Varagu/Samai/Kuthiraivali Rice Pongal

Another millet recipe for breakfast, enjoy a good healthy morning!!

Varagu/Samai/Kuthiraivali Rice Pongal

Ingredients (serves for 3 to 4 members)

Varagu/Samai/Kuthiraivali Rice - 1 ¼ cup

Pasi paruppu (yellow moong dal) - ¾ to 1 cup (as per taste)

Salt to taste

Water quantity measurement - 4½ cups to 5½ cups (as per the softness one requires)

For the seasoning

Ghee - 3 tsp

Coarsely crushed Pepper and Jeera mixture - 3 tsp

Red chilli - 1

Curry leaves few

Ginger - 1 inch piece grated

For decoration and improved taste

Ghee fried broken Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp

Preparation

Roast the moong dal in a frying pan slightly without oil until aroma comes.
Also slightly roast the Varagu/Samai/Kuthiraivali Rice.

Method

In a bowl which is to be used for pressure cooking add the washed Varagu/Samai/Kuthiraivali Rice, washed yellow moong dal, water, salt and mix well.

Now fry the ingredients given for seasoning in a frying pan with ghee or oil and transfer them to the bowl containing Varagu/Samai/Kuthiraivali Rice mixture.

Pressure cook the mixture (it is good if cooked in slow fire for 15 minutes after 1^st whistle sound)

After removing the bowl from the pressure cooker check salt, if necessary add and mix well. (If anybody wants to add some more water to make the dish even softer, use only hot water in this stage)

Now decorate with fried cashew nuts and serve hot.

Side dishes suggested are:

Sambar or Coconut chutney or both.

Tips

If it is not possible to serve hot, keep the Pongal in a hot pot until serving. Exposing the Pongal to room temperature will make it hard and might not taste good.

Wheat Rava Pongal

A different try using wheat rava benefiting the sugar patients, hope you enjoy it!!

Wheat Rava Pongal

Ingredients (serves for 3 to 4 members)

Wheat rava - 1 ¼ cup

Pasi paruppu (yellow moong dal) - ¾ th to 1 cup (as per taste)

Salt to taste

Water quantity measurement - 4 ½ cups to 5 cups

  

For the seasoning

Ghee - 3 tsp

Coarsely crushed Pepper and Jeera mixture -3 tsp

Red chilli - 1

Curry leaves few

Ginger - 1 inch piece (grated)

For decoration and improved taste

Ghee fried broken Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp

Preparation

Fry the moong dal slightly in a frying pan until aroma comes.

Method

In a bowl which is to be used for pressure cooking add the Wheat rava, washed yellow moong dal, water, salt and mix them well.

Now fry the ingredients given for seasoning in a frying pan and transfer them to the bowl containing Wheat rava mixture.

Pressure cook the mixture (it is good if cooked in slow fire for 15 minutes after the 1^st whistle sound)

Remove the bowl from the pressure cooker and check salt, if necessary add and mix well.

(If anybody wants to add some more water to make the dish even softer, use only hot water in this stage) Now decorate with fried cashew nuts and serve hot.

Side dishes suggested are:

1.       Sesame chutney.(Side dish as in photo)

2.       Sambar or Coconut chutney or both.

Tips

If it is not possible to serve hot, keep the Pongal in a hot pot until serving. Exposing the Pongal to room temperature will make it hard, will not taste good.

Sesame chutney side dish preparation method:

In a frying pan put 1 tsp of Gingely oil. On little heating put 2 tbsp of Whole Urad Dal and allow it to fry till golden brown. Add 1 tsp of asafoetida with it and add 2 to 3 Red chilies and stir fry for a while. Now add 3 to 4 tbsp of White sesame seeds (black sesame seeds washed) and allow it to fry. Allow the mixture to come to room temperature.

In a mixer jar add the above preparation, add few drops of turmeric paste, little bit of jaggery and salt. Now grind the mixture upto ¾ th stage without adding water, add water as required later and grind thoroughly up to the texture as you wish. Now the dish is ready to serve with Pongal varieties.

Dhokla

A tasty North Indian delight from your own kitchen!!

 

Dhokla

Ingredients

Bengal Gram flour / Besan/ Chickpea flour - 250 gms (one and half cup)

Water - 1/2 cup

Ginger - 1 inch

Green chili - 2 or 3 numbers (as per taste)

Salt to taste

Lemon juice or Citric Acid - ¾ teaspoon

Turmeric a pinch

Sugar 1 tsp

Cooking/Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

For tempering

Warm water -2 spoon

Grated coconut

Chopped Coriander leaves

For seasoning

Oil 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
White sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp

Method of preparation

Coarse grind green chilies and ginger with some rock salt.

Take a bowl and pour the besan flour, add green chili and ginger paste, turmeric powder, sugar, lemon juice, salt to taste and enough water to make batter to the bajji batter consistency.

Pour 4 to 5 cups of water in electric cooker cooking bowl for steaming and switch on the electric cooker.

Put one oil greased plate into the steaming basket of the electric cooker and allow warming.

Now add the cooking soda in the prepared batter and mix well and pour the batter into the plate inside the steaming basket of the electric cooker.

It will take 20 minutes to cook the batter. Check the steamed batter using a knife if it has been cooked or not. If it comes out non-sticky then it means the batter is cooked and ready for eating.

Remove the plate from the electric cooker.

Now season the items given for seasoning and pour it in a bowl containing 2 spoons of warm water and spread the water above the dhokla. This process will give softness to the dhokla.

Decorate with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. Cut them into pieces as per wish.

Good with coconut chutney.

Credits:

Pothigai TV Channel

Idly Fry

A spicy recipe to have in the rainy evenings or light dinners. The idly can be plain in taste and kids may not like them, but when given in this form, their plate would be clean by the time you ask them to start eating!!

Idly Fry

Ingredients

Idly - 4 to 5 numbers (don’t use fresh Idlys)

Onion - 1 (big size)

Idly milagai podi(idly chilly powder) - 2 tbsp (if not available use Sambar or Rasam podi)

Coriander leaves 

Salt to taste

For the seasoning

Ghee - 3 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Curry leaves - 1 bunch

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Preparation

Cut the Idlys and onion into square shape pieces for good presentation.

Method

In a Frying pan put ghee and fry the ingredients listed for the seasoning and lastly add the idly milagai podi or Sambr or Rasam powder.

Add the onion and a pinch of salt and fry till golden brown.

Add the pieces of idlys and little salt into the pan and fry for few minutes until the masala gets coated on the idly pieces.

Add some more ghee or oil to help the ingredients mix well with the idly pieces.

For enhancing the taste of the dish, some more podi can be added. Check the salt of the dish and garnish with the Coriander leaves. Now the dish is ready to serve.

Tips

How to make Idly milagai podi?

Fry without oil and grind the items listed below:

3 hand full of Urad dal, 8 numbers of long Red chilies, 2 spoons of white sesame seeds (cleaned from black sesame seeds), 1 tsp of asafoetida and salt to taste.