Varalakshmi Pooja

VARALAKSHMI POOJA

Hi,

I'm sharing the details about how to do Varalakshmi Pooja at home. It'll be helpful for people who does it for first time.

 Lets see the Neivedyam varieties,  Pooja requirements etc.

Prasadams-

Paccharisi Idly, Medu Vadai, Poorana kozhukattai, appam, payasam, Sundal, Poli

You can make anything you want, those who fast usually have paccharisi Idly.

Regular no onion no garlic lunch menu to be followed.

Items required for Varalakshmi Pooja

• Maa Kolam- soak raw rice for an hour and grind to smooth paste, adjust consistency to draw Kolam-.
• Thambaalam or a big plate
•  Banana leaves/ vazhai ilai
• Raw Rice/Paccharisi – as needed ( to spread over the ilai and to fill kalasam)
• One Kudam/Kalasa Sombu( silver, bronze or copper)
• Maavilai ( to keep on top of kalasam and to tie thoranam)
• One coconut for kalasam and few more for thamboolam bag
• Turmeric powder ( for making manual pillaiyar)
• Kumkum
• Chadhanam
• Akshathai ( Raw rice coated with turmeric/Manjal podi)
• Face of goddess ( Available Online and Markets)
• Accessories- as you wish to decorate ambal
• Dress and blouse piece for Lakshmi (Handstitch or machine stitch or simply buy in market)
• Flowers and garland ( udhiri poo for archanai & decoration)
• Betel leaves, Betel nut, Banana ( Vetrilai,Paaku,Vazhai Pazham)
• Nombu Charadu (Those who have practice)- Count: As per your family ladies head count and 1 for ambal
• Fruits ( all seasonal fruits)
• Naivedyam recipes ( Idli, Sweet  kozhukattai, etc based on your tradition).
• Thamboolam set of kumkum,chandan,bangles, Betel leaves and nuts, Yellow rope, blouse pieces, coconut, fruit – keep them ready as per the number of ladies you invite.

Preliminary works for Varalakshmi Pooja

On Thursday morning,wash all the pooja vessels and kalasam pot.Wash the lamps, keep kumkum dots and put threads. Oil the lamp and keep it ready for the next day use.

Make/Get/Buy the nombu charadu and arrange the other pooja things in a plate.

You can also prepare the stuffing for sweet poorana kozhukattai and refrigerate, soak for sundal and grind the batter for paccharisi idli.

Ambal Azhaippu on Thursday evening

On thursday evening around 5.30 pm, sweep the entrance of each room (Nilai padi/vaasal padi).

Place ambal in a manai, show mangala arrathi and invite ambal from your entrance, one from your family can hold the manai with ambal at entrance while you take aarthi and invite.

This pooja is done to welcome Goddess Lakshmi and it shows the beginning of next day function.

Light the lamp, perform pooja by keeping some neivdeyam like sundal , sweet appam etc. 

You can keep the manai and place a banana leaf over it. Spread the raw rice and keep it ready for next day’s pooja. Remember you should not keep the kalasam now. It should be kept only on Friday.

Varalakshmi Pooja Slokam-

Lakshmi Ksheerasamudra rajatanyam sri rangadhameswareem
Dasibootha samastha devavanitham lokaika deepamkuram
Sri manmanda kataksha labdhivibhat brahmendra gangadharam
Twam trayamlokya kutumbhineem sasijavandemukunda priyam

Please make the kalasam according to your tradition. On the top of kalasha, place 5 mango leaves( keep in odd numbers) and keep a coconut smeared with turmeric.The tail portion of coconut should face upward.Kalasam should face east.  After making the kalasam, keep a kumkum dot and keep aside till you make other arrangements.

Decorate the idol with dress and accessories and garlands.You can dress it with a tucked saree or skirt (Pavadai). Put some jewels (Preferably gold) and tie a charadu around neck. Keep chandanam & KumKum dots. Now Goddess Lakshmi idol is ready to perform pooja. 

Make a manjal Pillayar using turmeric powder mixed with water and keep it near the kalasam in a separate leaf or a Pooja plate. Light the lamps at the time of pooja and start doing it.

