Vegetable Dum Biryani

Muslims are famous for Biryani and Hyderabad Biryani is also very popular in India. I have always wanted to try Biryani with vegetables since I am a Brahmin and was afraid of the taste. I prepared 10days back and it was so spicy and tasty.
 Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 2 nos
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tspn
Carrot - 1/2 no(chopped)
Beans - 10 nos(Chopped to 1.5")
Green Peas - a handfull
Potato - 1no(optional)
Whole masalas - 2nos each(Elakka/Cardamom, Clove/Krambu, Pattai/Cinnamon, star anise small piece)
Red chilli powder - 1 tspn
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tspn
Thick curd/Plain Yogurt - 1 cup
Oil - 3 tspns
Ghee - 2 tspns
Salt
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.
 Preparation Method
In a thick bottom pan or Pressure cooker, add oil and ghee, add whole masalas and saute for a minute.
Add thinly sliced onions, ginger garlic paste and a pinch of salt. Saute till onions turn slightly brown.
Add chopped tomato and saute till soft.
Add all vegetables and saute.
Add red chili powder and garam masala powder.
Add curds and mix well.
Add rice, 3 cups of water and salt.
Let it boil well and close it with a thick plate so no vapour goes out. All the flavour is inside. This is Dum.(See Notes)


Check it out after 10mins and mix well. Do this until no water left.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.


Vegetable Dum Biryani is ready to serve. Enjoy with onion raitha.


Notes - Dum-  If you wish you can also make a dough using maida and water and seal here.

Veg. Fried Rice

Veg. Fried Rice is a chinese dish but very famous in India. I had taken snaps last time when I prepared but was so lazy kept on pending to post. Today, I prepared this for lunch and took new snaps of it. Me and my friends enjoy eating in Shanthi Sagar, Bangalore which is a fast food.

Ingredients
Rice - 2 cups(Steamed)Basmati Rice tastes good.
Onion - 1 no
Ginger garlic - 1 tspn(Chopped finely)
Green Capsicum/Bell pepper - 1 no
Yellow Capsicum - 1/2 no
Beans - 4 nos
Carrot - 1/2 no
Cabbage - 1 cup
White or Black Pepper powder - 1 tspn(As per your taste)
Green chilli - 1 no(slit) or Chilli Sauce - 1 tspn
Soya Sauce - 1 tspn
Tomato Sauce - 1/2 tspn
Ajinomoto/Chinese salt - a pinch(Optional)
Spring onion - 1 tspn(chopped) for garnishing - Optional
Olive Oil - 2 tspns(I used EVOO like Rachel's says:-)
Salt

Preparation Method
Wash and shred all veggie into thin pieces.
Heat a wide wok/kadai, add oil, onion, ginger garlic a pinch of salt and saute till transperant.
Add carrot and beans. Saute for 1min.
Add capsicum and saute for 1min.
Add cabbage and saute for 1min.
Add all sauces, ajinomoto and saute till its half cooked.
Sprinkle pepper powder and mix.
Add rice and mix well. Check on salt.
Garnish with chopped spring onion.

Serve with Tomato Ketchup or Gobi Manchurian.

Notes - If you use white pepper, the colour of the rice will be white.
           If you use black pepper, the colour of rice will change to slightly dark.

Simple Paneer Peas Pulao and Awards!!!

Hope you are all doing good after Gokulashtami/Janmashtami celebrations. Will post my festival recipes soon.

Paneer Peas Pulao is very easy and tasty rice. Its cooked with Paneer(Cottage Cheese) and Green Peas with mild spices. This recipe is without onion and garlic.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 2 cups (Can use normal rice too)
Paneer cubes - 1 cup cubes(click here for homemade paneer recipe)
Green Peas - 1 cup(Fresh or Frozen)
Spices -Bay leaf/- 1no Cinnamon/Cloves/Cardamom - 2 nos each
Ghee - 1 tspn
Oil - 2 tspns
Salt

Preparation Method
Wash, rinse and soak basmati rice in water for half n hour.
Heat pressure cooker, add ghee, oil and spices. saute for 2 mins.
Now add rice and saute for 2mins.
Add water 1:1.5 cups and salt. Stir well.
Finally add Green peas and paneer cubes.


