Happy Monday!

How was your weekend? I hope it was relaxing and you are ready for the week ahead.  Our Saturday was packed trying to get our weekend projects done with errands and running around.  On Sunday however we had a lovely afternoon with our Bay Area cousins to celebrate the Indian harvest festival of Shankranthi.

Shankranthi January 15th

The festival is on January 15th this year but given that its a Wednesday and its hard to get all our families together on a weekday we met on Sunday to celebrate the first of our Indian festivals of 2020.

Shankranthi at our cousins Uma and Nando’s

Our cousins Uma and Nando host Shankranthi every year and Uma makes a huge harvest-inspired South Indian vegetarian feast and the rest of us add to her menu. 

We always have pongal – which is a rice and lentil pilaf and sambhar that is a lentil and vegetable stew, and then we add to this with other veggie dishes.  Here is a look at this year’s Shankranthi festival celebration with the cousins.

Appetizers of masala vadas (lentil fritters) being fried and served hot and delicious with a side of coconut chutney!

Shankranthi Lunch Menu

Vadas – lentil fritters with coconut chutney.
Pongal – rice millet and lentil pilaf
Sambhar – vegetable and lentil stew
Rasam – tomato and lentil soup
Turmeric and Asafetida Spiced Onion and Potato curry
Yogurt rice
Sweet pongal – rice millet and lentil pilaf made with raw brown sugar and topped with ghee, raisins and cashews
Chocolate tapioca pudding

Getting ready to have a a delicious lunch!

Plates piled high and ready to be enjoyed 😋

Took a couple of last minute pics with the ladies in their beautiful sarees ❤️

For more information on the festival of Shankranthi and how it is celebrated all over India take a look at this link The Indian Harvest Festival of Shankranthi.

Happy Shankranthi and Happy New Year!