Moolam is the seventh day of the festival of Onam. With just two days left for the festival now, enthusiasm grips the state of Kerala. There is hustle-bustle everywhere as the excited people do their last bit of shopping. People get to feel that the time of meeting their Onathappan has just come.
Thumbi Thullal
Thumbi Thullal is a folk dance performed by a group of women who sit in the formation of a circle. The lead performer sits inside the circle and initiates the song. Some women also perform the clap dance dressed in their best clothes and ethnic jewelry

Morucurry

Ingredients

Yogurt 2 tbsp
Coconut paste 1/2 cup
Oil 1tbsp
Mustard seeds pinch
Onion 1 tbsp chopped
Whole red chilly 4 broken
Garlic 1/2 tsp
Ginger 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Fenugreek powder1/4 tsp(optional)
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Turmeric 1/8 tsp

Method of preparation
Mix coconut, curd and green chillies in a blender. To this paste, add 1 cup water, red chilly powder, turmeric and salt. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.

Heat the oil separately. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds to the oil and then, add the chopped onion, the red chillies,the garlic, the ginger and the curry leaves. Add this to the paste.

You can also add vegetables like zuchini, yam or other green vegetables but make sure that the vegetables are cooked before adding the curd. This way you'll have to boil the curd only once.

Thriketa - Day Six of onam--Festival Of Kerala

Thriketa - Day Six

Triketta or Thriketa is the sixth day of the carnival of Onam. A feeling of joy and jubilation can be felt amongst the people of Kerala at this time. Cultural programmes and social gatherings are organised by various cultural societies all over the state. People of all religions caste and creed participate in these events as the festival of Onam has come to be seen as a secular festival. Government of India too celebrates Onam as the National Festival of Kerala.

There are no set rituals marked for the day of Triketta. It marks the time for home coming for people staying away from their families for various reasons; Onam is the time for family get together and nobody likes to be away from family and dear ones. Joys of festivities doubles in the company of family members and close friends. On this happy note, Pookalam gets a more beautiful design and fresh flowers.

Lady's Finger Kichadi

ingredients:

Lady's finger pieces 3 1/2cup
Thick Curd from 1/2 litre milk 2cups
Green chillies 2
Dry Red chillies 3
Mustard 1dsp
Grated coconut 1/2cup
Curry leaves 2 springs
Oil 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Slice the ladies finger in small round pieces.
2. Fry lady's finger in oil till crisp. Ground coarsely grated coconut, green chillies and mustard. Season mustard, red chilli and curry leaves in 2 tsp oil. Lower the flame add curd and the ground ingredients. Keep stirring. Add fried ladies finger and salt. Remove from fire when it boils.

Anizham - Day Five of onam-Festival Of Kerala

Anizham - Day Five

Anizham is the fifth day of Onam celebrations. High point of the day is the grand Snake Boat Race event called Vallamkali, which takes place on the fifth day of the Onam. The hugely popular competition happens on the banks of the river Pamba at Aranmulla. A multitude of domestic and international tourists come to witness the colourful spectacle of the race.

A large number of long snake like boats called chundan vallams participate in Vallamkali. Each picturesquely decorated boat is oared by hundreds of oarsmen dressed in the traditional dhoti and turban. Boats are oared on the rhythm of vanchipattu or boat songs. Vallamkali is essentially a team event as a single mistake by a oarsman can lead to overturning of the boat.

On the home front, more flowers are added to the Pookalam laid in the front courtyard of the house. Women become extremely busy making preparations for Thiru Onam and a general atmosphere of excitement prevail at this time in Kerala.