Nei Appam

Janmashtami is one of the most widely celebrated festivals of India. With different customs and traditions, the occasion of Janmashtami is celebrated. One of the important religious aspects of the festival of Janmashtami is the Janmashtami fast that is kept by the devotees on Janmashtami. The meaning of fasting means to move near the supreme and the all mighty and to overcome helplessness. On the festival of Janmashtami also devotees keep fast and seek blessings of the Lord.

Nirjal Janmashtami Fast The religious followers of Lord Krishna celebrate the festival of Janmashtami by keeping nirjal fast, meaning fasting without having even a single drop of water. They believe that by keeping this type of fast they will come closer to God. Other devotees who can't follow such a strict fast keep fruit fast having only milk and fruits during the fast. Devotees observe strict discipline while fasting. They refrain from having cereals and salt on the day of the festival. They also feel keeping such fast is the only thing that they can offer God. Fasting is accompanied by singing of devotional songs and mantra chanting. Janmashtami Fast Dishes There are different types of dishes made on the occasion of Janmashtami for those who keep a fast. Since Lord Krishna is very fond of milk and butter products, different types of dishes made from the same are prepared like kheer, pedhas or other sweets. Devotees break their fast at midnight after the birth of Lord Krishna by offering prasad to the Lord. The different dishes that can be made as prasadams are in the Neivedyam section. To start with ,lets see how to make Nei appam.This recipe is for 15 medium sized appams. Ingredients: ========== Rice(Raw rice / puzhungal arisi) - 100 grams Ripe banana - 1 big or 2 small Jaggery(crushed)- 100grams Elachi/cardamom powder - 1 tsp Dry dinger powder - 1/2 tsp Dry coconut/Kopra - 2 tsp, cut into fine pieces Ghee - for making the appam Method: ====== Wash and soak the rice for 2 hours. Drain the excess water. Crush the jaggery roughly using a pestle and mortar. Chop the banana into small slices. Grind the soaked rice with enough water into a very smooth paste. Add the powdered jaggery and banana slices .Grind again till it blends well. The consistency of the batter should be slightly flowing.Do not make it too watery.Adjust the quantity of water as required while grinding. Add elachi powder,dry ginger powder and chopped dry coconut .Mix well. Add little ghee in each hole of the kuzhi paniyaram vessel .When its hot,pour a laddle of batter into each hole. When it gets cooked,flip it to the other side. Take out the appams when its cooked on both side and drain the excess ghee using a tissue paper. Let it cool down to room temperature.Enjoy the yummy appams . Since banana is added,finish it off in two days since it may not last more than 2 to 3 days. Note: For more softer appams,try making with atta/wheat and jaggery in the ratio 1:1 with 1 tsp of rice flour and 1/2 tsp of elachi powder.