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January 31, 2018

Double Beans Poriyal – South Indian Style Double Beans Curry For Rice

double beans poriyal

I prepared this double beans curry recipe for the first time following my MIL’s South Indian style raw banana curry recipe adding fresh masala and coconut. Double beans is also known as lima beans. We call it as double beans poriyal in Tamil. It is high in nutrition, packed with soluble fiber that helps to reduce cholesterol and manage diabetes. I have seen my friends making sambar and kurma using fresh beans. But to begin with, I tried this yummy double beans poriyal recipe using dried double beans as I don’t get fresh ones in my place. It came out very well and tasty. Its a good side dish for sambar rice, rasam rice & curd rice. Except the soaking time, its very easy to make & can be done quickly. Do try this healthy poriyal recipe for rice and enjoy. Lets see how to make double beans/ lima beans poriyal recipe with step by step pictures.


Double beans poriyal


Double beans poriyal recipe


Double beans poriyal recipe

How to make double beans poriyal for rice


Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Poriyal recipes
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time:6Hours
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time:6H20 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml
  • Double beans / Lima beans - 1 cup
  • Salt & water - as needed
To Grind masala
  • Grated coconut - 1/3 cup
  • Coriander seeds - 1.5 tbsp
  • Red chillies – 4 nos
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Sambar Powder - 1 tsp
  • Big onion - 1 no
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Garlic cloves - 3 nos
To Temper
  • Cooking oil – 2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds –1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves - Few

METHOD

  1. Wash and soak double beans in enough water for minimum 6 hours or overnight.
  2. Pressure cook soaked beans adding water and salt. Cook in low flame for one whistle.
  3. Grind all the ingredients for masala to a smooth paste without adding water.
  4. Heat oil and temper mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves. Add cooked double beans without water.
  5. Add the ground masala paste and mix well to coat the masala. Add 1/4 cup of water and boil in low flame for few minutes till poriyal becomes semi dry. Remove in a plate. Serve with rice.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash and soak double beans in enough water for one whistle in very low flame. Remove the lid after steam is released. Drain the excess water and set the beans aside. ( I cooked the beans by keeping in a box inside the pressure cooker. I kept the dal in cooker base.)
    double beans Poriyal
  • Grind all the ingredients given under “ To grind masala” to a paste without adding water. Water content in onion and coconut is enough to make it a paste. Set aside.
    double beans curry
  • Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves. Add the cooked double beans, ground masala paste and mix well to coat the beans.

  • Sprinkle 1/4 cup of water and mix well in low flame till the poriyal looks semi dry. Transfer the poriyal to a kadai. Serve with rice, sambar rice or curd rice.
    double beans curry

  • Enjoy !

Note

  • Add more red chillies if you want spicy poriyal.
  • You can add some lemon juice at the end if you like.
  • If you are using fresh double beans, you don’t have to soak it. Just pressure cook them directly adding water.
Try this easy, healthy double beans poriyal at home. I enjoyed it with Paruppu rasam rice.

Double beans curry recipe

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January 29, 2018

Mixed Vegetable Paratha Using Preethi Zodiac Mixer Grinder

Vegetable paratha recipe


Recently I got Preethi zodiac mixer grinder for product review.  As Preethi Kitchen appliances is one of my favorite brands, I agreed to do it. They make the best mixer grinder in India.

In this post, I have shared my opinion after using it for 10 days. I have also shared the recipe of an easy vegetable paratha made using Preethi Zodiac chopper and atta kneader.

Preethi Zodiac offers a wide range of user friendly options like grinding, atta kneading, juicing, grating, slicing, chopping and citrus juice press. Its more than a mixer grinder for sure but less than a proper food processor. It has a powerful 750w motor which is ideal for grinding dosa batter as well. I have tried all these options and shared my opinion about the same. Read on..



