Split yellow bean Dessert ( பாசிபருப்பு பாயாஸம் )

Split yellow bean Dessert 

( பாசிபருப்பு பாயாஸம் )

Ingredients:

Split Yellow bean / Moong Dhal ( பாசிப்பருப்பு )  - 1 cup

Milk ( பால் )  -  2 cups

Jaggery ( வெல்லம் ) - 2 cups

Grated Coconut ( துருவிய தேங்காய் )  - 1/2 cup

Cashew nuts ( முந்திரி பருப்பு )  - 6

Cardamom ( ஏலக்காய் )  - 1/4 tsp

Clarified butter / Ghee ( நெய் )  - 2 tbsp

            
Steps:
Heat 1 tbsp of ghee and roast cashew nuts and remove.
In the same pan, roast the grated coconut in medium to low flame. Remove.
Roast the dhal with the remaining ghee until the dhal is fragrant. Toss it continuously to avoid it from burning.
Transfer the dhal to a container. Add 1 cup of water and half a cup of milk. Close it with a lid and pressure cook this for 2 whistles and further for 2 to 3 minutes in low flame.
Boil the remaining milk and keep it aside.

Add one cup of water to pounded jaggery. Heat in a medium flame to melt it completely.
Strain to remove impurities and bring it to boil for 5 min in a medium flame.

When the pressure is released, remove the cooked dhal. Mash it with a flat ladle. Transfer to a heavy bottom, bigger container. Add the jaggery syrup and boil for 2 min. Switch off the flame.
Add the roasted cashew nuts, coconut and cardamom powder. Mix well.
When the payasam is warm, add the remaining milk. Serve.

My Notes:

A nutritious yummy dessert. 

Milk doesn't get well with jaggery. Sugar is its best co-ingredient. 

Milk may curdle if used with hot jaggery syrup as an ingredient.

So in this recipe, when the payasam is not very hot, add milk to bring it to drinking consistency. 

I prepared this payasam as an offering to Goddess, on 22 Jan Friday, when we, a few ladies gathered at my house to recite lalitha sahasranamam and a few other slogams. 

Blessed to be in Divine Grace.

The session and the food was very nice.

Pongal special Vegetable stir fry

 Vegetable stir fry ( Pongal special )

( மிளகு சீரக காய்கறி பிரட்டல் )

Ingredients:

Any of the few vegetables from the list below:

Brinjal  ( கத்தரிக்காய் )  - 200 g

Broad Beans ( அவரைக்காய் )  - 200 g

Raw Banana ( வாழைக்காய்) - 200 g

Sweet Potato ( சக்கரைவள்ளி கிழங்கு )  -  200 g

Cluster Beans ( கொதவரங்காய் )  - 200 g

Elephant Yam ( சேனைக்கிழங்கு )  -  200 g

Pumpkin  ( பரங்கிக்காய் / மஞ்சள் பூசணிக்காய்)  -  200 g

Beans ( மொச்சைப்பயறு )  - 200 g 

Zulu or native potato (  சிறுகிழங்கு ) - 200 g

for seasoning:

Mustard seeds ( கடுகு ) - 1/2 tsp for each of the vegetables.

Asafoetida ( பெருங்காயம் ) - a pinch

Black pepper ( மிளகு ) - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds ( சீரகம் ) - 1 tsp

Raw rice ( பச்சரிசி ) - 1 tsp

Steps:

Dry roast pepper, cumin seeds and raw rice separately.

Coarse grind the above three ingredients.

This is the spice powder used for this recipe.

Wash, cut and boil the vegetables in water adding salt.

The root vegetables like sweet potato and zulu potato  can be pressure cooked, peeled and sliced.

Heat a skillet, add a teaspoon of sesame oil ( gingely oil )

To the hot oil, add mustard and asafoetida. Add the boiled vegetable and mix.
Add half a teaspoon of the ground spice/ seasoning powder. Toss well. Remove from fire.
Repeat with the other choice of vegetables individually.
Serve the vegetables with hot white rice, sambar or kuzhambu and curd.

