Sakkara I Pongal

 Sakkarai Pongal 

Even though the name suggests sakkarai meaning sugar this dish is prepared using jaggery. 

This dish is a must for the festival Shankranthi which is known as Pongal in Tamil Nadu 

Ingredients:

1. Raw Rice : 1 cup 

2. Moong Dal : 1/8th. Cup (half of 1/4th cup) additionally 1 table spoon of Channa dal can be added. This  is optional 

3. Jaggery : 1and 1/2 cup 

4. Ghee :  4 to 6 table spoons 

5. Milk  : 1 cup 

6. Cardamom  6 to 8

7. Nutmeg : little

8. Cashews: 10 to 15

9 . Dried grapes (kismis) :  about 20. 

Method:

Roast Moong dal ( with little ghee) in a kadai ( add the channa dal if using)  

Once it turns light golden switch off stove add the rice and turn it well 

Clean the rice and dal and pressure cook it with 1 cup of milk and 2 and 1/2 cup water ( total 1: 3and 1/2)

Once cool remove from pressure cooker add little ghee and with a thick spoon make the cooked rice mushy.

Take a hard bottomed vessel add the jaggery (powder it and add) and a little water.  Once it starts boiling filter it for any impurities . Keep the filtered liquid jaggery on stove and add the mushy rice and add the remaining ghee. Do this in a low flame and let the jaggery and rice mix well. Keep mixing it with spoon

In a separate kadai roast the cashews in ghee till light golden color.  Switch off stove and add the dried grapes. Mix it well and keep it separate.

In the same kadai roast the nutmeg ( very small quantity) in ghee and powder it and keep it separate.

Powder the cardamom after removing skin.

Once the mixture of cooked rice and jaggery starts boiling ( slow fire) and is in a homogeneous Pongal consistency , add the cashew and dried grapes and also the nutmeg powder and  cardamom powder.

Sakkarai Pongal is ready 

Serve it hot. 

Ven pongal

 Ven pongal

This is a breakfast dish very commonly prepared in Tamil Nadu 

Ingredients:

1. Raw Rice : 1cup

2. Moong dal : 1/8 th cup ( half of quarter cup) 

3. Black Pepper :  1 t spoon

4. Jeera/Cumin seeds :  1 t spoon

5. Ginger : one small bit (approximately 1” cube) 

6. Curry leaves : little

7. Ghee :  3 to 4 table spoons 

8. Cashew : about 10 or more 

9. Salt to taste 

 Method:

Finely chop ginger into small pieces after removing the skin.

Coarsely powder the pepper in a stone mortar and pestle.

Roast Moong dal in little ghee for few minutes in hot Kadai. 

Switch off stove  

Add rice and turn it for few minutes along with the moong dal in hot kadai 

Wash the rice and moong dal. add water I : 3 and  half  proportion  and pressure cook it by giving 3 or 4 whistles 

Once cool take out from pressure cooker add salt and little ghee and make it mushy with a thick spoon   

Add little ghee in kadai and roast the cashew till they are golden brown.   keep it aside  

Add some more ghee in the kadai  Roast the broken black pepper and jeera in ghee and add the finely chopped ginger and curry leaves.  Add the mushy rice and mix thoroughly  add the remaining ghee and also the roasted cashew nuts.  

Remove from stove

Serve the Pongal  hot with chutney or Sambhar  

Keerai masiyal/ spinach side dish

 Ingredients:

1. Spinach :  One bunch 

2. Moong dal : 1/4 cup

3. Coconut gratings : 1 Plus Table spoon 

4. Green chilies : 1/2 or 1 depending on the variety (‘karam’ spicy)

5. Jeera / Cumin seeds : one T spoon 

6. Salt to taste

7. Garnishing things 

Method 

Soak the Moong dal for half an hour

Clean and cut the spinach into very small bits.

Pressure cook the spinach and moong dal together ( one whistle)

Grind coconut, chilies and jeera to a paste

Open the cooker once the pressure is down, add the ground masala and salt to taste.

Give one boil

Keerai is ready 

Give ‘tadka’ (garnish)  with mustard seeds, jeera and urad dal in ghee or coconut oil.