My Dhaba: 01/06

Sago vattals

Vattals are cereals or vegetables boiled to a batter and then suitably sun-dried till dehydrated. It is a thankful relief to have a store of vattals or appalams because it is a matter of a few moments to deep fry a handful to a crisp, crunchy, quick side dish which relieves the monotony of fills the gaps in a meal. Vattals keep indefinitely, if they are thoroughly sun-dried and then stored in a dry container with an air-tight lid. Hope you had already seen the recipe details and preparation of homemade potato vattals. Today, we have made sago vattals at My Dhaba. Here is the recipe details of sago vattals for you. Hope you will like it.

Bringing the ingredients together...

Sago vattals recipe

Ingredients:
Sago - 1/2 kg
Green chillies - 4, medium size, medium hot
Salt - 1-1/2 teaspoons
Lime juice - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
Water - 6 cupfuls

Method: Grind the green chillies, salt, and asafoetida to a smooth paste and keep aside. Soak the sago in water for 15 minutes. Bring the water to the boil in a roomy vessel. Scatter the sao onto it stirring the water. Cook to a thick batter-like consistency, taking care to stir the paste frequently to prevent lumps forming. Remove from the heat. Add the green chilli paste along with the lime juice. Drop small spoonfuls of batter on a damp, well-rinsed cloth and dry beneath the hot sun for 3 days, and peel off from the cloth when completely dry.

When needed, deep fry in smoking hot oil or ghee and serve.

PS: We will post you the final pictures of dried sago vattals and fried ones in 3 days time.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Sago vattals

My Dhaba Halwa Week

This is just an announcement to those who were looking forward to My Dhaba's next halwa recipe.

We have temporarily frozen My Dhaba's halwa week activity due to time constraints and unforeseen personal reasons. I will complete the journey through Indian halwas in a fortnight or so. Thank you very much for all of your continued love and kind support showered upon My Dhaba. Look forward to come up with even more interesting recipes in the coming days.

Raw vegetable salad

Raw vegetable salad

Ingredients:
Cabbage - 1, small, fresh, finely shredded
Carrot - 1, medium size, finely julienned
Cucumber - 1, tender, peeled, julienned
Onion - 1, cut into thin circular slices
Tomato - 1, cut into thin circular slices
Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
Vinegar - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Method: Toss all the ingredients together and serve.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Raw vegetable salad

Fish curry #2

Using the previously posted My Dhaba's fish curry recipe, we reproduced king fish curry today. The only difference is the substitution of 2 tablespoon tamarind extract instead of kodam puli. We made the gravy a little more thicker at this time. Do go for it... it's really fit for a king (queens too :-)). Enjoy!

Flowers, flowers, and flowers everywhere in Muscat!

Flower blogging: Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

My Dhaba's halwa week: Day #3 - Halwa Omania

It is My Dhaba's halwa week, day #3 today. We have visited the near-by Omani home-based traditional halwa factory and took some shots for you. We had posted the recipe details of Omani halwa a few weeks back. You may want to give it a look. It is here.

Look out and do not miss to taste this heavenly Halwa Omania whenever you visit Sultanate of Oman or UAE regions. Yes, it is one of the rare kind of delightful experiences one should have in a lifetime. Here are the differenct varieties of Halwa Omania.

My Dhaba halwa week:
Day #1 - Gajar ka halwa aka carrot halwa
Day #2 - Potato halwa, malai halwa, and sago halwa
Day #3 - Halwa Omania
Day #4 - Can you guess?

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: My Dhaba's halwa week: Halwa Omania

My Dhaba's halwa week: Day #2 - Sago halwa + Potato halwa + Malai halwa

It is My Dhaba's halwa week, day #2 today.

We are presenting to you 3 delicious halwas today; sago halwa, potato halwa, and malai halwa. We would like to thank Mrs. Chitra Viswanathan for sending us her favorite recipe details and pictures of potato halwa and malai halwa and allowing us to get those featured here via My Dhaba Group. We are sure that today's My Dhaba guests would definitely love these delicious treats.

