Category: Brisk Breakfast

Brisk Breakfast · Kid Friendly Recipes.

Fun Foods for Kids – Double Flavoured Toasts!!!

Shoba7 Comments

It`s always a challenge making little treats for kids when they come home from school. It is also very important to combine in a meal, health and good taste. At home, any requests for junk food like chips etc are always entertained only combined with health foods like fruit, vegetables or dry fruits like raisins, dates etc. This time ,during Halloween  my daughter wanted a special multi coloured toast, depicting fall colours…so this was a quick idea that flashed my mind. She loves chocolate hazelnut spread and pineapple jam, so hey why not combine both together for a quick breakfast???

INGREDIENTS:

2 Loaves of toasted whole wheat bread.

One scoop of Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Spread.

One scoop of  Pineapple Jam.

PREPARATION:

  • Toast the bread as needed.
  • Smother one side of the prepared toast with pineapple jam in the shape of a triangle.
  • Spread the other side with creamy chocolate hazelnut spread.
  • Serve as is.
  • Kids love the interplay of flavours and colours and you have a quick breakfast finished on time.
  • Many times I place round slices of cucumber to complement the taste and for an even healthier option.

HINT:

Use your creativity and make as many variations as possible. As far as this dish is concerned, sky is the limit. I have listed a few options below:

  • Chocolate Hazelnut Spread & Peanut Butter.
  • Creamy Cream Cheese & Ketchup.
  • Ranch & Chat Sweet Sauce.
  • Strawberry Jelly & Cream cheese.
  • Apple Butter & Ranch.
  • Sweet mango chilli spread & Margarine.

This is one of the first of my entries to Kids Delight event at Srivalli`s blogpage SpiceyourLife.

Brisk Breakfast · No Need of Onions!!! · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Quick Fix Arisi Upma (Upma made from coarse cream of rice cooked with seasoned spices)

Shoba5 Comments
Quick Fix Arisi Upma
Quick Fix Arisi Upma

Every evening from school meant having tiffin prepared by dear Madurai amma. It would not be a lot in quantity, just a little bit to satisfy that crazy hunger pangs when you come home from school after a tiring day and a crowded journey jostled in public transport. It would not even be warm, let alone hot, but lovingly served. When you are a student, somehow you crave for exotic eatables like Gobi Manchurian, fried rice. pulav, channa batura and the like. In contrast, madurai amma would make Upma,  Pidi Kozhakattai,  Poha, Dosa etc. After some  years, in my hostel for my Masters, I would recount those lovely home made preparations waiting for you when you come home after a tiring day. Life after masters was completely different. I started eating all fruits and vegetables and an thing that amma or Madurai amma would prepare and serve on  my plate. I had realised the importance of what I had taken for granted!!!

One such tiffin entree that Madurai amma was an expert at, was  Arisi Upma. Many times, it would be the dinner for every one on Amma Vasya, festivals, Pradosham etc.This evening, I had made Arisi Upma for dinner and was recounting those lovely days of my childhood…..

It is a quick preparation, that does not need any prep work done ahead of time.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of Raw Rice ground coarsely in the mixer.

1/4 cup of Toor Dhal.

1 spoon of Urad Dhal.

1 1/2 spoons pf Black Pepper.

1 spoon of Jeera.

1/4 cup of fresh coconut.

2-2 1/4 cups of water.(Depending on induvidual preference of Upma consistency)

Salt.

Coconut Oil.

Hing.

A handful of broken cashews.

SEASONING:

Mustard, Jeera, Red Chillies, Urad Dhal, Channa Dal, Cashew, Hing and Curry Leaves.

PREPARATION:

  • As already mentioned coarsely grind the rice in the mixer and set aside.
  • In the mixer jar add – toor dhal, pepper. 1 red chilli and give it a quick pulse. Then add the fresh coconut and 5-6 cashew pieces.
  • Pulse it for a few more seconds and set aside. You will have a coarse mix.
  • Set the kadai on the stove and add 2-3 spoons of coconut oil. (You could also use ghee/canola.)
  • Add urad dhal, channa dal, mustard, cashew, jeera, 2-3 red chillies coarsely broken, hing and curry leaves.
  • After a few seconds add the coarse ground rice and then the coarsely ground dal coconut mix.
  • Allow to saute in the oil for a minute or two.
  • Now add the water and mix well. Switch off the heat and transfer to a vessel along with the water.
To be kept in the cooker.
To be kept in the cooker.
  • Pressure cook it just as you would do with rice.
  • Generally I allow 3 whistles after the weight. Give a couple minutes for the steam to work off and then open the cooker.
  • Hot, cooked Arisi Upma is ready to be served.
  • Serve with Coconut Chutney or Tomato Ginger Gravy.
Brisk Breakfast · Kid Friendly Recipes.

