Mahashivratri Falahar(Recipe For Fast,Vrat,Upwas)

MahaShivratri Recipe

MahaShivratri is a hindu festival which is celebrated in honour of god Shiva.It is celebrated once in a year in late winter mostly in the month of February and before the arrival of spring, marks Maha Shivratri which means "the great night of Shiva"

It is a major festival in India and marks the "remembrance of overcoming darkness and ignorance" in life and in the world.

On this day, devotees observe fast for Lord Shiva in order to earn blessings from him.And in night they eat mostly food which is light and not heavy.This is called fast,vrat or upwas food.Many people eat Potato Phalahari Vegetable,Kadi(which is made from curd) and Vari Rice (Samo/Moraiyo in english,and to some people it is known as Bhagar). 

Mahashivratari Recipes For vrat,fast

Today i am going to show you how to make all these recipes for fast,vrat,upwas which you can make on Mahashivratri for dinner.

So lets see how to make these Mahashivratri Recipes.

First lets start with Vari Rice(Samo/Moraiyo or also called as Bhagar)

Vari Rice Recipe

Ingredients:

Vari Rice Ingredients

1) Vari Rice  1 cup

2) Water 2 cups

3) Half teaspoon of salt(Keep same quantity for any cups of rice)

Method

1) Wash the rice nicely with water and keep aside.

2) Keep two cups of water to boil. Once the water comes to boil add these washed rice in it and add half teaspoon of salt and mix everything properly.

boil water and add salt

Add vari rice once the water comes to boil

3)Cook the rice until all the water has evaporated from it.It will generally take 10-15 minutes for the rice to cook completely depending on the quantity of rice you take. 

Vari rice ready

4) Once all the water has evaporated turn off the gas and remove the rice a bowl and then remove it in a plate.

Remove vari rice in a small bowl

Remove it in a plate

Thats it for the Vari Rice.Such a easy recipe it was wasn't it?

Now lets move on to next. Kadi Recipe and Phalahari Potato Vegetable Recipe.

But before that you will need a green coconut paste which adds a rich flavour to both these recipes, Lets see how to make that first.

Green Coconut Paste

Ingredients :

Grind evrything in mixer to make a fine paste

1) Freshly Grated Coconut half shell

2) Garlic cloves 3-4

3) Turmeric(Haldi) half tea spoon.

4) Green Chilly 5-6.

5) Coriander leaves a spoonful. (this gives the green colour to the paste)
6) Ginger half cube

Method

Grind all the ingredients in a mixer to make a fine paste. 

Green Coconut Paste Ready

We will use this Green Coconut Paste for both Kadi Recipe and Phalahari Potato Vegetable.

Lets start the Kadi Recipe now. 

Kadi Recipe

Ingredients :

Ingredients for Kadi

1) Green Coconut Paste 4-5 table spoon

2) Curd(dahi) half cup

3) Cumin seeds(jeera) 1 tablespoon

4) Mustard seeds (rai) 1 tablespoon

5) Asafoetida (hing) half teaspoon

6) Curry leaves (kadipatta) 5-6 leaves

7) Coriander(dhania) leaves for garnishing

8) Salt to taste.

9) Crushed garlic cloves 4-5

10) Gram flour (besan) 2 tablespoon(This adds thickness to your Kadi)
11) Water

Method :

1) In a mixer add half cup curd(dahi) and 2 tablespoon of besan(gram flour) and mix it in a mixer to get a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

Mix besan and curd in a mixer

2) In a pan put 2 table spoon of oil .Let it heat up nicely.

3) Add mustard seeds let them splutter,then add asafoetida,cumin seeds,curry leaves and crushed garlic and mix everything nicely till golden brown.

Add hing,jeera,kadipatta,garlic

Mix nicely until golden brown

4) Add the curd-besan mixture to this and mix nicely. And immediately close the lid.

Add curd and besan mixture

Close lid for 2 minutes

5) After 2 minutes open the lid and add 3-4 table spoon of green curry paste and add 3-4 cups of water and salt as per your taste and mix everything nicely.

Add 3-4 spoon of green curry paste

Add water and keep stirring until you get the first boil

6) Let it come to boil (Dont place lid now at all). You need to keep mixing it continuously so that no lumps are formed.After you observe that the Kadi has become lump free and smooth you can stop stirring now.

