Pongal

#RicePongal - #Pongal - #Venpongal :
Pongal is one of the tastiest dishes prepared for breakfast in the state of Tamil Nadu,  India. I always used to order pongal for breakfast at restaurants whenever I have to take morning breakfast outside. 
Usually hot steamy pongal is served with onion sambar and coconut chutney ... mmm... no chance at all!! 
But my grandmother and my mother used to prepare a special coconut thuvaiyal ( chutney ) with mustard seeds and urad dhal and the pongal tastes too good with it!
Now let us see the method of preparing pongal.

Preparation Time                : 5 mins
Cooking Time                     : 12 - 15 mins
Quantity prepared enough for 3 persons.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup	Raw rice [ pacharisi ]
1/4 cup	Green gram split
1 1/2 Tsp	Cumin seeds
1 Tsp	Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp	Black Pepper powder
1/4 Tsp	Turmeric powder
1 or 2	Green chilly, split lengthwise [ optional ]
10 - 15	Curry leaves
3 cloves	Garlic, nicely chop
1 Tsp	Ginger nicely chopped
To Temper:
4 to 5	Cashew nuts
1 Tsp	Cumin seeds
1 Tsp	Black Pepper
8 - 10	Curry leaves
3 Tsp	Ghee

Method :
Wash Rice & Paruppu thoroughly.
Put washed Rice, Paruppu & all other ingredients in a Pressure Cooker.
Add 3 1/4 Cups of water.
Keep on High flame with weight ON.
After 1 Whistle keep burner to SIM & allow it to cook for 5 to 7 mins.

Turn off the stove. Open the lid of the cooker only after steam has come down.


In the meantime heat a kadai on a stove over slow flame with a tsp of ghee. 
Crackle cumin and the add pepper corns.
Finally add curry leaves once the pepper starts crackling.
Now open the cooker.
Transfer the tempering into the pongal.
Again heat the kadai with 1 Tsp of ghee.
Fry cashew nuts till golden and transfer into the pongal.

Now add 1 Tsp of pepper powder also into the pongal.
Mix well adding one or two teaspoon of ghee.

Take one ladle full of Pongal in a plate & top it with Ghee liberally.

Eat when its very very hot with Coconut Chutney 

or Sambar 


or Thuvaiyal [ Pongal chutney ] or Curd or Sugar.

Other Variants:
Rawa(Sooji) Pongal, Samba Rawa Pongal, Oats Pongal.

Rawa & Soft Oats take lesser time to cook. So it is advisable to cook dhal beforehand.

All the measurements are same except that add 31/2 cups of water for Rawa and 2 - 21/2 cups for oats.






Other #Pongal varieties you might like to try

rava pongal

varagu kothamalli ..

broken wheat pongal

kuthiraivaali pongal

For other tiffin varieties

Tiffin - Breakfast / Dinner

Rasam

Rasam

Ingredients:

Paruppu(Thuvar Dhal)    : 1 Tblsp Boiled
Pepper (Milagu)             : 1 Tsp(10 -12 Nos.,)
Coriander Seeds             : 1 Tsp
        (Dhaniya)
Cumin seeds(Jeera)         : 1/2 Tsp
Red Chillies(Sigappu        : 2 No.
                Milagai)
Garlic                               : 4-5 Pods(Pal)
Tomato                           : 1 Medium Size
Tamarind(Puli)                   :  Amla size
Turmeric Powder              : A Pinch
Mustard Seeds                  :1/2 Tsp
Curry Leaves                     : 7 -8 leaves
Coriander                           : a Small quantity
Salt                                   : Approx., 1 Tsp heaped
Oil                                    : 1 Tsp

Method :
Soak tamarind in hot water.
Put the Boiled Paruppu in a vessel. Mash it with a laddle adding half cup of water.
Cut Tomato into 4 or 8 pieces & add it into the vessel containing Paruppu water.
Now coarsely grind Pepper, Dhaniya, Cumin, Red chillies, Garlic using a Mixie & add into the cooking vessel.
Keep it on a stove over medium flame.
Take pulp out of soaked tamarind by squeezing it with 1 cup of water. Add this into the cooking vessel.
Add turmeric powder & salt to taste.
Bring it to boil.
Just when it starts foaming at the top turn off the stove.

Add some fresh Curry leaves & coriander leaves.
Now keep a kadai on burner with 1/2 tsp of oil.
Temper mustard seed, Asafoetida & Curry leave & pour it over Rasam.

You get approx. 2 cups of Rasam - enough for 2 to 3 persons.

If you would like to make it hot & spicy add 1/4 tsp of red chilly powder & a split green chilly while boiling.

If you do not have curry leaves, add curry leaf powder.

Take hot white rice and pour 2 ladle full of rasam. Mix well with hand & enjoy with any thuvatal or dry curry of your choice.





Other rasam recipes you might like to try

Madras rasam powder

Rasam

Kokum Rasam

Kollu Rasam - Horsegram rasam

Variety of dishes for Lunch

Recipe Index