Venpongal with Sambhar & Chutney

 

Venpongal!

 

 

 

 

Venpongal with Sambhar and Coconut chutney is a very popular item among South-Indian breakfast menu. However, most of us feel it tastes better in restaurants than at home.  The tricks are the ingredients and the consistency of Pongal which make the difference.  Let’s try and make the most delicious Venpongal ever!

 



Raw rice and green gram



 

 



Soaked in water..



 

 



Coarsely pounded Black Pepper!



 

 

 
 
   

Ingredients:

 Raw Rice/Long grain rice/Pacharisi – 1 Cup (heaped)

Green gram/Moong dhal/Pasiparuppu – ½ Cup (little less than half)

Salt – 1 tsp. or (as required)

Water – 5&1/2 to 6 cups (according to the rice variety)

Milk – ¼ cup (if necessary)

Coriander leaves – to garnish.

Ghee roasted Cashew nuts – 5 to 6, to garnish.

 

Tempering:

Ghee/Clarified butter – 2 tbsp.

Cooking Oil – 2 tbsp.

Finely grated/pounded Ginger – 1 tsp.

Crushed/pounded Green Chilly – 1 to 2

Coarsely crushed/pounded Cumin Seeds/Seeragam – 1 tsp.

Coarsely crushed/pounded Black Pepper/Milagu – 1 tsp.

Mustard seeds/Kadugu – ½ tsp.

Dry red Chilly – 1 to 2

Curry leaves – 2 or 3 stalks

 

 
 
 
 

Mashed rice - look at the texture, very smooth..

 
 


Tempering - adds rich flavour to Venpongal..



 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Add milk, if not smooth enough & combine well..

 

 

 

Method:

 

Wash and soak rice and green gram/pasiparuppu in water for 10 to 15 minutes. In a
 
Pressure cooker or Rice cooker cook rice with generous amount of water, until soft and
 
mushy. When it is done, take out and mash it well, while it is still hot.  It will become soft and
 
smooth.

In a  large Kadai/Pan, pour oil and ghee, add the tempering ingredients one by one and stir

well.  Gently stir in the rice, add salt and combine well, add milk if the consistency is not

smooth enough. Combine well, cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.  Switch off,

garnish with ghee roasted Cashews and Coriander leaves, serve with Sambhar and/or

Coconut Chutney.

 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

With Coconut Chutney!

 
 
 

With Sambhar!

 

 

 

Simple 2 minutes Coconut Chutney:

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 Ingredients:

Fresh grated Coconut – ½ Cup

Tamarind/Puli – ½ tsp.

Green Chilly – 4

Salt – as required

 

Tempering:

 Kadugu/Mustard seeds – ½ tsp.

Ulundu/Black gram – ½ tsp.

Dry red Chilly – 1

Curry leaves – few

Asafetida – ¼ tsp. (roast well in oil)

Oil – 1 tsp.

 

Method:

 

In a mixer/blender, add fresh grated Coconut, (thaw, if frozen before grinding) green chilly, tamarind and salt.  Pour enough water and grind to a smooth consistency.

Do the tempering and add it to the Chutney. Coconut Chutney is ready in no time.

Tips, tips, tips…

Never should you heat Coconut chutney, even when it is refrigerated, just allow it to cool before you serve.  Try to use it within the day it is made.

 

 

 

 

Thayir Saadham/Curd Rice with Pomegranate/Rice with Natural Yoghurt

Thayir Saadham/Curd Rice with Pomegranate/Rice with Natural Yoghurt

 

 

 

One of the words we're hearing more about yogurt is "probiotics." Probiotics are ‘friendly bacteria’, which can help boost the immune system and promote a healthy digestive tract.

These "good bacteria" are found in many yogurt products. Among all the yoghurt products, Natural Yoghurt is considered the best, without sugar and other additives.

Also, Yogurt is a good source of protein, calcium, riboflavin, phosphorus and magnesium. It’s also low in lactose and allows many lactose-intolerant people to get milk’s nutritional benefits without digestion problems

Regularly eating yogurt with live active cultures contributes to a healthy intestine and can therefore enhance digestive and immune health.

 

 Thayir Saadham/Curd Rice with Pomegranate/Rice with Natural Yoghurt:

 

Thayir Saadham/Curd rice with Pomegranate can be relished as such or can be taken with other Vegetable side dish as well.