My Notes:

This recipe is very simple but not a common preparation.
This type of stir fry is very unique to pongal festival menu prepared at my paternal grand-mom' house. 9 varieties were prepared then. It is offered to God, so no onions, garlic and tomatoes are used. Yet it has its unique flavour of freshly ground pepper, cumin and the rice for that crunchy coat to the vegetable.
With the experience , I think this is easy on the tummy after a heavy dose of ghee and jaggery loaded rich sweet pongal ;))
Payasam, vadai and pooran boli are all prepared on the previous day for Bhogi festival. So these stir fry veggies does the balance of healthy cooking.

I prepared with three vegetables I had in stock, just out of old habit.

I don't prepare this for Pongal festival.I have the habit to prepare sambar and aviyal, a practice taken after my Mother in law. Aviyal is a single dish  using most of all these vegetables.

So basically, south Indians prepare the country vegetables (னாட்டு காய்கறிகள் ) during this harvest festival to honour the farmers. :)

Rice Pudding/ Sweet Pongal ( சக்கரை பொங்கல் )

 Rice Pudding/ Sweet Pongal ( சக்கரை பொங்கல் )

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Ingredients:

Raw Rice ( பச்சரிசி )  -  1 cup

Split yellow beans ( பாசிபருப்பு )  - 1/5 cup

Milk  ( பால் )  -  1 1/2 cups

Water (  தண்ணீர் )  -  4 cups

Jaggery  ( வெல்லம் )  -  1 1/2 to 2 cups ( based on yr preferred sweetness level )

Cashew nuts ( முந்திரி பருப்பு ) - 5 whole (  halved )

Raisins ( உலர் திராட்சை )  - 10

Ghee/ Clarified butter ( நெய் ) - 5 tbsp

Powdered Cardomom ( பொடித்த ஏலக்காய்)  - 1 tsp

Edible Camphor ( பச்சை கற்பூரம் ) - a pinch

                                     

Steps and my notes:

This recipe is to cook the sweet pongal in an open pot, the traditional way of cooking on the first day of Tamil Month 'Thai". It is the harvest festival. A thanksgiving to nature, "The Sun God" and the friends of farmers - cow and bull.

First step is to choose the type of the pot and mainly its size  according to the quantity of rice used.

Bronze pot is traditionally used or some people use the Earthen pot (new). In  modern life, stainless steel is used for convenience. Cooking is faster in stainless steel when compared to  bronze  as the later takes longer time to take in heat first. The cooking is longer but of course the sweet tastes better than the stainless steel pot. 

I have used a copper bottom heavy stainless steel pot here. Choose a heavy bottom pot to avoid the rice from being burnt while cooking.

For 1 cup of rice ( and 3 tbsp of dhal), you need 5 to 6 cups of water and milk put together. And this liquid should make up only 2/3 ( or less) of your pot. That is the right size of the pot. The cooked rice will take up more space and you need sufficient space to mix the cooked rice while adding jaggery.

The prayer room and the front yard is cleaned and decorated with maa kollam and the front yard is decorated with colorful rangoli also. Mango leaves are tied at the entrance.

The stove is well cleaned and simple maa kollam ( wet rice flour rangoli ) is done. Vibuthi ( holy ash), santhanam ( sandal paste) and kungumam( red powder) is applied to the pot. Young ginger and turmeric plants are tied around the neck of the pot, turmeric symbolizes auspicious.  And also as a mark of respect as these crops and sugarcane are harvested in this season and so given a due place during celebration. It is a ritual practiced by all on this day.

On the day of Thai Pongal, Men and Women wear traditional outfits. 

In villages, pongal is cooked in the open but in cities it is confined to kitchen cooker hobs. Some city dwellers have the privilege of open space in front of their house to cook in the open or some use their terrace. :) 

Pour the milk to the pot, all members of the family can do so by taking turns and pouring  in small quantities. Start the flame. 

Mix rice and split yellow dhal. Rinse the raw rice once and then use the 4 cups of water for further  rinsing and pour that water into the pot. Don't let the wet rice to dry, leave a quarter cup or so of water for it to be wet. Soaked rice aide in faster cooking.

