Vijayadashami Festival Platter - South Indian Style

Step 1: Prepare Cabbage Millet

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, chana dal, cashews, and urad dal. Sauté until golden. Add green chili and curry leaves. Then, add shredded cabbage and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in desiccated coconut, turmeric, salt, and lime juice. Finally, add the cooked brown top millet, mix well, and top with 1 tsp of ghee.

Step 2: Prepare Channa Usli

In a small pan, heat 1 tsp of oil. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once they splutter, add 1 cup of cooked chickpeas. Stir in desiccated coconut, a pinch of turmeric, and salt. Finish with a few drops of lime juice.

Step 3: Prepare Cucumber Raita

In a bowl, combine finely chopped cucumber, salt, 1 tbsp dalia powder, and 2 tbsp Greek yogurt. Mix everything well. Prepare a tadka with oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves, and pour it over the raita.

Step 4: Prepare Millet Mosaranna

Take a bowl of cooked millet. Add salt and yogurt to it. Add a little water to get the desired consistency and mix well. Prepare a tadka with oil, mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, and curry leaves, and add it to the millet mixture.

Step 5: Prepare Lemon Rasam

Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a pot. Add cumin seeds, green chili, and curry leaves. Add chopped tomato and sauté until soft. Pour in the cooked toor dal, add salt, turmeric, and pepper powder. Add water, bring to a boil, then squeeze in lime juice and turn off the heat.

Step 6: Prepare Carrot & Beans Palya

Pressure cook chopped carrots, beans, and a handful of soaked moong dal with a little water for 1 whistle. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the cooked vegetables. Stir in desiccated coconut, turmeric, and salt. Cook for another minute.

Step 7: Prepare Gulab Jamun

Prepare a soft dough from the gulab jamun mix using oat milk or water and let it rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make a sugar syrup by boiling sugar, water, rose petals, and cardamom powder until slightly thick. Roll the dough into small, crack-free balls. Deep fry them on low-medium heat until golden brown. Let the syrup cool slightly, then add the fried jamuns.

Step 8: Prepare Mirchi Bajji

Slit green chilies lengthwise and remove the seeds. Stuff them with a mix of salt and cumin powder. Make a thick batter with besan, turmeric, chili powder, salt, cooking soda, and water. Dip the stuffed chilies in the batter and deep fry until golden and crisp.

• Always fry sweet dishes first before spicy ones to reuse the oil.

• To make crack-free gulab jamun, pinch and squeeze the dough before rolling gently.

• Sift besan (gram flour) to remove lumps before making the batter.

• Add fried jamuns to warm (not hot) sugar syrup to prevent them from melting.

• Fresh coconut can be used instead of desiccated coconut for a richer flavor.

• Water can be used instead of milk to prepare the gulab jamun dough.