Coconut Holige for Varamahalakshmi Vratha - South Indian Dish

Varamahalakshmi Vratha is a festival to propitiate the goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, one of the Hindu Trinity. Varalakshmi is one who grants boons (Vara). It is an important pooja performed by many women in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu. The Hindu festival going by the name 'Vara maha Lakshmi Vrata' is celebrated on the Second Friday or the Friday before full moon day - Poornima in the month of Shravaṇā, which corresponds to the Gregorian months of July–August.

Varamahalakshmi Vrata is performed by married woman for the well being of all the family members, especially husband, to get progeny etc. It is believed that worshiping Goddess Varalakshmi on this day is equivalent to worshiping Ashtalaksmi – the eight goddesses of Wealth, Earth, Learning, Love, Fame, Peace, Pleasure, and Strength. Because of the popularity in some states of India, it is declared as an optional official holiday in India. 

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

1 cup maida/all purpose flour
2 TBSP fine/chiroti rava or wheat flour
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 cup water We may not use all of it, water quantity depends on the flour
2 to 3 TBSP oil for making the dough

To prepare the Stuffing:

1 cup Jaggery
2 cup firmly packed grated fresh/frozen coconut
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
2 to 3 TBSP water to clean the jaggery

To Prepare the Holige:

Greased Plantain leaves if available! OR
2 Greased Plastic sheets OR
2 greased parchment paper
Some extra flour To roll or
oil to flatten the Holige

Method:

• Mix maida, sooji/rava//wheat flour and turmeric powder in a bowl .
• Add 1/4 cup of water and mix it. Then add another 1/4 cup of water and mix it. From this stage, use water little by little to get the right dough consistency. (I used 1.5 TBSP water)
• Now add around 3 teaspoon of oil and knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes. This step is very important.
• After kneading, add 1/2 tbsp oil, gather the dough to the center and pour another TBSP oil on top. Cover it and keep it for 3 hours.

To Prepare the Stuffing:

• Grind the coconut to get the fine consistency which helps us make thin Holige.
• Melt the jaggery in a pan with 3 TBSP water on medium heat. Strain it through a clean cloth.
• Boil this clean syrup in a kadai on medium low heat and let it boil. This syrup should reach a thread-like consistency. To test, take some syrup in a spoon, touch it with your index finger, and gently press your finger against your thumb. When you separate your fingers, it should be like a thread. You can also check by adding a drop of syrup into a bowl of water. The syrup should not dissolve.
• Once the syrup reaches this consistency, add the grind coconut. Mix it well. Let it cook until the water content from the coconut and the syrup just evaporates. Turn off the stove and add cardamom powder, mix it and allow it to cool.

To Make the Obbattu/Holige:

• Knead the dough for a second
• Once the filling has cooled down completely, make lemon size balls. With our measurements, we can make around 12 to 14
• Now grease the left hand fingers, and take small amount of dough. Spread this out on the greased fingers to make it flat.
• Put one of the filling balls in the center, cover it with the dough. Squeeze out any extra dough.
• Put this on greased plastic sheet, flatten it with your palm or with rolling pin. Or you can dip the prepared dough-stuffing ball in the flour and roll it like rotis.
• Grease the skillet (preferably an iron one) and keep it on medium low heat.
• Now put this rolled holige on the skillet. Wait for 1 to 2 minutes. Then flip it to the other side. Let it cook on the other side too.

After a minute or so , it will be done. Remove it from the skillet and Enjoy the hot hoLige with Ghee!
Repeat the same procedure for the remaining sweet fillings.

Tambittu for Nagpanchami - Karnataka Festival Food

Today is Nagpanchami, first celebration of Shravan Mas. Panchami is praised to love snakes. It is a celebration in the respect of the Snake God, Shesha Nag. Individuals revere winds by offering milk and Puja. Snakes are adored since Vedic periods as they shield crops from getting harmed by rats and different rodents. Snakes are likewise a piece of the Puranas, they partook in 'Sagar Manthan', and is additionally worn by Lord Shiva around his neck. Panchami is praised in the long stretch of Shravan as per the Hindu logbook. The triumph of Krishna over the Kaliya wind is additionally recollected on this day. Hence, Krishna is known as 'Kaliya Mardan'. The celebration celebrates amid the blustery months. It is trusted that the celebration is to counter the expanded plausibility of snakebite amid this time. Individuals visit sanctuaries uncommonly devoted to snakes. Shiva sanctuaries are likewise swarmed amid this celebration, as snakes are viewed as dear to him. 

We do puja of snake made with rangoli at our home and offer him drain. On this day, we make laddus of simmered chana dal as prasad. These laddus are called Tambittu.

Ingredients for roasted gram laddoo - Puthani tambittu

 Grated dry coconut (copra) - 1 tbsp
 Ghee (clarified butter) - 2 tbsp
 Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
 Roasted and crushed peanuts - 1 tbsp
 Roasted til (sesame seeds) - 1 tsp
 Roasted khaskhas (poppy seeds) - 1 tsp
 Roasted gram (puthane, hurigadale, split dalia) -1 cup
 Gud (jaggery) -1 cup (more or less according to taste) 
 Water - 1/2 cup


Step by step instructions for making Puthani tambittu

• Put the roasted gram / puthane in a grinder and grind to make a coarse powder.
• Heat a thick bottomed pan. Keep medium flame.
• Add 1/2 cup water and jaggery.
• When jaggery is dissolved, take off flame and strain through tea strainer to remove any impurities.
• Put the jaggery syrup back in the pan and heat again on low flame.
• Add the ground roasted gram powder, stirring and mixing all the time. 
• Add grated coconut, ghee, cardamom powder, roasted Sesame seeds, roasted poppy seeds. 
• Continue cooking on a low flame. The mixture will start to thicken.
• Remove from fire and let cool a little.
• The mixture dries fast. While the mixture is still warm, make laddoos (balls). Dipping your hands in water before you start making each ball will help as the mixture will be warm. 
• Let laddoos cool completely. 


Store in air tight container. Will keep for a week if you cook till it is almost dry.