Sambar Podi/Sambar Powder

Sambar powder:

Ingredients:

Whole red peppers - 1/4 kg

Coriander seeds - 1/4 kg

Toor Dal - 200 g

Gram dal - 200 g

whole black peppers - 25 g

asafoetida - a pinch

Method:

Dry the above ingredients or fry all the ingredients separately without oil and grind into a nice powder.

Vaangi Baath(Brinjal Rice)

Vaangi Baath (Brinjal Rice)

Ingredients:

Brinjal - 300 gms

Onions - 2-3 medium sized

Coriander powder, Chilli powder, Salt to taste

Rice - 1 cup

Water - 2 1/2 cups

Cooking oil - 2 tbsps

Finely chopped coriander leaves

Method:

1.Cut the brinjal & onions to not very fine pieces. If u cut the brinjals

too fine, they will get mashed up and will lose their taste.

2.Saute the onions till they get transparent. Then, add the brinjals also.

3.Add the spice powders and saute the curry for 4-5 minutes.

4.Cook the rice in the quantity of water mentioned above. Do not

overcook.

5.Allow it to cool and then mix it with the curry just prepared above

taking care to see that u do not mash them up.

6.Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

7.Serve hot.

Sakkarai pongal/ sweet pongal

Sweet Pongal

Ingredients (for two people) :-

Moong dhal - 1/2 cup.

Rice - 1/2 cup.

Milk-1cup

Coconut-small amount

cashew-20

jaggery-2cup

raisins (khish-mish - dry grapes)-some

cardamom-a pinch

ghee.-1cup

Preparation:

Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it

will start smelling). Then soak rice and dhal separately for 10 minutes.

Thoroghly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water (lesser is o.k)and

cook it seperately (in two different containers). Meanwhile cut coconut in

very small pieces and fry in ghee. Fry cashew and raisins also separately.

Break the jagerry and put in water (very little) and make a syrup. This is

done because sometimes jagerry has mud and stones. After we make the syrup

strain it through tea strainer. Put the rice and dhal in a big vessel and

add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed. Add

jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed. Add three big table

spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while. Add fried

coconut, cashews and raisins.

Serve hot in two cups with a spoon of ghee.