Close the lid and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.


Simple Paneer Peas Pulao is ready to serve.


I served with Paneer Butter Masala will post the recipe soon.

You can also serve with any Paneer gravy or Dal.

This recipe is going for Lets Relish Paneer by Jay. My other entries are

Mutter Paneer and Palak Paneer

Awards Time

PJ has passed this award. Thanks a lot dear.

Akheela has passed me these awards. Thanks a lot.

Party Treats Event participating award from my blog.

Masala Veggie Pulav

Masala Veggie Pulav is very different from other Pulav since we ground special masala. This recipe is from my Mother in Law.

For Deco have used Carrot, Tomato and Curry leaves.

Ingredients
Rice - 2 cups- Normal/Basmati
Carrot - 1no
Potato -1 no
Beans -10 nos
Cauliflower - few florets
Green Peas - 1 cup
Onion - 2 nos
Tomato - 1 no
Garlic - 2nos
Vendhaya Keerai/Methi/Fenugreek Leaves - 1 cup(This was leftover leaves)
Oil


For Masala
Kothamalli Verai/Daniya/Coriander Seeds - 1 tspn
Black Pepper - 1/2 tspn
Dry Red Chilli - 2(As per your taste)
Jeera - 1 tspn
Saunf - 1/2 tspn
Cinamon/Cardamom/Bay leaf/Cloves - few

Preparation Method
In a pan dry roast the masala ingredients. Allow it to cool and grind it to fine powder.
Wash and chop all the veggie into small pieces.
In a Kadai, heat oil, add onion, garlic and fry till light brown. Then add tomatoes and cook till soft.
Now add all the veggie and saute. Add salt and turmeric.
Add the grounded masala powder. Mix well.
Add rice and mix. Add about 5 cups of water, salt and a tspn of ghee. Mix well.

Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Serve when steam is up with Raitha.

This Recipe is off to the following events.

Iftar Moments by Umm

Joy from Fasting to Feasting S3 by Lubna

Colour your Palate - A Visual Treat by Sanyukta

Venthiyakeerai/Methi/Fenugreek Sadam/Rice

This weekend has been Venthiyakeerai week for me, picked fresh leaves when visited Little India. Dishes I made was almost with Venthiyakeerai/Methi/Fenugreek leaves like Chapathi, Veg. Pulav and Simple Rice was quite healthy.

This recipe is from my Mom who makes it so tasty. When I use to work before marraige this recipe was mostly prepared for my lunch box since I love mixed/colour rice.

Hope you enjoy too..

Ingredients
Venthiyakeerai/Methi/Fenugreek leaves - 1 bunch
Vangibath/Bisibelebath powder - 3 -4 tspns(As per your taste)
Cooked Rice - 1 cup (1 Alaku)
Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Dry Red chilli - 2 nos
Channa Dal/Urad Dal - 1 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Salt

Preparation Method
Wash and cut venthiyakeerai into small pieces.
Heat a wide kadai/wok add oil, mustard wait till it splutters, then add dal, red chilli curry leaves. Saute till dal is brown.
Then add Venthiyakeerai/Methi/Fenugreek leaves and salt. Cook till its soft. Add vangibath powder and mix well. Cook for 5- 10 mins till the raw smell goes.

Off the stove once its cooled. Mix it with rice and Serve.

Venthiyakeerai Sadam can be had as it is or with Raitha.

This recipe is going off to Bitter Better Health by Yasmeen and Divya's Healing Foods Spinach Event started by Siri.

Curd rice with Mango and Award!!!

