Temple : Arulmigu Yoga Narasimhar Thirukkovil,Thirukadikai(Sholingar) This weeks episode is about "Arulmigu Yoga Narasimhar Thirukkovil,Thirukadikai(Sholingar)".
Location&Direction:ThisDivya Kshetram is located 20 miles from Arakonam Railway Station.Thistemple can also be reached via, Porur,kanchipuram from chennai.
AhobilaHill is the place where Mahavishnu took Narasimha Avatar initially.Lordtook this avatar again to the fullfill the wishes of saptharishi andvamana devars. Lord Anjaneya helped these rishis by killing two demons(kaalan and keyan).If you spend 24 minutes(kadikam) in this place, itleads to moksham,hence the name Thirukadikai or Kadikaasalam(kadikai-24 minutes,asalam-mountain).Well known saints Thottachariya anderumbiyappa lived in this place.
To hear sthalapuranam and more about this temple click below.
We lived in Sholingar for more than 10 years (till my 9th Std). We went to to both the temples each year. Me, brother and sister used to run while coming down with tremendous speed that if you stop suddenly you may fall down. My father would give food, banana to the small anjaneyars (monkeys) in chinna malai (small hill) and I would throw rice pori to the fishes. Few memorable incidents with monkeys trying to grab stuff from us. Recent one was 4 years ago. We would take our grand other using the doli (two persons carrying a person on a small wooden chair).
In chinna malai all mentally challenged treated, I guess it is still going on. Dry place with water scarcity, but good place to live.
There is a one more Perumal temple in the city (?) where puliothorai (tamarind rice) would be very good.
> > > There is a one more Perumal temple in the city (?) where puliothorai > > (tamarind rice) would be very good. > > > ========= > That is like Thirupathi mottai.. > > In all the Perumal koils (vinnagarams) Puliotharai & pulioTHIRAI > (where we wipe the hands !!) are good ! > > sps > ahha, what a way to start the morning - perumal kovil puliotharai....packed tight in thaiyal ilai and wrapped lightly with the twine....would smell divine...actually i am not sure of this ( experts may opine)....the speciality was that the rice would not become one whole mass ( like pongal) but retain its idividual shape....the dried red chilli would have actually soaked in with the puli n oil....not sure if was slightly spoiled ( bordering on oosa vasanai)....would be divine.... no outing or train journey is complete without this and ompodi vadam....
reminds me of this earlier post on food...
The first and foremost is the degree coffee - freshly ground coffee - brewed in traditional brass decotion - filter. In davara tumbler - mix with freshly milked full cream cows milk and atleast two spoons of sugar - served piping hot... What a way to get up - reading the headlines in the hindu paper and listening to MS suprabatham.
Lets start with breakfast or should we call it brunch . Before breakfast we need to clear the bowels- best way is to have a gulp of inge sorasom - ginger ale - grate the ginger and boil in water till all the essence is extracted. Let is coola bit - add lemon juice and jaggery or sugar. Gulp when still hot ( don't sip) - it should scald the throat as it goes down....
My all time favorite would be pongal with either thakali gotsu or thenga chutney ( white chutney). Pongal should be of the consistency of glue - not too stiff, nor too watery. The rice should have lost its individual shape, should be slightly sticky. Lots of molten ghee on top and the garnishing should be the choiceist cashewnuts, black pepper and curry leaves ( karu veppilai) - all crisply roasted in ghee..a medu vadai ( yeah the one with the hole in the centre resembling a doghnut) goes well with this combination. Pongal should always be served on a banana leaf ( saves the trouble of having to get the ghee of the plate while washing) eaten with the hand - The test for a good pongal is that ghee and the aroma must linger even after a through wash for atleast 2 hours. The thakali gotsu - the tomatoes should have lost their individuality but the onions should still retain theirs, the gravy should be hot and spicy ( lot of green chillies) and the whole dish should be watery. The chutney should be of watery consistency ( not getti chutney for pongal) with lot of kadugu and karuveppilai ( thalichathu)
The rest in that the order of merit are
Poori keyangu - poori must be hot hot and puffy ( smoke comes out when u break the puff) and the keyangu much have just potato, onions ( big) and green chilli with turmeric. Saravana bhavan seems to have perfected this one. Min qty in multiples of 5.