Just for the beginners, halwas are sweet semi-solid preparations, made with sugar, ghee, nuts, any cereal, vegetable, or dals.

My Dhaba Halwa Week: Day #2: Halwa #1 - Potato Halwa
Recipe contributed by Mrs. Chitra Viswanathan

Potato Halwa recipe

Ingredients:
Potatoes - ½ kg
Unsweetened khoa - 100gms
Sugar - ½ kg (2 ½ cups)
Ghee - ½ cup + 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder - ½ tsp
Almond essence - 2-3 drops (not more)
Saffron - ¼ tsp (warm & powder)
Chopped cashew - to decorate

Method: Boil, peel & mash potatoes . Heat ½ cup ghee, add mashed potato & fry for sometime, till the colour changes & volume of potato shrinks. This is an important step & removes the raw potato taste completely. Add khoa, sugar & remaining ghee. Stir continuously on a high flame, till it solidifies moderately. Add spices & switch off the flame. Add essence & mix very well. Transfer to a shallow vessel in 10 mts & decorate with nuts.

Variation: Mix 1 cup of mashed potato, ½ cup milk,, 100gms unsweetened khoa, 1 ½ cups sugar & cook stirring, adding ghee in between little by little. When it leaves the sides of the vessel add spices & remove. Alternately you can use 200 gms sweetened khoa & 1 cup sugar.

My Dhaba Halwa Week: Day #2: Halwa #2 - Malai Halwa
Recipe contributed by Mrs. Chitra Viswanathan

Malai Halwa recipe

Ingredients:
Milk, preferably full fat - 1 litre
Sugar - 1 level cup
Beaten curd - 2 tbsp
Top of milk ( malai) - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Chopped almonds & pista - 2-3 tbsp, to garnish

Method: Combine first 3 ingredients & cook on a slow heat till milk curdles. Cook till dry, stirring regularly. Add cream gradually stirring till well blended & liguid is absorbed. Add cardamom powder & transfer to a serving bowl & garnish with nuts. Chill & serve.

My Dhaba Halwa Week: Day #2: Halwa #3 - Sago Halwa
This is our creation for today.

Sago halwa recipe

Ingredients:
Sago - 1 cup; cover the sago well with water and soak for 30 minutes
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cashew nuts - 10
Pistachios - 5
Raisins - 10
Cardamom powder - 3/4 teaspoon

Method: Make the ghee just hot in a heavy-bottomed vessel or in a nonstick wide-bottomed pan and fry the cashew nuts, pistachios, and raisins in it separately; remove from the ghee and keep aside. Make the same ghee very hot and put in it the soaked sago with its clinging water. Stir well into the ghee, cover and cook till well boiled. Turn over the boiled sago thoroughly and then add the sugar. After the sugar dissolves and blends into the sago, add the fried cashew nuts, pistachios, raisins, and cardamom powder. Remove from the heat and serve hot. Enjoy!

My Dhaba halwa week, day #1 - Gajar ka halwa aka carrot halwa

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: My Dhaba's halwa week: Sago halwa: Potato halwa: Malai halwa:

My Dhaba's Halwa Week: Day #1 - Gajar ka halwa aka carrot halwa aka carrot pudding

We hope that you had enjoyed My Dhaba's curry week initiated during last month when we had posted 7 curry recipes in a week's time. It is long time cooking any sweets at My Dhaba. Taking inspiration from the curry week, we at My Dhaba have decided to consider this week as My Dhaba's Halwa Week. We have begun our journey through Indian halwas today with gajar ka halwa aka carrot halwa aka carrot pudding. As with any journey we are more likely to enjoy ourselves if we know where we want to go and how we are going. We have already received a few recipe requests and exotic recipe details via mails and via our feedback messages.

You too can participate in this great fun! How?

