Sri Rama Navami Special Recipe
Sri Rama Navami falls on the ninth day of Hindu lunar year in Chaitra Masa. Navami means the ninth day in the Hindu calendar. This day is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Sri Rama. Temples are decorated and the Image of Lord Sri Rama is richly adorned, The Holy Ramayana is read in the temples. In South India, Sri Rama Navami is celebrated for nine days with great devotion. As Sri Rama Navami falls in summer, Panaka, Majjige, and Kosambari have a cooling effect as well, which is required due to the intense heat in Summer. Panaka is prepared in different types with different fruits and spices, Karbuja Panaka is a common drink in south Karnataka. It is simple and easy to make the drink with fewer ingredients.
The following are the traditional recipes prepared during Sri Rama Navami –
Panaka – Panakam in Sanskrit means sweet drink. It is the Main Neivedyam/prasad at all Temple and houses to offer God. Panaka or Panakam is a festive sweet drink made with just water, jaggery and flavored with cardamom powder to offer God, which is considered auspicious for the Pooja, It is a very traditional and simple drink which not only helps to quench the thirst but also helps cool the system. Kharbuja Paanaka: A refreshing and healthy drink for the hot summer months, made with muskmelon and jaggery.
Kosambari – Kosambari is a typical south Indian salad made from pulses and seasoned with mustard seeds, The pulses generally used are split Bengal gram( Kadale Bele in Kannada) and split Green-gram (Hesaru Bele in Kannada). These salads are sometimes eaten as snacks, Kosambari is distributed during festivals and on special occasions. It is distributed to masses during Sri Rama Navami, the healthiest salad made from moong dal and a traditional salad of Karnataka State. Its main ingredient is split green gram, cucumber, coriander leaves, freshly grated coconut, chilies, and lemon juice.
Spiced Butter- Milk – Buttermilk is called Neer Majjige in Kannada is a perfect thirst quencher for summer or for any sunny day,it is one of the best health drink prepared with grated ginger, finely chopped coriander leaves and seasoned with mustard seeds, cumin, and curry leaves, which gives a taste and flavor to buttermilk,this traditional drink is usually prepared on Sri Ramanavami with Panaka and Kosambari, which is irresistible in taste.
Ingredients:
Panaka –
4 – 5 cups of water (depends on the no. of serving)
1 cup of jaggery grated (adjust to your taste)
2 no’s of lemons (optional)
Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
Karbujada Panaka/ Muskmelon Panaka –
Karbuja /musk melon – 1 bowl chopped roughly
Jaggery – 1 cup grated
Elachi – 3 no
Fresh lemon juice – 1 tsp
Split green-gram / Moong Dal Kosambari /Hesaru Bele Kosambari –
Moong dal – 1/2 cup
Cucumber – 1/2 cup chopped finely
Green chilly – 1/2 Tsp chopped
Coconut – 1/2 cup grated
Coriander – 2 or 3 tbs chopped
Salt to taste
Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp
For tempering –
Oil – 1/2 Tsp
Mustard – 1/4 Tsp
Curry leaves – 1 spring
Dry chilly – 1 broken into small pieces
Kadle Bele Kosambari / Chana Dal Bengal gram Kosambari –
Chana dal – 1/2 cup
Green chilly – 1 chopped
Coconut – 1/4 cup
Coriander – 1 small bunch chopped
Salt to taste
Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp
For tempering –
Oil – 1/2 Tsp
Mustard – 1/4 Tsp
Curry leaves – 1 spring
Dry chilly – 1 broken into small pieces
Spiced Buttermilk/Neeru Majjige –
Curds – 1 cup
Ginger – 1 tsp grated
Fresh coriander leaves – 1 tbs finely chopped
Salt to taste
For seasoning –
Oil – 1/2 Tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp optional
Curry leaves – 1 spring
Method:
Panaka –
Take a bowl. Add 4 cups of water. Add grated jaggery, stir until jaggery dissolves, cardamom powder, and mix well. Now It’s ready for Neivedyam.
Lemon Panaka / Nimbe Panaka –
Take a bowl. Add 4 cups of water. Add grated jaggery, stir until jaggery dissolves, cardamom powder, add fresh-squeezed lemon juice, stir. Lemon Panaka is ready for Neivedyam.
Musk Melon Panaka /Karbhujada Panaka –
(Always prefer to select a ripe muskmelon to make panaka, which can be squeezed easily by hand)
Peal/remove the skin of musk melon, remove the seeds in it. chop it roughly squeeze/mash it to a pulp or puree.
Take a vessel to add water 3 to 4 cups/as needed to jaggery, stir until jaggery dissolves fully or immerse jaggery in water and set aside for 15 mins, stir, Now mix Musk melon puree to jaggery water, Crush cardamom into a coarse powder, Squeeze fresh lemon juice into, stir, add cardamom powder.
Traditional Ramanavami panaka is ready to serve.
Split green-gram / Moong Dal Kosambari /Hesaru Bele Kosambari –
Wash and soak moong dal for 15 mins and drain out the water in it.
Take a bowl to add soaked and drained moong dal, finely chopped cucumber, chopped green chilly, chopped coriander leaves, grated coconut, and lemon juice
Heat a pan by adding oil, when it is hot add mustard seeds, allow it to crackle, then add broken dry chilly and curry leaves allow the curry leaves to just splutter, remove from the flame allow it to cool completely then mix with then toss with the salad. Now Split green-gram / Moong Dal Kosambari /Hesaru Bele Kosambari is ready.
Kadle Bele Kosambari / Chana Dal Bengal gram Kosambari –
Rinse and soak Chana Dal for 30 to 40 mins, then drain the water and set aside.
Add it in a bowl, add freshly grated coconut, chopped green chilly, coriander, and salt to taste.
Temper with mustard, curry leaves and dry chilly. Toss all the ingredients, add lemon juice, mix once again.
Kadle Bele Kosambari is ready.
Spiced Buttermilk / Neeru Majjige –
Blend curds and add sufficient water, make buttermilk and keep ready,
Add grated ginger and finely chopped coriander leaves and salt to taste, mix properly and keep aside.
Heat a pan by adding oil in it, when it is hot add mustard seeds when it begins to crackle, and curry leaves add cumin (optional). Turn off the flame, allow it to cool completely. Add the prepared seasoning to buttermilk, mix it.
Neer Majjige is ready to be served.
Note – you can add grated ginger while tempering to make Spiced Buttermilk/Neer Majjige.
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