“Cool” Eats for Kids – Honeydew Cantaloupe Scoopables.

Shoba3 Comments
Fruit Scoopables.
Fruit Scoopables.

The best thing about summers when I was a little girl was the fact that I had unlimited supply of books to read, time to play, helping amma in the kitchen, shopping walks now and then, cutting veggies, and most importantly, mmy favourite cousins would visit us for 2 whole months!!! Reading in my opinion is the best way to spend lazy summer vacation afternoons….Summers also remind me of juicy Banganapalli Mangoes, fragrant in their aroma from miles away and of course the water fruits like watermelons and the tender cucumbers. The footpaths would be lined with mounds of green watermelons stacked one on top of the other. We would buy a big one, get it home, and make little crescents for all of us to eat. At the end of it, we would be so messy with the watermelon juice and seeds, that amma would send us right in to wash up and have a bath!!!

This summer, my daughter S was also excited to see watermelons and honeydew and cantaloupes. She loves to help me in the kitchen so I got this little Melon Scooper from Walmart which is a really creative way of scooping out little rounds of fruit. We both do that  and pop them in to a large glass bowl, covered with cling film , ready to be served chilled.

We scoop out entire fruits which are firm like  apples and bananas and refrigerate them so you have little cups of mixed fruit ready for your little ones when they come home from school or from a tiring evening at the park.

  • Kids love the variety of the shape and the infusion of colour which makes this a healthy and interesting snack.
  • Add a scoop of ice cream for a lovely after dinner dessert!!
  • Add custard to have a whole new taste. Pop a few in your morning cup of cereal for your fruit serving for the day.
  • Use as a topping over oats.
  • Pack a boxfull for an easy  travel snack.

The simplicity of the shape renders them easy for kids/toddlers  to scoop and eat!!!

Brisk Breakfast · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Masala Dosa (Dosa crepes filled with Masala made with Potatoes and Spices.)

Shoba7 Comments
Masala Dosai
Masala Dosai

Dosa has always been a favourite of mine since I was a child. Dosa is practically a staple preparation for breakfast and dinner and of course an in between snack!!! Its a very versatile preparation and can be relished with so  many sides. I remember when  I was barely eight we bought the first official “Grinder” which was so huge and heavy and would almost grind enough batter to feed an army. It would be an elaborate event to grind the batter and clean the grinder after it. Then were the days of  the tilting wet grinder. Almost immediately there was the lovely chic Ultra Wet Grinder which was a table top version. When we moved to the U.S I missed the easy preparation of Dosa Batter in the grinder with little sweat. Last time I got the 1.25 litre ultra grinder on a 110V version and bought it with me all the way through customs, immigration and a volley of dirty looks by the Customs folks in New York JFK.!!!!

Making Idlis and Dosas in the US is really an art as one would have to find their own way depending on the type of rice, urad dhal, apparatus used for grinding, current weather conditions in where we live etc. We have different methods of fermenting  the batter  in the winter, summer,and  in the in-between sseasons of spring and fall!!!

Last weekend I had called my friend R, who loves any south indian preparation. She was relocating back to India and I thought Masala Dosa would be great as a dinner entree`. This is of course made of two parts….The delicious Masal filling and the Dosa Crepe.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Medium Sized Potatoes.

1 Onion Chopped in to thin long slices.

4 Green chillies sliced in to small pieces.

A handful of green peas.

1 Tbsp grated ginger .

1 spoon of bengal gram.

A pinch of turmeric.

Curry Leaves.

Cilantro to garnish.

Masal Filling.
Masal Filling.

PREPARATION OF MASAL FILLING:

  • Keep the Dosa Batter ready. For instructions on the same refer to my post here.
  • Peel the potatoes and cook them with water and salt in the cooker for just one whistle.
  • Cool, and mash in to pieces and set aside.
  • In a kadai, add 2 spoons of oil and when hot add mustard and allow to splutter.
  • Add bengal gram, curry leaves, green chillies, grated ginger and then the sliced red onions.
  • Add a pinch of turmeric and now allow to saute for some time.
  • Now add the mashed potatoes, peas, salt and mix it in well.
  • After a few minutes, switch off the heat and garnish with chopped cilantro.

