Ayudha Pooja Celebration :)

Ayudha Puja is an integral part of the Dasara festival, a Hindu festival which is traditionally celebrated in India. In simple terms, it means “Worship of Implements”. The festival falls on the ninth day or Navami of the bright half of Moon's cycle of 15 days in the month of September/October, and is popularly a part of the Dasara or Navaratri or Durga Puja or Golu festival. On the ninth day of the Dasara festival, weapons and tools are worshiped.

The principal goddesses worshiped during the Ayudha puja are Saraswathi(the Goddess of wisdom, arts and literature), Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) and Parvathi (the divine mother), apart from various types of equipment; it is on this occasion when weapons are worshipped by soldiers and tools are revered by artisans. The Puja is considered a meaningful custom, which focuses specific attention to one’s profession and its related tools and connotes that a divine force is working behind it to perform well and for getting the proper reward.

Top half: Dad's tax book, my music book, kitchen knife, scissors, my color pencils and so on are part of my worship. :)
Bottom half: Veneration of vehicles at home as part of Ayudha Puja!

Celebration does not end at home. The streets are busy selling pooja articles which include color papers to decorate the vehicles, thoranam for home, fruits, puffed rice etc :)

Now coming to my favorite part, the prasadam. :) We made two dishes as offerings for the god.
One being a sweet - Sogusa Boli (Semolina stuffed pancake/Rava boli/Soogi boli) and the other one is Cabbage vada. :)

I am not sure if God liked it, but I just loved it :) :)

Sogusa Boli (Semolina stuffed pancake)

Ingredients:

For the wrapper:
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Salt - a pinch
Cooking soda - a pinch
Cooking oil - 1/2 cup
Water

For filling:
Semolina/rava - 1 cup
Coconut scrappings - 1 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 1/2 cup

Method:

For Wrapper:

Mix all purpose flour, salt and cooking soda together. Add adequate water to roll it into a soft dough. Finally add oil and kneed well to make the dough smooth. Roll the dough into a ball and coat it heavily with oil and leave it alone for 3 hours.

For Filling:
In a heavy bottomed pan, take semolina, coconut scrappings, sugar and milk together. In a medium flame keep stirring it until the semolina gets cooked and the contents roll out without sticking to the sides(Kesari consistancy) . Once done, leave it to cool.

To make boli:
Take a plastic sheet or kitchen foil and grease it with oil. Take a chunk of the wrapper dough, press it out to about 2-3 inches in diameter using your hands. Place a dollop of the semolina filing in the centre and fold it from all sides, proceed to seal at the top. Now press it on all sides with your hand to make a boli of 3 inches wide. Carefully remove it from the sheet and toast it on a pan. Flip and toast on both the sides by applying some ghee over it.

Sogusa Boli is ready to eat :) Serve it hot. Enjoy eating :)

Cabbage Vada

Ingredients:

Thoor Dhall - 1 cup
Urad dhall - 1/2 cup
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Green chilly - 2
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Cabbage - 100 gms
Salt - for taste


Method:

Soak thoor dhall and urad dhall in water for 2 hours. Grind both the dhalls with pepper, cumin, green chilly, ginger and salt into a coarse mixture by adding very little water. Dice cabbage into fine pieces and add it to the ground mixture.

Now roll them into small balls and deep fry in oil.

Crispy cabbage vada is ready to eat :) You can make it interesting by putting them it in curd or rasam :)

Happy Ayudha pooja to all! :) :) :)

I am sending my Sogusa boli to the festive treats event of Simple Indian Food blog along with Krishnajayanthi Sweet poha and Polala ammavasya Thaligalu paravannam.


Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com