Priya's Virundhu

Priya's Virundhu: Pongal Recipes /All about Pongal/Pongal Menu/Sanka...

2024-01-08T12:16:00.000+05:30

Priya's Virundhu: Pongal Recipes /All about Pongal/Pongal Menu/Sanka...: Wishing you all a Very Happy Pongal/Thai Pongal... Iniya Uzhavar Thirunaal Vaazhthukkal Pongal is the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu ce...

Botttle Gourd Halwa/Surrakkai Halwa/Lauki Ka Halwa – Bottle Gourd Halwa without Khoya/How to make Bottle Gourd Halwa with step by step photos

2023-11-24T19:56:00.004+05:30

Bottle Gourd Halwa/Lauki Ka Halwa is a simple, rich and delectable Indian Sweet dish. It is made by grating bottle gourd, and cooking it with very minimal ingredients like ghee, milk and sugar. This bottle gourd halwa is the perfect dessert after a wonderful meal. We make different types of halwa in India, which is more or less like a pudding. It can be made with semolina/suji, or carrots or beetroots or grains or legumes etc with added sugar and loaded with ghee and finally garnished with cardamom/elachi, nuts and raisins. I have already posted different types of Halwa Varieties, please click on the link to check out the traditional Halwa Recipes here. Bottle gourd Halwa can be made during festivals and special occasions. Do try out this healthy and delicious Bottle Gourd Halwa and post your comments here.

Here's how to make Bottle Gourd Halwa with step-by-step photos…

Ingredients

Bottle Gourd/Surrakkai/Lauki	700 gm
Ghee	3 tbsp + 1 tsp
Sugar	200 gm
Milk [Boiled]	400 ml
Elachi Powder	¼ tsp
Salt	One pinch
Almonds/Badam	6-7 sliced

Preparation Time: 10 -15 minutes Recipe Category: Dessert

Cooking Time: 35-40 minutes Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Author: Priya Anandakumar

Other Halwa Varieties that might be of your interest...

Apple Halwa

Almond Halwa/Badam Halwa

Ashoka Halwa/Thanjavur Halwa

Beetroot Halwa

Bread Halwa

Corn flour Halwa/Karachi Halwa/Bombay Halwa

Mango Halwa/Maambazham Halwa

Mango Halwa/Maampazham Halwa with Jaggery [Video Recipe]

Kasi Halwa/White Pumpkin Halwa/Vellai Poosanikkai Halwa

Ragi Halwa/Kezhvaragu Halwa

Pineapple Sooji Halwa/Pineapple Kesari

Urad Dal Halwa/Urad Dal Kali
Wheat Flour Halwa/Instant Wheat Flour Halwa/Godhumai Ha

Method

Wash the bottle gourds thoroughly.

Peel the skin of bottle gourd and grate it leaving the core. Make sure to leave the core and grate only the flesh part of the bottle gaurd.

I have not squeezed the water from the grated bottle gourd. Squeezing the water is just an optional step.

Heat a kadai/pan, add 3 tbsp of ghee.

Add the grated bottle gourd and give a good stir.

Saute the bottle gourd for 3-5 minutes, until the raw smell vanishes and until the water is completely evaporated.

Now add the boiled milk to the sauteed bottle gourd.
Let the bottle gourd cook in the milk. Stir now and then to avoid burning of bottle gourd.
The milk will thicken, and the bottle gourd will be cooked by then. Cook until all the milk is evaporated.

Now add the sugar and give a good stir.

The sugar will start to melt. Let it boil for 5-6 minutes or until it thickens.

You will see small whitish bubbles, which indicates that the halwa consistency has reached.

Now add ¼ tsp of cardamom powder, 1 tsp of ghee and mix everything really well.

Finally add silvered or sliced Almonds/Badam to the halwa and give a good stir. Now switch off the stove.

Delicious and super tempting Bottle Gourd Halwa/Lauki ka Halwa/Surakkai Halwa is ready to be enjoyed.
Suggestions:

After adding milk to the bottle gourd, it might look like it is curdling, but do not worry. Just keep stirring and cook until all the milk is thickened.

I have not added khoya, you can add khoya after the milk has thickened. Mix well and cook for another 3-5 minutes. For the above measurement you can add about ½ cup khoya.

I have not added green food color, it is totally optional. If needed, you can add a pinch of green color.

To reduce the cooking time, you can replace the sugar with condensed milk.

Cook the halwa on medium flame. Make sure you keep stirring the halwa throughout the cooking to avoid it from burning.

Always use whole milk [full fat milk] to make rich and creamy halwa.