Idly with mulaga podi or murungakkai sambar. The podi must be coarse and not finely ground. If mixed with a little paruppu podi and molten ghee is heavenly. The mini idly in a bath of murungakkai sambar with molten ghee topping ( again).....
Paper roast and getti chutney - the dosa has to be piping hot ( thalaiya pathu kalla podanum - in my grand fathers words - see the person and then heat the tava ). The thinner the dosa crispier the crust, should not to be too crispy / brunt to break into pieces - they have to be in the right consistency to allow you to manouver the thumb, index and middle finger to break a piece of the dosa and dip it into the chutney ( or pick up a whole chunk inside the dosa) and dunk it into your mouth.
Rava Dosai and kothamalli chutney - The rava dosai is slightly different in consistency - since the rava need to gel - so it's a little more stickey, and is garnished with a few cashewnuts and ghee roasted pepper. It goes well with kothamalli chutney.
Mor Kali with elumichangai urgai - this is very simple dish - all u need is rice flour and pulicha thai( sour curd). This with lemon pickle is just divine.
Arisi Upma with Vellam (Jaggery) - lot of kandal ( the slightly burnt upma which sticks to the bottom of the vengala panai)
Sevai ( elumichai evai and getti chutney)
Rava Idly with thakali chutney
Rava Kithcadi with kothamalli chutney
Idiyappam and paya ( stew)
After such a light breakfast, the best way to relax is on either a kayatu kattil under the veppa maram or on the easy chair on the mittam swaying to the gentle breeze.
The main course - lunch......
Carrot goss malli - must be juicy with lot of lime juice. Maanga ingi / kuru milagu / magali Dangar pachidi Beans Paruppu usili - more beans less paruppu Urulai roast- should not be oily but crispy fried Vazaipoo vadai Vazakkai podi mass - again with just a hint of lime Thair pachidi - cocunut and a bit of spice Arisi Appalam ( for vatha kozambu), appalam, vadam, mor molagai, kothavarangai, sundakkai.... Posanikkai/vendakkai/murugakkai vatha kuzambu with karu vadam Vella Posanikkai/venkallai mor kuzambu Thakali / vepambu/mulaga/pineapple rasam - let to soak in a eyachombu Paruppu / milkmaid arisi /semiya payasam - just thick enough to be able to swoosh of the leaf but watery enough to wade into Maa vadu/lime pickle Neer moor ( nei urruki mor perukki) - sour buttermilk, with a hint of lime, garnished with kothamalli and karu veppilai
And tiffin...
Adai avial - onion or murungali ( murunga leaf) adai - thick but crispy with avial or jaggery. Is also good with lemon rasam...
Vijay, very well written!! let me add a few more snacks, not tamilian but would make sense to lipsmack..
Rava Idli - soft, smelling of fresh buttermilk, just few cashews cooked soft to add to the sweetness, one curry leaf here and there, couple of carrot pieces, enjoy this with 'kothsu' or thengai chutney.
Urigaalu - those new to Bangalore do try this snack. Crisp, small peanuts fried just right, you must be able to smell asafoedita and 'omam'..in their company you have pieces of sweet dried conconut. All done without an ounce of oil.
Mochai kottai upma - these small tasty beans are bangalore speciality, although lot of work to peel. Buy peeled ones. Toss into fresh upma, takes less than 2 minutes. Season upma with extra lemon juice. See how even upma haters gobble it up!!
I want to go on..someone not appropriate in 'Vaaram oru aalayam' :)) Aandavan arulal happy eating :)