Ven pongal with Kathrikkai Gothsu

Ven Pongal

Ven Pongal is one of the traditional South Indian dish . It is the traditional neivedhyam in temple and at home.My family is not great fan of this dish. But for me  it is one of my favourite breakfast! The flavour of ghee with pepper is the unique taste of pongal. I  always have pongal with sambar / chutney or with Gothsu. But brinjal  Gothsu  is perfect side dish for Venpongal.

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup

yellow moong dal (pasi paruppu) -1/4 cup

Cashew nuts -few

Salt- as per taste 

Water-4 cups

 For the seasoning

 Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsp

Ginger finely chopped - 1 tsp
Cumin/ Jeera  - 1 tsp 
 Whole black pepper - 1 tsp 
 Curry leaves - few

Method:

1.Heat the cooker on medium heat, add a tablespoon of ghee. Add the washed moong dal and roast the dal in the ghee for about a minute.

2.Once the dal is roasted, add the rice, salt and 4 cups of water. Cover the pressure cooker, place the weight on and cook till one or two whistle. Switch off the flame and let the steam release.

3.Heat the pan, add 1 teaspoon on ghee and add the broken cashews and fry till they turn golden brown color. Take this out and keep it aside in a plate.

4.Heat ghee, add finely chopped ginger, saute for 2-3 seconds, then add pepper, jeera seeds (you can pound pepper and jeera slightly for more flavor), curry leaves and pour it over the rice dal mix.

5.Add salt in the cooked rice-dal mixture and roasted  cashews to the cooked pongal.  Mix everything to combine. Remove off heat. 

6.Finally add  1 tbsp of ghee,mix well and serve immediately.

Serve hot with chutney /sambhar or with  gothsu.

Kathrikkai Gothsu:

 

Brinjal gotsu /Kathirikkai Gotsu  is prepared Traditionally by roasting brinjal in a direct flame. It gives a unique smoky taste and flavour to the dish. A perfect accompaniment for Pongal is the sweet spicy tanginess in the Gothsu compensates for the peppery niceness of the Pongal. . This combination always works as tasty side for Pongal/Dosa and Idli.

Ingredients:

Big brinjal/ Eggplant-1

Onion – 1

Tomato – 2

Green chilli – 2 nos

Tamarind – small gooseberry sized ball

Sambar powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Chana daal-1tsp

Urad daal-1tsp

Salt – 1 tsp or as reqd

Hing - pinch

Curry leaves – few sprigs

Red chilly-1

Oil – 1 tbsp

gratedJaggery-1tsp        

Method:

1.Wash the brinjal and dry it. then apply some oil in the outer part of brinjal .

2.Roast the brinjal in the direct flame (keep the flame low) till the brinjal slightly shrinks.  3.Prick some holes in the brinjal for cooking the inside part evenly.

4.Once cooked cool it down and peel off the skin. mash the flesh part and keep it aside

5.Add tamarind in one cup water for 15 minutes, extract the juice and discard the pulp.

6.Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds once it splutters, add curry leaves, hing. Add onion, green ,redchillies saute until it turns crunchy, add turmeric powder, sambar powder, salt saute well and cook it covered with a lid.

7.Then add the brinjal and sauté lightly. Add the salt and add tomatoes and cook until they soften. Now add tamarind water and cook until raw smell leaves.finally add jaggery and

Remove from heat and Serve this kathirikai ghotsu with ven pongal.