Use only tender bottle gourd to make this halwa.

Add sugar only after the vegetable is completely cooked.

Sautéing the bottle gourd in ghee is very important to get rid of the raw flavor of the vegetable.

You can store this halwa in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Heat the halwa before serving.

I have added just sliced almonds. You can roast some cashew nuts and raisins in ghee and add it to the halwa.

Other Halwa Varieties that might be of your interest...

Apple Halwa

Almond Halwa/Badam Halwa

Ashoka Halwa/Thanjavur Halwa

Beetroot Halwa

Bread Halwa

Corn flour Halwa/Karachi Halwa/Bombay Halwa

Mango Halwa/Maambazham Halwa

Mango Halwa/Maampazham Halwa with Jaggery [Video Recipe]

Kasi Halwa/White Pumpkin Halwa/Vellai Poosanikkai Halwa

Ragi Halwa/Kezhvaragu Halwa

Pineapple Sooji Halwa/Pineapple Kesari

Urad Dal Halwa/Urad Dal Kali
Wheat Flour Halwa/Instant Wheat Flour Halwa/Godhumai Ha

Thank you all for visiting my space, please come back again for more traditional, authentic, and super delectable Sweets from my kitchen.

If you find this post interesting, it will really be nice if you can share it with your facebook friends or twitter friends or pin it today. I will be very happy if you like, share, and subscribe to Priya’s Virundhu youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTsVaemF70ifZPLfgtEvMjg. All of this means a lot to me and a great encouragement as well.

Have a great day and enjoy.

Until then I am signing off…

How to Perform Kanda Sashti Pooja at home? Kanda Sashti Poojai seivadhu eppadi/Simple method to do Sashti Pooja at home Along with all Neivedhyams.

2023-11-14T14:08:00.003+05:30

Today I am going to share with you all of how to perform pooja for Lord Murugan during the Kanda Sashti Viratham. You can do this Pooja on all the six days of the Skanda Sashti or only on Soorasamharam day also. This year Kanda Sashti starts on 13 th November 2023 and ends on 18 th November 2023 followed by Lord Murugan Thirukalyanam on 19^th November 2023.

Please check out

Skanda SashtiViratham 2023 dates here,

Origin of Skanda Sashti Festival here,

How to observe Skanda Sashti Viratham/Fasting here.

2022 Skanda Sashti Pooja at my home

Before starting the pooja, create a calm and pleasant atmosphere. Clean the pooja room and keep all the pooja items ready.

Here I am going to share details of Skanda Sashti Pooja which we will perform for six days and complete it on the Soorasamharam day.

Here is the list of items you will need for Pooja

Lord Murugan Picture/Idol

Vel [If you don’t have one it is ok]

Two Kuthu Vilakkus

Six small lamps/ugals or brass lamps

Pancha Pathiram

Sandal Powder

Turmeric

Kum kum

Flowers

Fruits

Water

Milk or any Neivedhyam of your choice

Agarbathi, Camphor

Many people start the Sashti Viratham by tying “KAAPU” on day one. The eldest member of the house will tie the Kaapu to all the members of the house to mark the beginning of the start of fasting/Viratham. If your family has the practice of tying Kaapu then you can follow that procedure.

Please check out

Skanda SashtiViratham 2023 dates here,

Origin of Skanda Sashti Festival here,

How to observe Skanda Sashti Viratham/Fasting here.

Step One:

Clean the pooja room and the place where the Idol or Lord Murugan Picture is going to be placed. Draw kolam in front of the main door. Make sure you wash your hair on the first day of the pooja.

Step Two:

Clean the Lord Murugan Picture or Lord Murugan Idol or Vel thoroughly. Now mix little sandal powder & turmeric powder. Keep small pottus [small dots] on the picture/idol or Vel. Keep kum kum on top of it.

Step Three:

If you have Murugan idol and new vasthram/cloth of Lord Murugan then keep some turmeric paste on the edges of the cloth and tie for Lord Murugan.

Step Four:

Decorate the Picture/Idol with flowers of your choice.

Step Five:

Draw a kolam like the one shown below in from of the Lord Murugan.

Step Six:

Apply turmeric and Kumkum for kuthu vilakku, keep some flowers, pour oil and keep it ready. Place the Kuthu Vilakkus on both sides of Lord Murugan Picture/Idol/Vel.

Step Seven:

I have mentioned about 6 ugals [mud/brass],

On day One you will light one ghee lamp and keep it on the alphabet “SA” in the kolam and also one flower in the the alphabet “OHM” in the middle of the kolam.