PREPARATION OF MASAL DOSA:

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  • Take the Dosa Tava , switch on medium heat and allow it to heat up well. Sprinkle a drop of water and when you hear the sizzle, you know for sure that the tava is heated enough.
  • Add a few drops of Gingely Oil and spread with a paper or tissue to make sure that the tava is well greased.
  • Take a ladle full of Dosa Batter and spread it with a Dosa Ladle on the tava. Lace the ends of the dosa with a few drops of oil.
  • Make sure that the dosa is spread out thin as we would not be turning it over.
  • Dollop a spoon of the prepared Masal and place it in the centre of the Dosa.
  • When the Dosa is cooked well close one end of the dosa over the other and serve on a platter with tomato chutney or pudina chutney.

Sending piping hot dosas to Divya`s Show Me your Breakfast Event at her blogsite.

Brisk Breakfast · Kerala / Palakkad Recipes. · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Easy & Wholesome Coconut Sevai using Instant Rice Noodles.

Shoba8 Comments

Delicious & Wholesome Coconut Sevai
Delicious & Wholesome Coconut Sevai

Coconut is an integral part of my cooking but I have particularly brought down the levels of coconut on account of health concerns. My gradmother on the other had is of the opinion that anything had in small quantities can never be too much. Its only when you consume too much of anything, does it become bad for the health. I remember Madurai amma lavishing fresh coconut in Avail and Sevai and Elissery etc. This instant version of Coconut Sevai is a personal favourite on account of its ease of preparation, nevertheless yielding tasty and wholesome results everytime.This version is slightly different as I have also incorporated Thayir Molagaa as a seasoning ingredient….for additional flavour and taste.

Mor Molaga
Mor Molaga

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pack of Rice Noodles or Instant Sevai cooked as per instructions and sprinkled with a spoon of Coconut Oil.

1 Tsp Ginger Chopped fine.

Curry Leaves.

3-4 Fried Thayir Molagaa or Mor Molagaa.

Mustard.

3/4 cup of Fresh Coconut.

2 Tsp of Broken Urad Dhal soaked in some water for ten minutes.

3 Green Chillies chopped fine.

Hing.

5-7 cashew halves.

Salt to taste.

PREPARATION:

  • Prepare the Rice Sevai/Rice Sticks using the instructions provided in the packaging. While allowing it to boil, add 2 drops of coconut oil in the water for added flavour and aroma. Drain in a collander.
  • In a small cup soak the broken urad dhal in water and set aside  for ten minutes., This adds volume and flavour in terms of seasoning to the dish.
  • Take a non stick kadai and place on the stove. Add 3 spoons of coconut oil (optionally Canola/Refined Oil) and when its beginning to get hot, add the “mor molaga” so it fries in the oil. (This ingredient is completely optional)
  • Now add chopped ginger, cashews, curry leaves, hing , mustard and when it splutters, add the soaked urad dhal after draining off all the water.
  • Saute for a couple of seconds and then add the grated coconut to the kadai.
  • Bring the flame to sim and now saute the coconut along with the spices, for 4-5 minutes.
  • The white fluffy coconut, after sauteing in the oil for a few minutes turns to a dull brown colour and also emits a wonderful aroma. Be very careful to keep the flame only on low as if the heat is more it would burn the delicate grated coconut .
  • At this point, add the rice noodles/sevai/rice sticks and mix well adding sufficient salt for the sevai.
  • Serve HOT with chips.

Passing on this cup to Lets Go Nuts – Coconut event, the brainchild of Aqua, hosted by Padmajha Suresh of Seduce your Tastebuds.

Brisk Breakfast · Easy LunchBox Series. · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Onion Ragi Rava Dosa – Healthy & Tasty Tiffin Options.

