Sakkara Pongal / Sweet Pongal

Pongal one the major harvest festival of south India. Especially in tamilnadu farmers celebrate it with great joy as its their earning which comes out of an year hard work. They make dishes out of new harvested rice.
One such dish is SAKKARA PONGAL or Sweet Pongal.
As a tradition at villages they make in MANN PANNAI (mud pot) tieng  yellow banana, turmeric leaves, flowers, sugarcane around pot. At my home we have tradition to tie the same thread with all the materials above around a VENGALLAI PANNAI (Bronze Pot).

Well there is no occasion needed to make this Pongal!!!

Ingredients:
Raw White Rice - 1 cup
Split yellow moong dhal/ Paytham parupu/ Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Channa dhal/ Split gram dhal/Kadalai Parupu - 100gms
Gudd/Jaggery/Vellam - 1cup
Ghee/Clarified butter/Nei - 1/4cup
Kaju/Cashewnuts/Mundhiri parupu - 20gms
Kanja drakshai/Kismis - 10gms
Elaichi powder/Elakai powder - 1tsp
Milk - 1cup
Water - 3cup (for boiling)

Mehtod/Vidhiee:
1. Soak dhals & rice for 1/2hr in water.
2. Take a heavy bottom vessel/pressure cooker.
3. Add water and then milk. Bring them to boil.
4. During Pongal days when the milk boils and the froth falls out of the pot people say PONGAL O PONGAL (PONGAL name generally is derived from this froth which falls out of pot).
5. Once the froth falls add the rice and the dhals.
6. Keep stirring till the rice and lentils cook.
7. Keep adding water as and when required sot that the rice & lentils cook.
8. Once they are cooked (means you get to smash them well) time to add powdered jaggery.
9. Stir them well. Let the jaggery melt.
10. Add ghee to the rice mixture and keep stirring without taking out the hand.
11. Meanwhile in another small pan fry the cashewnut,coconut pcs and kismis in ghee.
12. Once the rice, lentils and jaggery becomes like a poridge add the cashew and kismis.
13. Keep a note the Pongal has to be semi solid as when they cool it would become thick and hard.
14. So its ok if the pongal is bit watery.
15. Add elaichi powder and stir well.
Serve hot or cold. Enjoy it!!

Note: You can make the same in pressure cooker. Add 1 portion of water and 3 portions of water to 1 cup rice and 1 cup lentils. Bring them to pressure cook (4 Whistles). Once the pressure is released add jaggery mash and mix well. Add ghee, nuts, kismis, coconut pcs, elaichi powder.

Mixed Fibre Adai

Its a slight varition from the normal adai where in i have added corn and oat meal.
So those kids or elders who dont like would like this adai definitely.

Ingredients:
Channa Dal/Bengal Gram - 2 cups
Raw rice - 1 1/2 cup
Sweet corn kernels - 1cup
Oats - 2 cup
Dry Red chilly - 4-5
Pudina - hand full
Salt to taste
Curry Leaves
Oil to make adai

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Soak Channa dal and raw rice for 6-7 hours
2. Along with them soak the dry red chillies.
3. After 7hrs drain the water and grind them well to a paste. If needed add water.
4. Pour the paste on to a bowl.
5. In a mixer now grind the corn kernels to a powder and and pour them to the same bowl.
6. Also grind the oat meal into powder and pour on to the bowl.
7. Now mix the pastes and add salt as required.
8. Add curry leaves as required.

9. Mix well add water to make it semi solid to make as a batter and pour as a dosa.
10. Now as you pour for dosa pour the batter and add oil.
11. When onside turns brown turn another side and your Adai is done.

For slight variation you can add grated carrot, green chillies, cabbage...
Serve with jaggery, mellagai podi, avial..

Palak aur Mooli ke Pathe ki Sabzi

Ingredients:
Palak - 1 bunch
Mooli ke pathe/Raddish leaf/Mulangi kerai - 1 bunch
Aloo/Potato/Urlakanzgu - 2
Pattani/Green Peas/Mutter - 200gms
Tomato/Tamatar/Thakalli -2
Onion/Peyaz/Vengayam - 2
Green Chillies - 2
Ginger - 2 inches
Saunf - 2tbs
Clove/Kramb/Loong- 2
Pattai/Dalchini/Cinnamon - 1
Bay leaf/Brinji elai/Tez Patha -1
Oil - 2 tbs
Turmeric - 1/2tbs
Red Chilly Powder - 1/2tbs
Jeera Powder - 1/2tbs
Garam Masala - 1tbs
Amchoor - 1/4 tbs
Salt - 1 1/2tbs
Water - 2cups

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Wash the Raddish leaves, Palak leaves and chop them well lengthwise.
2. Chop onions, tomatoes and ginger finely. Split the green chillies.
3. Peal the potatoes and cut them into cubes.
4. Take a cooker or heavy bottom pan and add oil.
5. Add Sauf, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, green chillies
6. Now add onions, ginger and saute well.
7. Add raddish leaves, palak leaves, tomatoes saute well.
8. Add dry masalas and salt.
9. Now add potato and green peas.
10. Saute them well and pour water till they immerse.
11. Give them 3 whistles in pressure cooker.

Once the pressure comes down you get the fragarent healthy green sabzi!! Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tomato Sweet Corn Olive Rice

Ingredients:
Red tomatoes - 4-5
Cauliflower - 3 florets
Green Olives - 3tbs
Sweet corn - 200gms
Green Peas - 50gms
Green coriander leaves for garnishing
Olive oil - 2tbs
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Water - 1 1/2cup
Amchur powder/Dry Mango powder - 1tps
Cloves/ Loong/Kramb - 2
Elaichi/Elakai/Cardamom - 1
Bay leaf/Brinji elai/Tej patha - 1
Dalchini/Pattai/Cinnamon - 1cm
Sauf - 1tbs
Garam Masala - 1/2tbs
Sugar - 1/2tbs
Honey - 1tbs
Salt as per taste

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Grind the tomatoes into puree.
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom vessel or pressure cooker and add elaichi,dalchini,loong,tej patha,saunf.
3. Add the tomato puree and stir well.
4. Add cauliflower,green peas and corn kernels.
5. Now add sugar, amchur, garam masala,salt and stir well.
6. Add the rice and stir well.
7. At end add green olives.
8. Add water and stir well.
9. If in pressure cooker give 2 whistles, if in heavy bottom pan close it and cook do not stir often as the rice may break.
Serve hot by garnishing with green olives, honey and coriander leaves... have fun eating low cal rice.