Dates Honey Pongal, a sweet Pongal with a difference

Dates Honey Pongal is the regular sweet pongal added with dates and honey. The quantity of dates can be increased or decreased according to one's taste. Can make it as a different Pongal recipe for Aadi Pandigai, Chitra Pournami or Chithirai varuda pirappu.


Ingredients:
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Jaggery Powdered - 1 1/2 cups
Dates - 12 nos
Honey - 4 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Dry Ginger powder (sukku powder) - 1 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Cinnamon Powder - 1 pinch
Cashew Nuts - 12 nos

Method:
Fry Moong dal a bit till it emits a nice aroma. Add jaggery to 1/2 cup of water and mix it thoroughly till all the jaggery dissolves. Drain it through a thin seive to remove all the impurities.

Wash rice and soak it along with Moong Dal for about 20 to 30 mins. Drain thoroughly and add it to boiling water. After adding the rice dal mixture add water and 1 tbsp of ghee. Close the cooker and pressure cook it for about a whitsle or for about 10 to 15 mins in low flame.

Let it cool, open and add jaggery water. Blend and simmer. Add chopped dates and honey and mix well. Add cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and cinnamon powder. Fry the cashewnuts in remaining ghee and add it to the Pongal.

Veppam poo Rasam or Neem flower Rasam

Veppampoo rasam or neem flower rasam is made mainly during Tamil New Year and Ugadi. Though this seem to be a simple one to make have lots of medicinal values. Its always good to have it once in a while along with hot rice and little ghee.

Ingredients:
Tamarind Paste - 2 tsp

Veppampoo Rasam with Tomatoes

Thuvar Dal - 1/4 cup
Red Chillies - 2 nos
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 2 tsp
Dhaniya or Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dried neem flowers - 1 to 2 tbsp according to one's taste
Hing/ Asafodeita - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander leaves - a few
Salt to taste

method:
In half a tbsp of ghee fry thuvar dal, red chillies, pepper, dhaniya and a few curry leaves. Remove from flame and add jeera in the hot pan. It will get fried. Grind all these to a fine powder along with hing.

In a shallow vessel, add 2 cups of water to the tamarind paste. Add salt and turmeric powder and bring it to boil. When it boils add the ground powder and bring it to boil again. Alternatively mix tamarind paste and the ground powder along with salt and turmeric powder and pressure cook it for two whitsles.

In the remaining ghee add mustard seeds and when they splutter add the dried neem flowers and pour it on the cooked rasam. Chop coriander leaves finely and add it to the rasam. Add the remaining curry leaves too to the rasam.

Note:
Finely chopped tomatoes can be added too.

Instead of making this rasam using tamarind paste, the same can be done with lemon rasam too.

Sweet Poha

Ingredients:
Poha - 1 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:
Soak poha for about an hour. Drain all the water and separate it with the back of the laddle. Add ghee, cardamom powder, grated coconut and jaggery to it and mix well.

Neem flower pachadi

This is prepared during Chithirai Varuda Pirappu/ Tamil New Year, but the people who hail from Tanjore district. This is done specially from fresh neem flowers.

Ingredients:
Neem flower - 2 tsp
Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 6 nos
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1/4 cup
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Jaggery - 1/4 cup
Rice flour - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method:
Fry neem flower in 1 tbsp of ghee till it turns red in colour. (care should be taken as to not to burn the flowers). In a pan add the remaining ghee and oil and when hot add teh mustard seeds. When they splutter add the red chillies, asafodeita, curry leaves. Add 2 cups of water to tamarind paste and make tamarind water. Add it to the pan along with the salt. When it comes to a boil add the jaggery and mix well. In 1/4 cup of water mix the rice flour and make a paste of it and add it to the pan. When everything comes to a boil remove from flame.

Recipe for Paanakam - Neivedhyam

Though we make this Paanakam for Srirama Navami or on Fridays, this is a great drink for summer. In south India this is given as an after food during Sumangali Prarthani along with Neer More and Sukku Vellam.