Boil the milk and water in medium flame. As it boils and rises and overflows, Pongalo Pongal is said thrice. This symbolizes auspicious and prosperity and good luck overflowing in the house

பொங்கலோ பொங்கல்

   

Turn down the flame, remove some water from the pot. The lady of the house leads in adding rice to the pot. It is done in a ritual way. Taking a handful rice in hand, 3 rounds around the pot is done. Praying for well being of all and saying a thank you, rice is then added to the pot. Rest of the members repeats. This is mostly done by ladies and children but in some houses men do join.

 

Keeping in medium flame, stir the cooking rice often.

Half way through, add the water that was removed initially. If you feel that the water is less, add some water or milk to the cooking rice. Mostly the initial water added will be sufficient. The cooked rice should neither be in a porridge consistency nor very thick.

The cooking time will be approximately  30 min. As the rice is cooking, it is mashed well using the ladle.

Pound the jaggery and look for any impurities and remove. Add Jaggery to the cooked rice and stir well. Add 3 tablespoon of clarified butter/ ghee to it.

After 5 minutes. add in powdered cardamom and edible camphor, followed by fried cashew nuts and raisins.

Sweet Pongal is ready for the offering. It is cooked in the open as a mark of respect to Sun. Some people do the prayers to the Sun first and then do at their prayer room/ altar.

Sugarcane together with the regular items of coconut, betel leaves, bananas are kept for prayer.

After prayers, it is relishing time. The jaggery and ghee smell makes one salivating. 

My husband likes to eat this sweet with grated coconut and it tastes nice. 

Jowar / White Millet Kuzhi Paniyaram ( வெள்ளை சோளம் குழி பணியாரம் )

Jowar / White Millet Kuzhi Paniyaram 

( வெள்ளை சோளம் குழி பணியாரம் )

Ingredients:
White Millet ( வெள்ளை சோளம் ) - 2 cup
Urad Dhal ( உளுந்தம்பருப்பு )  - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek ( வெந்தயம் )  - 1 tsp

                        For Sweet Paniyaram ( இனிப்பு பணியாரம் )

Palm Sugar ( கருப்பட்டி )  - 1 cup (pounded)

For spicy / Savoury paniyaram  ( கார பணியாரம் )

 Mustard seeds ( கடுகு ) - 1 tsp

Broken Urad Dhal ( உடைத்த உளுந்தம்பருப்பு) - 1tsp

Channa Dhal ( கடலை பருப்பு )  -  1tbsp

Dry Red Chili ( மிளகாய் வற்றல் )  -  2 ( halved)

Curry Leaves ( கறிவேப்பிலை ) - 1 twig

Small Onions ( சின்ன வெங்காயம்) - 10 nos.

Steps:

1) Preparation:

Add fenugreek to Urad Dhal and soak for an hour. Soak Millet separately. 

Grind Urad dhal first in a wet grinder, followed by the soaked millet. 

 Mix well adding 1 tsp of salt.

Let it ferment for 8 to 9  hrs.

Mix the batter well, separate into 2 portions.

Melt the pounded palm sugar in 1/4 cup of water.

Strain to remove impurities and boil well.

Add the syrup to one portion of the batter , mix well, for sweet paniyaram.

Peel and fine slice the small onions.

Heat a tablespoon of oil, as it smokes add the mustard, urad dhal, chilies and curry leaves.

Toss in the sliced onions. Saute for a minute or two. 

Add this seasoning to the second portion of the batter for savoury dish.Add half a teaspoon of salt as only half of required salt was added in the original batter. ( so that the sweet portion does not become salty )

Cooking:

Paniyaram pan is a special pan with multiple small fissures. Usually cast Iron  or stone griddle ( கல் சட்டி) is used.

Now a days, stainless steel and non-stick pans have replaced them.

Heat the pan, grease with generous amount of oil for the first batch.

When it is hot enough, pour the batter until 3/4 of the groove. 

Add oil around each paniyaram. Cook on low-medium fire for 2 to 3 minutes or until done. The corners will be crisp and light brown in color.