How to Perform Varalakshmi Pooja

Lets see how to do Varalakshmi Pooja with all slokhas below. 

Pillaiyar pooja

Any auspicious festival should be started with Pillaiyar pooja. To the manjal pillaiyar, keep dots with KumKum and place a foower. Read the sthothram given below and worship him to do this pooja without any obstacle and after chanting the sthothram, move the Ganesh towards North direction.

Shukla-Ambara-Dharam Vissnnum Shashi-Varnnam Chatur-Bhujam |
Prasanna-Vadanam Dhyaayet Sarva-Vighno[a-U]pashaantaye ||

After finishing Ganesha pooja, take some flowers and akshatha in hand and chant the sloka and offer the flowers and akshathai to kalasam. 

Following this, chant Lakshmi Ashtothram(108) by offering flowers to Kalasha.

Chant VARALAKSHMI POOJA Slokam- Lakshmi Ksheera samudra.........(above mentioned)

Finally, Mangala Harathi is performed to ambal.

Tie the nombu saradu.

You can ask your Husband to do this. At the end, take harathi by mixing turmeric & kumkum in water. Sing the Harathi song while taking mangala aarathi.

Read the Varalakshmi Vratham story after this. It's available on YouTube and Google

Evening, after lighting lamp, keep ready the thamboolam and invite the ladies nearby.

 Thamboolam – Coconut, betel leaf and nuts, turmeric, kumkum, coconut along with flowers is offered to women in the locality and in the evening an Harathi is offered to Lakshmi with some neivedyam.

Punar Poojai - How To Remove Kalasam

On Saturday morning, after taking bath, perform a pooja for the kalasam.Then dismantle it at auspicious time of the day.  Consume little water as theertha. Sprinkle it all around in the house. Then pour the remaining water in well, trees or tulsi plant.

 The rice is used in Kalasam, mix it with rice in the house. If you used coins, keep in the locker safe. You can remove the nonbu saradu after 3 days or on Saturday.

If you want to strictly follow all the rules and methods of Varalakshmi Puja, then it would be wise to take the advice from an elderly woman who is regularly performing the puja. What I have shared here is purely based on the procedure given in book and pooja method we follow.

Hope it helps 😊

Thank you all and stay safe 🙏

Broken Wheat Vegetable Kichadi | கோதுமை ரவை கிச்சடி | Dalia/Lapsi Kichadi

Broken Wheat / Dalia benefits to keep your digestive tract healthy.

Dalia is a good source of the daily requirement of fiber and manganese.

Dalia is absorbed slowly and helps to balance blood sugar in your body.

Dalia improves digestion

Dalia is high in protein but low in calories

Dalia or cracked wheat helps reduce weight

Dalia or broken wheat is a good source of energy

Dalia helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure (high blood pressure cure).

Dalia/cracked or broken wheat is a rich source of vitamin B1 and B2​.

Dalia is Good for Type 2 Diabetes

Traditional Sambar Powder | பாரம்பரிய சாம்பார் பொடி | Sambar Masala | Ku...

Medicinal Recipe: Pyaaj Moongakhni | Shallot Dal fry | Shallot Moong dal...

This dish is completely free from Spice, its not Hot at all. Cures acidity and ulcer completely,



Can be used as rice mix, side dish / subzi for all Indian Breads.



Boosts Immunity



Soothes stomach and foodpipe



Easy digestion

Maavadu

Ginger Elaichi Tea | இஞ்சி ஏலக்காய் டீ | अदरक इलायची चाय

Upma

Filter Coffee

Karuveppilai Kuzhambu - Herbal Recipe

Thakkali Kuruma | தக்காளி குருமா| Tomato Korma

Murungakkai Sambar | முருங்கைக்காய் சாம்பார்

Chettinad Garlic Rasam | செட்டிநாடு பூண்டு ரசம் | Garlic Rasam | பூண்டு ...

Pumpkin Thogayal | பரங்கிக்காய் துவையல் / தொகையல் | Pumpkin Chutney

Parangikkai venthayakuzhambu

https://youtu.be/X2VyXxzs7WU

Bread Vada

Bored with regular vadas? Try out this new tasty and crunchy bread vada...🍞🍩

A quick evening snack loved by all especially children. Try it out and leave your feedback!

