And here we are, at the end of the Nine Nights of Navaratri. On the tenth day, we celebrate Dasami, also known as VijayaDasami—the victory of good over evil, of the Self over duality, and the balancing of the gunas or inner traits. These nine days have been deeply fulfilling, offering a chance to discover and honor the feminine qualities within us, while consciously turning inward.
I also realized that while it hasn’t been easy to stay committed to a daily post—which was my original intent when I began blogging years ago—it has helped me remain focused and disciplined, qualities I’ve needed to strengthen. The best part has been truly enjoying every moment of documenting the daily prasadams and cooking alongside Amma each day.
On this day, we worship and celebrate Devi Lalitha Maha Tripura Sundari, also known as Shodashi.
The final DeviPrasadam for VijayaDasami is:
- Nei Payasam (Ghee Payasam)
Karuvepallai Saadam (Curry Leaf Spiced Rice)
Recipe for Nei Payasam
(Adapted from the Chitra Viswanathan app)
Ingredients
- Rice – 1 cup
- Grated or powdered jaggery – ½ cup, dissolved in 2 cups water
- Grated coconut – 1½ cups
- Ghee – ½ cup
- Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
- Dry ginger powder – ¼ tsp
- Dry fruits – ½ cup
Method
Add all the ingredients to a 3-liter stainless steel pressure cooker. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes.
Recipe for Karuvepallai Saadam
(Adapted from the Chitra Viswanathan app)
Ingredients
- Basmati rice – 1 cup
- Curry leaves – 1½ cups
- Salt to taste
To Roast and Powder
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Urad dal – 1 tbsp
- Red chilies – 6
- Pepper – 1 tsp
- Sesame seeds – 2 tsp
- Khus khus (poppy seeds) – 2 tsp
Tempering
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Urad dal – 2 tsp
- Bengal gram dal – 2 tsp
For Garnishing
- Powdered roasted peanuts
Method
Cook the rice and set aside.
Dry-roast the curry leaves and grind them into a powder. Alternatively, microwave on high for 4–5 minutes, allow to cool, and then powder.
Add the curry leaf powder to the cooked rice, season with salt, and mix well. Prepare the tempering and add it to the rice. Finish with roasted peanut powder for garnish.
