Pongal for Prasadam | Sweet Pongal | Khara Pongal

Pongal

First of all "Wish you all a very happy Pongal"

Sankranti / Pongal Fest is approaching and I am sure we are all so excited about the new year. Needless to say, we end up enjoying numerous Pongal varieties during our visits to our friends and relatives.

MIL usually makes this as prasadam for Goddess Lakshmi Devi. And for sure we will have this as prasadam after the morning pooja on the Sankranti day.

This is one of the varieties which is a mix of Salt and sweet versions of Pongal. Very delicious and I bet there is no other recipe simpler and quicker than this. :)

Ingredients:

Rice : 1/2 cup

Moong Dal - 1/2 cup

Jeera - 1 tspn

Black Pepper - 1 tspn (Lightly crushed)

Turmeric - a pinch

Salt to taste

Water : 2 cups

To garnish

Fresh coconut - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1/4 cup

Ghee - 2 - 3 tspn

Method:

1) In a cooker, wash rice and dal and add all the except the ones in To garnish and let it whistle thrice.

2) Once done, mix all the ingredients well and serve hot topping it up with fresh coconut, sugar and ghee.

3) Pongal is ready to be served for Lakshmi as prasadam.

Cheers!

Madhavi

Tomato Pulav

Tomato Pulav / Tomato Bath

A quickie when you are bored to cook an elaborate meal. This is such a delicious and easy complete meal.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1 cup (Soaked for min 30 mins)

Tomato - 1 - 2 nos. (chopped)

Green peas - 1/2 cup (I used frozen ones) Optional

Onion - 1 no (Finely chopped)

Oil / ghee / butter - 2 tspn

Cashew for garnishing - (Optional)

Milk and curd mixture - 1/2 cup

Water to cook the rice - 1 cup

To grind:

Whole garam masala - 1 each (Cloves, cardamom, star anise, Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch piece)

Ginger and garlic paste - 1 tspn

Coriander - 1/4 cup

Pudina - 1/4 cup

Green chillies - 3-4 nos (Or as per your taste)

Coconut - 2 tspn (optional)

Method:

1) Soak the basmati rice with 1 cup of water in the rice cooker pan. Or otherwise in any vessel and keep aside.

2) Grind all the ingredients mentioned in "to grind" List and keep aside

3) In a cooker or non-stick pan (If you want to use electric rice cooker) add oil/ghee or butter and once hot, add cashews fry them till they are golden brown and keep aside.

4) In the same oil add onion and little salt and fry for 2 mins.

5) Now add the ground masala and fry for another few mins till the oil separates.

6) At this point add some more salt if required and tomatoes, peas and cook for another min.

7) To this, add the milk and curd mixture and turn off the stove.

8) Pour this mixture into the soaked rice in the rice cooker and let it cook.

9) If making in normal pressure cooker, then add soaked basmati rice into this mixture along with the water.

10) Now, the rice is ready to be served with Raita.

Cheers!

Madhavi

Shahi Jeera Pulav

Shahi Jeera Pulav:

This is a most simple and tasty one pot meal. Best recipe when your fridge is running out of vegetables and you are digging in your fridge to find something to make use of :)

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 1 cup (I used normal rice)
Sugar - 1 tspn
Cumin seeds - 1 1/2  tspn
Green chillies - 2 finely chopped
Pudina - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup (Finely Chopped)
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Ginger garlic Paste - 1 tspn
Salt to taste
Ghee / butter / oil - 3 tspn
Water: 2 cups

Method:
1) Take a pan, add 1 tsp and add rice and fry for 2 mins and soak in the water for min 30 mins. (If you have a rice cooker, just soak the rice in the same vessel)
2) In the same pan, add remaining ghee and once hot, add jeera, and add sugar and let it melt and turn brown (Caramelise)
3) To this add onions, salt and saute for a minute.
4) Now add ginger garlic paste , green chillies and saute till raw smell leaves.
5) Then add chopped Pudina and Coriander and saute for another 30 secs and pour this mixture into the soaked rice and turn on the rice cooker to cooking.
6) If you are using cooker, then saute the above mixture  and add the soaked rice and let it whistle twice when its done.
7) Shahi Jeera pulav is ready to be served with your favourite raita or any subji of your choice.