Ingredients:
Lime juice 1 cup
Jaggery powdered well 3 cups
Dry ginger powder 2 tsp
Cardamom powder 2 tsp
Pepper powder 2 tsp (optional)

Method:
Heat jaggery with 2 cups of water to dissolve. Strain, boil to honey consistency. Add all powders, cool & add lime juice. Refrigerate. Dilute to required consistency, adding plain or ice water whenever required.

Add Pepper powder if and only if there is a slight cold and cough. Better to avoid it, if one need to relish and enjoy the taste of Panakam.

Neer More - Spiced Buttermilk

This is one recipe which I like very much. Though I keep making alterations (which I have given at the end of this post).

Ingredients:
Yogurt - 2 cups
Water - 2 cups
Salt - To taste
Green Chillies - 2 nos
Ginger piece - 1 inch piece
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Hing - 1 pinch
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tbsp
Ice cubes - 2 to 4

Method:
Cut green chillies and ginger into small pieces. Beat the yogurt and add water, salt, curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger pieces, hing.

Temper it with mustard seeds.

You can add 1/4 cup grated cucumber or grated carrot or both to the butter milk.
Decorate the glass with mint leaves before serving.

Mango Neem Flower Pachidi - A recipe for Tamil New Year

Tamil New Year, or Chittirai Varuda Pirappu is round the corner and one of the main dishes that is made on this day is Mango Neem Flower Pachidi.

The neem flower can be dried and added after frying in ghee or can be add fresh.

Ingredients:
Mango - 1 medium sized
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Salt - To taste
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Green Chillies - 2 nos
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Oil or Ghee - 1 tbsp
Neem Flowers- 1 tbsp (fresh or dried)

Method to make Mango Neem Flower Pachidi:
Wash and peel mangoes. Cook mangoes in 1 cup of water turmeric powder and 1/2 of salt. When the mangoes are soft remove and let it cool. In 1/4 cup of water add salt and stir well till it dissolves. Strain it through a sieve to remove impurities. Add fresh neem flowers and let it boil. When the jaggery thickens add the cooked mango to it.

Temper mustard seeds, green chillies in oil or ghee.

Note:
The neem flowers can be added while tempering too. The pachidi can be decorated with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Lemon Rasam - 5 minutes recipe

Ingredients:

Thuvar Dal - 1/4 cup

Tomatoes - 2 large or Tomato Puree
Lemon - 1 big
Green Chillies - 1 no
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Salt to taste

Method to make Lemon Rasam:
Pressure cook Thoor dal. In a vessel add 2 cups of water, finely chopped tomatoes, green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves and salt and bring to boil. Add another 1 cup of water to the thoor dal and mash it well. Add the mashed dal to the boiling mixture and when it bubbles remove from flame and squeeze the lemon juice to it.

Temper mustard seeds,jeera and hing in ghee and add it to the Rasam.

Note:
The green chillies can also be added while tempering instead of adding it while boiling.

Adding of Tomato Puree instead of chopped tomatoes helps in cooking even more faster

Recipe for Kosumalli / Kosambari

This is a dish which is my all time favourite. When ever I feel like eating Salad, I just prepare this and eat it and it is really yummy. I make the simplest version of the below given recipe. I dont add carrots, or grated coconut when I want to make it in a jiffy.

Ingredients:
1 small cup Moong dal - soak in water for 1/2 an hour and drain the water and completely
1 medium size cucumber (check whether it is not bitter)
1 carrot - grated
2 - 4 green chilly - finely chopped
1 sp lemon juice or grated or finely chopped mango
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
1/2 sp mustard seeds
1 sp oil
Salt

Method:
In a bowl take the drained moong dal and add the carrot, cucumber, green chilly and salt and mix well. If you are adding mango leave the lemon juice. Add the mango along with the carrot and cucumber. In a pan add oil and add the mustard seeds. When it is ready pour it on the mixture. After mixing it well, add the grated coconut.

If you are adding lemon juice add it after you do the seasoning and not before that.

If you are so concerned about your health, avoid the grated coconut.