VENN PONGAL MADE EASY

Venn pongal is ideal for prasadam or as a one pot meal ..easy to make and tasty..can be had with coconut chutney, lime pickle, avakai, or sambar......i normally do this in cooker.which makes the task easier
Ingredients

1. Rice/rice ravva 1 cup
2. Moong dal 3/4 cup
3. Ghee/oil 1.5 to 2 tablespoons
4. Green chillies 3
5. Ginger few pieces
6. Cashew nuts a few
7.  Pepper corns (crushed) 10
8. Jeera 1 tsp
9. curry leaves a few
10. Hing a pinch
11. Salt to taste
12. Water 5 cups
13. Mustard seeds

Method
1. Wash rice/rice ravva if available and moong dal drain water and take in a pressure pan both and add 5 cups of water(needs more water as it we have to get a soft consistency)..do not add salt now itself as dal may not get cooked easily...add 1tsp ghee to the rice and dal as this will prevent dal from overflowing...keep the whistle on and in simmer let it cook for 20 minutes..if in high flame the dal will overflow...so take care to cook it in low flame.
2. After 20 minutes..switch off..let the cooker cool and open the lid and mix the rice and dal mixture well with back of spatula so that no lumps are formed...add salt..now.
3. Take ghee/oil in a pan add mustard seeds, jeera, ginger and chillies(crush together), pepper corns, and curry leaves, cashew nuts and hing. and fry well and add in the rice and dal mixture...and mix well.  Alternatively, you can also do the tempering first in the pressure pan first i.e the 3rd step and then do the first step i.e. adding rice and dal and mix...according to one's wish...anyways it will turn out soft and tasty as it is cooked in cooker..after it it is finished transfer to hot box..so it can be had piping hot...

SWEET PONGAL MADE EASY

Sweet pongal is the neivadyam for pongal festival all over south india.  After all these years of making it finally came up on a easy method which can be made by even by a beginner..it goes like this...

Ingredients:
 1. Rice 3/4 cup
2. Moong dal 1/4 cup
3. Milk 2 cups
4. Water 1 cup
5. Jaggery 2 cups
6. Cashew nuts a few
7. Kismiss a few
8. cardamom powder  
9. Ghee two tablespoons

Method
1. This pongal is made in cooker to make it fast and soft..so first take a pressure cooker and boil the 2 cups of milk and water together for 5-8 minutes..now add the rice and moongdal in the cooker  and close the lid and put on the whistle and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. As the moongdal has the tendency to overflow we should cook in low flame for about 15 minutes.and wsitch off.now open the lid and the mash the rice and dal mixture well with back of a spatula.
3,  Now switch on the stove and add the cut jaggery to the rice and dal mixture...jaggery melts and mix well with rice ..this takes about 8-10 minutes....now add cardomom powder.

4.  Heat ghee and add cashews and kismiss, fry well and add the ghee along with nuts to the rice and jaggery mixture..and mix well and switch off.....and the pongal is ready to be served....the ratios of the ingredients are 1:2:3..ie rice+dal one cup(if u want u can add more moongdal), 2 cups of jaggery(less if u want less sweet), 3 cups(2 cups of milk and 1 cup water)...so easy and quick to make ...and very tasty too.

WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY PONGAL

CAULIFLOWER MANCHURIA

Cauliflower Manchuria is a indochinese dish can be a starter, and with some gravy a side dish....easy to make and tasty to eat...here is how it is...

Ingredients1.Cauliflower 500 gms
2. Cornflour 2 tbsp
3. Maida 2 tbsp
4. Salt to taste
5. White pepper..a pinch
6. Greenchillies 3-4
7. Onions 2
8. Capscicum 1(optional)
9. red chilli powder 1 tsp
10. Soya sauce 1.5 tsp
11. Chilli sauce 1.5 tsp
12. Ajinomoto a pinch
13. ginger garlic paste 1 tsp'
14. tomato sauce 1.5 tsp

Method
1. Boil some water in a vessel and put the cut florets of cauliflower in it and cook for few minutes...u should paraboil not fully cook.. and drain..
2. Now make a batter by mixing maida, cornflour with water and add salt, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste.
3. Dip the cauliflower florets in this batter and deep fry in oil...and drain on a tissue paper to absorb excess oil.
4. Now cut onions, greenchillies, and capscium into cubes or dices as you prefer.
5. Add oil to a pan..heat and add one by one onions, greenchillies, capscium, ajinomoto, salt, and mix well, add soya sauce, chilli sauce, and tomato sauce and mix well.
6. Now take 1 tsp of cornflour in a bowl and add some cold water to make cornflour slurry..add this to the above and mix well...cook for two minutes..let sauce thicken and switch off....garnish with coriander and cauliflower manchuria is ready to be served.
 

 This dish goes to following event
Kid's Delight - Street Food by Srivalli