Curd rice is my all time favourite. Our lunch/dinner is never complete without Curd Rice. This time I have mixed raw mangoes which is my hubby's favourite with pickle. You can also pack this for lunchbox.

Ingredients
Steamed Rice - 2 cups
Raw mangoes (chopped or grated) - 2 tspns
Curds/Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves/Cilantro/Malli (Chopped) - 1 tspn
Milk - 1/4 cup

For seasoning
Oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn

Preparation Method
In a wide bowl add, rice and salt. Mash it well with the help of ladle/karandi.
Now add milk, mango pieces, curds and mix well.
Season it and serve with coriander leaves garnished.

It tastes great. You can also have it any pickle.

Now comes the award.

My dear friends Rekha of Rekha's Recipe and Nithu has passed me this award.
Thanks so much Rekha and Nithu.

This Kreativ Blogger Award comes up with some set of rules and here are the rules,

1.Thank the person giving the award.
2.Copy the award to your blog.
3.Place a link to their blog.
4.Name 7 things people don't know about you.
5.Nominate 7 bloggers
6.Place a link to those bloggers
7.Leave a comment letting those bloggers know about the award.

7 things about me

I love to sing and dance.
I love to be with my son.
I like any kind of music.
I love cooking and eating.
My interests are painting, stitching, mehandi and handicrafts.
I love to attend functions back home and be with family n friends.
I love shopping and eating street/roadside chaats:-)

Now I would love to pass on this awards to my new fellow bloggers this year.

Kalai
FoodLovers
Kalva
Prasu
Tina
Sweatha
Preethi

My Pongal Celebrations and Ellu Sadam/Sesame Rice Recipe!!!

Hope you all are having a long weekend for Pongal. Heres my Pongal celebrations photos.. I had decorated with Rangoli then did all traditional puja.

I also prepared Kanum Pongal with Kalanda Sadam(Coloured Rice) today.

Dishes were

Puliyogare (Tamarind Rice)
Thenga Sadam(Coconut Rice)
Ellu Sadam(Sesame Rice)
Elamichai Sadam(Lemon Rice)
Rice Payasam

Heres the recipe for Ellu Sadam/Sesame Rice.

Courtesy - Mother in law

Ingredients
Ellu(White Til/Sesame Seeds) - 100gms
Urad dal - 50gms
Dry Red Chilli - 4 nos(As per taste)
Hing/Asafotida - a pinch
Salt

For Seasoning
Gingely oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Urad dal - 1/4 tspn

Preparation Method
Dry Roast Ellu till its light brown.
Then add 1/2 tspn oil in a kadai, roast urad dal, dry red chilli, Hing till brown.
Allow it to cool.
In a small mixie grind urad dal, salt, and dry red chilli in whipper to a fine powder.
Then add ellu(sesame seeds) and grind twice to a coarse powder.
Prepare rice and allow it to cool.
Then Season it with oil n mustard. Then mix this powder and Serve.

Happy Weekend.

This recipe is going off to Cooking with Seeds by Priya and APS Rice by Anitha.

Capsicum Corn Rice

Capsicum Corn Rice sounds different but is a great combination. I tried first time with the instructions of my Father in law who is good cook. Thanks a lot.

This is very delicious and simple rice. Its a non spicy rice. I usually prepare non-spicy food for my in laws. So this was a treat to them. We do not use garlic at home you guys must have seen it in optional. This is the first dish using garlic in my kitchen.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Corn - 2 cups (Fresh or tinned)
Capsicum - 2 nos (Sliced thin)
Onion - 2 nos (Sliced thin)
Tomato - 1 no (Sliced thin)
Green chilli - 2 nos(Optional)
Mint leaves(Pudina) - few leaves
Garlic - 2 nos(chopped finely)
Ginger - 1" piece chopped finely
Spices - 2 nos each(Elachi/Cloves/Cinamon/Star Anis)
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tspns
Ghee - 1 tspn
Salt

Snap shot of ingredients

Preparation Method
Soak basmati rice in water for half n hour.
In a pressure cooker, put 1 tspn oil deep fry little onion in brown colour. Keep aside.
In the same cooker, now add ghee, oil, spices and saute.
Add onion, ginger, garlic, a pinch of salt and saute till onion is transperant.
Add tomato and cook till soft.
Add Capsicum and corn saute for few minutes.
Add rice, coconut milk, water, mint leaves, salt and stir well.
Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.
Garnish with the deep fried onion.