Shoba10 Comments
Ragi Rava Dosa
Ragi Rava Dosa

Rava Dosa is always my husband`s most favourite breakfast/tiffin/dinner entree. Any day is Rava Dosa day even if I am not able to make his favourite coconut chutney to go with  it. Add  a dash of finely chopped onions and his day is made. Last night I was pretty much stumped on what to make for dinner and when I was rummaging in the pantry I saw the unopened packet of Ragi Flour that my husband had bought from the Indian Store. I gave him an option of Rava Dosa adding ragi flour for health and he welcomed the idea. I had some shallots that I had peeled earlier so I chopped them in to tiny pieces and set them aside. Ragi Rava Dosa with onions was a great healthy dinner/tiffin option. With Molagapodi or Chettinad Onion Tomato Chutney, it was simply divine.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Roasted Rava.

1/2 cup Ragi Flour.

1/2 cup All Purpose Flour.

1/2 cup Rice Flour.

1/4 cup of Sour Buttermilk if available.

Approximately 4 cups of water.

2 spoons of Jeera.

1 spoon of Whole Black Pepper .

4-5 Green Chillies finely chopped.

Curry leaves.

1 Tsp finely grated ginger(Optional).

Curry Leaves.

Hing.

Salt.

PREPARATION:

  • Mix all the dry ingredients – the flours in a wide mouthed vessel. Add salt and set aside.
  • Add requisite water and the sour buttermilk(if available) and use a whisk to mix it in to a smooth watery batter in pouring consistency.
  • Keep a seasoning kadai on the stove and add 2 spoons of oil. When its hot add jeera, black pepper, ginger, curry leaves and hing.
  • When this is well roasted in the oil add this to the  watery batter and mix well.
  • Put the Dosa tava on the stove and pour requisite oil.
  • Now sprinkle a little bit of the onions and then pour the dosa batter over it.
  • The dosa cannot be spread as in the case of a regular dosa. The ends should be poured first in a circle and the rest of the dosa filled in by pouring.
  • Add oil around the edges and slowly turn over to the other side after a few minutes.
  • When the dosa is flipped allow a couple of seconds to cook on this side.
  • Fold and serve on the plate with Chettinad Tomato Chutney or Coconut Chutney.
Brisk Breakfast · Easy LunchBox Series. · Kid Friendly Recipes. · Snacks & Tiffin Items

5 Minute Tomato Cilantro Cheese Sandwich!!!

Shoba8 Comments
Onion Tomato Cheese Sandwich
Onion Tomato Cheese Sandwich

I distinctly remember the first time ever I made a sandwich using a sandwich maker. My aunt had got us a Rowenta Sandwich Maker from the US some fifteen years ago…when it was still unheard of in India. My mom was not too keen to switch to alternate ways of making bread. In her mind, it was pretty satisfactory to toast the bread on a tawa and have it with butter once in a blue moon. My sister was way too young. The others could simply not muster enough time to sit through the ardous task of getting a pin converter and reading the instructions to even start operating it. I had rememberd seeing litttle gadgets in the Home Life Exhibitions, where they had a little bread shaped steel thing, where you could place the bread with the filling and manually toast it over the flame, holding it with the handles provided. It was a novel way of presenting the mundane bread. So I set aside a sunday morning to experiment…and my cousins were only too happy to sample the results of my venture!!!

The first time, I greased the electric plates, placed the bread slices on both sides and wondered what to fill in? I simply pulled out an onion and a tomato and sliced them in to very thin pieces and gingerly placed them on the bread. Sprinkled salt and pepper and some cilantro and covered the filling with the second slice of bread. We all waited with bated breath and were rewarded with the sweet smell of the onions and tomatoes and cilantro roasting in the little apparatus. Three minutes later, the red indicator light switched off and I used a pair of tongs and retrieved the sandwich pieces which were already sliced in to two by now. Crisp on the sides, yet cooked on the inside, it was a tasty treat that morning. From then on it was my own little piece of work as I would find creative fillngs for sandwiches. Bread now had a new intonation in our home….The sandwich had finally arrived!!!

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices of bread.

1 tomato sliced very thin.

1/2 onion sliced thin.

Salt.

Pepper.

Cilantro chopped fine.

A handful of Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese.

Sandwich Maker.

PREPARATION:

  • Grease the 4 electric plates with cooking spray and allow to preheat for a few minutes.
  • Place the bread slices and arrange the tomato and onion slices alternately.
  • Sprinkle salt and crushed pepper and then generous helping of Mozzarella Cheese.
  • Sprinkle the cilantro and then place the second slice of bread and close.
  • After about 3 minutes, take out golden brown, crusty on the sides, Tomato Cilantro Cheese Sandwich.
  • Serve HOT with yummy tomato ketchup.