Preethi Zodiac MG 218 750-Watt Mixer Grinder 

SPECIFICATIONS (As mentioned in the product)
  • Model No.: Zodiac - MG 218
  • Voltage: 230V AC ~ 50 Hz
  • Power Consumption: 750 Watt
  • Motor: Universal 750 Watt High Power Motor
  • Material of Body: A.B.S
  • Material of Jars: Stainless Steel and Transparent Plastic
  • Blade Assemblies: Stainless Steel, Machine Ground and Polished
  • Speed Controls: Rotary Switch with 3 Speeds and incher
  • Flex Cord: PVC insulated 3 Core, Flexi cord with Plugtop and earthing
  • Country of Origin: INDIA

Preethi Zodiac looks awesome and attracts us by its first look especially the shiny black colored body and the steel rim combination makes it a real winner. Its Package is so neat. Every part was well wrapped and kept inside a cardboard so that it would be safe while shipping.
Its instruction manual is very small but its crisp with all the details. So I din't have any difficulties in assembling the jars and bottom. Before using the jars, I washed them individually using soapy water to remove the plastic smell.

PROS & CONS

PROS
  • Zodiac has a wide bottom with rubber holders. So it is stable while running and vibrates less.
  • It has a powerful 750w motor. So grinding job gets done quickly.
  • It has two blue light indicators.One at the speed knob and other at the bottom of the machine. The bottom light turns red to indicate overload conditions.
  • Master chef jar and its accessories are too good. But the slicing blade is sharp. Please be careful while handling them.
  • I loved the Atta kneader more than other attachments.
  • Juicer, extractor is also equally good. Spout in the juicer is a good idea.
  • Grater and slicer is doing its job perfectly.
  • Small Chutney Jar is quite helpful to grind very small quantity. Its handle is very strong and sturdy. Its lids are also interchangeable.
  • Medium and Big jars are useful for grinding Vada batter and Idli,dosa batter. Everything comes out great. 
CONS
  • Too noisy. This is the first thing that irritated & scared me. Even though its noise level is mentioned as permissible in the specifications in AMAZON, I felt its high when compared with the other Preethi mixers I had used.
  • Other than grinding jars, all the accessories and atta kneading jars are plastic. So I am not sure about its life. It may break if heavily loaded or fallen down. But Preethi service center is available all over India.So getting the spare parts may not be difficult.
  • There is no coconut grater. Zodiac would become a complete food processor if its available. But you can extract coconut milk using the extractor. 
  • Citrus juicer is Okay I feel. 
  • Slicer has one size. It is not adjustable. So you cannot make very thin slices of vegetables for making chips. Similarly grater has one size.
  • Though the cleaning is easier, there are too many small parts. This mixer parts are not dish washer friendly.
Overall, I liked this product and felt worthy for its features. It would have been much better and secured 5 star rating if the noise is less. If you're looking for a good mixer grinder with multi-functions, you can go for it.

You can buy this product online in PREETHI Website Or in AMAZON, FLIPKART  at a lesser price.

Now lets see how to make an easy mixed vegetable paratha using Preethi zodiac chopper and atta kneader. It does the job quickly and easily.

Preethi Zodiac review
Preethi Zodiac mixer grinder 


Easy mixed vegetable paratha recipe


Easy mixed vegetable paratha recipe

How to make vegetable paratha recipe easily using Preethi Zodiac.


Cuisine: Indian
Category: Paratha Recipes
Serves: Serves 2
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 5 Minutes
Total time: 10 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml
  • Wheat flour / Atta - 2 cups
  • **Mixed vegetables - 1 cup ( chopped finely)
  • Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilli powder - 1.5 tsp
  • Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
  • Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
  • Salt - as needed
  • Water - Little ( I used around 1/2 cup)
  • Cooking oil or ghee - to drizzle
  • **Mixed vegetables : I used 1 small carrot, 1 big piece of cauliflower, 2 leaves of cabbage, 1/4 capsicum, 1 big onion, 1 green chilli, 2 tbsp coriander leaves)

HOW TO MAKE MIXED VEG PARATHA USING PREETHI ZODIAC

  1. Wash and chop all the vegetables into 2 inch size to chop in Preethi zodiac.
  2. Take the master chef jar and put the chopping blade.
  3. Chop the vegetables finely. Remove the chopping blade and replace with atta kneader.
  4. Add wheat flour, spice powders, salt and oil. Grind to mix well.
  5. Add water little by little while the mixer runs. Dough will be kneaded in few minutes.
  6. Remove and make shapes. Cook paratha on both the sides drizzling oil or ghee.
  7. Serve with onion raita and pickle.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES



  • Wash and chop all the vegetables into 2 inch size. Place the master chef jar and put the chopping blade with the coupler. Drop all the vegetables and coriander leaves. Grind to very fine pieces. Wipe the sides whenever needed.
    vegetable paratha recipe 
    vegetable paratha recipevegetable paratha recipe

    • Now remove the chopping blade and replace with atta kneader. Add in wheat flour, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt, ajwain and cooking oil.

    vegetable paratha recipe



  • Grind well to mix them evenly. Wipe the sides of jar using the spatula. Now add water gradually to make a non-sticky dough. Remember this dough needs less water. So add it carefully.

  • Pulse the mixer in speed one and grind till it becomes a smooth dough. It takes just few minutes. Check the dough if its non-sticky and smooth. If its too sticky, add some more wheat flour and knead again in the mixer.

  • Dough will come out easily without sticking to the walls of the jar. Remove the dough and make balls of uniform size.
    vegetable paratha recipe
  • Roll into thin or thick paratha by dusting in wheat flour. Roll it as you wish. I make slightly thick paratha. Heat dosa tawa and cook paratha on both the sides by drizzling and greasing oil on the paratha. Cook till you find brown spots all over the paratha. Cook in medium flame for better results. Remove and serve hot immediately with onion raita and pickle.
    vegetable paratha recipe
    vegetable paratha recipe
  • Enjoy !

  • Note

    • Adjust the quantity of spice powders as you like.
    • If you have added more water while kneading, you can add more wheat flour and knead to make smooth, non-sticky dough.
    • You can add up to 3 cups of atta for kneading the dough.
    • For variations, you can make masala using chopping vegetables and spice powders and then stuff it in the dough while rolling.

    Do try this easy, yummy vegetable paratha using Preethi Zodiac.It makes your job done quickly and easily without any hassles !

    vegetable paratha recipe

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    January 24, 2018

    Jeera Rice Veg Biryani - Seeraga Samba Rice Veg Biriyani Recipe - Jeerakasala Biryani

    Jeera rice veg biryani

    Jeera rice vegetable biryani (Seeraga samba arisi biriyani in Tamil , Jeerakasala biryani in Malayalam) is an awesome, flavorful biryani that everyone must try at least once in your kitchen. Most of the South Indian special, traditional biriyani recipes uses jeera rice.This tiny-grained seeraga samba rice gets its name from its resemblance to cumin, which is known as seeragam in Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Kaima rice. Most of us use Basmati rice for making veg biryani. I was also using the same till I tried Ambur veg biryani using jeera rice. I just love its flavor and texture more than basmati rice. From then, I started to use this rice very often for preparing veg biryani at home.  So far I have prepared Dindigul thalappakkati biryani, Bangalore special Donne biryani (Veg version using mushroom and soya chunks), Coimbatore Angannan biryani using seeraga samba rice. 

    This is yet another version of Tamil nadu style jeera rice veg biryani using a pressure cooker. Its so easy to make. It tastes and smells awesome. I have used carrot, potato and soya chunks. You can use beans, green peas, cauliflower to make it colorful and healthy. Do try this easy, yummy vegetable biryani using jeera rice in a pressure  cooker. I am sure you will love its taste. Ok, lets see how to make this seeraga samba biriyani with step by step pictures and video.

    Do check out my 40+ Vegetable biryani recipes collection.


    seeraga samba rice veg biryani


    Jeera Rice Veg Biryani Recipe


    Jeera Rice Veg Biryani Recipe How to make Vegetable biryani using jeera rice in a pressure cooker
    Cuisine: South Indian
    Category: Biryani Recipes
    Serves: 3
    Prep time: 10 Minutes
    Cook time: 20 Minutes
    Total time: 30 Minutes


