Thalagam/Thalatham/Thalatha Kuzhambu/Ericha Kuzhambu - A special side dish for Ven Pongal on Pongal Day

This is a special side dish made on Pongal. For this only the following vegetables are used and these vegetables are a must.

Ingredients:
White pumpin - 100 gms
Sweet Potato - 100 gms
Yellow pumpkin - 100 gms
Raw plantain - 1 no.
Drumstick - 1 no.
Avarai - 100 gms.
Green Chilly - 2 nos
Tamarind paste - 2 spoons
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Bengal gram - 2 tbs
Coriander seeds - 4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 8 to 12 nos
Pea nut - 2 tbsp
sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Curry Leaves - a few
Fenu greek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Gingely Oil - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Salt to taste

Method:
Dry roast the sesame seeds separately till they splutter. When cool grind it separately and keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil and fry the grated coconut separately. Heat another tbsp of oil and fry coriander seeds, bengal gram, peanut and 6 red chillies adding one by one. When they turn golden brown in colour remove and let it cool. Grind it along with the fried coconut.

Cut all the vegetables into small cubes. Heat 2 cups of water in a shallow vessel. Add salt, turmeric powder, tamarind paste. Let it come to a boil and when the raw smell of the tamarind goes add the cut vegetables cover and reduce the flame. Let the vegetables get cooked soft. Add the ground paste and a cup of water. Mix thoroughly and bring it to a boil. Ensure that it doesnot settle at the bottom. Remove from flame.

Temper mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, green chillies, remaining red chillies. Cut curry leaves and spread it on the thalatam. Pour the tempering on top of the curry leaves. Mix well and serve it with Ven Pongal on Pongal day.

If this thalatham is left, the next day heat 2 to 3 tbsp of gingely oil and fry it well. Add the left over rasam, or kuzhambu or vathakuzhambu or koottu that is made on the next day. In olden days and also in villages, the kuzhambu is kept in a kalchatti and the flame keeps burning. It is had for 3 to 4 days. This is called as Ericha Kuzhambu and it tastes heavenly. 

This can be made as a sambar too by adding cooked thuvar dal. But if Thuvar Dal is added this need to be finished on the same day.

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.

Godhumai Pongal / Wheat Pongal by Uma Sridharan

Contest entry by Uma Sridharan for Wheat based recipe contest

Ingredients

Godhumai Ravai 1 cup

Moongdhall 1/4 cup

Ginger 1 tbsp choopped

Jeera 1 tsp

Pepper corn 1 tsp crushed

Asafoetida 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Ghee 3 tbsps

Method

Pressure cook godhmai ravai and moongdhall with 2 cups of water.

Mash the pongal. Add salt, ginger, crushed pepper corn, asafoetida and jeera.

Fry curry leaves in ghee and add it to the pongal. Mix well.

serve hot with Coconut chutney and kothsu

Recipe for Pongal made of Sugar

Recipe for Sarkarai pongal made of sarkarai. This is not as famous as the Sarkarai Pongal made of Jaggery. My grand ma makes this on Pongal day itself. But my mom makes it during Kanu.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1/2 ltr
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Moong Dal - 1/3 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom - 3 to 4 nos
Cashew nut - 12 nos
Ghee - 1 cup

Method:
Wash and pressure cook rice and moong dal in 4 cups of water. When done mash the rice well. Add sugar and milk and mix well. In low flame cook for another 5 mins by stirring constantly.

Remove from flame, powder the cardamom and add it to the Pongal. Fry cashew nut in 2 tbsp of ghee untill it is golden brown in colour and add it to the Pongal. Add the remaining ghee.

Can be served as a part of breakfast along with Ven Pongal and Medu Vadai.

Ven Pongal - A protein rich breakfast

A day have to be started with healthy breakfast and one of the very famous south Indian breakfast dish is Ven Pongal commonly known as Pongal.Ven - White, why this is called as Ven Pongal? thas because, whenever we talk of Pongal in South India, it is only the Sweet Pongal or the Sarkarai Pongal . So to differentiate this spicy pongal which is also white in colour, it is called as Ven Pongal

Ingredients need to make Pongal
Rice - 1 cup
Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Black Pepper - 1 spoon
Jeera (Cumin Seeds) - 1 spoons
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Green Chillies - 2 nos
Asafodeita - a pinch
Salt to taste
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Cashew Nuts - 10 to 12

How to prepare Ven Pongal the way it is prepared in hotels and restaurants?
In a pan fry moong dal and rice separately till they become golden in colour. Wash them separately then mix them together. The total quantity of rice and dal is equal to 1 1/2 cups. Add 4 cups of water and pressure cook rice and moong dal together. When done remove and add salt.

Chop the ginger to fine pieces. Slit green chillies into two halves without cutting it fully. Grind black pepper and cumin seeds coarsely. Add ginger, green chillies, pepper and cumin powder and asafodeita to the cooked rice.

In a frying laddle, add 1/2 of the ghee and fry the cashew nuts till they become golden brown. Cut the curry leaves into small pieces and spread on top of the Ven Pongal. Pour the fried cashew nut along with ghee on top of the curry leaves. Heat  the remaining ghee and pour it too. Mix everything thoroughly.

Adjust the salt if needed. The best side dish for Venpongal is Chutney and Tomato Gojju.

Tomato Pongal

Kids like variety in their lunch box and this Pongal is something which will make even those kids who dont eat tomatoes to eat it.

Ingredients:
Rice (Raw) - 2 cups
Tomato (Banglore vareity) - 6 to 8 nos depending upon the size
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 4
Ginger - 1 inch
Clove - 1 no
Bay Leaf - 1 no
Onion - 4 medium sized
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Cashew Nuts - 12 nos

Method:
Pressure cook rice and moong dal with 4 cups of water for almost 5 whistles.

Cut tomato into thin slices. Slit the green chillies in the middle. Cut the onion into thin lengthy slices. In a pan add half of the ghee and add bay leaf and cloves and the add onions when the onion turns glassy add the green chillies and ginger. Add the tomatoes and salt and saute them well till the tomatoes get mashed well. Add the cooked rice and moong dal and mash well. Add curry leaves and coriander leaves (chopped finely).In the remaining ghee fry the cashew nuts till they become golden colour. Add it to the cooked Pongal.

Serve hot with Sambar

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.

Pongal - A recipe made out of Sugar

A sweet recipe made of rice and moong dal. Similar to Sarkarai Pongal but made out of sugar instead of Jaggery.

சர்க்கரை பொங்கலை போலவே மிகவும் இனிமையான ஒன்று. சிலர் பொங்கல் அன்றும் சிலர் அதற்கு அடுத்த நாளும் இதை செய்வார்கள். குறிப்பாக, கனு வைக்கும் அன்று, இதை செய்வது மிகவும் விசேஷம்.

பால் - அரை லிட்டெர்
பச்சை அரிசி - அரை ஆழாக்கு
பயத்தம் பருப்பு - கால் aazhakku
சர்க்கரை - ஒரு ஆழாக்கு
ஏலக்காய்
முந்திரி
நெய் அரை கப்

செய்முறை:
அரிசி மற்றும் பயத்தம் பருப்பை நன்றாக கழுவி, குழைய வேக வெய்து கொள்ள வேண்டும். பாலை நன்றாக காய்ச்சி அதை அரிசியுடன் சேர்த்து கலந்து விடவும். எல்லாம் நன்றாக கலந்து வரும் போது அதை இறக்கி, நெய்யில் முந்திரி வறுத்து போட்டு ஏலக்காய் சேர்த்து கலக்கி விடவும்.

For the english version of Pongal using Sugar