Sweet Pongal

Dussehra is represented as festival of Shakti. It's just not becoz she destroyed mahishasura, but it's also celebrated for our well being, good health & prosperity.

It's believed that sharad rutu cools down the earth and as it gets colder, different viral diseases could spread around & trouble people. So for a protection from all those bad forces we celebrate navratri for 9 days. Every Day Amman will go on a procession or uregimpu on streets of the city ensuring people that she is there to protect us. 

In my house for navratri we recite "Lalitha sahasranamam" for all 9 days and will offer prasad to Amman. According to Lalitha sahasranamam it's said that we should offer "Rice cooked with Jaggery "or " Gudanna " to Amman. 

We even offer different prasads like vada pappu, Pulagam, Boorelu, Pulihora or some sweets which consist of moong dal, besan & jaggery.

Ingredients
1 Cup Rice
1/2 Cup channa dal or senga pappu 
1&1/2 Cup jaggery
4 Tbs water
1 Tsp cardamon powder
2 Tbs ghee
1 Tbs cashew
21/2 Cups of milk

Pressure cook rice and channa dal with milk for 2 whistles. Switch of heat and allow the cooker to cool down. 
Heat a wide bottom pan add jaggery & water to it.Allow jaggery to melt in water and switch of heat. 
Now add the cooked rice & dal to jaggery and switch on heat. Keep stirring them so that they don't stick to the bottom. Once they all mix together well add cardamon powder & switch of heat. 
Heat a small pan with ghee & once it melts add cashew and fry them till they turn light brown. 
Add cashew to pan and the sweet pongal is ready.

Note:
1. You can replace jaggery with sugar.
2. Add more milk for a smooth pongal.

Aviyal/Avial

At last my roaming marathon is over and now I will sit back and relax for next 1 month at least. My cousin visited us from India and we were very busy covering all the places near us.It's fun to roam around but kind of stressful too. 

So coming to my post this is my first post for "Blog Hop Wednesday ". I was paired with Kaveri of Palakkad Chamayal. As I opened the blog I saw " Aviyal " recipe which is a long due. Check out the original post from here.

Ingredients

1 cup Yogurt

1/2 cup grated carrot 

1 Drumstick cut in equal size

4 Bhindi's cut in equal size

6 Beans cut in equal size

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Pieces

Grind

1 cup grated coconut

11/2 Tbs Jeera

3 Green chilli's

Salt

Seasoning

1 Tbs coconut oil / butter

1/2 Tsp mustard 

1/2 Tsp Urad dal

1/2 Tsp Channa dal

1 Red Chilli

Curry leaves 

Hing 

Boil all veggies with little salt. Just take care that they don't be sticky.Allow them to cool for some time. Meanwhile grind coconut, Jeera & chilli's to smooth paste. 

Mix veggies with yogurt & coconut mixture. Add salt. (Please check as we added a little to the boiled veggies)

In a pan heat oil/butter then add the dals once they are done or turned light brown. Then add mustard & Red chilli's to oil . Once mustard starts jumping add curry leaves & hing.Switch off heat and add season to aviyal.

Serve with rice, roti & poori too.

 

Note : 

1. You can ignore jeera while grinding. (My MIL adds jeera & I like the taste)

2. Add as many veggies you want. I added what ever is available in my fridge.

Outcome

There are no comments for aviyal it's always a star. We love it :)