Cheers!
Madhavi

Pudina Bath | Pudina Rice

Pudina Bath


This is one of my mom's recipe. The story goes like this, we happened to go to a restaurant (Darshani's in Bangalore) for a quick light lunch and there we were introduced to Pudina Bath. My mom tried this out and prepared it in the morning for our school lunch boxes. Getting nostalgic sometimes missing my mom I end up cooking this dish. :)

Its so easy and tastes really good in packed lunch as well. We loved it and she too loved to make it as its healthy and tasty as well.

Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups (Preferably Basmati rice)
Fresh Green Peas - 1 hand ful (I used frozen ones)
Green Chillies - 3 chopped lengthwise.
Onions - 2 chopped lengthwise
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tspn
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tspn
Mint leaves - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped)
Kasoori methi - 1 hand ful
Coconut milk/Fresh milk - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Whole garam masala - 2 each (Cloves, cardamom, Star aniseed)
Bay leaf - 1
Butter and ghee - 1 tbl spn each
Water : 2 cups
Lemon juice - 2 tbl spn (Optional)


Method:
1) Fry basmati rice with little ghee and soak it in 2 cups of water and coconut milk for at least 30 Min. (if you dont have time to do this step. Do not bother) :) (I soaked it in the vessel of electric cooker itself)
2) In a pan, add butter and ghee, once hot, add all the garam masala and the bay leaf, and fennel seeds.
3) Next, add green chillies, onions and saute till they get slightly transparent, and then add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
4) Once done, add the mint leaves, coriander leaves and green peas, saute for another minute and add salt to taste.
5) Now add kasoori methi by crushing them between your palms.
6) Put this mixture into the rice where you soaked in the vessel of electric cooker, and turn it on to cook.
7) Once done, it will automatically drop and its ready to serve.
8) Garnish with fried onions/lemon juice. (Optional)
9) Serve with Raita or any subji.
10) Veg Kadai goes well with this.

Note: If you are using pressure cooker, fry the ingredients directly in pressure cooker and pour the soaked rice. let it cook till done. (Around 2 whistles should be good)

I am reposting this entry to send to http://www.kaarasaaram.com/2011/12/announcing-royal-feast-biriyani-and.html

Cheers!
Madhavi

Green leaves and sweet corn Pulav

Green leaves and sweet corn Pulav

What else can be an easy recipe for a complete meal on a tiring day.. A one pot meal . Today is one of those days, and found some green leaves and frozen corn in my refrigerator. Fortunately had some mint leaves / pudina as well (pulav without mint flavour becomes incomplete). So, here I go with the recipe. Enjoy this easy delicious, and healthy meal.


Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups (Preferably Basmati rice)
Green leaves (Dantina soppu/palak) - 1 cup (Finely chopped)
Sweet corn - 1 hand ful
Green Chillies - 3 chopped lengthwise.
Onions - 2 chopped lengthwise
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tspn
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tspn
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup (Finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped)
Kasoori methi - 1 hand ful
Coconut milk/Fresh milk - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Whole garam masala - 2 each (Cloves, cardamom, Star aniseed)
Bay leaf - 1
Butter and ghee - 1 tbl spn each
Water : 2 cups
Lemon juice - 2 tbl spn (Optional)

Method:
1) Fry basmati rice with little ghee and soak it in 2 cups of water and coconut milk for at least 30 Min. (if you dont have time to do this step. Do not bother) :) (I soaked it in the vessel of electric cooker itself)
2) In a pan, add butter and ghee, once hot, add all the garam masala and the bay leaf, and fennel seeds.
3) Next, add green chillies, onions and saute till they get slightly transparent, and then add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
4) Once done, add the chopped green leaves, mint leaves, coriander leaves and sweet corn, saute for another minute and add salt to taste.
5) Now add kasoori methi by crushing them between your palms.
6) Put this mixture into the rice where you soaked in the vessel of electric cooker, and turn it on to cook.
7) Once done, it will automatically drop and its ready to serve.
8) Garnish with fried onions/lemon juice. (Optional)
9) Serve with Raita.

Note: If you are using pressure cooker, fry the ingredients directly in pressure cooker and pour the soaked rice. let it cook till done. (Around 2 whistles should be good)

Cheers!
Madhavi