Capsicum Corn Rice is ready to serve. Can be had as it is or with Raitha.

This Recipe is going for EFM Variety Rice by Srilekha. My other recipe going is Curd Rice with Pomagranate.

Ven Pongal | Breakfast Recipes!

Ven Pongal is a breakfast/tiffin prepared with rice and paasi paruppu(Moong dal/Split green gram) This is very simple and easy dish to prepare. Its my favourite breakfast. This is famous in Tamilnadu, South India. This is also one of the fast moving breakfast in Tamilnadu because of its Easy to Digest nature.

Its less spicy and very tasty. kids will like it too.....I make this also when I come home late and have less time to cook because its "Fast to cook and good to eat".

Serves - 2 - 3
Ingredients
Rice -  1.5 cups
Paasi Paruppu - 1 cup
Ingi (Ginger/Adrak) - 2" piece chopped
Milagu (Black peppercons) - 1 tspn(As per your taste) slightly crushed or whole
Jeeragam(Cumin seeds) - 2 tspns
Perungayam (Asafotida/ Hing) - a pinch
Karuvepellai (Curry leaves) - few
Pachai milaga (Green chilli) - 1 no (slit)
Oil - 4 tspns
Ghee - 2 tspns
Mundiri paruppu(Cashews) - 10 nos
Salt

Preparation Method
Pressure cook, a little longer than normal, rice and paruppu with green chilli with extra water. So that the mixture is not dry.

In a kadai, add oil and ghee, mundiri paruppu, ingi, milagu, jeeragam, kauvepellai and saute till pepper splitters and mundiri is brown.

Then add this to the cooked rice, add salt. Mix it well and allow it to cook in low flame for couple of mins.

If its thick add little water and mix for 1minute and off the stove.

Ven Pongal is ready to eat. Its good to eat as it is or with Brinjal ghotsu, coconut chutney or sambar.

Notes - If you want it to be more tasty dont hesitate to add more ghee.

Veg Pulav - Ver 2

Veg Pulav is a very tasty rice. Its cooked with rice and vegetables.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 2 cups (Normal rice can also be used)

Chopped length wise
Beans - 1 cup
Carrot - 1/2 cup
Potato - 1 cup
Baby corn - 6 nos sliced(Optional)
Onion - 1 no big
Tomato - 1 no big
Green peas - 1 cup (I used frozen peas) Remove from the freezer and soak it in water before you cook
Ginger - chopped or grated - 1 tspn
Garlic - Optional(I have not used) or can use ginger garlic paste

Pudina(Mint leaves ) - 1 cup
Coriander(Cilantro) - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 2 nos (As per your taste)
Grind pudina, coriander and green chilli in mixie and make a fine paste.

Cooking oil - 4 tspns
Ghee or butter - 1tspn
Spices - Cinamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Black cardamom (few pieces)
Salt

This is pressure cooker method

Preparation Method
Wash and soak basmati rice in water.
Heat a pressure cooker, put oil and ghee, when its hot put all spices and wait till they splutter. Then add onion, a pinch of salt saute till its transperant. Then add ginger and tomato. Saute till its soft.
Now add all vegetables and saute. Add the green mixture. Cook for few mins.
Add Basmati rice and saute for sometime. Add water 1:1 or if you want the rice to be little soft 1:1.5 and salt. Mix well.
Pressure cook upto 2 whistles.

Vegetable Pulav is ready to serve. You can enjoy this as it is or with Raitha.