Using a steel skewer  turn the paniyaram, cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to serving plate and add drops of ghee on each of the paniyaram for an enhanced flavor.

Repeat the same with the spicy batter. 

Coconut chutney and tomato chutney goes well with the spicy paniyaram.

My Notes:

Kuzhi paniyaram is made with appam batter, idli batter where par boiled rice and black lentils are the main ingredients used.

Here I have substituted rice with millet. Recently, health conscious makals are turning to millet for their benefits.

All the forgotten lentils, millets are getting prior place in most modern kitchens  is a sign of healthy change. 

While grinding the urad dhal, use less water( and grind to fluffy consistency.) so that while adding palm syrup the batter doesn't become too thin.

A wet grinder is preferred for best batter. But some may not have and have to settle with blender / mixie. 

There is definitely a difference in texture of the paniyaram, softer with the usage of  former machine than the latter. To balance and get softer paniyaram (or even for idli), an additional quarter cup or proportionate portion of urad dhal is used to make the batter.

I have noticed that the paniyaram made with jowar stays soft inside even after leaving at room temperature for sometime.  

Rice flour &Tamarind savory / Puli Upma ( புளி உப்புமா )

Rice flour &Tamarind  savory / Puli Upma

  ( புளி உப்புமா )

Ingredients:

Rice Flour ( பச்சரிசி மாவு ) - 1 cup

Tamarind ( புளி )  -  lemon sized

Small Onion / shallots ( சின்ன வெங்காயம் ) - 15 to 17 Nos.

Green Chilies ( பச்சை மிளகாய் ) - 1 or 2

Dry Red Chilies ( காய்ந்த சிவப்பு மிளகாய் ) - 2

Turmeric Powder ( மஞ்சள் தூள் )  - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves ( கறிவேப்பிலை ) - 1 twig

Ginger ( இஞ்சி )  -  1 inch length

Mustard Seeds ( கடுகு )  -  1 tsp

Split urad Dhall ( உளுந்தம் பருப்பு )  - 1 tsp

Bengal Gram / Channa Dhal ( கடலை பருப்பு )  -  1 tbsp

Grated Fresh Coconut ( துருவிய தேங்காய் )  - 4 or 5 tsp

Sesame Oil / Gingely Oil  ( நல்லெண்ணெய் )  -  5 tbsp

Salt to taste  ( உப்பு )

Steps:
Soak tamarind in water for 15 to 20 min. Extract juice and keep aside.
Peel and slice the onions lengthwise.
Peel and fine chop the ginger.
In a wok, add 4 tbsp of sesame oil. When the oil reaches smoking point, add mustard, channa and urad dhal.
As it splatters, toss in the ginger, chilies and curry leaves.
After a minute add the sliced onions and saute.
Finally add the rice flour and roast in medium flame.
If need be, add another spoon of sesame oil.

In another pot, measure and pour the tamarind extract and add water to make a total of 3 cups.

Add turmeric powder and salt and let it boil.

Pour the boiling liquid to the flour in the wok. Continue stirring to avoid any lumps from forming.

Cook covered on a low flame for the rest of the cooking time.

Turn the cooking upma with a ladle once or twice. Toss in the grated coconut.

When it doesnt stick to the fingers, it is time to switch off the flame.

Give a standing time of 1 or 2 min leaving it covered.

Transfer to serving bowl.

Serve hot.

My Notes:

This recipe is cooked at my paternal Grandmother' house regularly for a evening tiffin.
It's my Father' favourite homemade snack next to boiled peanuts.
And a pleasant surprise, when my elder sis' daughter in law, the new addition in our family, said that its her favourite and asked to cook for her.
I noticed she also has the same taste buds like my father when she mentioned that she likes மோர் மிளகாய் ( green chillies marinated in buttermilk and sun dried. Fully dried, it is fried in oil) to go with.
Sometimes we eat with curd / plain yogurt.Can be eaten without any side dish.
Sesame oil, small onion and tamarind is a yummy combo of ingredients in the dish ;))
Had prepared this at sister' house and was enjoyed by the extended family.

