Sweet Pongal Recipe

sweet pongal

This is a South Indian pongal recipe which is rice and lentil dessert made on the festive occasion of Pongal. This is sweet pongal recipe with jaggery, also known as chakra pongal or chakkara pongal. Some recipes use sugar in place of jaggery, then it is known as 'Sakkarai Pongal' as sugar is known as sakkarai in Tamil. Sweet pongal is more popular in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh of South India.

Recipe of sweet pongal

1 1/2 cup rice

1/2 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

2 1/2 cup milk

2 cups gur (jaggery)

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

2 tbsp raisins (kishmish)

2 tbsp cashew nuts (kaju)

1/2 tsp elaichi (small cardamom) powder

1. Wash rice, drain and soak rice for 1/2 an hour. Roast moong dal in a kadhai or a pan till light brown.

2. Break jaggery into small pieces and set aside.

3. Boil milk with 1 cup water in a heavy bottomed vessel like kadhai/wok.

4. Wash rice and moong dal, drain. Add to the boiled milk. Let it again come to a boil. Reduce heat and cook till rice and dal cook completely, mixing continuously. It will take around 15 minutes or so.

5. Add jaggery pieces and cook mixing so that jaggery doesn't stick to the vessel. When gur melts completely, add half of the ghee and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring.

6. Heat remaining half of the ghee and roast raisins and cashews. Add this to the pongal.

7. Add elaichi powder and mix well. Serve sweet pongal warm.

Samosa Recipe

samosa

Who doesn’t love samosa and that too homemade fresh and hygienic samosa? It’s usually bought from shops but let’s make it today at home.

Recipe of samosa

For the outer covering

2 cups maida

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp salt

For filling

4-5 aloo (potatoes) - boiled, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup matar (green peas) - boiled

2 inch piece ginger - grated

2-3 green chillies- chopped

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

1/2 tsp amchoor

1/2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp oil

Oil for deep frying

1. For outer covering of samosa, take maida in a bowl and mix in salt and oil.

2. Slowly add water and knead into stiff dough. Cover the dough and keep aside for 20 minutes.

3. For filling, heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they change colour, add ginger and green chillies. Sauté for 1 minute.

4. Add potatoes and matar. Add salt and all the spices. Also add coriander leaves. Roast for a while.

Your filling is ready to stuff inside samosa.

How to make samosa

stuffing inside the cone

5. Take some dough and roll into a thin round or puri.

6. Cut the puri  to make 2 halves. Run wet fingers along the edges.

7. Make a cone by joining and pressing.

8. Stuff potato-peas mixture inside the cone and seal the third side so that stuffing doesn't come out while frying. Similarly make rest of the samosa from remaining dough and potato mixture.

9. Heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry 3-4 samosas at a time on a medium heat. Fry till samosa turn golden brown. Drain on an absorbent paper and serve hot samosa with green chutney and sweet tamarind chutney.

Note- samosas will be fried on a medium heat. Also fry samosas in batches.

You can also add small pieces of paneer and kaju kishmish (cashews and raisins) to the stuffing. 

Dahi Wali Arbi (Colocasia in Yogurt Gravy)

dahi wali arbi

In this recipe of dahi arbi, I have added dahi later because if you are not used to cooking with yogurt and you add it in the beginning, you may end up getting lumps. I cook dahi wali arbi separately as well as combine it with potatoes to make dahi aloo arbi.

Recipe of dahi wali arbi

250 gms arbi (arvi/colocasia/taro root) - boiled, peeled and cut into roundels

1 cup dahi (curd/yogurt) - beaten

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

3 green chillies- chopped

1/2 tsp rai (small mustard seeds)

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

Chopped coriander leaves- for garnish

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1 tbsp oil

1. Heat oil in a kadhai or a pan. Add rai and let it splutter.

2. Add hing and after 2 seconds add green chillies.

3. After 1 minute, add arbi and 1 cup water. Add salt and all the spices except garam masala.

4. Cook till gravy thickens. Add dahi and cook, stirring, on a low heat for 2 minutes. Add garam masala and cook on a low heat for 1 minute.

5. Turn off the heat and garnish dahi wali arbi with coriander leaves.

Mini Sooji Uttapam (Semolina Pancake)

sooji uttapam

Sooji uttapam or rava uttapa is a delicious item from South India. You can have these uttapam as a breakfast option or as a low calorie snack as very little oil is used in this recipe.  There is no need for fermentation as it is instant.

