The month Margazhi is fast approaching.  After singing thirupavai it is usual to to do Venpongal as naivedyam to Aundal. Here I am giving you the method of doing the ven pongal.

Ingredients

Raw rice – 1 cup

Moong Dhal – 1/2 cup

For Seasoning

Black Pepper – 1 tsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

Fresh Curry leaves – 15-20 nos

Ginger – 1/2 inch (cut into small pieces)

Cashew nuts – 10 to 15 nos ( break it into half)

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Procedure

-Soak the rice and dhal for half an hour.

-Pressure cook them by adding 3 1/2 cups of water.  Allow 4 whistles in high flames and simmer  it for 10 minutes.

- In a thick bottomed pan apply 1 tsp of ghee and fry the cashew nuts till they are golden brown.  To uniformly fry the cashew nuts break it into 2 halves and then fry.

-Again add 1 tsp of ghee and fry jeera and pepper one by one and atlast add curry leaves and  ginger and fry them too.

-Take 1/2 a cup of milk (hot) and add hing and allow it to dissolve.

-Soon after the cooker gets released add all the fried ingredients and then the milk with hing and the required amount of salt and mix it such a way that the rice – dhal mix is well smashed.

Tasty ven pongal is ready for serve.  For each and every serve you can add melted ghee to enhance the taste.

Chutney,  sambar,  gotsu, paringikai- mochaikottai pulikuzhambu and thalaga kuzhambu are the best side dishes for this ven pongal.

if you want the flavor of hing to be heavy, then add the hing to the rice -dhal mix and pressure cook it.

This is a very tasty and nutritious kuzhambu.

Ingredients

Tamarind – lemon size

Vegetables – 1 cup ( diced)

The vegetables usually used for this kuzhambu are chow-chow,  ash gourd (pooshanikai), parangikai or chakarai pooshinikai, or brinhal cut into small pieces.

Soaked Chenna dhal or peanuts – 1 cup

Salt – 1 tsp

Turmeric pdr – 1/4 tsp

To fry and grind

Urud dhal – 1 tsp

Chenna dhal – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 1 table spoon

Red chillies – 7-8

Black pepper – 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida(hing or perungayam) – 1/2 tsp

Fry all the above ingredients except coconut and asafoetida  in a pan with 1 tsp of oil, till they are golden brown.

Allow it to cool and make it into  a paste ( neither too coarse nor too smooth) and set aside.

Procedure

-Pressure cook the soaked chenna or peanuts by adding salt.

-Strain the tamarind by adding 2 cup of water.

-Now add the diced vegetable, salt and turmeric powder and cook the vegetables untill they are soft.

-Add the cooked chenna or peanuts , the prepared paste and allow it to froth.

-Season it with mustard and fresh curry leaves. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

It can be served with dosa, idili, pongal as well as hot white rice.

Each and every time we cannot do arraithuvitta sambar because it carries lots of coconut in it.  In order to get the same flavor try with this podi.

Ingredients

Coriander seeds  – 21/2 cups

Red chillies – 4 cups

Chenna Dahal – 1 cup

Black pepper – 1/4 cup

Methi seeds – 1/2 of black pepper

Procedure

Dry fry all the above ingredients except the chillies, till the aroma comes.

Warm the chillies and make it into a fine powder.  Using this podi gives the taste of arraithuvitta sambar taste.

While preparing this sambar if you prefer you can just season 1 tsp of coconut and add to the tamarind water along with the vegetables.

There are many ways in which you can prepare the smabar powder.

Ingredients

Coriander seeds – 2 1/2 cups
Red Chillies – 4 cups
Thoor Dhal – 1/2 cup
Chenna Dhal – 1/2 cup
Methi Seeds – 1 hand full

Procedure

Fry all the ingredients one by one in a dry kadai till the raw flavour vanishes.
Allow it to cool and make into a smooth powder.
Store it a air tight container so the aroma will be retained.

