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 tspCumin/ 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.