Kannada Lullaby_Koosidda Manege/ Kusidda manege

This is a lovely Kannada lullaby that I learnt from my mother-in-law's mother. It is very soothing and my children (they've heard it since they were babies) start feeling soporific instantly!
Here it is...

Koosidda manege beesanige yeke
Kusu kandaiya volahorage
Kusu kandaiya volahorage
Kusu kandaiya volahorage sulidare
Beesanghe ghaali sulidaange
Beesanghe glaali sulidaange


Attare alalamma ee kusu nanagirali
Kettare kedali mane kelasa
Kettare kedali mane kelasa
Kettare kedalmma mane kelasa nanagirali
Makkalu irali mane tumba
Makkalu irali mane tumba

Maavina midi chanda,Haavina hede chanda,
Haraadi baruvo gini chanda

Haraadi baruvo gini chanda
Haraadi baruvo gini chanda, nee chanda,

Namma manege baluchanda.
Namma manege baluchanda.

Ninnantha nooraaru makkalu aadalu,

Honne marada neralolu,

Honne marada neralolu,
Honne marada neralolu aadalu,
Sanyasi japava marethanu.

Sanyasi japava marethanu.

an additional para I found online

Hakkige gudase, makkalige thayase,
Bithida belege, maleyase,
Bithida belege, maleyase,
Bithida belege maleyase, neeyase,
Hathiraviralu namagaase.
Hathiraviralu namagaase.

Heres the link to the song sung by me,

https://soundcloud.com/reachbimba/kusidda-manege

Bisi bele Bhaat recipe

Ingredients:

Tur dal : 2 cups

Raw rice: 2 cups (not basmati)

Tamarind: 1 lemon size 

Bisi Bele Baath masala powder: according to taste (min:3 tbsps)

Vegetables:

Beans: 8,(cut fine)

Carrot: 3(grate 1 cut 2)

Peas: 1 cup

Cabbage: (cut+grate 1 katori) 

Cauli flower cut/remove small flowerets: 1 cup

Small methi leaves: 1cup (chopped fine)

Ridgegourd: quarter piece of a medium size ridgegourd-chopped finely with seeds removed and skin peeled

Suran/ Elephant foot yam: a small piece (grated)

Potato: 1 big size (peel it cut into small peices)

Onion.(Shallot variety) 5 to 6 (optional) 

capsicum  half (optional)

NO tomatoes

you can add more suitable vegetables and make it nutritious.

For seasoning, 

Mustard seeds/Rai: 1.5 tsps

Curry leaves/kadi patta: 10-12 leaves(washed)

Oil: 2 tbsp

Red chillies: 4-5

Salt- to taste

Method:

1. Start with soaking the rice. Then soak the tamarind in some warm water separately.
2. Cook the Dal in a Cooker well. When it cools it should be churned into a  fine paste.
3. Wash, clean & cut or grate vegetables as mentioned.
4. When the dal is done in the cooker, churn it and add the vegetables, salt, to it and pressure cook again. 1 whisle is enough.
5. Then when it cools, add the Bisi Bele Bath masala powder and cook well, then add tamarind pulp, let it boil well, check the taste, according to your taste, add masala or tamarind pulp.
6. Now add the soaked rice and add some more water.
7. Keep it on a low flame. Keep stirring it at regular intervals or else it will burn.
8. Add the grated dry coconut and mix well.
9. Rice should get cooked very well, almost like kichdi, the consistancy should be thin, so you can add more water according to your judgement, because when BBB cools it becomes thick.
10. You can add little ghee OR 2 tsp of kacha ground nut oil if you want...this is optional.
11. Now for seasoning: Take a small kadhai. Heat the oil 
12. When it turns hot add the mustard seeds.
13. Lower the flame add red chilles, Kadhi patha.
14. To make it a little richer you can add Cashew nuts...this too is optional.

• The Traditional Karnataka Meal of Bisi Bele Bhaath is ready to serve! 
• While serving a tsp of hot ghee will be great! 
• This is eaten along with Raita, Papad or Potato Chips. 

Note:

• In our house traditionally we add all these veggies mentioned. But 4 cups of whatever vegetable you can manage will also be ok....beans carrot and peas are must though.
• For Bisi Bele Bhaat powder the recipe is available in this link: http://gyansheel.blogspot.in/2012/05/masala-pudi-4-in-1-powder.html
• If you cannot make this powder then MTR Bisi Bele Bhaat powder is also good and available in any store.

Wedding arrangements (kannada brahmin style)

These is the wedding arrangements(kannada brahmin style) list that I made during my wedding (with help of my dear cousin Hema)
Over the time it has been updated. And the process with continue!

HOOVILYA – NAANDI SHAASTRA

1)      Silver Kalasha Tatte with Mirror and decorated

2)      5 sets of the following – (depends on how many women you are doing it for)

·         Blouse piece,

·         Bangles – ½ dozen each

·         Fruit

·         Flowers

·         Arishina-Kunkuma Packets

·         Coconut

·         Dakshine

·         Villedele, Adike packets

·         Container(Steel plate/plastic basket/cane basket)

·         1 small tumbler (for paanka)

·         3-4 cups (steel or disposable plastic) (chigli, tambittu, 2 kosambri)

3)      Naandi Kolu

4)      Vastra for Kolu ( panche-shalya or blouse piece-sari-maangalya)

5)      Photo of Mane Devaru (Subramanya / Shiva-parvati / Ganesha)

6)      A branch from the house plant.

