SOFT IDLIS

Ingredients

» 4 Cups (Heaped) - Raw Long Grain Rice

» 1 Cup (Heaped) And 1/2 Cup - Split Urud Dhal (Even The Split White Variety Serves The Purpose)

» Salt To Taste.

Method

You measure the raw rice(long grain rice) into a vessel.

Do not add water to this rice.

Take the pressure cooker and pour 2 cups of water into the pressure cooker. Now Keep the vessel containing the measured rice in the pressure cooker. Close the pressure cooker with the lid.

Wait till the steady steam starts coming. Put the weight.

When the first whistle comes simmer the electric or gas stove.

Allow it to be like that for 5 mints. Then switch off the stove.

Allow the pressure to subside on its own. Then add fairly hot water to the rice and soak it for 4 hours.

Just an hour before grinding, wash and soak the urud dal. First grind the urud dal in the mixie. Then grind the rice to a fine consitency.

Not too fine as a paste of course. Mix the two and add the required salt. Mix thoroughly.

The final batter should not be too thick or too watery.

Allow the batter to ferment for atleast 12 hours.

Then prepare the idli in the usual manner and really soft idlis will be got.

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RICE PONGAL

Ingredients

» Raw Rice -300 gms

» Moong Dal (yellow or green) 100 gms

» Hing powder -Half tsp

» Cummin Seeds- one or two tsp

» Black pepper- 10 to 12

» Cashew nuts-10 no

» Ginger- 1 inch piece

» Turmeric powder- half tsp (optional, if you like the colour)

» Clarified Butter or liquified Ghee- four tbsp

» Curry Leaves- 10 no (optional)

» Salt- to taste

Method

1. Heat Kadai. Dry roast rice and moong dal till they turn hot to touch.

2. Transfer the rice and dal to a container and wash three times in fresh water.

3. Add water four times the quantity of rice and dal and add salt.

4. Pressure cook for four whistles.

5. In a kadai dry roast cummin seeds and pepper for 2 minutes and powder coarsely.

6. Chop the ginger finely and keep aside.

7. Add one table spoon of ghee in the kadai and roast the cashew nuts (halved) till they turn light brown.

8. Add ginger, powdered cummin seeds, hing powder, turmeric powder and curry leaves and roast for a minute.

9. Take out the cooked rice and dal mix and mash well using a masher.

10. Add all the prepared ingredients and mix well with remaining ghee.

11. Rice Pongal is ready and can be served with coconut chutney.

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TAMARIND GOJJU

INGREDIENTS:

1 big lemon sized ball of tamarind or 2 tablespoons of Tamarind Concentrate

Equal amount of Jaggery

Salt to Taste

A pinch of Red Chilli Powder

A pinch of Turmeric Powder

A pinch of Rasam Powder(homemade, or if store bought try the MTR Rasam Powder)

2 teaspoons of Oil

1/2 teaspoon of Mustard Seeds

2-3 Curry Leaves

METHOD:

1. If you are using tamarind, soak it in water for atleast 30 mins, and extract a thick pulp. Discard the fibrous residue.

2. Heat oil in a small vessel.

3. When hot, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add the curry leaves.

4. Take off the heat and add the extracted tamarind pulp. If you are using tamarind concentrate, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to it.

5. Put the vessel back on low heat.

6. Add all the other ingredients and let it come to a slow simmer.

7. Adjust the salt/jaggery/chilli powder to taste.You can adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding water. Ideally it should be thick like honey.

This is Side Dish for Khara Pongal. For more Pongal Receipes Click here.

KHARA PONGAL

Ingredients

» Moong Daal 1 cup

» Rice 1 cup

» Cashewnuts 10-12 no

» Cumin Seeds, Pepper Powder 1 tsp each

» Chopped Green Chilli 3-4 no (depending on size and taste)

» Dry Coconut Flakes 2 tbsp

» Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp» Salt to taste

» Water 3 to 3 1/2 cups

Method

1. Take a cooker and heat two tbsp of oil in it.

2. Wash moong daal and the rice and keep it separately.

3. Roast cashew in the oil and keep aside.

4. Now, add mustard seeds and cummin seeds.

5. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add green chilli and fry for a few seconds.

6. Now, add the moong daal and fry for a minute.

7. Add water and the washed rice.

8. Also add coconut, salt and turmeric powder.

9. Close the cooker and allow it to whistle thrice.

10. After the cooker cools down, add the pepper powder, cashews and chopped cilantro leaves.

Note: You can use ghee instead of oil. Ghee gives a better taste. It tastes great with Tamarind Gojju.
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RAVA PONGAL

Ingredients

» Rava 1 cup

» Moong Dal 1/2 cup

» Cashew Nuts 10 no

» Ghee 4 tbs

» Curry Leaves

» Chopped Ginger 1 tsp

» Blackpeppercorn 1 tsp

» Cumin Seeds 1 tsp

» Salt to taste

Method

1. Fry the rava without any oil till it is really hot to touch.

2. Fry the black pepper and cumin seeds in a teaspoon of ghee and make a coarse powder of them.

3. Fry the cashewnuts, curryleaves, chopped ginger and keep aside.

4. Pressure cook the moong dal with 1 cup of water.

5. After the pressure subsides transfer the cooked dal to a heavy bottomed pan and add a cup of water.

6. Add the required salt.

7. Allow this to boil well.

8. Add the fried rava to the above boiling (cooked) moong dhal in small measures and stir continuously till the rava is cooked completely.

9. While the rava is being cooked add the ghee little by little.

10. Finally, add the coarsely powdered pepper and jeera and the fried cashewnuts, curry leaves and chopped ginger.

11. If you want a spicy rava pongal you can also use a teaspoon of chopped green chilly.

12. This goes well with coconut chutney.

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