7) Let the Kadi boil for more 10-15 minutes. But keep stirring after every 2 minutes.

Keep stirring every 2 minutes

8) After you get the desired consistency, you can switch off the gas, remove the Kadi in a bowl and garnish it with coriander leaves.

Garnish with coriander leaves

Kadi Recipe is ready. It tastes really very delicious.Do try it.

Kadi is ready

Health Tip : Kadi is great for digestive system. It helps to keep your digestive system cool. So more great reasons to try this recipe.

Now lets make Phalahari Potato Vegetable.

Phalahari Potato Vegetable Recipe

Ingredients :

Ingredients for Phalahari Potato Vegetable

1) Green Coconut Paste 4-5 table spoon

2) Boiled potatoes 7-8

3) Cumin Seeds (jeera) 1 tablespoon

4) Mustard Seeds(rai) 1 tablespoon

5) Asafoetida(hing) 1 teaspoon

6) Curry leaves(kadi patta) 5-6

7) Salt to taste

8) Coriander leaves for garnishing

9) Water

10) Garlic cloves 3-4

Method :

1) Boil the potatoes,peel them and cut them into small dices.

Dice the boiled potatoes

2) Place a pan on gas and heat 2 table spoon oil.Once the oil heats up,add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add asafoetida,cumin seeds,curry leaves,and crushed garlic cloves.Mix everything nicely until golden brown.

3) Add 4-5 tablespoon Green Coconut Paste and mix everything nicely once again .Let it steam for about 2 minutes.

4) Add the boiled potatoes,salt as per taste and 3-4 cups of water. Mix everything ,close the lid and let it boil for 7-8 minutes.

Boil for 7-8 minutes

5) It wont take long time to cook as the potatoes are already boiled so when you get the desired thickness of the gravy just turn off the gas.

7) Remember to keep stirring the gravy in between.

6) Now remove the Potato Phalahari Vegetable in a bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Phalahari Potato Vegetable Ready

Thats it your delicious menu for Mahashivratri dinner is ready. Do try it and enjoy this Mahashivratri Falahar Recipe , prepare it for your family and friends they will love it.

You can also make this recipes anytime else , on any other occassion too.

Ukadiche Modak or Steamed Modak for Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi

How to make Ukadiche Modak or Steamed Modak Recipe

So  Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi is coming, It is a Sankashti Chaturthi falling on Tuesday.It is considered highly auspicious among all Sankashti Chaturthi days and is dedicated to Lord Ganesha.

So on this day to make Bappa happy ,devotes prepare his favourite dessert and offer him this sweet dessert  to get his blessings . Does anyone knows what is it? Yes you guessed it right...! MODAK….!

Oh…. These sweet little modaks are so tasty and yummy that you just cant stop eating them.

So how to make them?? 

Its simple .. Just follow my recipe and you will be able to make tasty,delicious,yummy modaks and impress Ganpati Bappa and all your friends and family. They are also called as Ukadiche modak or steamed modaks. You can even make fried modaks but they don’t taste as much as delicious as Ukadiche Modak.

Ukad is a Marathi word and it means steam.Hence Ukadiche Modak or Steamed Modak.

Ukadiche(Steamed) Modak

You will need :

Ingredients:
(Note : These ingredients make upto 25-30 modaks based on the size you make )

1)Coconut 2

2)Rice flour ½ kg

3)Jaggery 300gm

4)Green cardamom  10

5)Ghee ( clarified butter) 1 table spoon

6)A pinch of salt

7) Cashews 8-10

10) Water

Procedure :
For the filling : 

Jaggery and Coconut

Step 1:

Scrape the coconut and cut the jaggery into small pieces,and crush the cardamoms into a fine powder.

Step 2:

Take a non-stick pan and add 1 teaspoon of oil or ghee.Let it heat for some time then add the scrapped coconut and roast it till it becomes very light brown.  Don’t roast it for a long time .Just roast it till little water from the coconut has evaporated.Just roast for 5-7 minutes continuously.It took me 5-7 minutes because I used two coconuts.Time may vary according to the quantity you take.

Roast Coconut

Keep mixing continously

After 5-7 minutes

Step 3:

Then add the chopped jaggery pieces and let it melt very nicely with the coconut.Once the jaggery has melted properly you will get a gooey kind of batter.Turn off the stove.And remove this mixture in a plate so that it doesn’t keep cooking.