1. Just send us your halwa recipe and we are going cook that for you - subject to approval by My Dhaba team.

2. Request for any of your favorite halwa recipes that you may like to get it featured. We will try to include those.

3. If you are an food blogger, we welcome you and request you to please cook and post about any of your favorite halwas during this week and just message or email us the link. We will show it off by displaying it along with our halwa recipe of the day.

Isn't that simple? What do you think?

Here is the recipe details for gajar ka halwa aka carrot halwa aka carrot pudding for today. Hope you like it.

Gajar ka halwa aka carrot halwa recipe

Ingredients:
Carrots - 1/2 kg, cleaned, scrubbed, and grated to shreds
Sugar - 1 cup
Boiled milk - 2 cups
Almonds - 15, blanched and ground to a smooth paste
Cashew nuts - 15, ground to a smooth paste along with almonds
Ground nuts - 10, blanched and halved (optional)
Raisins - 2 tablespoon
Ghee or butter - 2 tablespoons (preferably Indian ghee)
Dried ginger powder - 3/4 teaspoon
Salt - 1/8 teaspoon

Method: Make the ghee very hot in a heavy-bottomed vessel or in a nonstick wide-bottomed pan and add the carrot shreds and salt. Fry the carrot shreds well in the ghee and pour in the milk. When the milk is all absorbed, add the sugar, and almond-cashew nuts paste. Stir well till it thickens. Add the dried ginger powder and remove from the heat immediately. Serve hot.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: My Dhaba's halwa week: Gajar ka halwa aka carrot halwa aka carrot pudding

Mezhukkupuratti aka upperi

Reva - this is for your mom. Here is the recipe details for mezhukkupuratti aka upperi - one of the most delicious side dishes which goes very well with rice. We used raw banana at this time. You may use this recipe for making any other upperis - beans, bittergourd, brinjal, carrots, beet roots, snow peas, potatoes, ridge gourds, ladies finger, gherkins, jackfruit seeds, yam, etc., just to name a few. Please do try this out with any of the available vegetables that you may have at your home today.

Mezhukkupuratti aka upperi recipe

Ingredients:
Vegetable - 1/4 kg, sliced into small pieces; we used raw bananas today
Green chillies - 2, medium size, medium hot, finely chopped
Chilli powder - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon or adjusted to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Black-gram dal - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Dried red chillies - 1, medium size, medium hot, broken into pieces
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Onion - 1, medium size, finely chopped
Garlic - 1/4-inch piece, crushed (optional)
Oil - 1 teaspoon (we use coconut oil for upperis; it tastes better that way)
Ghee - 1 teaspoon (optional)
Coconut shreds - 2 tablespoons (optional)

Method: Heat a vessel and pour in the oil/ghee mix. When the oil becomes very hot, add in this order: the mustard seeds to splutter, black-gram dal to brown lightly, red chillies, curry leaves, and then the onions and garlic. When the onion edges turn golden brown here and there, add the vegetable pieces, salt, green chillies, turmeric powder, and chilli powder all together. The water clinging to the vegetable when washed is usually enough, but if it is stale, add a good sprinkling of water also in between. Cover with a lid, boil till tender over moderate heat. Remove the lid and stir-fry till no water shows out of it and the vegetables gets dried up. Stir in the fresh coconut scrapings and remove immediately from heat and serve it hot with rice and the curries. Enjoy!

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Mezhukkupuratti aka upperi

Soondal

Soondals are made with grams, whole and unhusked grains like bengal-gram, green-gram, cow-gram, dried beans, or dried peas. Even fresh peas and fresh mochakai beans can be made into soondals. Those who have already tasted this will know that soondals are very tasty and satisfying. They are also very pleasant and filling as a teatime snack once in a while.