Ingredients:

Bread : 1/2 loaf
Onion : 2, finely chopped
Green Chillies: 2 finely chopped
Ginger : half inch finely chopped
Coriander leaves: few, finely chopped
Rice Flour 2 teaspoons
Corn flour1 teaspoon
Fresh curd: a small cup
Ghee: 2 teaspoons
Salt: as needed
Oil : to Deep fry
(Note: we can also add in chopped cabbage, carrot and your favourite vegetables)

Method:

Firstly crumble the bread pieces using the mixer grinder.

Transferred the crumbled bread pieces to a bowl. And the finely chopped onions green chillies coriander leaves then add on rice flour corn flour and ghee with required salt.

Mix them all by adding the cup of curd and form a dough.

Grease your hands with little ghee or oil, pinch little little balls from the dough, tap into patties and fry them in hot oil till golden brown.

The crunchy bread vada is ready!

Pirandai Thokku / Hadjot Gravy

Pirandai Thokku

Pirandai is a creeper that has wonderful medicinal uses and health benefits. It is called "Adamant Creeper | Devil's Back Bone | Veldt Grape" in English and it's botanical name is Cissus quadrangularris and it is called Hadjot in Hindi. This creeper grows easily everywhere and can be very easily grown in pots at home. [- Source: "Google"]

                                                                                                     

INGREDIENTS :

Pirandai- chopped, 250 grams

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tspn

Red chillies: 50 gms, nearly 25-30 nos

Tamarind/ Puli / Imli: lemon sized

Salt: as required

Katti Perungayam / Compunded asafoetida: sundaikkai sized 3 balls [if using powdered asafotida, use 2 tspns]

Fenugreek seeds/ venthayam / Methi seeds: 1/2 tspn

Ginger: 3 inches, chopped

Gingelly oil: 100 gms

Jaggery: sundaikkai sized- 1 ball

METHOD:

• Cut the 4 thin corners of pirandai, and chop it well, then wash it thoroughly. Grease some oil in hands before handling raw pirandai.

• Heat a kadai, add some oil, once oil is heated, add the washed pirandai + 1/2 tspn of turmeric powder, saute them very well in medium flame until pirandai changes its color to subtle. Turn off and keep it aside.

• In a kadai, first dry roast methi seeds to golden color and keep it aside, then add a tspn of oil to the same kadai, fry the katti perungayam and keep it aside.

• In a mixie jar, add salt, tamarind, red chillies, golden roasted methi, fried katti perungayam, ginger and grind them nicely to a smooth consistency. Then add the finely sauted pirandai and dry grind it first and then add little water to make the contents to a fine paste like a chutney.

• Heat a kadai, add 100 gms of gingelly oil, once warmed, add the pirandai paste, add some water in mixie jar to wipe out all the contents and add them to the kadai. Add jaggery to it.

• Saute the pirandai paste in the oil nicely until it reaches thokku / pulikaichal consistency, it will ooze out oil. This is the perfect stage. Turn the flame off.

• You can mix it in rice, can be used as a side dish for curd rice, idly, dosa, roti, puri, etc.

Pirandai Thokku is ready!!!

Health Benefits of Pirandai:

1. Treats all digestion related problems like gastritis, indigestion and lack of appetite.
2. Very good for treating sprains and swollen joints.
3. Best worming medicine, treats piles, menstrual problems and is also the best home remedy for ear pain. 

Pavakkai Ellu Kuzhambu

Searching for a perfect blend of tasty and healthy dish? This is one such treat! Very healthy and very very tasty!!!

Ingredients:

Method:

First, slice bitterguard, coat with salt and soak in water. After 30 mins, rinse in same water and then wash again in clean water, squeeze and keep it ready.

Meanwhile in 30 mins, pop out sesame seeds in dry heat pan, with some oil, dry roast coconut, toor - urad dhal, dhaniya, red chilly. Grind them coarsely. This is special masala powder.

After 30 mins of pavakkai, heat kadai, add sesame oil, temper mustard and methi seeds, fry pavakkai along with curry leaves and turmeric powder.

Add tamarind extract, tomato paste, special masala powder, hing, boil and cook them.

