Festival Recipes
Onam
Onam is a typical festival of Keralites. It is a harvest festival and it falls on August -September. In Kerala during Onam celebrations the front courtyard will be decorated with Onapookkalam to welcome king Mahabali. This usually starts from Atham(a star in chingamaasam) and extends up to Thiruvonam i.e for 10 days.
Now a days so many associations celebtates this as a competition (pookkala malasram) .
9th day and 10th day i.e from Uthradam and Thiruvonam some cone like (actually looks like a Big Jaggery cubes) structures made of clay will decorate the courtyard. These conical figures are decorated with flowers also. Rice will be soaked and ground to make a smooth paste in flowing consistency and draw beautiful kolams with this, conical structures also will be decorated with this paste. This structures represents Mahabali and pooja will be performed for 3 days.
All will be dressed in new cloths and a grand onam feast (sadhya) completely vegetarian will be served after having all the rituals.
After the feast, some recreational activities will be there for gents as well as ladies. Usually ladies will be in their traditional Kerala dress( mundum veshtium) and gather in a house and some folk dance called kaikottikkali will be there.
Onam Recipes
SambharNow a days so many associations celebtates this as a competition (pookkala malasram) .
9th day and 10th day i.e from Uthradam and Thiruvonam some cone like (actually looks like a Big Jaggery cubes) structures made of clay will decorate the courtyard. These conical figures are decorated with flowers also. Rice will be soaked and ground to make a smooth paste in flowing consistency and draw beautiful kolams with this, conical structures also will be decorated with this paste. This structures represents Mahabali and pooja will be performed for 3 days.
All will be dressed in new cloths and a grand onam feast (sadhya) completely vegetarian will be served after having all the rituals.
After the feast, some recreational activities will be there for gents as well as ladies. Usually ladies will be in their traditional Kerala dress( mundum veshtium) and gather in a house and some folk dance called kaikottikkali will be there.
Onam Recipes
Kurukku Kaalan
Mathan Olan
Inji Puli
Avial
Mathan erisseri
Cabbage thoran
Pazham Pradhaman
Palada Pradhaman
Pappadam
Vishu
Vishu is the malayalam new year. It falls on 14th April of every year. The previous night itself the vishukkani will be arranged in the puja room. Kanikonna is the yellow flower and it is a must for vishu. The idol of Krishna, with yellow colour vegetables, fruits and gold coins and kasavu mundu etc will be there for vishukkani.
Vishu day early morning the elder lady of the family will light the lamps and call one by one
and show the vishukkani.
\ After seeing the vishukkani, vishukaineetam will be distributed by the elders. Bursting of fire crackers will be there.
In our area (palakkad) vishu kanji will be served for lunch. Its a porridge making with rice and puliavarakka ( mochakkotta) and coconut.
Vishu kanji recipe
Vishu kanji
Thiruvathira
Thiruvathira is a traditional festival celebrated in Kerala on the full moon day of Dhanu (name of a malayalam month). Thiruvathira is the star of Lord Shiva ( falls in between Dec 15 and Jan 15th) and it is believed that on this day Goddess Parvathy met Lord Shiva after a long penance.
On that day women in a group will go to the pond for taking bath at 4 a.m singing folk songs (thiruvathira pattu). After taking bath they will go to the Shiva temple for Darshan. After coming home drink tender coconut water and eat banana.
For breakfast koova payasam will be served. It is made of arrow root powder and Jaggery.
Thiruvathira recipes
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Koova payasam
For breakfast Koova payasam, Fried pappad will be served.
On that day rice will be avoided. For lunch wheat porridge(gothambu kanji) and thiruvathira puzhukku made of tubular vegetables with grated coconut will be served.
Wheat porridge (Gothambu kanji)
Thiruvathira puzhukku
Women will gather in a house in the evening and thiruvathira kali(folk dance, singing about shiva& parvathi) will be there. Totally its a women's festival.