Soondal recipe

Ingredients
Whole grams - 1/4 kg, washed and soaked overnight well covered with water; we used bengal-grams today
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Oil - 1+1 teaspoons
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Black-gram dal - 1/4 teaspoon
Dried red chillies - 2, broken into halves
Curry leaves - a sprig
Onions - 1, medium size, finely chopped
Green chillies - 2, medium size, medium hot, finely chopped
Coconut shreds - 2 tablespoons, fresh
Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon

Method: Put the soaked grams, the water in which it was soaked, turmeric powder, and 1 teaspoon oil into a medium-sized vessel along with 2 cupfuls of boiling water, cover with a lid, and cook over moderate heat till the grams are boiled and tender. A gram pressed between the thumb and forefinger should mash to pulp easily. Put the boiled gram in a sieve to allow the water to drip away. Heat a frying pan and pour in one teaspoon of oil. When oil is very hot, put in the mustard seeds to splutter, black-gram dal to brown lightly, dried red chillies to turn crisp, curry leaves, and then onions and green chillies all together. Saute well till the onions turn limp. Add the boiled gram and salt. Saute well turning over frequently for 5 minutes or till no water turns out of the mixture. Remove from the heat. Add the coconut shreds and lemon juice and mix well. Serve hot.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Soondal

Fish puttu

Here is one of our most favorite fish dishes - the fish puttu. The fish used in this dish must be large and mature, and of the kind which has no tiny thorns or bones. We used big silver pomfrets for this today. Take care to be very sure that there are no tiny thorns imbedded in the boiled fish flesh. Here is the recipe for the fish puttu.

Bringing the ingredients together...

Boiled fish flesh

Fish puttu recipe

Ingredients:
Fish - 1/2 kg, cut into thick slices (any fish of your choice, preferably shark, tuna, king fish, or big pomfrets)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 + 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - 1/4 + 1 teaspoons
Chilly powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Black pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Onions - 2, medium size, finely chopped
Green chillies - 3, medium size, medium hot, slightly slit at the stem end
Garlic - 4 pods, medium size, finely sliced
Oil - 2 teaspoons
Ghee - 1 teaspoon

Method: Put the washed fish pieces in a vessel covering completely with water. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder to it and boil over moderate heat till tender. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool. Peel off the thick skins and remove the bones and thorns of the fishes. Mash the flesh of fishes into tiny flakes. Mix well the chilly powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder, and 1 teaspoon salt into the mashed fish flakes. Heat a frying pan and pour in the oil and ghee into it. When smoking hot, add the onions, garlic, and green chillies all together. Saute well till the onions turn limp. Add the mashed fish flakes and saute over moderate heat for approximately 5 minutes turning over very frequently and over low heat for 5 minutes or till an attractive aroma is given out. It is so delicious eaten either hot or cold as a side dish with rice, chappathis, or bread. Enjoy!

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Fish puttu

Silver pomfret fry

We got home a bagful of cute silver pomfrets yesterday which were on sale from a local market. There are plans to cook these in 3-4 different ways; will keep you posted about all of those recipes. Today, it is time for fried silver pomfret in our most simplest ways. Here is the recipe details for fried silver pomfret.

Bringing the ingredients together and getting the fishes marinated on it.

Silver pomfret fry recipe
Serves - 4
Preparation time - 10 minutes; marination time - 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Silver pomfrets - 1/2 kg, cleaned and drained well, make small slant cuts over the skin (you may want to use any other fish of your choice that is available)
Turmeric powder - 1/8 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 3 teaspoons
Black pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece, finely chopped and crushed to a smooth paste
Vinegar - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - for shallow or deep frying in batches

Method: Mix together well all the ingredients except oil along with a few teaspoons of water to a thick and fine paste. Apply the marinade as a very thin layer on both sides of the fishes and marinate it for 45 minutes. Shallow or deep fry the fishes in batches on both sides until golden brown and drain the oil. Enjoy!

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Fried silver pomfret

Rawa and vermicelli idlee

Here is a recipe for making tasty rawa and vermicelli idlees which is not so bland like rice idlees but very easily digested breakfast food. We can make these rawa and vermicelli idlees for the night meal and use the left over idlees for the next day's breakfast and lunch too. These idlees keep for 24 hours provided they are kept in an airy place covered with only a thin muslin cloth.