Hotel Sambar

Ingredients

Thoor Dhal – 1 cup
big Onion – 2 Nos
Sambar Vegetables – 1 cup
Tomato – 4 Nos Salt – 1tsp
Tamarind – small size lemon
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 10 to 15 leaves
finely chopped coriander – 2tsp
Asfoetida (perungayam) – 1/2 tsp

To fry and grind

Red Chillies – 6 nos
Coriander seeds (Dhaniya) -1 1/2 Table spoon
Chenna dhal – 1Table spoon
Methi Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Black pepper – 1/2 tsp
Cumin’s seeds (jeera) – 1tsp
Curry leaves – 1 hand full

For seasoning

mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
broken urud dhal – 1 tsp
oil – 2 table spoon

Sambar procedure

-Pressure cook thoor dhal with little turmeric powder
- Cut the sambar vegetables in small pieces. Also chop onion and tomato longitudinally .
- Apply some oil in the kadai and fry the things to be grounded. Let it cool and make it into a fine powder.
-Again apply some oil in the kadai season the mustard seeds , broken urud dhal and onion. When the onion gets fried little add the Sambar vegetables. Saute it and then add the chopped tomato and the required amount of salt. Saute for few about 2 to 3 minutes.
- In the mean time stain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Add it to the seasoned vegetables
- Allow the mixture to boil till the raw smell vanishes and all the vegetables are well cooked
- Now add the well smashed thoor dhal and the prepared powder to the mixture. Mix it well and allow it to boil for another 5 minutes.
- Add few curry leaves and chopped coriander.

A very tasty hotel sambar is ready to be served with hot hot dosas.

Here I am giving you another way of doing chole without using tomatoes.

Ingredients

Cooked chole(chick pieces)  – 1 cup

Onion  – 2 nos

Imli – 1 big gooseberry size

Chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Powder 1

1. Clove – 5-6 nos

2. Cinnamon bark – 1 inch piece

3. Badi elachi – 2nos

Warm the above ingredients and powder it

Powder 2

1 coriander seeds – 1tsp

2 cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

3 pepper -1/4 tsp

Dry roast the above ingredients and make them into a powder

Powder 3

Sonuf – 1 tsp

Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp

Dry roast the above ingredients and make them into a powder

Procedure

- Soak the chick peas overnight or for atleast 6-7 hours and pressure cook by adding salt , tea bag, 2 bay leaves.  If you don’t prefer to use tea bags and bay leaves you can cook the chick peas by adding powdered kalongi.  All this is optional, it is just to give chenna the brown color.

-Mince the onion and soak the imli in a small quantity of water and strain it .

-In a thick bottomed pan add 4 tsp of oil and fry the onion till it is golden brown,  then add powder 1, powder 2,  1/2 tsp chilly powder  and the cooked chick peas and cook for 5 minutes.

-Once again pressure cook this mixture for 5 to 6 whistles in high flames.

-After the cooker gets released  smash the chole little bit , add the tamarind water boil it for 5 minutes.

-Finally add powder 3 and allow it to froth and switch off the stove.  Garnish it with coriander.  Serve it along with raw onion.

This method of doing the chole is the courtesy of my friend Mrs Revathy Vijayaragavan residing at Delhi.  It came out really well.  Try it out and post your comments.

Here I am giving another sundal  made out of green peas ( both dry and fresh)

If you are going to use dry peas then soak the peas for 7 to 8 hours.  If fresh peas is used then it can be directly cooked.

INGREDIENTS

Fresh Green Peas / Dry Green Peas / Pachai Pattani – 1 cup (If dry soaked overnight)

Grated coconut – 1 table spoon

Oil – 1 table spoon

Green chillies – 3-4 nos (To taste)

Grated ginger – 1 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Fresh curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp (perungayam / hing)

PROCEDURE

- Soak the peas for about 7 to 8 hours.

- Pressure cook ( just leave 1 whistle and switch off the stove) adding enough salt and water .  As I already mentioned in kondaikadalai sundal for cooking any pulses and legumes it should be fully immersed in water.  Drain the excess water. Now the cooked peas  is ready.

For Neivedyam purpose

- Add 1 table spoon of oil to the pan.  Allow the mustard seeds to splutter.  Add the green chillies, grated ginger  and curry leaves and 1/2 tsp of  hing.

-Then add the cooked peas and season it for 5 minutes then add the freshly grated coconut.  Season it for 2 more minutes.

Neivedyam sundal is ready.

If the sundal has to be stored for more than 5 hours,  then  after the mustard seeds splutter,  add the coconut along with green chillies and curry leaves.  Season it for 2 to 3 minutes so that water in the coconut dries up , then add the cookded peas.

Thengai Mangai Pattai Sundal

As I mentioned above cook the green peas and strain the excess water

Cooked  green peas – 1 cup

Onion – 1 (finely chopped)

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Finely chopped green chillies – 1 tsp

Finely chopped green mango – 2 table spoon.

Finely chopped corainder – 1table spoon

Grated ginger – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 2 tbsp (optional)

Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp

Red Chilly Powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Fresh curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Cooking Oil – 1 table spoon

Procedure

-Add the cooking oil to the pan and allow the mustard seeds to splutter.