This Tasty and Yummy Veg Pulav is participating in Chaitra's Rice-Feast.

Vegetable Pulav

Vegetable Pulav is very tasty rice. This can be had for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

Rice - 2 cups (Basmati rice can be used. I used normal rice)

Potato - 2nos

Carrot - 1no

Green Peas - 1 cup

Beans - 1 cup

Tomato - 2nos

Onion - 2 nos

Ginger Garlic paste (optional)

Garam masala powder - 2 tspns

Spices - Cardamom, Cinamom, Black Cardamom and Cloves - 2 nos each - Can also add Bay leaf

Green chilli - 1no (as per your taste) slit open vertically

Cooking oil - 6 tspns

Salt

Preparation Method

Wash rice and soak in water.

Remove skin and chop Potatoes and carrot. Chop Beans, tomato and onion into lengthy pieces.

Heat a kadai or pressure cooker, add oil and spices. Saute for 2 minutes. Then add onion and saute till its transparent. Now add ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell is gone.

Add tomatoes and saute till its soft. Add garam masala powder, salt and mix well.

Add all vegetables, green chilli and saute till all masala mixes well. If using kadai transfer all to a pressure cooker.

Add rice and water (1:2 or 1:1 for basmati)

Pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Vegetable Pulav is ready. Enjoy hot pulav with Raitha.

Jeera Rice

Jeera Rice is a very simple and tasty. Actually this I cooked yesterday for my in-laws who eat non-spicy food. They liked very much:-)

Later was browsing through Nags blog found in that she is hosting Monthly Mingle Ravishing Rice Recipes with Meeta MM. So posting it today since 15th is last day for entry.

Ingredients
Rice - 2 cups ( I used normal Ponni Rice. Can use Basmati Rice too.)
Jeeragam(Jeera) - 3 tspns (Depending upon quantity of rice)
Spices - Laung, Pattai, Elakka, Krambu(Cloves, Cinammon, Cardamom, Black cardamom) - 2 nos each
Cashews - few
Cooking oil - 2 tspns
Ghee - 1 tspn
Salt
Preparation Method
Cook rice and keep separately. Allow it to cool a bit. By mixing hot rice makes sticky sometimes.
In a thick bottom kadai, put oil, l/2 tspn ghee, spices, jeeragam and fry for 2 mins.
Now add rice, sprinkle salt and mix well.
Break cashews to small pieces and fry in ghee in a sauce pan. Garnish it to the Jeera Rice.

Jeera Rice is ready to serve. Enjoy this yummy rice with Dal Fry. Click here for my Dal Fry recipe.

Kathirikkai/Vangibath | Brinjal Rice!!!

Vangibath is a tasty rice prepared with Brinjals. Its popular in Karnataka.

Ingredients
Rice - 1 cup
Brinjal - 1 no
Vangibath powder(Curry powder) - 3 tspns (as per your taste)
Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Bengal gram - 1/2 tspn
Salt

Preparation Method
Cook rice and keep separately.
Cut Brinjal into length wise pieces and put in water.
In a thick bottom kadai, add oil, mustard wait till it splutters. Put Bengal gram and wait till it turns brown.
Now add the Brinjals and cook.
Once its cooked add vangibath powder and fry till raw smell goes.
Add salt and mix well.
Allow it to cool and then mix with rice and serve.



Vangibath is ready to serve. It can be had as it is or with curd.

Carrot Rice - Recipe

Carrot rice is very different rice cooked with grated carrots and spices. A tasty rice and healthy too...