Bringing the ingredients together...

Rawa and vermicelli idlee recipe
Yield – 12 idlees; serves – 4
Preparation time – 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Rawa – 1/2 cup
Vermicelli – 1 cup
Curd/yogurt – ½ cup
Oil/ghee – 1+1 teaspoons
Fried bengal-gram dal – 2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon
Cashew nuts – 5, broken into quarters
Black gram dal – 1 teaspoon
Green chillies – 4, sliced
Curry leaves – 5
Asafoetida – a pinch
Salt – ½ teaspoon

Method: Fry well the rawa and broken vermicelli in a teaspoon of oil separately turning over thoroughly with a flat slice over moderate heat till becomes very hot to touch. and keep aside. Mix well the roasted rawa, vermicelli, curd, one tablespoon ghee, and 2 cups of cold water and keep it aside for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a fry pan and pour in the remaining one teaspoon oil. When the oil becomes very hot, add in the following order: the mustard seeds to splutter, black-gram dal to lightly brown, cashew nuts, green chillies, curry leaves, and asafoetida and remove it immediately taking care not to burn any of these. Add this seasoned mixture and salt to rawa-vermicelli batter; beat up the batter well. Add a little water at this time if necessary to make a thick batter, which will drop slowly from the spoon. Make into idlees in the usual way. Serve it either hot or cold with any of your favorite chutneys. We have eaten this today with an unusual tuwar dal chutney and hot cocoa drink.

We are sending this rawa and vermicelli idlees to Meena's from my rasoi.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Rawa and vermicelli idlee

Hot cocoa drink

A cup of hot cocoa drink has been my favorite substitutes for a regular dose of tea or coffee at all times.

Uses of cocoa are numerous. It may be used in cakes, creams, drinks, toppings. Besides its use as a food, science has discovered that cocoa is beneficial for health. Cocoa has nearly twice the anti-cancer antioxidant of red wine, and up to three times those found in green tea. Read more at wiki here.

Here is how we make our delightful homemade hot cocoa drink.

Bringing the ingredients together...

Cadbury's cocoa powder

Homemade hot cocoa drink recipe

Serves - 2
Preparation time - 3 minutes

Ingredients:
Cocoa powder - 1-1/2 teaspoon
Salt - 1/8 teaspoon
Cold water - 3/4 cup
Milk - 1 cup, boiled
Sugar - 2 teaspoon or adjusted to taste

Method: Mix together the cocoa and salt with a tablespoon of water and blend to a smooth paste. Dilute it with the cold water. Boil for 3 minutes stirring once in a while. Pour in the milk and bring to boil just once. Remove from the heat, add sugar, and keep it covered for 3 minutes before serving. Serve hot and enjoy!

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Homemade hot cocoa drink

Tuwar dal chutney

Here is a very bland, quite unusual, and very nutritious tuwar dal chutney which will fit in well with any hot curries, masala dosais, or spicy idlees.

Tuwar dal chutney recipe

Ingredients:
Tuwar dal – 1 cup
Garlic – 5 beads, medium size, peeled
Salt – ¼ teaspoon

Method: Fry the dal in a dry frying pan over low heat. When it is very lightly browned, remove from the heat and allow it to cool. Combine it with the garlic and salt and grind to a smooth ball of chutney. Serve it raw without any seasoning.

Please see the picture of this chutney which we prepared today and used with rawa and vermicelli idlees.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Tuwar dal chutney

Mango pachadi

Pachadis are the piquant appetisers of an Indian meal served in little portions along with other accompaniments. Today, we have cooked one of our most favorite Pachadis - the mango pachadi. You will read about all other Pachadis at My Dhaba in the days to come. Please do stay in touch.

Bringing the ingredients together...