On second day you will light two ghee lamps and keep it on the alphabets “SA” & “RA” in the kolam.

On third day you will light three ghee lamps and keep it on the alphabets “SA”, “RA”, “VA” in the kolam.

On fourth day you will light four ghee lamps and keep it on the alphabets “SA”, “RA”, “VA”, “NA” in the kolam.

On fifth day you will light five ghee lamps and keep it on the alphabets “SA”, “RA”, “VA”, “NA”, “BHA” in the kolam.

On Sixth day you will light six ghee lamps and keep it on the alphabets “SA”, “RA”, “VA”, “NA”, “BHA”, “VA” in the kolam.

Step Eight:

Now light both the kuthu vilakkus, light on one small ghee lamp and place it as shown in the picture.

First day - one lamp

Sixth Day - Six Lamps

Step Nine:

Keep Pancha Pathiram filled with water, offer neivedhyam like fruits, milk or any other neivedhyam you have prepared in your home to Lord Murugan.

Step Ten:

Start doing your pooja by offering flowers and pooja to lord Ganesha and Sun god. Tell all your daily routine slokams. Next start with Skanda Sashti Kavacham, Subramaniya Bhujangam, Vel Maaral, Thirupugazh songs which ever you know.

This has to be followed by Aarthi.

Rules to be followed

Pooja has to be done two times a day, morning and evening.

If you are going to work, then come back home take bath and do the pooja. It is alright even if you do this pooja a little late.

Make sure to read Sashti Kavacham everyday with out fail.

If you are not able to say sashti kavacham fully or you don’t time due to work constraints you can just listen to them or atleast say this small slokam from Thirupugazh

ஏறு மயிலேறி விளையாடும் முகமொன்று

ஈசருடன் ஞான மொழி பேசும் முகமொன்று

கூறும் அடியார்கள் வினை தீர்க்கும் முகமொன்று

குன்றுருவ வேல்வாங்கி நின்ற முகமொன்று

மாறுபடு சூரரை வதைத்த முகமொன்று

வள்ளியை மணம்புணர வந்த முகமொன்று

ஆறுமுகமான பொருள் நீயருள வேண்டும்

ஆதி அருணாசலம் அமர்ந்த பெருமாளே

This routine is followed until the sixth day morning of the Skanda Sashti.

Sixth Day Evening Pooja Procedure

On the sixth day evening is the Soorasamharam, where Lord Murugan kills Soorapadhman, Taarakasooran and Simhamugan. On the sixth day evening after the Soorasamharam happens in the Murugan Temple [you can watch it on tv or youtube, if you cannot visit the temple], take head bath.

Prepare all the neivedhyams like

SakkaraiPongal/Sakkarai Pongal in a Pot -traditional method/Akkara Vadisal

Ullundhu Vadai with Onions/Ullundhu Vadai without Onions

Arisi Thengai Payasam/Arisi Paruppu Payasam

Kathrikkai & Murungaikkai Sambar or Dhal

ThinaiUrundai/Thaen Thinai

UrulaikizhanguVaruval

ThalichaThayir Sadam

Light all the lamps for Lord Murugan, offer all the neivedhyams , light agarbathis, chant all the slokams and finally show the Aarthi by saying “Vetrivel Muruganukku Arogara, Veeravel Muruganukku Aragara, Valli Manavaalanukku Arogara, Kandhanukku Arogara, Subramaniya Swamikku Arogara.

After this pooja the Skanda Sashti Viratham gets over, you can give food as charity to some poor people and then have it.

Those who are observing one day fasting will stat in the morning, follow the same procedure and do the pooja after the soorasamharam and complete it.

Please check out

Skanda SashtiViratham 2023 dates here,

Origin of Skanda Sashti Festival here,

How to observe Skanda Sashti Viratham/Fasting her

The next day is Lord Murugan’s Thirukalyanam with Deivayanai [Daughter of Lod Indra]. Lord Indra is so happy that Lord Murugan has saved the entire abode of heavenly gods and every living being on Earth and gives his daughter in marriage to Lord Murugan.

Thank you all for visiting my space, please come back again for more interesting articles about Indian Festivals and Poojas here. Meanwhile check out interesting articles about Navarathri, Golu, Pongal and other Indian Festivals here.

If you find this post really interesting, it will really be nice if you can share it with your facebook friends or twitter friends or pin it today. I will be very happy if you like, share and subscribe to Priya’s Virundhu youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTsVaemF70ifZPLfgtEvMjg. All of this means a lot to me and a great encouragement as well.

Have a great day and enjoy.

Until then I am signing off...