HINT:

Serves as an excellent breakfast and quick snack for kids when they come back from school.

Great for packing for short trips and Picnic Lunches, as they are easily eatable with no fuss.

Variations in the filling give an almost completely different taste to the sandwich.

Use peanut butter, apple butter, Alu Masal, Cheese, fruit slices, grilled veggies etc for fillings.

Packing away some, for the Cooking for Kids Event hosted by Divya of Dil Se and brainchild of Sharmi of Neivedyam.


cookingforkidslogo

Brisk Breakfast · Easy LunchBox Series. · No Need of Onions!!! · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Quick & Easy Idli Upma.(Upma snack made from idlis and seasoning with spices.)

Shoba13 Comments

 

 

 

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In my school days when I was a little girl, one of the things I used to hate was Idlis. I guess, I always felt that the Idlis by themselves have no taste whatsoever and derive the overall effect, by what goes on the side. Even today I feel its true. So whenever Amma used to pack idlis for lunch, some how she would find that the would come back completely untouched,with a nice sprinkling of sand on them!!! Whenever she would ask me, It seems I would tell her that when my friends were playing, the sand got in to the box!!! Now when I think about it, I realize how naive I must have sounded. Did I assume her also to be so naive??? This would happen ever often, that finally she stopped giving me Idlis for lunch.

Much later, when I was at the hostel for my post graduation, I realised how heavenly  Idlis can be!!! There used to be this “Mobile” Idli Shop near my college hostel. He would simply take a plastic plate, grab a piece of banana leaf and place three piping hot idlis on them and serve them with a side of sambar and coconut chutney. My joy knew no bounds and I was so tired of the hostels spicy greasy food, I welcomed simple Idlis. I knew that they could never upset my stomach. It was always a safe bet. Many days,we would pack a few extra idlis and bring them to the hostel to make Idli Upma the next day. As I was making them for breakfast this morning, I remembered lessons that life had taught me , with the humble “Idlis” over the years….

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 Leftover Idlis.

1/2 Onion Chopped fine.

Salt

1/2 spoon of Red Chilli Powder.

1 1/2 – 2 spoons of Idli Gunpowder or Idli Molagapodi.

1/4 spoon of Karuvepalai Podi or Curry Leaves Powder.

Seasoning:

A spoon of oil, mustard seeds, broken urad dhal, curry leaves, hing.

PREPARATION:

  • Crumble the Idlis in to little bite sized pieces and set aside spread out on a plate. If you feel that the Idlis are a little dry and rough, sprinkle a teeny bit of water and pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes.
  • When the Idlis are still hot, sprinkle a tad more of salt, red chilli powder and hing.
  • In a kadai, add a spoon of oil and when its hot, add the urad dhal, mustard, hing and curry leaves.
  • When the mustard splutters, immediatelyadd the chopped onions and give it a quick stir and allow to slightly become a pinkish brown.
  • Add the  the crumbled and spiced  pieces of Idlis.
  • Allow to stir well and let the powders mix well.
  • After a few minutes, add the spoon of Idli Molagapodi as well as the Karuvepalai Podi and mix in it.
  • Allow 2 minutes for them to mix well and switch iff heat.
  • Serve Hot garnished with curry leaves and a dollop of ghee for the kids!!!

HINT:

Another version is to saute onions after seasonings, before adding the crumbled Idlis. Personally, I dont prefer it as I add the Molagapodi to it. But that gives a completely different tryst to the taste.

Easy N Tasty Idli Upma being sent to Divya`s Show Me Your Breakfast Event at her blog.

Brisk Breakfast · Easy LunchBox Series. · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Kuzhi Paniyaram ( Delicious Chettinad Speciality made from Dosa Batter)

Shoba11 Comments
Delicious Kuzhi Paniyaram.
Delicious Kuzhi Paniyaram.

The first time ever that I had Kuzhi Paniyaram was in this colleague`s home in Chennai. My friend`s mother had made delicious soft, fluffy paniyarams and served it ith spicy tomato chutney. I am guessing that day I lost track of the number I had at her place. Kuzhi basically means a depression” and since this is made in the tava that has little depressions, the name came to be Kuzhi Paniyaram.

Paniyarams cooking in the Paniyaram Maker.
Paniyarams cooking in the Paniyaram Maker.

