Cabbage Carrot Curry ,Veg Dal Rasam & Stuffed Kesari Balls

In South India  all devotees celebrate Karthika Somavaram Vratham by showing their gratuity with fasting , going for bath in sacred river like 'Ganga' and by visiting temples in the early morning as well as   before breaking  the fast.where as in North India the culture a bit different as people worship Goddess Laxmi and Lord Vishnu through out the month but perform the same  rituals .
Cabbage Carrot Curry

Ingredients:
Cabbage 1 cup
Carrots 2 medium size
Ginger a small piece
Green chilies 5
Red peppers 4
Salt for taste
Oil 2 table spoons
Urad dal/Black Gram 1 table spoon
Bengal Gram/Yellow split peas 1 table spoon
Mustard Seeds 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin seeds 1/3 teaspoon
Curry leaves 10

Cooking Time:
Preparing Time :5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Method:
Step 1: Shred the cabbage pot or slice cabbage very thin and long.Chop carrots into small cubes
Step 2: Now take a frying pan add oil and the tempering to it .When the tempering sputters add the chopped carrots and cabbage pieces
Step 3: Now let them fry for 5 minutes or less, and add curry leaves .
Step 4: Dont add salt soon after adding the pieces as the curry becomes mushy when cabbage oozes the water
Step 5: Wait until cabbage is fried to some extent ,then add salt and cover it with a lid until it is done ,by stirring in middle so that curry does not burn
Step 6: Now mash the ginger and green chilies roughly
Step 7: When the curry is done add the mashed paste switch the flame to low for about a minute and then switch ff the stove
Step 8: Serve hot ,it tastes good with  both rotis & rice

 Veg Dal Rasam (Pappu charu):

This is a very savory and easy recipe
Ingredients:
Lentils 1/4 cup (uncooked)
Tamarind juice concentration 3 table spoons
Curry leaves 15
Cilantro leaves chopped 1/8 cup
French Beans chopped 5
Carrot 1  chopped into cubes 
Egg plant 1 sliced into pieces
Mustard seeds 1/8 table spoon
Fenu Greek Seeds 10
Cumin seeds 1/8 teaspoon
Asafoetida a pinch
Turmeric a pinch
Red peppers 2
Green chilies 4
Salt for taste
Ghee 1/2 table spoon
Oil 1/2 tablespoon
jaggery (Optional) a small piece
Sugar(Optional) 1teaspoon


Cooking Time :
Preparing Time :15 minutes
Cooking Time :10 minutes

Method:
Step 1: Wash the lentils and cut vegetables .Cook them  in a cooker .
Step 2: Give time for the cooker to cool down , take a deep pan add oil and ghee 
Step 3: When the oil is ready add the tempering , when it sputters add the boiled vegetables , dal and sufficient water
Step 4: Now add the turmeric, tamarind extract ,  salt ,sugar, jaggery,chopped green chilies,curry leaves , cilantro and bring to boil in a medium flame  for about 5 minutes
Step 5:Serve hot .This goes good with Idli,Dosa,Rice or Rotis

Note: You can cook this rasam without any vegetables with same taste 


Stuffed Kesari balls:

When you fast there should be some sweet treat .Try this easy recipe and quick recipe
Ingredients:
Sooji 1/2 cup uncooked
Sugar 1/2 cup
Ghee 8 tablespoons
Cardamon powder a pinch
Rice flour 3 tablespoons
All purpose flour 3 tablespoons
Gram flour 2 tablespoons
Sooji 1 tablespoon
Oil for deep fry

Cooking Time:
Preparing time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Method:
Step 1: Take a deep frying pan add sooji and fry until it changes color to light brown
Step 2: Now add water and sugar to the rava and boil it until sugar melts and becomes mushy
Step 3: Add cardamon powder,ghee to the mixture and make them into small/medium balls when the mixture is cool 
Step 4: Take another deep pan add oil for deep fry 
Step 5: Make a smooth batter with all the flour ,with the consistency of bajji batter
Step 6:When oil is ready dip the balls in batter and fry until they are golden brown in color