Celebrating Navarathiri: A culinary journey through divine delicacies

Sabudana vada

Ingredients

1 cup sabudana (sago)

2 potatoes

1 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1/3 cup peanuts

1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

2 tablespoons coriander leaves, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Instructions

Rinse the sabudana well and soak it overnight or for at least 5 hours in just enough water to cover it. Avoid adding too much water to prevent it from becoming mushy. If it feels dry, sprinkle a little water.

After soaking, the sabudana should be soft when pressed between your fingers. Set aside.

Roast the peanuts until the skins split and brown spots appear. Discard the skins and grind the peanuts into a coarse powder.

In a mixing bowl, combine the soaked sabudana, peanut powder, mashed potatoes, jeera, ginger, green chillies, lemon juice, coriander leaves, and salt. Mix until it forms a dough-like consistency.

Pinch off lemon-sized portions and shape them into vadas.

Heat oil in a pan and carefully add the vadas. Turn them over and cook until golden brown on both sides, cooking over medium heat to avoid burning.

Sabudana Vada is ready to serve.

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Kollu sundal

Ingredients

1 cup kollu (horse gram)

2 teaspoons sundal podi (or idli milagai podi)

3 tablespoons grated coconut

Salt to taste

Water as needed

To Temper

3 teaspoons oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 red chillies

A small sprig of curry leaves

Instructions

Soak the kollu overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.

Pressure cook the kollu with enough water (just to cover it) for 5 whistles on low-medium heat. You can drain the water or reserve it for rasam.

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, red chillies, and curry leaves. Let them splutter.

Add the cooked kollu to the pan and toss well. Then add the sundal podi and mix.

Stir in the grated coconut and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Switch off the heat. Your Kollu Sundal is ready to serve!

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Sabudana thalipeeth

Ingredients

1/2 cup sabudana pearls (sago)

2 medium-sized potatoes

1/4 cup peanuts

1/2 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon roasted jeera powder

1 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt to taste

Oil for toasting

Water as needed

Instructions

Soak the sabudana overnight in just enough water to cover it. Soak for at least 4-6 hours.

The next morning, fluff the sabudana. If you press a pearl, it should easily mash. Rinse well, drain excess water, and set aside.

Roast the peanuts until golden brown, remove the skins, and transfer them to a mixer jar. Pulse to a coarse mixture and set aside.

Rinse the potatoes, cut them in half, and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or until soft. Peel and mash them well.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sabudana, mashed potato, jeera powder, lemon juice, ginger, coriander leaves, and salt. Mix well. If the mixture is too dry, sprinkle a little water.

Form the mixture into large lemon-sized balls.

On a piece of parchment paper, place a ball and pat it with your fingers to form a slightly thick roti. If it sticks, drizzle a few drops of oil on the paper before removing it.

Heat a dosa tawa and carefully transfer the roti onto it. Drizzle oil and cook until both sides are golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side on low-medium heat.

Repeat with the remaining mixture. Serve the Sabudana Thalipeeth hot.