It makes a great picnic/travel food and can also form a part of Tiffin/lunch box menu.

 

Ingredients: 

 

Parboiled Rice/Raw-long grain Rice – 1 Cup

Butter – 25gm (about a tsp.) - optional

Salt – as required

Water (to cook) - 5 t0 6 cups

Curd/Natural Yoghurt – ½ Cup

Water – ½ to 1 cup (to mix)

Pomegranate seeds - 2 to 3 tbsp.

Seedless Grapes - 10 to 15. (As required)

  
 

 

 

 

Tempering:

 

Kadugu/Mustard seeds – ½ tsp.

Dried red chilly – 2

Green Chilly – 1(optional – since it’s spicy)

Freshly grated Ginger - 1 tsp.

Asafetida – ½ tsp. (roast well in oil)

Curry leaves – few
 

Mash the rice..

 

Pomegranate Seeds!

 

Method:

 

In a pressure cooker or Rice cooker cook rice, until it becomes soft and mushy. Add butter  while cooking, if using it.  Adding butter is considered help get a smooth texture. When rice is done, take out and mash well using a traditional/contemporary masher.  Allow it to cool. 
 

Then add curd/yoghurt along with salt and mix well.  Pour enough water to get a smooth consistency.  Do the tempering and add it to the rice.

Toss in the Pomegranate seeds and grapes right before you serve.  Combine well, garnish

with Coriander leaves and serve.

 

Best accompaniments for Yoghurt/Curd rice are Mushroom fry, Plantain/Raw Banana fry,
Ladies finger fry,Potato fry, Fresh Mango pickle, Mashed Yam Curry, to name a few.

Potato Fry!

Ladies finger fry/Vendakkai Pirattal!

 

 

Tips,Tips, Tips...

 

We can use naturally set home-made curd/yoghurt.  If using off the shelves yoghurt, I prefer to use either Nestle natural Yoghurt/Pauls Natural Yoghurt.  During our overseas trips, I look for natural Youghurt, I've also used Greek style Yoghurt, which is creamy and less sour, but generally kids love it.

Boli/Pooran Boli

Boli/Pooran Boli

Boli is a sweet made out of refined wheat flour with sweet stuffing.

Here I've used whole wheat flour with little plain flour. (Ratio 3:1).

(At times, I simply use the Chapathi flour which is whole wheat flour and the Bolis turn out excellent.)

Whole wheat flour is rich in fiber and low in cholesterol.  Whole wheat flour makes the Boli very soft and the plain flour makes it more elastic and pliable.

You can save the stuffing or Pooranam in fridge and use it, as and when you need. It will be very handy, when you get unexpected guests.

Ingredients for the Dough:

Whole wheat flour - 1&1/2 Cups

Plain Flour - 1/2 Cup

Warm water - 1  cup (as required)

Olive Oil  -  1 tbsp.

Salt - 1/4tsp.

Sugar - 2 tsp.

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp. (optional)

Ghee - for cooking

Melted Ghee!

Cooked Split Channa Dhal/Kadalai Paruppu!

Ingredients for the Stuffing/Pooranam:

Kadalai Paruppu/Split Channa Dhal/Bengal gram - 1/2 Cup

Crushed Jaggery/ Poditha Vellam - 1/2 Cup

Powdered Elakkai/Elachi - 2
(Just pound the seeds)

Wheat flour & Plain flour!

Method:

Prepare the dough first, so that it can rest for sometime, which will give a soft texture.

Combine wheat flour, plain flour, salt and sugar. Pour the oil and mix well, add warm water little by little and knead for few minutes. Cover with a kitchen towel, set aside.


Wash and soak Kadalai Paruppu- split Channa dhal in one and half cups of water. Cook in pressure cooker for 8 to 10 minutes, careful not to overlook, otherwise it will become watery.  Drain the excess water, cool and grind in a mixer, to make a paste.

In a kadai/pan add 1 tsp. of ghee; add jaggery and the ground paste.  Cook in low heat for few minutes, until it become non-sticky.

Make small balls out of the dough, flatten and stuff them with pooran.  Roll out and cook both sides in a pan, with a dash of ghee on each side.

Stack them in a container lined with kitchen towel.

Soft Boli is ready to serve.

whole Wheat Flour!

Boli/Pooran Boli