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Grand Sweets and Snacks in Adyar  also serve hot Kuzhi Paniyarams made right in front of your eyes and served with Tomato Chutney. Since they are so small and so soft, ita makes an ideal snack item for the evening. It can be fixed in a jiffy and is made from Dosa Batter so even a small portion of leftover batter makes around 20-25 paniyarams. This evening my daughter wanted a filling snack and asked for dosa. The batter was already 3 days old and I was not too keen on making dosas for her. Suddenly I realised that I could make this for her and she would instantly love it as its also bite sized. Great with a hot cuppa coffee!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of dosa batter.

1 Medium Onion or 2 small finely chopped.

3 green chillies finely chopped.

1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped.

A few slivers of coconut if needed.

Oil to cook.

Mustard, Curry Leaves and Hing to season.

PREPARATION:

  • The consistency of the batter should be just like dosa batter or else a tad loose. If it is too thick, you could thin it by adding a few spoons of coconut milk.
  • In a kadai, add a spoon of oil and when hot pop the mustard, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger, coconut slivers and hing and allow to saute for a minute.
  • Then add the chopped onions and saute well.
  • Add this to the dosa batter and mix it well. Add requisite salt and cilantro to garnish.
  • Keep the Kuzhi Paniyaram Non-Stick Plate on the stove and add one drop of oil in each depression.
  • Slowly pour the prepared paniyaram batter but take care that it contains itself inside the depression.
  • When this side is done, turn over the paniyarams to the other side using the help of a spoon or  this.
  • When the other side is also cooked, remove and place on a tissue paper on a plate.
  • Serve Hot with Chettinad Tomato Chutney.

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Brisk Breakfast · Naivedhyams/ Festival Offerings. · No Need of Onions!!!

Venn Pongal.

Shoba16 Comments
Piping hot Venn Pongal.
Piping hot Venn Pongal.

Venn Pongal is a traditional south indian speciality that I have grown up with.  It`s the main Naivedhyam or offering for Pongal – the harvest festival celebrated in the month of January in all parts of Tamil Nadu. Pongal is basically rice and moong dal cooked to perfection and seasoned with ginger, pepper and cummin. It`s also reminscant of the fragrance of rich ghee and roasted cashew nuts.

Every hotel in Tamil Nadu, makes the most awesome Pongal  – Vada –  Chutney. Pongal is served steaming hot in a scoop, with a side of coconut chutney, a cup of Sambar  and 2 fresh crips vadas on the side. My all time favourite Pongal was  at Hotel Arya Bhavan in Madurai, very near the Meenakshi Amman temple and at Hotel Saravana Bhavan at Usman Road, T.Nagar. It`s a breakfast item that I can have for breakfast, lunch and dinner…..!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of Raw Rice.

1/3 cup of Moong Dal

2 Tsp Ginger Grated.

A pinch of Hing.

Pinch of turmeric

Salt to taste.

4 1/2 Cups Water.

Seasoning:

2 Tsp  Jeera.

2 Tsp Whole Black Pepper.

Curry Leaves

3-4 spoons of Ghee.

5-6 pieces of Cashew.

PREPARATION:

  • Take a dry wok and add a few drops of ghee and lightly roast the moong dal. Move to a cooker vessel.
  • Wash the rice and add it to the moong dal.
  • Add a spoon of ghee  to a kadai and and when hot, add the ginger, hing and turmeric.
  • Add it to the rice and moong dal. Pour 4 1/2 cups water, add sufficient salt , cook for 1 whistle and keep on sim for 10 minutes.
  • Switch off the flame and when the pressure is released, mash the cooked rice and dal.
  • In a wide mouthed kadai, add 3 Tsbp ghee.
  • Season with cashew nuts, curry leaves, jeera and black pepper.
  • Allow it to saute for a few seconds and then add the cooked rice and moong dal.
  • At this point, If you feel that the Pongal looks dry, add 1/3 cup of milk and a spoon of ghee and stir it in.
  • This makes the Pongal rich, creamy and very moist.
  • Switch off stove and serve piping hot with Sambar/ Coconut Chutney/ Onion Tomato Chutney or Milagu Kuzhambu.


Serving steaming hot Pongal to “Think Spice – Think Pepper” event hosted by Divya Vikram of Dil Se and started by Sunita.

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