Sakara Pongal

Pongal is celebrated across the nation in different names. Pongal / Sankranti / Uttarayan / Lohri / Maghi etc...  Basically its a festival dedicated to nature and praying god before harvesting..  In south Sakara Pongal is a mandatory sweet made on this day... Tomorrow being pongal, I thought it will be nice to share the recipe of sakara pongal with you all...

Ingredients:

Rice -  1 Cup

Moong Dhal - 1/2 Cup

Jaggery - 1 Cup

Water - 2 Cups

Milk - 1 1/2 Cup

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cashewnut / Almond / Raisins - 3 tbsp

How to make:

1. Wash the rice and moong dhal nicely under water and drain. Add the Rice and moong dhal to the pressure cooker.

2. Add water and milk to it and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

3. In a separate pan boil half cup of water and add jaggery to it. Once the jaggery is completely dissolved, strain it and keep aside.

4. In a small kadai, heat little ghee and roast nuts and raisins and keep aside.

5. Once the pressure is released, open the cooker lid and add the jaggery to it  and cook  for 8-10 mins until most of the water content is evaporated.

6. Finally add cardamom powder, ghee and roasted nuts and give it a nice blend.

7. Hot hot Sakara Pongal is ready...!!

P.S. I have added few strands of saffron. Its absolutely optional.

Gobi Paratha

Gobi paratha is favorite of many.  Just another variety of stuffed paratha. Quite easy to make. Goes very well with dhal or just pickle and raitha / curd.Gobi paratha gives a similar taste as of paneer paratha, its because of the texture of the grated cauliflower being similar to that of paneer. Indeed a great item for dinner or lunch... Do try it you will know it for yourself....

Ingredients:

For Stuffing

Grated Cauliflower - 1 Cup
Onion (Finely chopped) - 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Green Chilli (Finely chopped) - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Corriander leaves (chopped) - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

For the dough

Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Water - 3/4 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp 

How to make :

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute for 5 mins.

2. Add green chili, cauliflower and saute for 2 mins. Add salt, chilli powder and garam masala.

3. Add the corriander leaves and mix well and remove from stove. Make small round balls of the stuffing and keep aside.

4. Stuff the mixture into each paratha dough and roll it to thick/thin paratha as you like.

5. Shallow fry the paratha on a pan with ghee or butter.

Beans Usili

After a long time I made usili... beans usili.... and mour kozhambu... wat a combination.... enjoyed my afternoon meal thoroughly.... Its a real treat to the tasting buds....

Ingredients:

Beans (finely chopped) - 1 1/2 Cup

Toor Dhal - 1/4 Cup

Channa Dhal - 1/4 Cup

Red Chilli - 3-4 nos

Salt - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Oil - 2 tbsp (preferably coconut oil)

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Asafoedita - 1/4 tsp

How to make it:

1. Soak the Toor dhal & Channa dhal and red chilli in water for 2 hours. 

2. Grind the soaked dhal and red chilli coarsely. Don't add water. Just sprinkle little for grinding purpose. Add 1/2 tsp salt and asafoedita to it and mix well.

3. In a pan add oil, add mustard,  urad dhal and broken red chilli for tampering. Add the curry leaves and beans to it. Add salt, turmeric powder and sprinkle little water for the beans to cook.

4. Add the dhal mixture to the beans. We can add it directly and cook until the dhal is well cooked. But this will obsorb more oil. Else, you can cook in microwave for a min to reduce the cooking time. This way the oil consumption is also lesser.

5.  Cook until the dhal is well cooked. Cook in low flame so that it gives a crispy texture aslo...