Pongal

Has anybody tasted pongal prepared in Karnataka restaurants, especially in Sagars, Nalpaks etc?? I just love the way they prepare. It will be semisolid (consistency of bisibele bath) in state & tastes heaven!!

But whenever I tried preparing, it wouldn't become that yummy. So, I got tips from a resturant owner :))) ( My hubby's grandfather was running a hotel business for almost 50 years & he, along with my father-in-law/mother-in-law keep sharing information on how to prepare dishes :)), lucky me, right?? ....).

Although I have made slight modifications to what was told, I give the complete credit of this recipe to them & ......me just posting on their behalf.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (dont take basmati rice, just normal rice)
1 cup moong dal/hesaru bele
6-8 peppercorns
1 teaspoon pepper powder
1 tablespoon fresh coconut (grated or finely chopped)
1 green chilli
1 teaspoon ginger/shunti(grated)
1 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds.
8 cashewnuts
4-6 curry leaves
1 tablespoon coriander leaves
salt according to taste
7 cups water
1 tablespoon ghee
1 tablespoon oil.

Method:

• Soak the rice for 30 mins.
• Dry roast the moong dal for a minute.
• Mix the moong dal, rice together, add 5 cups of water & pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
• Heat a broad kadai, add ghee & oil to it.
• When oil is hot, add jeera. To this add, grated ginger, cashewnuts.
• Add green chilli & curry leaves after cashewnuts become golden brown.
• Add pepper corns & add remaining 2 cups of water to this kadai.
• Add salt, pepper powder. When starts to boil, add the cooked moong dal, rice mixture. Add small amounts at a time, ensure no rice lumps are formed.
• Mix the whole & add coconut & coriander leaves.
• Cook the same in a slow flame for 5 mins.
• Pongal is ready to serve, serve it with raitha, coconut chutney or imli chutney.

(PS: The recipe for stuffed chilli can be found here)

Hope you relish this as much as I do ;)