Mango pachadi recipe
Yield - 10-12 servings; 2 cupfuls

Ingredients:
Mango - 2, large, cut into slices with skin on, just on the point of becoming ripe, sweetish and slightly sour taste
Jaggery - 3/4 cup, crushed
Turmeric powder - 1/8 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Green chillies - 4, medium hot, medium size, slightly slit at the stem end
Dried red chilly - 1, medium hot, medium size, broken into halves
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Rice flour - 2 teaspoons, made into a thick paste with a little water
Curry leaves - a sprig

Method: Bring 2 cupfuls of water to boil and add to it the mango slices, turmeric powder, salt, and green chillies. When the mango slices are boiled soft, add the jaggery. After the jaggery dissolves and has blended into the mango pulp, add the rice flour paste. Simmer over low heat to a thick mass and remove from the heat. Heat the oil till it becomes very hot in a fry pan, add mustard seeds to splutter, dried red chillies to crisp, curry leaves, and then pour it into the pachadi. Stir well once before serving. Enjoy!

PS: For those who requested for a printer-friendly copy of these recipes, I am still trying to learn the stuff. Meanwhile, this is for your info that I am sending the text-only contents to my Google Group - My Dhaba as soon as I post something here. Welcome you to join us there if you would like to be notified each time a new post is added to My Dhaba. Cheers!

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Mango pachadi

Maseel aka creamed greens sauce

Greens are our most favorite vegetables at our home. If we cook them carefully with interest and not just dutifully, the greens will turn out sooo tasty and everyone at home will eat greens without any reluctance. Greens are a vital source of essential nutrients, calcium, and vitamins; all of which are health protecting elements of food. Greens have become our kids favorite too. There are so many different varieties of greens which are available at different times, for short periods, throughout the year; spinach, amaranth, fenugreek greens, etc., are the most popular ones. You may want to see My Dhaba's other green recipes posted before - keerai (amaranth) poreel and drumstick leaves fried with eggs. Here is our recipe for the traditional maseel aka creamed greens sauce.

Bringing the ingredients together...

Maseel aka creamed greens sauce recipe

Ingredients:
Greens – 3 handfuls of washed and finely chopped greens (Greens of your choice – spinach, amaranth, or fenugreek greens)
Onions – 2, medium size, finely chopped
Green chillies – 3, medium size, medium hot, slightly slit at the stem end
Garlic – 3 beads, finely sliced
Tomatoes – 2, medium size, finely chopped
Tamarind extract – 1 tablespoon
Salt – 1/2 teaspoon or adjusted to taste
Ghee – ½ teaspoon
Oil – ½ teaspoon
Mustard seeds – ¼ teaspoon
Black-gram dal – ½ teaspoon
Dried red chillies – 2, medium size, medium hot, broken into halves

Method: Put the onions, garlic, green chillies, tamarind extract, and tomatoes all together in a thick-bottomed vessel. Put the greens over the other ingredients. Add salt. Cover and boil them over moderate heat until tender. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool. The water clinging to the greens when washed will be enough to cook them tender; only if needed, spinkle few drops of water over the greens while it is cooking. Mash the greens with a heavy hand (I prefer this way) or with a dal churner. You may also mash the greens in a blender till well mashed. Heat a frying pan and pour in the oil and ghee mixture into it. When very hot, put the mustard seeds to splutter, black-gram dal to brown lightly, and dried red chillies. When the red chilly turns crisp, pour a spoonful of sauce over it and return immediately to the sauce again. Churn lightly to blend into the sauce. Enjoy either hot or cold with hot rice. You may omit the tamarind extract if you are making the maseel for chappaties or bread.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Maseel aka creamed greens sauce

Sakkarai pongal aka sweet rice pongal

Here is one more makar sankranthi prasadam for you - the sakkarai pongal aka sweet rice pongal.

Bringing the ingredients together...