- Add the finely chopped chillies, onion, ginger and the curry leaves and cook till the onion is soft.   Add the turmeric powder, chilly powder and the cooked peas and season it for 2 to 3 minutes.

- At last add the coconut,  season it for a minute.  Switch off the stove and then add the chopped mangoes. Garnish it with finely chopped coriander.

Delicious tengai , mangai pattani sundal is ready. This again is a mini snack

If you want to make it little more spicy then add a pinch of garam masala or a pinch of chat masala.

Ver kadalai sundal is not only nutritious, but it is also very filling and I am sure kids will relish it if done in a different manner.

INGREDIENTS

Ver Kadalai – 1 cup (200 gms)

Grated coconut – 1 table spoon

Oil – 1 table spoon

Green chillies – 3-4 nos (To taste)

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Fresh curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp (perungayam / hing)

PROCEDURE

- Soak the kadalai for about 3 to 4 hours.

- Pressure cook adding enough salt and water .  As I already mentioned in kondaikadalai sundal for cooking any pulses and legumes it should be fully immersed in water.  Drain the excess water. Now the cooked groundnut is ready.

For Neivedyam purpose

- Add 1 table spoon of oil to the pan.  Allow the mustard seeds to splutter.  Add the green chillies and curry leaves and 1/2 tsp of  hing.

-Then add the cooked peanuts and season it for 5 minutes then add the freshly grated coconut.  Season it for 2 more minutes.

Neivedyam sundal is ready.

If the sundal has to be stored for more than 5 hours,  then  after the mustard seeds splutter,  add the coconut along with green chillies and curry leaves.  Season it for 2 to 3 minutes so that water in the coconut dries up , then add the cookded groundnut.

Mini Chat

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely grated carrot

1/4 cup finely chopped tomato

1 table spoon finely chopped coriander

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup cooked peanuts

1/2- 1  tsp chat masala (to taste)

Mix all the above mentioned ingredients,  garnish it with sliced onion, tomato, radish and cilantro leaves (should not be chopped finely) .  I am sure children will defenitely prefer this.  It is very nutritious mini snack without a drop of oil.

If your going to serve the same for navarathri purpose then just remove onion and chat masala.  Instead add 1/2 tsp red chilly powder.  Garnish it with slices of tomato , cucumber and  cilantro before serving.

Navarathri is fast approaching and I am sure every one will will offer different variety of sundal to Goddess Lalithadevi on all 9 days. To start with let me tell you how to make kondaikadalai sundal in different ways.

You can use both variety of Kondai kadalai – both white and black.

- Soak the chenna dhal over night or atleast for 8 hours.

- Pressure cook the soaked CHENNA adding the required amount of salt and water . Let two whistles come and simmer it for 5 minutes.

( Say for 1 cup (200 gms) of dhal , 1/2 heap of salt and the chenna should submerge in water) You can also add 1 pinch of turmeric powder to give an appealing color.

-After the pressure cooker releases, drain the excess water and allow it to cool.

- In a pan add 1 table spoon of oil . Add mustard , let it splutter add 4 split green chillies and a red chilly along with fresh curry leaves, and add 1/4 tsp of hing (perungayam) and then add the cooked chenna.

- Season for 5 minutes till the water in the chenna dries up and add 1 table spoon of freshly grated coconut. Season it for another 2 to 3 minutes.

This is the basic procedure for doing the kondaikadalai sundal.

We can also modify this a little bit. The first three steps remains the same. Those who don’t prefer to use much coconut do it this way.

-After draining water from chenna just add 2 tsp of oil to the pan. Add 2 red chillies, 2 green chillies, one teaspoon of grated ginger & add the chenna and season it for 5 minutes. Then add small pieces of coconut amount to 1 tsp. Season for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it cool down little, then add 1/2 tsp of lime juice and garnish it with coriander.

METHOD II

Here is another simple,fast  way of making mixed vegetable kurma. I think this procedure will serve good for morning hurry- burry.

Ingredients to make paste

Coconut – 1 tbl spoon

Chutney dhal – 2tsp ( instead of this you can use 5- 7 almonds)

Saunf (fennel seeds ) – 2 tsp

Green chillies – 1-2  nos ( according to taste )

Cinnamon bark -1 piece

Cardamom and clove – 2 each

Dry fry the cardamom , clove and Cinnamon bark before grinding it.

Make a fine paste, by little water  using the above mentioned ingredients.