5 Easy To Make Recipes To Celebrate Vishu

Vishu is an important spring festival celebrated in Kerala, South India which marks the beginning of the Malayali New Year. It is celebrated to mark the vernal equinox when the length of both the day and night is equal. This year Vishu falls on 15 April.

The festival is celebrated by burning crackers, worshipping Lord Krishna and having a feast called Vishu Sadhya.

Here’s a list of Vishu recipes to add to your festivities:

Vishu Special Recipes

1. Beetroot Pachadi

Prepared popularly in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Pachadi is similar to the Raita prepared in North India. It is also served during Onam besides Vishu.

Ingredients
2 beetroot
6-7 string of curry leaves
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 green chillies
½ cup water
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 cup curd
Salt
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Preparation
a. Mash or grate the beetroot and add salt and grated ginger. Mix it well and set it aside for 15 minutes.

b. Pop mustard seeds into a heated pan of coconut oil.
c. Saute the chopped green chillies, and curry leaves.
d. Now add the beetroot mixture to it and cook on low flame.
e. Meanwhile, use a spoon to beat the curd.
f. Switch off the flame once the beetroot is cooked and let it chill.
g. Now add the curd to it and your Beetroot Pachadi is ready to serve.

2. Cabbage Thoran

This dry curry for rice made shredded coconut and a mix of vegetables is widely prepared in Kerala. It is one of the common Vishu Sadya items included in the feast.

Ingredients

 ½ cabbage chopped
1 onion finely chopped
Carrot finely chopped
4-5 curry leaves
2-3 chopped green chillies
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
2-3 red chillies
1 tablespoon grated coconut
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon oil
Turmeric powder
Salt

Preparation

a. Heat a pan with 1 teaspoon of oil and let mustard seeds crackle in it. Then add the curry leaves, red chillies, ginger and saute.

b. Now add in the green chillies, chopped cabbage, onion and carrot and fry them for 5 minutes.

c. Add turmeric powder and salt after that. Cover the pan and cook the vegetables until they turn soft.

d. Add the grated coconut and cook for about 3 minutes. Serve hot.

3. Avial

The Sadya feast is incomplete without Avial, a dish made from curd, mixed vegetables, and coconut.

Ingredients
½ pumpkin
Beans
Carrot
2-3 green chillies
Yam or ash gourd

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Salt
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ cup beaten yoghurt
Grated coconut
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
Coconut or vegetable oil
Mustard seeds

Preparation

a. Cut all vegetables evenly into the same size cubes and boil them by adding salt and turmeric powder.

b. Now grind the coconut, cumin seeds, black pepper, and green chilli to make a fine paste.

c. Now, in the next step, when the vegetables are done, add the paste to them and cook for 10-15 minutes.

d. Let the Avial cool down and then add yoghurt to it.

e. Garnish with tempered curry leaves in coconut oil.

4. Pineapple Payasam

This delicious South-Indian dish is The traditional payasam is made with pineapple, coconut milk, and jaggery.

Ingredients

2 cups sliced pineapples (ripe)
½ cup sugar
3 cups coconut milk
½ cup condensed milk
½ teaspoon dried ginger powder
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
½ cup sabudana
Salt
2 teaspoon yellow colour

Preparation

a. Boil the sliced or cubed pineapples by adding a tablespoon of sugar.
b. Then blend the pineapple in a blender to make a paste.
c. In a flat base container, add this paste and cook on low flame until it changes to light brown in colour. Take it off the flame.
d. In another pan, boil the sabudana and then add it to the pan with the pineapple mix.
e. Put the pan with the pineapple and sabudana mix back to the flame and add sugar. Add a pinch of salt too and boil for five more minutes while stirring in between.
f. Add the condensed milk and the coconut milk while mixing well. Top it off with cardamom and ginger powder. Serve it warm or chilled.

5. Cheru Naranga Khichadi

Also known as lemon khichadi,  this is another special dish made during Vishu.

Ingredients

3 lemons
2-3 green chillies
½  inch ginger
¼ cup thick coconut extract
½  cup curd
Salt
Sugar
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
7-8 curry leaves
2 dry red chillies

Preparation

a. Steam the lemons until they turn soft. Once they cool down, chop them into small pieces.
b. Mix the lemon pieces with salt and let them sit overnight.
c. Next day, add the chopped green chillies and ginger to it. Mix coconut milk and yoghurt as well.
d. Add sugar and salt as per taste.
e. Heat some coconut oil in a pan and crackle some mustard seeds. Temper this into the khichadi for flavour and aroma.

Relish these Vishu special recipes with your loved ones. We wish you and your family a very Happy Vishu 2022.