Festival Thali (Vijayadashami Special)

Step 1: Pressure Cook Kabuli Channa

Add 1 cup of Kabuli Channa (soaked for more than 6 hours), fresh water, and salt to taste into a pressure cooker. Cook until tender.

Step 2: Cook Brown Top Millet

Cook brown top millet in a separate pot with water and salt until fluffy and cooked through.

Step 3: Prepare Cabbage Millet

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon chana dal, a handful of cashew nuts, 1 teaspoon urad dal, 1 green chili, and a few curry leaves. Sauté until fragrant. Add 1 bowl of finely chopped cabbage and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon desiccated coconut, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder, and salt to taste. Squeeze half a fresh lime. Add the cooked brown top millet and mix well. Finish with 1 teaspoon ghee on top.

Step 4: Prepare Channa Usli

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a small pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds and a few curry leaves. Add 1 cup of cooked channa, 1 teaspoon desiccated coconut, a pinch of turmeric powder, and salt to taste. Mix well. Squeeze a few drops of lime to finish.

Step 5: Pressure Cook Toor Dal

Add 1 cup of soaked toor dal and water to a pressure cooker. Cook until soft and mushy.

Step 6: Prepare Cucumber Raita (Southekayi Mosaru)

In a bowl, combine finely chopped cucumbers, salt to taste, daliya dal powder, and 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt (mosaru). Mix well. Prepare a tadka by heating 1 teaspoon oil, adding 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon urad dal, and a few curry leaves. Sauté until fragrant and pour over the raita.

Step 7: Prepare Millet Mosaru (Curd Millet)

In a bowl, combine 1 cup of cooked brown top millet, salt to taste, and plenty of yogurt. Add a little water to adjust the consistency. Prepare a tadka by heating 1 teaspoon oil, adding 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon chana dal, 1/2 teaspoon urad dal, and a few curry leaves. Sauté until fragrant and pour over the millet mosaru.

Step 8: Prepare Lemon Rasam

Heat 1 teaspoon of desi ghee in a pot. Add 1 teaspoon jeera, 1 green chili, and a few curry leaves. Sauté. Add 1 chopped tomato and sauté until soft. Add the cooked toor dal, salt to taste, a pinch of turmeric powder, a good amount of pepper powder (approximately 12 peppercorns), and water. Bring the rasam to a good boil. Squeeze half a fresh lime and turn off the flame.

Step 9: Prepare Vegetable Palya

Pressure cook 1 bowl of chopped carrots and beans along with a handful of soaked moong dal and a little water for 1 whistle. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. Add the pressure-cooked vegetables and dal. Stir in 1 teaspoon desiccated coconut, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder, and salt to taste. Mix well.

Step 10: Prepare Gulab Jamun

In a bowl, combine half a packet of MTR Gulab Jamun mix with oat milk (or water/regular milk) to form a soft dough. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. Make small, crack-free balls from the dough by pinching and gently pressing. Heat oil in a kadai on low to medium flame. Deep fry the jamun balls until they are golden brown. For the syrup (Chashni): In a separate pot, combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup water, a few dry rose petals, and crushed cardamom powder. Bring to a boil until the sugar melts and the syrup slightly thickens. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Add the fried jamun balls to the warm syrup. Cover with a lid to allow them to absorb the syrup.

Step 11: Prepare Mirchi Bajji

Slit open straight long green chilies like a pocket. Deseed as much as possible. Fill the chilies generously with salt and cumin powder. Sift 1/2 cup besan (chickpea flour) into a bowl. Add a pinch of turmeric powder, salt to taste, and a pinch of cooking soda. Add water gradually to make a thick batter. Dip one chili at a time into the batter, smearing one side against the bowl to remove excess batter. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown and puffed up.

Step 12: Serve Naivedya

Arrange all the prepared dishes (channa usli, vegetable palya, cucumber raita, gulab jamun, cabbage millet, lemon rasam, millet mosaru, plain rice, mirchi bajji, and thuppa) in small katoris on a thali for offering to God.

Step 13: Enjoy the Festival Meal

After offering the food to God, sit down with family to peacefully enjoy the delicious festival thali.

• Soak dals and chickpeas overnight or for at least 6 hours to reduce cooking time.

• Deseeding chilies for mirchi bajji reduces their spiciness.

• For crack-free gulab jamun, knead the dough well and apply gentle pressure when forming balls.

• Allow gulab jamun syrup to cool slightly before adding fried jamuns to prevent them from melting.

• Use fresh coconut instead of desiccated coconut for enhanced flavor in millet dishes and channa usli.

• Adjust spice levels in all dishes according to preference.