Pongal and Sankaranti Special

Wish you a very happy Pongal-Sankranthi.

Sakkarai Pongal

Ingredients:
Milk - 3 cups
Water -1 cup
Rice - 1 cup
Green gram dal (moong) -1/4 cup
Powdered Jaggery -1 1/2 cups
Cardamom - 6(powdered)
Cashewnuts -50 gms
Raisins - 50 gms
Ghee -2 Tbsps.

Method:

Wash rice and moong dhal together and let it drain. Boil milk and water in a thick bottomed pan. Add rice and dal and cook in low flame until smooth. Add powdered jaggery and let it blend with the rice and dal mixture. Add ghee and powdered cardamom. Stir well and remove from fire. Roast cashewnuts and raisins in one more spoon of ghee. Pour the garnishing on the hot pongal.Serve it with a dash of hot ghee.


Urad Dal Vadai

Ingredients:
Black Gram Dal (urad dal)-1 Cup
Fresh Ginger -1" piece
Curry Leaves -A Few
Black Pepper - 1/2 Tsp
Jeera -1/2 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - For Frying

Method:
Soak urad dhal in enough water for 25 minutes. Drain the dhal and grind it with ginger and salt, without adding water. Remove from the mixer. Mix in coarsely crushed pepper and jeera (cumin seeds),and finely chopped curry leaves. You can adds a spoonful of coconut gratings as well. This is optional. Dip your palms in cold water. Take 2 Tbsps of the batter and flatten on your palm. Make a hole in the centre and slide it into hot oil. Fry on low flame until crisp and golden. Serve hot with chutney or sambar.

Ellu Bella – Healthy Sesame Seed and Jaggery tidbit

Ingredients:
Ellu or Sesame Seeds - 2 Cups
Ground Nuts -1/4 Cup
Roasted Gram -1/4 Cup
Cube Jaggery – 100g
Diamond Sugar -1/4 cup
Copra - 1/2

Method:
Lightly roast the sesame seeds until you get a pleasant aroma. Roast and remove the red husk from the groundnuts. Break the jaggery into small squares. Scrape and cut copra into small pieces. Mix the prepared ingredients with roasted gram and diamond sugar. Serve ellu bella.