Rama Navami Special – Neer Mor, Panakam and Kosumari

Sri Rama Navami is a pandigai celebrating the birth of Lord Rama. This year its celebrated on the 19th of April 2013. Pandigai thaligai for Sri Rama Navami is the simplest of all the pandigais. They are Panakam, Neer Mor and kosumari.

Panakam in Sanskrit means sweet drink. It is a main neivedyam at all the temples and houses on this day in India.

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups of water (depends on the no. Of serving)
• 1 tbsp Dry ginger (sukku)(powdered)
• 2-3 tbsp grated jaggery (depends on how sweet you want it to be)
•  ½ tsp crushed peppercorns
• 1 crushed cardamom

Preparation

Dissolve the grated jaggery in water and add  dry ginger powder to it. I prefer fresh ginger to the dry powder as it gives more fresh taste and zing to the drink. The dry ginger loses some properties of fresh ones. Boil the mixture and filter it. Add crushed cardamom and peppercorns to it. Now its ready for Neivedyam for the Lord.

Jaggery or Gur, is pure, Unrefined whole sugar, containing the natural goodness of minerals and vitamins inherently present in sugarcane juice.

Powdered dry ginger is very effective in treating motion sickness. It’s especially given to kids for proper digestion. Fresh mashed ginger root, when applied to burns, eases the pain. The combination of Pepper, ginger along with honey or cane sugar relieves sore throat, cough and cold.

Neer Mor

Ingredients:

• Buttermilk
• Salt
• Coriander leaves
• Curry leaves
• Hing powder

 Preparation:

Add salt, curryleaves, coriander leaves and hing to buttermilk. Mix well and offer it to Lord.

Kosumari (Soaked Split yellow moong dal)

Ingredients

• 1 cup moong dal
• 2-3 tbsp grated coconut
• chushed green chillies
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste.
• Fresh chopped cilantro / curry leaves to garnish.

Preparation

The moong dal should be soaked in warm water for about half an hour and drained. To this, add all the other ingredients and mix well.