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.

Kalkandu Saadam|Sweet Candy Rice

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Sweet Candy (Diamond Kalkandu) - 1 1/2 cup
Cashew Nuts - 12 nos
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1/2 cup

Method:
Powder the candy. Make syrup out of it. Cook rice using 1 cup of milk and 3 cups of water. Remove from flame and mash it well. Add the cooked rice to the syrup and boil it for a few mins.

In a frying laddle add ghee and fry the cashew nuts and fry it to a golden brown colour. Pour it to the rice and add cardamom powder and mix well.

This is prepared normally for Pournami Pooja(Puja done on full moon day) as a prasadam or Neivedhyam. Can be made on Chitra Pournami day in the place of Sarkarai Pongal.

Sarkarai Pongal - A sweet recipe for any festival

This is one recipe which is made very often at home especially on fridays of the Tamil month of Thai and Aadi. This is also one Pongal that is made during the festival of Pongal.

Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 1 1/2 cups
Milk - 4 cups
Cardamom - 2 pieces (grind it to fine powder)
Cashew nuts - 10 to 12 pieces
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Raisins - 12 pieces

Method:
In a dry pan fry the rice and moong dal separately till a nice aroma is emitted. Pressure cook the rice and dal together with 2 cups of milk and 5 cups of water. Cook for almost 5 whistles. Mash it thoroughly when the rice is warm. Heat the remaining 2 cups of milk in a solid bottom vessel or pan and add the mashed rice to it and mix thoroughly. Slice the jaggery and add it to the rice and milk and mix thoroughly. Add cardamom powder and mix again.

Fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee and add it to the cooked Sarkarai Pongal.

Curd Rice - A must in every South Indian meal

 Many might think that making curd rice is very easy. But if not done correctly, even the curd rice could turn out bad. The rice that is cooked for the curd rice should be soft and should be mashed thoroughly. The curd used for curd rice should be unsour. 

Many variations can also be added to the plain curd rice to make it more attractive.

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups

Fresh unsour curd - 1 cup

Milk - 2 cups

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Asafodeita - a pinch

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Green Chillies - 2 nos

Curry Leaves - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Method:

Cook the rice with 6 cups of water and 1 cup of milk in pressure cooker. Atleast 5 whistles be allowed. When it is time to open, remove the rice and transfer it to a shallow bowl. Mash well with the back of a scoop laddle thoroughly. When warm add salt and the remaining 1 cup of milk and mix again. Add the curd and mix well. 

In a tadka laddle, add ghee and mustard seeds, when it splutters add the hing, green chillies. Chop the curry leaves to fine pieces and sprinkle on curd rice. Pour the tadka on top of the curry leaves. Mix well so all mixes thoroughly. Finely chop coriander leaves and decorate the curd leaves.

Instant Tamarind Rice

Tamarind Rice have different varieties. The traditional Tamarind Rice can be made either as instant rice or using Pulikaichal. 

Ingredients to make Instant Tamarind Rice: 
Cooked Rice - 2 cups
Gingely Oil - 1/4 cup
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Bengal Gram Dal - 2 tbsp
Ground nuts - 2 to 3 tbsp
Cashewnuts - 10 to 12 nos
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup
Red chillies - 2 to 4 nos
Tamarind Paste - 6 tbsp
Multi purpose Powder - 3 to 4 tbsp
Powdered Salt - To taste

Method to make Instant Tamarind Rice:
Add 1 tbsp of gingely oil in a pan and when hot add the mustard seeds. When it splutters add it to the rice spread on a flat bowl. Mix well without damaging the rice. Add oil again in pan and fry the Bengal Gram, Ground nuts, cashew nuts, Red chillies and curry leaves to it. After sauteing it for a few minutes add the tamarind paste and bring it to a boil. Add Multipurpose powder and mix well. Add it to the rice and  add salt to it. Mix well without damaging the rice. Instant Tamarind rice is ready.

How to make Pulikaichal to make Tamrind Rice

Preparing and storing Pulikaichal will help in making Puliyodharai easily whenever needed.

Ingredients:
Tamrind - 1 tennis ball sized
Salt - (Better Rock salt) 1/4th handful or to taste
Vendhayam(Fenu greek) - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 10 to 12 nos
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafodeita - 1/2 inch piece
Mustard seeds - 2 tspn
Gingely oil - 1/4th cup
Bengal Gram - 1/2 cup
Groundnut (Raw) - 1/4 cup
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup

Method: 
Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract tamarind juice. The juice should be thick. This size of tamarind will give 2 to 3 cups of thick extact. (Alternatively around 12 to 14 tbspns of Tamarind Paste can also be used)

Dry roast methi seeds. Fry 1/4 cup of Bengal gram in 1 tsp of gingely oil along with 6 Red chillies. Grind bengal gram and red chillies together with methi seeds and asafodeita to a fine powder.

Heat pan and add gingely oil to it. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the groundnuts to it and fry it till it turns crispy. Add bengal gram and fry till it turns golden brown. Add the remaining red  chillies and curry leaves and saute it for a few mins.

Add turmeric powder and salt to Tamarind extract (add 2 cups of water to the Tamarind paste) and add it slowly to the pan. Simmer the stove and let the extract boil. When it becomes a saucy consistency add the methi seeds powder and boil it again. When the oil comes out remove from flame. Let it cool and store it in a dry container. If stored outside, it had to be used within 3 or 4 days. It can be used for almost a week to 10 days if stored in fridge.

Lemon Rice - An all time favourite mixed rice recipe

Another mixed rice variety, which can be made in a jiffy.

Ingredients:
Cooked Rice - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Bengal Gram Dal - 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 sp
Green Chillies - 2
Red Chillies - 2
Cashew Nuts - 6 to 8 (optional)
Turmeric Powder - 2 pinches
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Lemon - Big 1 no.
Curry Leaves -  a few
Salt to taste

Method:
Spread the cooked rice in a flat bowl and add 1 tbsp of ghee to it and let it cool. (Dont let it cool too much, it have to be warm enough). In a pan add 1 tbsp of ghee and 1 tbsp of oil and when hot add mustard seeds. When it splutters add Bengal gram dal and cashew nut(cut into small pieces). Add the red and green chillies. Add turmeric powder and asafodeita and when the cashew nuts turn golden remove from flame.

Cut the curry leaves and add it on top of the rice. Pour the oil on top of the rice and mix thoroughly. Add required salt and mix again without breaking the rice. Better mix it with a fork or the back of laddle. Squeeze the lemon all over the rice and mix again so that the lemon's taste gets mixed all over.

Thengai Saadam (Coconut Rice)

Coconut Rice is always a favourite in our family. It also happens to be one of the dishes for Aadi Perukku.

Ingredients:
Cooked Rice - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/2
Red Chilly - 2 nos
Green Chilly - 1 small
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Broken Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Bengal Gram Dal - 1 tbsp
Cashew Nuts - 12 nos
Curry Leaves - A few
Salt to taste
Ghee or Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

   In a pan add ghee or oil and add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add urad dal, bengal gram dal and cashew nuts and fry it till it becomes golden in colour.  Add the green and red chillies and fry it for a few minutes. Add the grated coconut and fry till it become red in colour. Add curry leaves and salt and mix thoroughly. Remove from flame and add the cooked rice to it. (Check for slat after mixing the rice and add if needed).