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. :)