What To Cook For Varamahalakshmi Pooja - Mupparuppu Paayasam - Trilentil Porridge

MUPPARUPPU PAAYASAM

VARAMAHALAKSHMI or THE GODDESS WHO GIVES BOONS is worshipped by almost all the women in South India. She is worshipped on an auspicious Friday which precedes the Shraavana Pournima . Shraavana pournima is the full moon which occurs between the 20th of July and the third week of August.

Varamahalakshmi is installed in a pot filled with rice, turmeric sticks, kumkum ( Vermilion ), lime, and a coin. The sacred pot or kalasham is anointed with sandal paste and vermilion and decorated with mango leaves, coconut and flowers. A silver face or mask of the Goddess is fixed on to the coconut on top of the kalasham.

The Goddess is showered with various fragrant flowers and leaves while chanting her hundred and eight beautiful names. Incense  sticks , wicks dipped in ghee and camphor are lit and waved in front of Her.

Sweets and savouries, rice preparations, fruits and coconut are offered to Varamahalakshmi during the pooja. Paayasam ( sweet porridge), vadai ( lentil fritters), kalanda saadam /chitraanna ( Variety rice ), Poli / holige (stuffed sweet bread) or kozhukattais (  stuffed and steamed sweet dumplings), idlies ( Steamed pancakes ), fruits and coconut are the customary neivedhyams ( offerings) for the Goddess.

"What to cook for Varamahalakshmi Pooja?" is the usual question which starts buzzing in our minds as the auspicious day starts drawing closer.

Paal paayasam, aval /avalakki paayasam, wheat / godi paayasam, sago / jevvarisi paayasam, kadale bele / paruppu paayasam, rava paayasam, are some of the paayasams which can be offered to the Goddess.

Mupparuppu paayasam is another paayasam ideal for neivedhyam. It is prepared using three lentils and hence the name mupparuppu ( three lentils ) paayasam.

                                                

INGREDIENTS

Tur dal - 1/3 cup

Bengal gram dal - 1/3 cup
Green gram dal - 1/3 cup
Milk - 3 cups
Jaggery - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsps

Cashew nuts - 1 tbsps

Raisins - 1 tbsps

METHOD

1. Dry roast the three dals together in a thick bottomed pan till it emanates a pleasant aroma.

2. Wash the roasted lentils and pressure cook the dals adding 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of milk until three whistles. Allow it to cool.

3. Dissolve jaggery in one cup of warm water and filter it.

4. Boil the jaggery water till it gives out a pleasant aroma of cooked jaggery.
5. Add the cooked dal to the jaggery water and cook until it thickens giving out a pleasant aroma.
6. Switch off flame after the payasam thickens.

7. Add the remaining milk.

                    

8. Heat ghee and add cashew nuts and fry till golden in colour.

9. Add raisins and fry till they puff up.

10. Top the paayasam with fried cashew nuts and raisins.

                                                

Offer the delicious Mupparuppu paayasam to Varamahalakshmi and savour the blessed prasaadam.

Peach Cobbler

Cobbler is a baked fruit dessert and is so named because of the "cobbled" look of the topping. It can be made with any fruit or fruit filling. Cobbler consists of a fruit or savoury filling poured into a large baking dish and covered with a batter, biscuit, or pie crust before being baked. Unlike a pie, cobbler never contains a bottom crust.  (Source-Internet)

The first time I read about cobbler was at Aparna's space. Then on, I noticed in various blogs and wanted to try it. The sight of fresh peaches in the market made me think of cobbler and I'm glad I tried it. I adapted the recipe for the biscuit dough from JoyOfBaking. I took the points for the fruit filling and went with what I had in my pantry.

You need

• Peach, skinned, stoned and sliced - 2 cups
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1 tspn
• Corn flour - 1 tblspn

For Biscuit dough

• Maida/All purpose Flour - 1 1/3 cup
• Salt - 1/4 tspn
• Baking powder - 1 1/2 tspn
• Sugar -1/4 cup
• Ghee/Butter - 4 tblspn
• Fresh cream - 1/2 cup (or milk)

Method

Removing the skin of the peach is optional. I felt the skin very thick and peeled it. Cut the peach into thick wedges. Remove the stone. Take a buttered baking dish. Arrange the wedges. Mix sugar, corn flour and cardamom. Spread on top of the arranged peach. 

The peaches were not very sweet. Later after tasting I felt, it would have been better if the wedges were tossed in the sugar cornflour mix rather than just spreading on the top.

In another bowl take all the ingredients for the biscuit dough, except cream. Mix with a fork or spoon to resemble bread crumbs. Add the cream and gather the dough. Don't knead. Work lightly. 

Roll the dough into 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into circles or squares and place it on top of the fruit. Don't cover it entirely. Leave some gap between the biscuits. On baking, the biscuits expand. Instead of rolling the dough, you can drop spoonfuls of the dough on top of the fruit.

I had some ghee to be used up. So decided to try it in place of butter. I used solidified ghee. I got very flaky biscuits. If you are using salted butter, then omit the 1/4 tspn of salt.  In place of cardamom, you can cinnamon or nutmeg or any of your favorite fruit spice. 

Bake at 200 C for 40 minutes or till the top browns and the fruit under is bubbly. In my oven, the top doesn't brown well. So I switch to grill mode in the last 3-5  minutes.

Event Round Up (July) - Healthy Fiber and Protein Rich Whole Grain

My first Event - "Healthy Fiber and Protein Rich Whole Grain" was very exciting and fun creating new recipes myself and to see other participants with their innovative ideas and healthy recipes.

First of all I would like to thank all of them for participating and making my first event a great success.

Here are the recipes from all the participants:

Ganga Sreekanth - My Favourite Foods 

Ragi Oats Puttu

Denny - Oh Taste n See 

Baked Ragi Lauki Kofta Curry

 Vatsala - Show and Tell

Brown Rice Dosa 

 

Umm Mymoonah -  Taste Of Pearl City

 Ragi and Banana Muffin 

 

Reva - kaarasaaram 

Moroccan Chickpea Salad with Ras El Hanout Spicemix

Neha - From my heart 

Quinoa filled bell peppers

Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal - Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes 

Tempered and Spiced Barley with Potato and Peas

Kaveri - :Palakkad Chamayal

Barley Coconut Milk Payasam  

Akheela - Torview

Savory Pancake

Veronica - Veronica's Kitchen

Chicken, Leak and Pearl Barley Soup

Vardhini - 1. Zesty Pallette

Tabbouleh using Quinoa

Vardhini - 2. Zesty Pallette

Baby Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa and Potatoes

I know this event was a bit tough one, but received very healthy and creative recipes, so I would like to giveaway this small token of appreciation - Award to all the participants. Please accept this award and once again than you all for sending me your recipes.

I am hosting another Event - "BERRIES - STRAWBERRY - DESSERTS" for the month of August which starts from August 1st to August 31st. Hope to see many more new and creative recipes for this event!

I want this Berries event to be a continuous one, so created a Event Calender, so that volunteers are welcome to Guest Host this event for the forth coming months with their choice of berries and menu to choose.

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