  

VARPOOJE

1)      Welcome of the Groom side :

Arishina Kunkuma Haara

5 types of Arathi’s(optional)

2)      Tindi / Short Eats –To discuss with the caterer.

3)      (Bindige (Either copper or steel) decorated with Mango leaves, arishina kunkuma and flowers to be handed over to the groom’s mother.

4)      Preparation of the  Groom’s room:

·         Entrance of his room (and yours) decorated with Maavina soppu, and Flowers.

·         Their home God photo(framed)

·         Small amounts of:

v  Arishina,

v  kunkuma,

v  Chandana,

v  Akshate(in a container)

v  Oil,(you can buy those smallest sealed bottles you get in supermarkets)

v  Ghee(same as above)

v  Gejje vastra(suitable size to the frame that you are buying)

v  Villedele,

v  Adike packets,

v  Flowers. (as a gesture for them to use for their pooja).

·         The Bheegarumane samaan:

·         Kitchen Items(this can be anything….most common is the steel vessels)

·          Some grocery items  Rice, Sugar, Dal, Spices etc to be given along with it.

·         5 types of fruits 5 each

·         5 no.s Chakkli, Mucchore, Tengollu (big sizes)

·         5 no.s Puri unde, Ellu unde, kadalekai unde, Aralunde, and 1 more unde (big size)

·         5 no.s sweets 5 types.

(We can think of keeping the sweets liked by the groom and his folks. You can try and find out in your conversations without him not knowing!)

·         50 or 100 packets of 2 chakkli + 2 ladoo (for them to give to their relatives) optional

·         Toiletries (Soap, Tooth brush, Shampoo sachets, hairoil sachets, Powder, Comb, Safety pins, Hair pins, Handwash soap) For their use and convenience. In addition you can keep Mosquito mat, Hand towels, show polish whatever you feel will be useful for their stay there for the 2 days.(Remember this is for all so you don’t really need to give those expensive brands which you can give the boy in his items listed below)

5)      Gifts to the groom (to be decorated well)

·         Clothes

·         Accessories (Watch, Belt, Tie, Shoes-socks, Glares, Tie pin, Cuff links) just listed the ideas, you don’t need to give all J

·         Toiletries( Hair gel,  Deodorant, Talc, Comb, Soap, shampoo, Shaving foam, Aftershave) Again, you can find out what brands he uses in your conversations…eg..Garnier shampoo or ? Brut Deo or ? etc)

·         Gold Jewellery(if any)

·         Fruit basket

·         Flowers

·         Sakkare Achchu

·         Wax items

·         Sakkare Items

·         Dry Fruit items

·         Kobbari gitigu -  5 and battilu – 10

·         Dry fruit box

·         Small Sweet box

·         Small Farsan box (optional)

6)      For all people attending the function

·         Arishina- Kunkuma - Gandha

·         Flowers

·         Bangles

·         Cloth flower having arishina kunkuma inside(you get different ready made varieties)

·         Kobbari Sakkare : ( Instead of the usual, we can make small packets containing a thin long piece of kobbari, Kallsakkare, Cashew, Badam, Kharjura and Dry grapes so that it seems a little more lavish!)

DHAARE

1.      Gowri Pooje: This dodamma is an expert but just listed down

·         Wax gowri or kobbari gowri for alankaara

·         Arishina gowri for pooje

·         Arishina / Cowdung Ganapathi for pooje

·         Arishina, Kunkuma, Chandra, Akshate, Flowers, Garike etc, Gejje vastra, Bale bichchole, blouse piece

·         Maavina soppu, Baale kamba

·         Rangoli and flowers for decoration (c/o sneha)

·         Deepa kamba, Arathi sodalu, gante etc…

·         Villedele – Adike – Dakshine

·         Fruits for Naivedhya

2.      Baaginada samaanu: 2 or 5 sets of :

·         Mara (2 no.s)

·         Bale bichchole

·         Dhaanya (Rice, Wheat, 5 Dals, Rave, Sugar, Salt)

·         Fruits (5 types)

·         Villedele- Adike – Dakshine

·         Coconut

·         Bella achchu

·         Blouse piece

·         Bangles – ½ dozen

·         Comb

·         Hasi daara ( to tie the baagana)

2)      Kaashi Yaatre:

·         Panche – Shalya

·         Mysore Turban

·         Chappal(you can buy some stylish slip-ons or Kolhapuri’s)

·         Umbrella

·         Walking stick

·         Beesanige (Fan)

·         Coconut – decorated

·         Paraath (for washing his legs)

3.      Silver Items ( 1 Plate, 1 Tumbler, Panchapattre, Uddharana, Arghya paatre… )

4.      Silver Items you are giving Sangeeta

5.      Gifts to be given to Boy’s

·         Father (Shirt, pant or suit) ,

·         Mother (Saree blouse piece, bangles, bindi) ,

·         Sister (Saree, blouse piece, Bangles, bindi, small avon or biotic set) and

·         Grandmothers if any (Saree, blouse piece) to be packed and given on stage before Mane tumbskoLo shaastra.

As an option, make a list of all the nearest family members of the boy’s parents (eg. Mother’s brothers or sisters, Father’s brother or sister, the oldest couple in the family ) They can be given, tambula, blouse – shirt piece, bangles, dakshine, Chakkli-laadoo packets while doing Namaskaara.