Add jaggery

Keep mixing continuously

Sweet Filling Ready

Stet 4 :

Then add a very little less than a pinch of salt,cardamom powder and finely chopped cashews(optional but tastes great with it) and mix everything nicely and keep aside.

Add Cardomom powder ,cashew and salt

Mix Nicely

For the Cover (Rice Dough) :

Step 1:

First measure your rice flour with the help of cups. If you have 2 cups of rice flour then you will need two cups of water.

Step 2:

Take a pot and add 2 cups of water.Let it boil.Once the water comes to boil add 1 tablespoon of ghee(this is very important it makes the cover soft) and very little salt , less than a pinch.And add the rice flour and mix it with water.Add little by little flour and keep mixing until no lumps remain.Turn of the gas.And close the lid for 5-10 minutes.And then remove the mixture on a plate and let it cool a little but keep it a little warm (don’t cool it completely) and nicely knead it lump free.If you think that the dough is dry add little by little water and keep kneading until you get a soft ball.If you think the dough is hot while kneading apply some oil to your hands and then knead.

Add 1 tbsp oil to the water first and then add rice flour when the water boils 

Mix Everything

Cover for 5-10 mins

Remove rice flour mixture on a plate

Apply oil to hands and knead dough by adding little by little water

Preparation of Modak:

Now you have the  filling and cover ready.Now lets make modak.

Step 1:

 Apply some oil to your hands. Take a small lemon size ball of the rice dough and roll it between the palm of your hands nicely,and make a hollow circle out of it by slowly pressing the dough from middle using your thumbs and fingers.Place your thumbs in the middle and support the dough with your fingers.

Take lemon size ball dough

Step 2:

Take the 1 tablespoon of filling or more as per your convenience, and place it between the circle you made.

Step 3:

Now using your thumb and first finger ,start pinching the little edges and make the pleats.More near the pleats the more beautiful it looks.

Step 4:

Now carefully pinch all together and seal it nicely. Good job! You made a modak! Now place  this modak  in a plate and cover it with a cloth.

Fill the dough with sweet filling

Pinch all the sides to createb modak

Step 5:

Repeat the steps to make the remaining modaks.

Once all your modaks are ready we have to steam them now.

Lets Steam

Step 1:

Get your steamer ready with water boiling.(Tip : You can keep the water to boil while you are halfway of getting the modaks done)

Step 2:

Take a coconut leaf or haldi leaf ( i prefer haldi leaf as it gives a great aroma and fragrance to the modaks.) Cut the leaf in round shape similar to the size of your steamer thali/plate, or just place it as it is so that it is covering the whole steamer thali/plate.

Place a coconut leaf on steamer when water boils

Step 3:

Now place the modaks, as much as they can fit.(Don’t crowd them)

Place modak on steamer

Step 4:

Cover the steamer with lid and let it steam for about 15 minutes on fast flame.

Cover the steamer with lid for 15 minutes on fast flame

Step 5:

Switch off the stove after 15 minutes. Take off the lid.Let the modaks cool and take them out nicely and carefully on a plate.

Steamed modaks are ready to eat

Step 6:

Place a new batch of modaks to steam. Keep checking the water each time you place a new batch of modaks.And steam them the same way.

You can make these modaks using a modak mould too.

Modak using modak mould:

Step 1:

 Grease the modak mould with a little oil or ghee.Close the mould.

Step 2:

Take a small ball of dough and press it inside the mould until it has covered all the places in the mould.

Step 3:

Now the fill the inside of mould with the filling.  

Step 4:

Now take very little dough and seal the base of the mould very nicely so that all the base is covered.

Step 5:

Now remove the modak from the mould. Repeat these steps to make the rest of modaks.

Arrange the modaks in a plate and offer them to Lord Ganesha , to receive his beautiful blessings.

You can also give shape of ghujiyas 

Ghujiya shaped modaks

A very happy Angarki Sankashti to all. Ganpati Bappa Morya.

Important Tips :

1)   Take correct proportions if 2 cups water then 2 cups rice flour.

2) If while making the balls you feel the dough is dry add a water little by little to make it soft.

3) Adding ghee to the boiling water is very important while making the dough.

   Watch the Video here :