I have made a slight variation in the cooking method.
Ginger is not added in the original recipe, but this flavour was preferred in the family.
In the original method, Tamarind juice is boiled and rice flour is added to it. I have reversed it so as to avoid clumps.
The roasted rice flour is half cooked and transforms to a sandy texture and doesn't cling to form clumps. Easier to cook this way.

Stuffed sweet flat bread / Puran Poli ( போளி )

Stuffed sweet flat bread / Puran Poli 

( இனிப்பு போளி )

Ingredients:

Plain flour / Maida ( மைதா )  -  2 1/2 cups

Cooking oil / Refined oil  ( எண்ணெய் )  - 1 cup

Bengal gram / Channa Dhal ( கடலை பருப்பு )  -  1 cup

Jaggery  ( வெல்லம் )  -  1 1/2 to 2 cups ( based on one' preference)

Powdered Cardamom seeds ( ஏலக்காய் தூள் ) -  2 tsp

Steps:

Take the plain flour in a wide large bowl like a basin. For this quantity of flour, you may need 1 cup of water and 1 cup of oil. Mix both water and oil, add it to the flour slowly and mix well. 

Depending on the flour texture you may need another quarter to half a cup of water. The dough should be very thin in a flowing consistency. It should neither be firm like chapathi dough nor watery like dosai batter. Maida will absorb water on standing, so dont worry if it looks sticky and watery.

Leave it aside for 30 to 45 minutes. 

Soak Channa dhal in water for minimum 45 minutes.

In a heavy bottom pan, boil 2 cups of water, add the soaked Bengal gram. 

Allow it to boil until it is just cooked not very soft. It shouldn't be over cooked.

Drain and let it cool.

In a blender, add a little of both boiled dhal and jaggery and blend to a fine paste.

Complete with the whole in batches.

In a skillet add the paste, a spoon of ghee and cook on a low flame. Cook for a few minutes, add powdered cardamom and switch off the flame. The filling is ready now.

Once the filling has cooled, take lemon sized portions and roll into balls.

Knead the flour dough again, add one or two spoons of oil if needed.

Pinch a small portion, flatten to just hold a ball of the stuffing.

Cover the ball completely with the dough. Pinch away the excess flour.

On a greased plastic sheet, spread the stuffed ball to a flat round shape.

In a greased hot plate, cook the sweetened flat bread on both sides till golden brown.
Remove, while it is hot spread a few drops of ghee over it and serve.

My Notes:

My Maternal Grandmother is an expertise to prepare this delicacy. I have seen her prepare quite often at my Mother' place

 I remember the first time I had prepared on the eve of deepavali at Chennai in 2000. It was well appreciated by my Parents in law and my Dad. A success on the first attempt . I must have learnt well through those observation from Granny' cooking. :) 

Recently I had prepared the above at my elder sis' house. It was my date of birth and a treat that everyone relished. ;)

My younger sister taught the easier way to coat the maida flour with the sweet stuffing inside. This method was easy, with a uniform coating of the flour. The video will show clearly.

This is one of the recipe that has to be prepared with plain flour, which I normally refrain from using. At least now organic unbleached plain flour is available is a relief.

 I do not use baking soda in  cooking. The flour is softened with the generous amount of oil. After leaving the dough at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour, you will find the excess oil separating from the dough. 

Boil the dhal in an open vessel. Do not pressure cook. Even with 1 whistle ( less cooking time), it becomes sticky after mixing with jaggery. If the stuffing is sticky you may face difficulties to flatten the poli. I guess its the steam and the pressure built inside the cooker.

The ghee glazed poli when ripped with just 2 fingers from the edge is a soft thin outer layer outside with a crumbly sweet inside is an excellent combination. Yummy..

Before ending this post, I would like to thank my family and friends for encouraging me to keep posting and keeping this blog alive. It is exactly an year ago that I started this blog spot. Celebrating the first year with this sweet post. :)) 

With 4  trips to India this year and other commitments  I am content that I could post close to 60 recipes though the target was 100.