Ingredients
Rice – 1 ½ cup
Carrot – 2nos(grated)
Onion – 2nos
Tomato – 1no
Oil - 2 tspns
Cinamon(patte), Cardamom(Elachi), Cloves(Laung)Spices – 2nos
Red chilli powder – 1 tspn
Garam masala powder – ½ tspn
Turmeric – 1 pinch
Ginger – ½ tspn(grated)

Salt

Preparation Method
Cook rice in cooker with ½ cup less water so that rice is not sticky and keep aside.
Wash and grate carrot and onion separately.
Chop tomato into small pieces or grate it.
In a pan, put oil and spices wait till it splutters.
Add onion and sauté till its brown.
Add tomato and sauté till its soft and cooked.
Add carrot and fry for sometime.
Add turmeric, garam masala and red chilli powder and cook till raw smell goes.
If required add little water and salt.
Once all are cooked well off the stove.
Mix with rice well.

Serve carrot rice as it is or with raita.

Carrot Rice

Recipe see tomorrow

MCC - http://justurs.blogspot.com/2009/02/magnificent-click-contest-2009.html

Lemon Rice with Leftover Rice!

Lemon Rice is one of the Coloured Rice which is easy to cook. done on many occasions. The lemon(limon) gives tangy taste.

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup

Groundnuts - 1/2 cup

Oil - 2 tspns

Mustard - 1 tspn

Bengal gram - 1 tspn

Green chilli - 2 nos - Chopped

Turmeric pwdr - 1/4 tspn

Lemon - 1 no Medium Size

Curry leaves

Salt

Preparation method:

Cook rice with water little less than the usual in order to avoid sticky texture. Allow the rice to come to room temperature.

In the mean while

Heat oil in a curved pan. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add bengal gram, groundnuts and turmeric powder. Saute till bengal gram turns light brown.

Add Chopped Green Chilli / Curry Leaves and stir fry a little.

Turn the stove off.

Add the above mixure to rice, Squeeze Lemon and Mix well and allow it to settle for a while so that the taste of Lemon/ Chilli and Salt to gets obsorbed into the rice .

Lemon rice is ready to serve. This can be served with fried papads and vadams.

Variations:

1. You can also add onions. Stir Fry finely chopped onions along with the above mixture prior to adding Rice.

2. Stir fry grated coconut and green chilli along with the spluttered mustard and Bengal Gram, Peanuts.

CURD RICE

CURD RICE IS VERY DELICIOUS. IN SOUTH INDIA MOST OF US END THEIR DINNER OR LUNCH WITH CURD RICE. THIS IS GOOD FOR REDUCING THE ILL EFFECTS OF SPICY FOODS.


INGREDIENTS
RICE - 1 CUP
CURDS - 1 CUP
MILK - 1CUP
POMAGRANATE - 1/2 CUP
MUSTARD - 1/2 TSPN
OIL - 2 TSPNS
SALT

METHOD
COOK RICE LITTLE SOFT BY KEEPING 1/2 CUP EXTRA WATER. ALLOW IT TO COOL.

SEASON THE RICE WITH SPLUTTERED MUSTARD SEEDS.

NOW MIX SALT, MILK AND CURDS, POMOGRANETS TO THE RICE AND MIX WELL.
BEFORE SERVING YOU MAY GARNISH WITH ADDITIONAL POMOGRANATE ON TOP.

TASTY CURD RICE IS READY TO SERVE.

ALTERNATE MIXINGS -

1. SEEDLESS GRAPES AND CASHEWS.

2. FINELY CHOPED RAW MANGOES

3. WITH GREEN CHILLI, GINGER, CORIANDER LEAVES AND CURRY LEAVES

TIP:

FOR RICH TASTE AND THICK CURD RICE, YOU MAY POUR THE HOME MADE YOGURT TO THE CLEAN WHITE CLOTH, MAKE A BALL LIKE, TIE IT TIGHT AND HANG IT INSIDE YOUR FRIDGE. KEEP A BOWL BELOW FOR THE EXCESS WATER TO GET COLLECTED. AFTER COUPLE OF HOURS THICK CURD WILL BE READY TO USE.

Rice Adai(Dosa)

It is called Verum Arasi Adai in tamil. A different in taste. This is simple, tasty and easy to prepare.

