Sweet Pongal

Raw rice 1 cup

Channa dal 1/4 cup

Wash both together, add 4 cups of water and pressure cook for 10 minutes.

Heat 1/2 cup of water and dissolve 1 cup of jaggery in it. Strain and heat again.

Mash the cooked rice in a deep non-stick pan with a ladle and add the heated jaggery liquid. Stir well and heat on the stove on low heat, stirring all the time.

Powder 3 cardamoms with 2 tsp of sugar in the mixie, after removing the peel. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of ghee on low heat. Fry 8-10 cashewnuts and 1/2 tbsp of raisins. Pour it over the pongal and add the powdered cardamoms. Mix well and serve hot or warm.

Venn Pongal

1 cup raw rice, washed

1/2 cup split moong dal, washed and lightly fried in 2 tsp of ghee.

Put both together and add 4 cups of water and a tsp of salt.

Pressurecook for 10 minutes till it is very welldone.

Mash the rice mix with a long spoon and temper it with the following:

In a small kadai, heat (Low heat) 3 tsp of ghee (or more), for a minute. Fry 4-5 cashew nuts till golden, on very low heat. Keep aside.

Bring the ghee to higher heat (medium) now. Put in 1 tsp of coarsely ground pepper, 1 tsp jeera, 1 tsp grated ginger and 1 tbsp of grated coconut (optional) and a few curry leaves. Stir for a 30 seconds and when they splutter, pour it on to the pongal rice and mix well.

Garnish with the cashew nuts fried in ghee.

Serve hot with medhu vadai, coconut chutney and idli sambar.

Easy Idli Sambar

Wash 1/2 cup of moong dal twice in water. Add 3 cups of water, 1 tsp of turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp of til or any veg oil (to prevent the moong Dal from boiling over from the pot while cooking.)

Add:

Whole sambar onions, 1/2 cup peeled
1 Potato and 1 carrot, peeled and cubed into medium-sized pieces
Any other vegtable (like brinjal or chow chow) available, cubed

Cook in a pan or pressure cooker (5 minutes pressure time) till soft.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add 1/2 tsp mustard and a small pinch of hing. When it starts spluttering add 1/2 tsp urad dal and 2 dry red chillis. Keep stirring and add a few curry leaves and 1green chilli split lengthwise. Stir and lower heat. Add 1/2 tsp of chilli powder and 3 tsp of dhania powder. Saute quickly and add the boiled dal-vegetable mixture with salt to taste (about 2 tsp). Add 1 cup hot water if it is too thick. Bring it to boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes stirring now and then.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (cilantro).