Thursday, January 15, 2009

Sakkarai Pongal & AmaVadai

Sakkarai Pongal & Amavadai with some savories for EFM Events:
When It Sakkara pongal , Ama Vadai and payasam, are indispensable dishes in all festivals and feasts. On Pongal day Sakkarai Pongal is usually prepared in a Pongal pannai traditional vessel called paanai (pot) instead of a pressure cooker. Pots of rice with milk and sugar are boiled to make sakkarai pongal or sweet rice .I decorated pots with sandanam& kukum then I tied pot with thread with Manjal (turmeric piece, and flower.Fresh turmeric is tied round the pot.Then I put kolam(traditionally rice flour) in gas stove and put the rice in, the pot to cook the food in .The boiling over and spilling out of the contents of the pot is the auspicious sign that the family waits for. And Pongal literally means "Boiling Over"Regarding Pongal when it started,how Read history here. Sakkarai Pongal is a very common recipe in all parts of Tamil Nadu, each one will have there own way to prepare one. Though the ingredients are the same throughout, the procedure may differ from each person.




Ingrdients:

Rice -1 cup.

Milk -1 cup

Moong dal-2 tbsp

Powdered jaggery -2 to 3 cups

Cashewnuts -few

Raisins - few

Cardamom -1 tsp powdered

Ghee one third of a cup (to be restricted according to one’s diet consciousness)

Method:

Wash the rice in water, drain and keep aside.

Dry fry the dhal till golden brown, wash and add to the rice.

Boil the milk (diluted with two cups of water), when it started boiling add the rice and dhal mixture to it and cook. Cook moong dal and rice, till half done.

Drain the excess water and keep them aside. Now put jaggery into the cooked mixture rice and heat it Then pour about a table spoon of ghee into it and keep stirring till they blend together nicely.

Fry the cashews and raisins in one tablespoon ghee, pour into pongal mixture along with the powdered cardamom.

Remove from heat, add the remaining ghee (or more according to ones taste) when it is still very hot

Ama Vadai

Aama vadai is a south indian speciality snack that is prepared on every single occasion Ama vadai occupies the foremost position in a menu prepared for any festival. Ama vadai is prepared by frying a flattened ball of ground lentil and spice.Everybody like to eat this vadai as and when they are fried. There are a lot of variations in preparing these vadai. It depends on the proportion of dals used. This is a snack which I always enjoy with tea..Previously In my home I used to grind it in attukal.. Nowadays it is prepared quickly using the mixie/blender.


Ingredients:

ThurDal - 1 Cup

Urad dal- 1/2 Cup

Channa Dal - 1Cup

Grated coconut-1/2 cup

Rice- 1 tbsp

Red Chillies – 4 to5

Green chilli -3to4

Asofoetida

Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying





Method:

1. Soak the three 'dhals' in water for 1 hour.

2. Grind the dhals in a grinder or mixie. Do not grind fine; let the dough be rough grained

3.Add the curry leavesand grated coconut.

4. Make small balls of the dough and flatten it with a mild press. Pat it either on your oiled palm or a piece of oiled banana leaf to the round thick shape like 'Vadas

5. Heat the oil in a pan and fry both sides until golden brown.


And this is my entry for Festive Food: Makar Sankranti event hosted by Priti.

Thenkuzal.
Biscuit chat:
Spinach Pakoda:
KhandviRava Wada:Chakli:



Iam sending all this entries to Srilekha;s EFM -Savories Event