    INGREDIENTS

    1 cup - 250ml
    • Jeera rice / seeraga samba arisi - 1 cup
    • Water - 1.5 cups
    • Mixed vegetables – 1 cup ( 1 carrot, 1 potato, handful of soya chunks)
    • Cooking oil + ghee - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
    • Bay leaf - 1 no
    • Black stone flower / Kalpasi - 1 no
    • Big onion - 1 no
    • Ripe tomato - 1 no
    • Mint leaves - 1/2 tbsp (optional)
    To Grind
    • Cinnamon - 1 inch
    • Cloves - 2 nos
    • Cardamom - 1 no
    • Green chilli - 3 nos
    • Big onion - 1 no ( medium size)
    • Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
    • Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
    • Mint leaves - 1 tbsp
    • Coriander leaves - 1/2 tbsp
    • Water - as needed ( to grind paste)

    HOW TO MAKE JEERA RICE VEGETABLE BIRYANI - METHOD

    1. Wash and chop carrot and potato into thin, long strips.
    2. Grind ingredients for masala. Keep aside.
    3. Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker. Saute bay leaf and black stone flower.
    4. Add onion. Saute well. Add tomato, saute till mushy. Add masala paste, salt.
    5. Saute till raw smell goes off. Now add vegetables, soaked soya chunks, washed rice and mix well.
    6. Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle. Remove and fluff the rice. Serve with raita !

    METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

    • Wash the jeera rice / seeraga samba rice and keep aside. No need to soak the rice in water. Wash and chop all the vegetables and keep aside.
      Jeera rice veg biryani
    • Grind all the ingredients given under “to grind” to a smooth paste.Set aside.
      Jeera rice veg biryani
    • Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker base. Saute bay leaf, kalpasi. Saute onion till transparent.
    Jeera rice biryani


    • Add tomato, required salt and saute till mushy. Add the ground masala paste, turmeric powder. Saute till its raw smell goes off. Lastly add the chopped vegetables and saute for a minute to coat the masala.
      Jeera rice veg biryani
    • Add water. When the water roll boils, add washed rice. Add some mint leaves if you like. Mix well. Pressure cook in very low flame for one whistle. Remove the lid after steam is released. Mix gently and serve hot with onion raita or brinjal gravy for biryani if you like.
      Jeera rice veg biryani
    • Enjoy !

    Note

    • Adjust the number of chillies as per your taste.
    • You can add 1 tbsp of grated coconut while grinding.
    • You can also use coconut milk & water in equal quantity.
    Enjoy this yummy, flavorful Jeera rice veg biryani at home !Jeera rice biryani

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    January 18, 2018

    Mochakottai Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu Recipe – Mochai Kulambu For Rice

    Mochakottai kathirikai kuzhambu

    Mochakottai kathirikai kuzhambu  ( Field beans, brinjal gravy for rice) is one of the most popular kuzhambu varieties in Tamil nadu. Now mochai is in peak season. So I bought one kg of it during Pongal festival and started trying varieties of Tamil nadu and Karnataka style recipes. Usually my MIL makes pacha mochai kulambu without coconut (Fresh beans). 

    But today I tried this mochai kara kulambu with coconut for the first time today after referring so many recipes. I made it directly in a pressure cooker to easy my job. It came out very well with a nice flavor of mochakottai and brinjal. I loved it very much. I am sure it will taste even better tomorrow. So I have reserved some gravy in the refrigerator. 

    Friends, do try this Tamil nadu special mochai kottai kathirikai kuzhambu and share your feedback with me. You can also add kidney beans, brown chana and make this gravy. Ok, lets see how to make mochai kuzhambu with step by step pictures.


    Mochakottai Kathirikai Kuzhambu Recipe


    Mochakottai Kathirikai Kuzhambu Recipe Mochakottai Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu for rice
    Cuisine: South Indian
    Category: Kuzhambu Recipes
    Serves: 3
    Prep time: 5 Minutes
    Cook time: 20 Minutes
    Total time: 25 Minutes


