Puratasi Saturday

Puratasi is a tamil calender month in which we pray to God Lord Venkatesa or Balaji in a very special way. On the saturday of the first week, we make maa vilakku, yellu rice and chakkaraipongal to offer HIM.

To make maa vilakku:
This method was told by my sister-in-law. It came out very well.
Take 1cup of rice flour and mix it with 1cup of sugar. In blender dry grind little sugar and 2pods of cardamom. Add it to the rice mixture and mix well. Break a coconut and take the water in a cup. By using this water little by little to the rice flour make it into a thick dough. Then shape it into vilakku with a beak in front. Keep kumkum to it and into the deep hole in the centre put ghee and thread. Light it as a lamp to God.

Yellu (Sesame Rice)


Ingredients

Sesame seeds - 2tsp
Dry red chilli - 1 or 2 nos
Hing - little
Mustard - 1tsp
Urad dhal - 1tsp
Channa dhal - 1tsp
Curry leaves - little
Rice - 1/4cup
Salt - to taste
Sesame oil - 2tsp


Method
1. Wash and cook rice. Allow it to cool.
2. Dry roast sesame seeds and red chilli.
3. In a blender dry grind redchilli, sesame seeds and salt. Add it to the rice.
4. In a heated kadai, add oil, then add mustard, hing, urad dhal, channa dhal and fry. Once it is golden brown add it to the rice. Add curry leaves and mix the rice well.

This is my submission for RCI Tamil Festival hosted by viji of Vcusine.