Add salt and jaggery, cook for 5-8 mins until you reach kuzhambu consistency.

Serve hot!

Click below for video:

VadaCurry

"South-India's most popular gravy, crave side-dish for idly, dosa, chappathi, poori, etc, lets see how shall we make it as simple as possible"

Ingredients

For Steamed Vada

   Bengal gram dhal/ kadala paruppu: 1/2 cup [or] Toor Dhal/ thuvaram paruppu: 1/2 cup
   Chilli powder -1/2 tspn
   Turmeric powder - a pinch
   Onion: 2 big, finely chopped

   Salt: as req

   

   For gravy
   Onion - 2 big, sliced
   Tomato - 3, finely chopped
   Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
   Kashmiri Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn

Medium Thick Coconut milk[2nd milk]: 1/2 cup

Special Masala Paste for gravy
   Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp
   Green chilli -1-2
   Fennel seeds/Sombu -1/2 tsp
   Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
   Cloves -2
   Cardamom -1 

Sambhar powder: 1/4 tspn

   To temper:  Oil+Ghee: 2-3 tbsp and  Bay leaf -1

 To Garnish
   Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp finely chopped

Mint leaves - 2-3 leaves

Curry leaves: few

METHOD

Primary prepartion: First keep the following ready

1. Wash and soak dhal for 30 mins in warm water. Extract the soaked dhal. Coarsely grind it by adding very little water to make as a thick vada batter.

In the vada batter, add salt [for vada], tumeric powder,chilli powder, chopped onions. Mix well, make it as balls, grease idly plates, place the vadas, steam it in idly pot.

"You can also fry vadas instead of steaming: if you wish"

Once vadas are cooked, cool it and crumble it. Keep it ready. 

2. Grind all items mentioned under Special Masala Paste for gravy

3. Prepare coconut milk and keep it ready.

Curry Preparation

Heat a kadai, add items mentioned under "to temper", saute very well: onion, tomato, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chilli powder,  Add special masala paste, mix and saute well so that oil releases the gravy.

Add coconut milk, salt and cook well. Add the crumbled vada. Add water if needed for the gravy, close pan with the lid and cook for 5 mins in low-med flame. Once done, garnish and serve hot!

Vadacurry is ready!!

Dahi Puri

Ingredients

Panipuri- as req

Green chutney: as req

Sweet chutney: as req

For chutneys, click here "Chat Chutneys"

Onions, Coriander leaves: finely chopped

Carrot: grated

Rock salt/black salt: as req per taste

Fresh thick dahi/card: as req

Sprouts mixed with Black/Rock salt: for stuffing

Kashmiri Red chilli powder: for garnishing

METHOD

First, make a hole in the center of each puris.

Place the poked puris in a plate, stuff the sprouts mix. Add a tspn of mint and sweet chutney.

 Garnish, onions, coriander leaves, carrots and sev/ompodi. Sprinkle black/rock salt.

Take thick curd, whisk well upto creamy. Dress up with curd, sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves, sev/ompodi, kashmiri red chilli powder.

Serve immediately after curd dressing so that puris wont turn soggy!

Enjoy Dahi Puri!

Chat Chutneys [mint/green chutney and sweet chutney]

INGREDIENTS AND METHOD

Green Chutney:

Mint leaves: a bunch

Coriander leaves: a bunch

Ginger: 1/2 inch

Garlic: 3-5 pods

Green chillies: 2 nos

Lemon juice: 2 tspn

Roasted jeera/cumin powder: 1 tspn

Black/rock salt: 1/2 tspn

Water: to grind

• In a mixie jar, add all the above ingredients and grind well to a chutney consistency. Filter it  and keep it aside. Green Chutney is ready.

 Sweet Chutney:

Tamarind: a medium gooseberry size

Dates: 5-6 deseeded

Jaggery: partly crushed- 3 tspn or as shown in pic

Roasted cumin/jeera powder: 1/2 tspn

Rock salt: 2 pinches

Water: to boil

 
 
In a pan, add all the ingredients and boil, mash the contents. Turn off the flame, once cooled, grind it in mixie, strain it well using filter and keep it aside. Sweet chutney is ready!!