 Hope to strike a century this year :)

Pandan Coconut milk Rice ( பாண்டான் இலை தேங்காய் பால் சோறு )

Pandan Coconut milk Rice

 ( பாண்டான் இலை தேங்காய் பால் சோறு )

Ingredients:

Raw rice or Basmati rice  - 1 cup

Pandan leaves  -  3 nos

Coconut Milk  -  1 cup

Water  -  1 cup

Garlic and Ginger  - finely chopped 1 spoon each.

Steps:

Soak the rice in water for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat oil or butter in a pressure cooker, saute the garlic and ginger.

Add in water and coconut milk and salt.

Tie the pandan leaf into a knot and drop into the boiling water coconut milk mixture.

Drain water and add in the rice. Cook for 2 whistles and slow cook for a minute.

Fluff the rice and serve the fragrant rice hot.

My Notes:

Pandan leaves is used widely in South East Asian cooking. Long, narrow blade like leaves are aromatic and used as a flavour enhancer in rice dishes, pastries and cakes.

Singaporeans and Malaysians are pandan lovers especially the rice, nasi lemak.

Nasi lemak ( the fragrant rice )is a national food of Malaysia and is eaten with fish sambal, fried peanuts, boiled egg and cucumber.

Pandan leaves are used in many desserts including chiffon cakes and beverages.

The leaves acts as an substitute for fragrant rice like basmati rice. So we can cook pandan leaves with normal white rice to get a fantastic tasty fragrant rice.

The leaves give not only a great aroma to the cooked rice but also believed to be having anti inflammatory and anti microbial properties. 

For the New Year lunch, I had cooked pandan rice and an accomplishment of mixed vegetable kurma. 

Mango salad is also a good choice to go with.

Kodo Millet Pudding ( வரகு அரிசி பொங்கல்)

Kodo Millet Pudding ( வரகு அரிசி பொங்கல்)

Ingredients:

Kodo Millet ( வரகு அரிசி )  -  1 கப்

 Jaggery   ( வெல்லம்)  -  1 கப்

Milk  ( பால் )  - 1 கப்

Clarified Butter / Ghee   ( நெய் )  -  4 tbsp

 Cashew nuts ( முந்திரி பருப்பு )  -  5 to  6 halved

 Cardamom   ( ஏலக்காய் )  -  4 ( remove seeds from pod and powdered)

Edible Camphor  ( பச்சை கற்பூரம் )  -  a pinch

Steps:

In a skillet, add a spoon of  ghee and roast kodo millet until it gives a fragrant smell.

Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles and slow cook for 3 minutes.

When pressure is released, take out the cooked millet, smash it well with a flat ladle.

Add a cup of milk and mix well.

In the skillet, add a cup of jaggery and 2 cups of water. Heat to melt.

Strain to remove the impurities and bring it to boil. Let it boil for 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked millet. 

Add the remaining ghee and cook for a few minutes. Switch off the flame.

Add fried cashew nuts, cardamom and camphor.

Hot kodo pudding is ready to serve.

My Notes:

Lately I have been incorporating millet varieties quite often in daily cooking. When it came to cook an offering for ' The Mother' on new year day, kodo millet was suggested and I took it without a second thought.
Any offering for the Divine is always beautiful and nice. This sweet pongal was no exception,came out very well. We all relished after the Satsangh at our Guru/Mentor' house.

ஓம் ஆனந்தமயி;சைத்தன்ய மயி;சத்தியமயி பரமே!

Varagu arisi as the kodo millet is called in Tamil, is an ancient crop domesticated in India 3000 years back. It is a nutri grain with high protein and fiber content.

Moong dhal can be added to sweet pongal varieties. Most of the time I do add to get an added flavour.

I chose milk in this recipe as milk also gives a rich taste. 

When milk is added to cook the millet, it tastes nice but half of the milk will be spilled and found in the water of the pressure cooker. Even if a larger vessel  and a lid is used, I have faced the problem. So I started adding milk to the hot cooked rice/millet.

Jaggery syrup is boiled well so that later, cooking time can be reduced eventually reducing the amount of ghee needed. If  jaggery or melted jaggery is added, it has to be cooked well and needs generous amount of ghee to keep the mixture from not sticking to the vessel.

Happy New Year 2016 to all ;)