Ingredients
Boiled rice - 2 cups
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt

Method
Soak boiled rice in water for 6 - 8 hours
Grind in mixie with grated coconut to smooth paste
Add salt and leave for 3-4 hrs for fermentation
Then pour batter on skillet like dosa
Cook on reverse side also.

Rice Adai is ready to serve. This can be served with coconut chutney or onion chutney.

PS - If batter is leftover can be kept in fridge and used.

CAPSICUM BATH

A TASTY CAPSICUM RICE. MUST TRY.........


INGREDIENTS
RICE - 1 CUP
CAPSICUM - 2NOS
POTATO - 1 NO
TOMATO - 1 NO (CHOP ALL VEGE INTO SMALL PIECES)
CURRY POWDER - 4 TSPNS (VANGIBATH POWDER)
MUSTARD - 1/2 TSPN
OIL - 4 TSPNS
SALT
PREPARATION METHOD
COOK RICE AND KEEP IT SEPARATELY
IN A PAN ADD OIL, MUSTARD. ALLOW IT TO SPULTER.
ADD TOMATO AND SAUTE
ADD POTATO AND CAPSICUM AND SAUTE
ADD SALT
ONCE THE VEGETABLES IS COOKED ADD CURRY POWDER AND COOK TILL RAW SMELL GOES THEN MIX WITH THE RICE.

SERVE CAPSICUM RICE WITH RAITHA OR PAPAD.

VARIATION - INSTEAD OF TOMATO CAN USE ONION.

Happy Pongal!!!!!

Happy Pongal and Makara Sankranthi!!!!

Bogi Pongal is on 13th January 2009
Pongal is on 14th January 2009
Kanum/Mattu Pongal is on 15th January 2009

Pongal is a harvest festival for Tamilians. This festival is celebrated by all Hindus in South India called Tamilians. Pongal means overflowing.......They cook rice mixed with jaggery and milk which is very delicious. While cooking they allow it to overflow. In villages they cook in open place near temple. Group of people cook together and pray to god for the prosperity. Decorate house with kolams.

Celebrate this festival with family buying new clothes and enjoying. Children love to munch sugarcane.

In Karnataka it is called Makara Sankranthi. They have customs of distributing till seeds mixed with jaggery, ground nuts, dry coconut and sweetened jeera. They also make sugar candies in different designs like round, chariot, birds, etc which is yummy.

Traditional method of preparing pongal

Ingredients
Rice – 2 cups
Green gram(Moong dal) – ½ cup
Jaggery - 3 cups
Ghee – ½ cup
Cashews and Raisins – 6 each
Water – 6 cups
Milk – 1 cup
Grated coconut – 1 cup

Preparation Method
Keep the Oven clean with kolam (design)
Add Milk in a vengala panai (Bronze pot)
Tie the Manjal Kombu(Turmeric plant) to the Panai(pot).
Wash rice and green gram(moong dal). Add it to panai with water.
Rice and green gram to be cooked soft.
Keep a separate vessel with little water and add jaggery. Once it is dissolved, filter the mud particles and make the liquid to form little thick in consistency.(If u like more sweet you can add more jaggery) Now add it to cooked rice and mix well. Allow it to boil well for some time in medium flame. Keep stirring.
Keep kadai in oven and add Ghee. After it is hot add Cashew and raisins. once its brown. Remove from fire and garnish to pongal.

Sweet Pongal or Sakkare Pongal is ready to serve. It is offered as Nyvedyam to Lord SURYA BHAGAVAN on this day.

Simple Method of preparing Pongal

Cook rice and moong dal in cooker till soft so keep additional water. In a bowl keep little water and add jaggery to it. once its dissolved, filter it in a strainer. Now mix the cooked rice and dal mixture to jaggery and cook well. Keep it in a low flame. Add ghee for taste.

Garnish with fried cashews and raisins in ghee.

Quick pongal is ready to serve.