Thursday, January 17, 2013

Pongal Special


We hope that you all had a very good Pongal/Sankranthi. Every Indian state, except Kerala, has its own way of celebrating this festival and we are sharing with you some specialties from Tamil Nadu. Even though these dishes are made during the Pongal, they can be enjoyed on any day of the year (an excuse for having posted them after Pongal?).

Thani Kootu
Ingredients
Green peas – 1 to 2 cups (frozen or fresh)
Tamarind extract – 1 cup
Sambar powder – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Hing – a pinch
Masala
Oil – 1 tsp
Channa dal – 2 tbsps
Dhania seeds – 3 tbsps
Grated coconut – 4 tbsps
Red chillies – 4 or 5
Seasoning
Oil – 2 tsps
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 4 or 5
Red chillies – 2
Grated coconut – 2 tbsps
Method
Boil the green peas in tamarind water, with sambar powder, salt, and hing for about 15 - 20 minutes. In the meantime, sauté the masala in oil until channa dal turns slightly brown. Grind to make a powder or paste. Add the ground masala to the boiling peas and allow it to cook for another ten minutes.
For the seasoning, heat oil in a kadai. Add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Then add the urad dal and the red chillies. Add the curry leaves and the grated coconut. Once all the seasoning ingredients are nicely sautéed, add them to the peas and serve hot.

Kali Kootu
Ingredients
Diced winter melon – 1 cup
Diced pumpkin – 1 cup
Peeled and diced raw banana – 2
Peeled and diced sweet potato – 1
Peeled and diced potato – 4
Finely chopped green beans – 1
Diced carrot – 1 cup
Diced brinjal – ½ cup
Green peas – ½ cup
Tamarind extract – ½ cup
Cooked toor dal – ¼ cup
Sambar powder – 2 tbsps
Hing – a pinch
Salt to taste
Masala
Oil – 1 tsp
Channa dal – 2 tbsps
Dhania seeds – 3 tbsps
Grated coconut – 4 tbsps
Red chillies – 4 or 5
Seasoning
Oil – 2 tsps
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 4 or 5
Red Chillies - 2
Method
Boil the vegetables in tamarind extract, with sambar powder, and salt. Preferably, pressure-cook the vegetables.
In the meantime, sauté the masala in oil until the channa dal turns slightly brown. Grind to make a powder or paste. In a big pot, add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Add the urad dal, red chillies, and curry leaves. Now add the boiled vegetables and bring it to a boil. Add the cooked toor dal and the ground masala. Allow the gravy to boil for about 10 minutes and serve hot with rice, dosa or roti.

Oats Chakkara Pongal
You all know that the traditional sweet pongal is made with rice. This year, we decided to give it a healthy twist. Try our oats pongal and we are sure you won't miss the rice.
Ingredients
Cooked oats – 1 ½ cups
Cooked moong dal – ¾ cup
Melted jaggery – 1 cup (approx)
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
Cashews and Raisins for garnish
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Water – ½ cup (more if required)
Method
Cook the moong dal (in a pressure cooker or on open flame) and keep aside. Toast the oats for about 5 minutes, on low heat. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil. Once the oats is ready, sprinkle the water over it and keep stirring. Keep adding the water until the oats are nicely cooked. Make sure it does not become mushy. Keep this aside.
In a saucepan, melt the jaggery with 1-2 tablespoons of water. Once the jaggery is completely melted, add the cooked oats and moong dal and mix well. Allow it to simmer for 10-12 minutes or until most of the excess water is absorbed and you are left with a nice ooey-gooey mixture. Take it off the heat and add the cardamom powder and mix well.
Heat the ghee in a small pan. Add the cashews and raisins and sauté for a couple of minutes. Garnish the prepared pongal with the sautéed nuts and raisins and serve hot. Bon Appétit.








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