Recipe of mini sooji uttapam/ rava uttapam

1 1/2 cups sooji (rava/semolina)

1 1/2 cups sour curd

3/4 cup water

1 big onion- chopped

1 big tomato- chopped

2 green chillies- chopped

Salt to taste
Oil as needed

rava uttapam

1. Mix sooji, curd, water and salt to prepare smooth batter of thick pouring consistency. Beat well. Set aside for 20 minutes.

2. Mix onion, tomato green chillies and salt. Set aside.

3. Heat a non-stick tawa (griddle). Pour some oil on it and wipe with a tissue paper, discard.

4. Keeping on low heat, pour 1 tbsp batter on tawa, no need to spread it as it will spread on its own if the batter consistency is right.

5. If your tawa is big, you can cook at least 3 uttapam at a time (keeping a distance).

6. Drizzle some oil on the uttapa and after 2 minutes sprinkle a little onion-tomato mixture on them. Press the topping with the help of potato masher.

7. When the underside is cooked, turn over and cook the uttapam on other side also. Remove from tawa and serve sooji uttapam hot.

Marathi Coriander Coconut Chutney

coriander coconut chutney

You can use this coriander coconut chutney in sandwich and with snacks etc.

Recipe of marathi coriander coconut chutney

1/2 fresh coconut (nariyal) - grated

1/2 cup coriander leaves

3-4 cloves garlic

3 green chillies

Salt to taste

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tsp curd (yogurt/dahi)

1. In a blender, blend all the above ingredients except curd.

2. Add curd to the chutney and mix well. Your coriander coconut chutney is ready to be savored.

Dhaba (Roadside Eatery) Dal

dhaba dal

If you had a chance to travel on Highway in North India, then these dhabas are inescapable. Dhaba is nothing but roadside eatery where you can enjoy hot, spicy food at nominal rates. Dhaba dal along with tandoori roti is a must try for anyone eating in roadside dhaba. Dhaba dal is a combination of 3 dals or lentils.

Recipe of dhaba dal

1/2 cup urad dal chilka (split black gram with skin)

1/4 cup rajma (red kidney beans)

1/4 cup chana dal (Bengal gram)

3 medium tomatoes- chopped

2 medium onions- chopped

5-6 garlic cloves- chopped

2-3 green chillies- chopped

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) for garnish

1. Wash urad dal, chana dal and rajma. Drain and soak in enough water overnight or at least 6 hours.

2. Drain dals and pressure cook with enough water and salt for about 1/2 an hour or till tender.

3. Heat oil and butter together in a pan. Add garlic and sauté till light brown.

4. Add onion and green chillies and sauté till onion turn light brown.

5. Add red chilli powder and cumin powder and fry for 1 minute.

6. Add tomatoes and sauté till tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

7. Add dal and mix well. Add kasoori methi and coriander leaves. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot dhaba dal with roti or rice.

Urad Dal Pinni Recipe

urad dal pinni

Urad dal pinni is a traditional Punjabi sweet. Pinni is also made of atta or whole wheat flour but here I am sharing the recipe of pinni made of urad dal or black gram.

Recipe of urad dal pinni

1 1/4 cups dhuli urad dal (split skinless black gram)

1 1/2 tbsp besan (chickpea flour/gram flour)

1/2 tbsp atta (whole wheat flour)

2 1/2 tbsp sooji (semolina/rava)

3/4 cup khoya (mawa) - grated

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1 cup sugar

Chopped almonds (badam) and pistachios (pista)

1. Soak urad dal for 1 hour. Drain.

2. Grind urad dal to a fine paste adding minimum or no water while grinding.

3. Heat ghee in a kadhai/wok. Add besan, sooji and atta. Sauté for 5 minutes.

4. Add dal paste and sauté on low heat for about 1/2 an hour.

5. In the meantime, make syrup of 1 thread consistency by boiling sugar with 1/2 a cup of water.

6. Roast the almond pieces and set aside.

7. Add khoya to the dal mixture and cook for 5 minutes.

8. Add sugar syrup and cook till mixture dries up a little.

9. Turn off the heat leave the mixture to cool.

10. Shape the cooled down dal mixture into round or oval pinni. Garnish pinnis with almonds and pistachios.