Ingredients
Raw Rice: 1/2 cup
Moong dhal: 1 tablespoon
Jaggery: 3/4 cup
Cardomom:4
Milk: 1/4 cup(optional)
Ghee: 4 tablespoon
Cashew: 10
Nutmeg powder(Jathikkai podi): a pinch (optional)
Procedure:
Step1:
Dry roast rice and moong dhal separately for 2 min each.
Step2:
Mix both rice and moong dhal in a pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water and cook for 3 whistles
Step3:
Meanwhile take the grated jaggery in a pan. Add 1/2 cup of water and melt the jaggery.
Once it has melted strain the liquid to get rid of any impurities
Step 4:
Now take this jaggery syrup again in the pan and boil it until it reaches a kind of thick consistency (The syrup will first come to a boil with bubbles. After that lower and flame and cook for 2-3 min with constant stirring).No need to check for any thread consistency
Step5:
Take the boiled rice, moong dhal mixture and mix it along with jaggery syrup. Do this until the mixture has blended well with the jaggery. Also add milk at this stage.
Step6:
Add 2 tablespoon of ghee little by little and stir well
Step7:
Take 1 tablespoon of ghee and fry the cashews. Add this to the pongal
Step8:
Finally add the remaining ghee and mix well
Note:
- Coconut can be chopped into small pieces and fried in ghee and can be added to this pongal
- If the pongal is very thick boil little milk and add.Make sure the milk is not piping hot. Otherwise it will curdle when mixed with jaggery
Vinayaka Chathurthi always meant clay pillayar, erukam poo, kudai (umbrella), Kozhukkatai and lots of fruits during my childhood days.
I still remember those moments where I would accompany my Dad early in the morning to get the clay pillayar.I used to get additional pair of eyes and extra clay from the seller just to make another small pillayar on my own.
Last year I made this pillayar (Ganesh) using my daughter's play dough since we do not get the traditional clay pillayar in US.
Here is the video in youtube for the procedure. It is quite easy to follow.
Last year I made the pillayar using Kozhukkatai dough using the above procedure
This is a very easy sundal that can be done in less than 15 minutes.Since the moong dhal cooks very fast there is no need for any soaking or preparation
Ingredients:
Split moong dhal: 1 cup
Water: 3/4 cup
Salt: 1 tsp
Oil: 2 tsp
Grated coconut: 1/4 cup
Hing: a pinch
Red chillies: 2
Green chillies: 2
Turmeric powder: a pinch
Red chilly powder: a pinch(optional)
Curry leaves: a sprig
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal: 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves: a sprig (for garnishing)
Procedure:
Step1:
Cook the dhal with 3/4 of water in low to medium flame for 10 minutes.
Do not over overcook . Otherwise it will become mushy.
Also do not use pressure cooker to cook this
Step2:
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.Once it starts spluttering add urad dhal and curry leaves.
Split the red chillies and add. Add the green chillies and hing
Step3:
Add the cooked dhal now
Step4:
Add the grated coconut and fry for a few seconds
Step5:
Remove from fire and add chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