Ven pongal aka hot rice pongal recipe

Serves – 4
Preparation time – 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Raw rice – 2 cups, wash and soak the rice for 45 minutes
Green-gram dal – 1 cup, fry it lightly in a hot frying pan till lightly browned
Cashewnuts – 10
Raisins – 15
Jaggery – 1 cup, crushed
Cardamom – 6 pods, powdered
Ghee – 2 tablespoon
Salt – 1/8 teaspoon

Method: Put the fried dal in 4 big cupfuls of boiling water along with half teaspoon ghee. Cover with a lid to boil. When the dal is three-fourth cooked, add the wet and soaked rice. When the rice is well boiled and its water all absorbed, add the jaggery powder and salt and stir well. The mixture will turn watery with the addition of jaggery. Let it cook over low heat till the mixture becomes thick and mushy again. Heat a vessel over moderate heat and pour in the ghee. When very hot, fry the cashew nuts to a light brown color and fry the raisins till they swell out. Add the boiled rice and dal to the ghee and sprinkle in the cardamom powder. Stir thoroughly once and allow to remain on low heat for 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

PS chef notes:

- If there is too much water, drain off it before adding the jaggery powder.
- If the water is all absorbed before the rice is cooked completely, sprinkle a cupful of hot water around the edges and surface of the rice and cook for some more time.
- You may also use equal amount of sugar and jaggery if you prefer it that way.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Sakkarai pongal aka sweet rice pongal

Ven pongal aka hot rice pongal

Here is our makar sankranthi prasadam for you - the ven pongal aka hot rice pongal.

Bringing the ingredients together...

Ven pongal aka hot rice pongal recipe

Serves – 4
Preparation time – 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Raw rice – 2 cups, wash and soak the rice for 45 minutes
Green-gram dal – 1 cup, fry it lightly in a hot frying pan till lightly browned
Onions – 2, medium size, finely chopped
Green chillies – 4, medium size, medium hot, slightly slit at the stem end
Cloves – 4
Cinnamon – 4 one-inch long sticks
Garlic – 6 beads, finely sliced
Ginger – ½-inch piece, finely chopped
Ghee – 2 tablespoon
Salt – 1-1/4 teaspoon or adjusted to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/8 teaspoon

Method: Put the fried dal in 3 big cupfuls of boiling water along with turmeric powder and half teaspoon ghee. Remove from the heat when three-fourth cooked and keep aside. Heat a roomy flat-bottomed vessel over moderate heat and pour in the ghee. When smoking hot, add the cinnamon and cloves together followed by slit green chillies, garlic beads, ginger, and onions all together. When the onion edges turn brown here and there, pour the boiled dal with its water over the onions. Pour also another 2 cups of water. When the water boils, add the wet and soaked rice. Cover with a lid and allow to boil and then simmer till the rice is cooked and the water contents are all absorbed. This ven pongal is tastier when eaten with mint chutney or any other chutney. Enjoy!

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Ven pongal aka Hot rice pongal

Makar Sankranti/Pongal/Bhogi/Bhogali Bihu/Lohri greetings!

Wish you all peace, prosperity, happiness, good fortune, and good harvests on this auspicious day of January 14th, Makar Sankranti, filled with joy and so much fun.

To give you a brief background - It is harvesting time which is celebrated all over India often called as Indian thanksgiving festival season. This festive occasion is celebrated in many different ways; most common practices are gathering around, preparing traditional sweets, feasting with family and friends, exchanging greetings and pleasantries, etc. Unity in diversity is utmost visible everywhere during this festival season all over India. In Tamil Nadu, it is time for Pongal; in Assam, it is Bhogali Bihu; in Andhra Pradesh, it is called Bhogi; in Punjab, the harvest festival is called Lohri; and Makar Sankranti in rest of the country, Karnataka/Maharashtra/Uttar Pradesh/Bihar/Bengal.

We at My Dhaba will be cooking Ven Pongal today as Sankranti prasadam. We will get you the recipe details and pictures shortly. Pongalo Pongal! Pongalo Pongal! Pongalo Pongal!

PS: We had been to Kanyakumari a few weeks ago to show the kids the majestic sun rise from the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent (Cape Camorin). This picture was taken at that time.

Sankranti/Pongal/Bhogi/Bhogali Bihu/Lohri greetings!