VEN PONGAL

INGREDIENTS:


1)  Moong Dhal          1cup

2)  Rae Rice                4cups

3) Ghee                        3/4 cup

4) Cashew nut              30 nos

5) Salt                          To Taste

6) Cumin seed              2 Table spoon

7) Pepper                      2 Tablespoon

8)Ginger( choppedfine)2 Table spoon

9) Green chilli(ct to long pieces) 2

10) Curryleaf               20 nos

11) Asafoedita             3/4 teaspoon



PROCEDURE:


Dry roast Moong Dhal in a pan and mix with Rice.Wash well and add 12 cups of water and desired salt.Pressure cook this for 4 whistles. Remove fromfire. After opening the cooker,mash the cooked rice and Dhal well and keep aside Heat 3/4 cup of ghee. Addcashew,chopped chilli,ginger,pepper,cumin seed ,Asafoedita and curry leves.When the cashew turns brown,add this mixtureto the cooked Pongal and mix well.

Paruppu Thogayal (Rama Soundararajan contribution)

Ingredients:

1. Toor dhal - 3 spoons
2. Channa dhal - 2 spoons
3. Asafoetida - 1/4 spoons
4. Red chillies - 2 pieces
5. Black pepper - 5 pieces 

Procedure:

• Take thovaram paruppu more and kadala paruppu less
• Put asafoetida with 3 spoons oil 
• Put red chilly and few black peppers
• Fry all the dhals till red and water after frying
• Grind all these after the dhals have cooled in the water for 5-10 minutes

Jeera Rasam (Rama Soundararajan contribution)

Ingredients:

1. Tamarind - small amla size
2. Salt to taste
3. Jaggery (optional)
4. Asafoetida
5. Rasam powder - 2 spoons
6. Tomato - 1
7. Curry leaf - 10 leaves
8. Jeera - 1 spoon

For Grinding:

1. Jeera / cumin seeds - 2 spoons
2. Toor dhal - 2 spoons 
3. Curry leaf - 5- 8 leaves

Procedure:

1. Add salt to tamarind water and mix well
2. Add curry leaf and asafoetida to this mixture
3. Cut 1 tomato into small pieces and add to the mixture
4. Add 2 spoons rasam powder to this mixture and boil
5. For grinding take 1.5 spoons Jeera, Toor dhal and curry leaf and grind in the mixer.
6. Pour the ground items with boiling rasam.
7. For the seasoning: Pour ghee and heat it with mustard, urad dhal and curry leaves.

Pavakkai Pitlai (Rama Soundararajan Contribution) or puli kootu

Ingredients:

1. Pavakkai or bitter melon
2. Channa Dhal - 1 handfuls (Kadala paruppu)
3. Toor dhal boiled - 1 small cup
4. Tamarind water
5. Salt to taste 
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Curry leaves 
8. Sugar - optional - 1 teaspoon
9. asaefoetida - 1/4 spoon

For Grinding 

1. Coconut scrapings - 1 handful
2. Dhaniya or coriander seeds - 1 handful
3. Red chilly - 3 pieces or add more for making it a spicy dish
4. Channa dhal - 1 handful
5. Seasonings with: fried mustard seeds, fried urad dhal 1 spoon and curry leaves

For grinding:

• Fry 2 pieces asoefoetida (or 1/4 spoon powder), coriander seeds, red chilly and 1 handful channa dhal till it turns red
• Add grated coconut 1 handful to the fried mixture and grind all these in the mixer. Add tamarind water if available for grinding

Procedure:

• Cut pavakkai or bitter melon into small pieces after taking off the seeds. You can leave the seeds on as it is good for health.
• Boil pavakki in water to make it less bitter and drain the water. (No draining necessary for other vegetables like pooshanikai pumpkin).
• Pour cold water over pavakkai and wash completely.
• Put tamarind water in the pavakkai till the vegetable is completely immersed in the tamarind water.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, 1 handful of channa dhal, curry leaves to the boiling mixture and boil nicely
• If you have boiled toor dhal, add it to the boiling mixture (can avoid if you do not have this)
• Add 1 spoon sugar
• Add the ground items to the boiling mixture 
• Season the dish with fried mustard seeds, 1 spoon urad dhal and curry leaves.

You can also use the same recipe with Chick peas and Pumpkin for puli kootu. You dont have to drain the boiled vegetable water for this vegetable