Pongal

Ingredients:

Raw rice                    : 1 cup
Moong dal                 : 1/2 cup
Water                         : 4 cups
Green chilli               : 1 no chopped finely

Ginger                       : 1 inch pc finely chopped
Whole black pepper  : 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds              : 1/4 tsp
Cashew nuts              : 5 or 6 break into pcs
Oil                             : 1 tbsp
Ghee                          : 3 tbsp
Curry leaves              : 1 sprig
Salt to taste


Method:

Dry roast moong dal slightly, dont fry till it changes the colour.
Pressure cook rice and dal together with salt and water. Add 1 tbsp of oil to this.  Remove from fire  when it is done and mash it well and keep aside.
Slightly crush the pepper and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a kadai and fry the cashews and remove it from fire.  Add the crushed pepper and cumin seeds to the remaining hot oil and fry it for a few seconds and add chopped ginger and chopped green chillies and fry it for a few more seconds. Add curry leaves.    Add this to the mashed rice and dal mixture and mix well.Garnish with cashew nuts and serve hot with chutney or sambhar!

Rava semiya kitchedi

Ingredients:

Rava                          : 1/2 cup
Semiya(vermicelli)   : 1/4 cup
Onion                        : 1
Green chillies            : 2
Ginger                       : 1/2 " pc
Tomato                      : 1
Mustard seeds           : 1 tsp
Urad dal                    : 1/2 tsp

Red chilli                  : 1 break into 2
Turmeric pdr            : a pinch
Salt to taste
Curry leaves             : 1 sprig
Oil as reqd
Coriander leaves   for garnishing


Method:

Roast rava and Semiya seperately and keep aside.
Chop onion, green chillies, ginger and tomato and keep aside.
Heat oil(approx 2 tbsp) in a kadai, add mustard seeds. When it pops add red chilly,and urad dal. Now add curry leaves, chopped onion, green chilli and ginger. Saute it for 1 min and add chopped tomato. Saute again and add 2 cups of water. When it boils add the roasted semiya. Let it boil for 2 mins, when it is almost soft add the roasted rava slowly and mix well. Remove from heat. Add chopped coriander. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Variation:You can add chopped vegetables like carrot, peas, beans etc to this.  Saute onion, chilli, ginger and add the vegetables and saute again for 2 mins. Then little more water than mentioned in order to cook the vegetables and follow the same method.