    INGREDIENTS

    1 cup - 250ml
    • Mochakottai / Field beans - 1/2 cup
    • Tamarind – Big gooseberry size
    • Brinjal -1 no (I used 2 small brinjals)
    • Tomato - 1 no
    • Big onion - 1 no OR small onion - 10 nos
    • Garlic cloves - 10 nos
    • Grated Jaggery – 1/2 tsp
    • Salt & water - as needed
    To grind
    • Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
    • Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
    • Garlic cloves - 2 nos
    • Big onion - 1/4 no. Or small onion - 2 nos
    • Red chilli Powder – 1.5 to 2 tsp ( adjust)
    • Coriander seeds powder / Dhania powder – 1.5 tsp
    • Water - to grind
    To Temper
    • Cooking oil or Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
    • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
    • Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
    • Methi seeds - 1/8 tsp
    • Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
    • Chana dal - 1/2 tsp
    • Curry leaves - Few

    HOW TO MAKE MOCHAKOTTAI KUZHAMBU

    1. Wash and chop brinjal, tomato, onion. Peel garlic. Wash mocha kottai. Keep in water.
    2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker & temper it. Saute onion, garlic, curry leaves. After it turns golden, add tomato and saute till mushy.
    3. Add the ground paste, saute till raw smell goes off.
    4. Add tamarind extract,  chopped brinjal, jaggery, salt and pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.
    5. If the gravy is thin, boil till thick. Serve hot with rice.

    METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

    • Wash and chop brinjal into lengthy, thick pieces. Keep immersed in water to avoid color change. Wash and clean fresh mochai kottai. Keep in water along with brinjal. (If you are using dried mochakottai/ field beans, you must soak it over night or for 8 hours).Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water and take the extract.
      Mochakottai-kathirikai-kulambu-1
    • Grind all the ingredients given under “To grind” to a smooth paste. Set aside.
      Mochakottai-kathirikai-kulambu-2
    • Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Temper mustard seeds, methi seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds,chana dal and curry leaves. Saute onion, garlic cloves till it turns golden.
    • Add tomato and saute till mushy. Add the ground paste and saute till its raw smell goes off.
      Mochakottai-kathirikai-kulambu-3
    • Now add the tamarind extract, jaggery, chopped brinjal, salt and mix well. Pressure cook in very low flame for one whistle. Open the lid after the steam is released.
      Mochakottai-kathirikai-kulambu-4
    • If the gravy is too thin, boil for few minutes till it becomes thick. If the gravy is too thick, add some water, give a roll boil and remove it. Serve hot with rice.
      Mochakottai-kathirikai-kulambu-5
    • Enjoy !

    Note

    • Adjust the quantity of spice powders as per your taste.
    • Addition of fennel seeds gives a mild masala flavor to this gravy.
    • Mochai and kathirikai adds a nice smell to this gravy.
    • You can also make this gravy with small onions alone. You can also use cooked brown chana, red beans or cow peas/ Thattai payaru.

    Try this easy, yummy mocha kottai kathirikai kara kuzhambu recipe for rice and enjoy !

    Mochakottai-kathirikai-kulambu
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    January 15, 2018

    Pongal Kuzhambu – Pongal Festival Sambar With Mixed Vegetables

    Pongal kuzhambu
    People in Tamil nadu prepare Pongal kuzhambu on Pongal festival day adding 5 or 7 vegetables. We call it as 7 kai kuzhambu or kootu in Tamil. There are many versions for Pongal kuzhambu. It differs based on their custom. In Chettinad region, people make it without adding any dal or coconut. But this version is a no onion, no garlic Arachu vitta sambar kind of Pongal kuzhambu I learnt from my friend Shalini. But the quantity of dal and coconut used is very less for this kuzhambu. It is prepared with freshly roasted & ground spices. So its too flavorful just like Brahmin’s style arachuvitta sambar.

     Shalini told me to use 5 vegetables. So I blindly followed her recipe and came up with this version. If you are making on a normal day, you can skip all these vegetables and use yellow pumpkin alone. This pongal festival sambar tastes good with white pongal / Paal pongal, rice, ven pongal and idli,dosa.

     Friends If you are planning to make Pongal kuzhambu with mixed vegetables in sambar taste, you can follow this recipe. You will like it for sure. Next year before Pongal festival, I will try to share Chettinad Pongal Kuzhambu Recipe. Now lets see how to make no onion, no garlic pongal festival kuzhambu with step by step pictures.

    Check out my Brahmin style Thalagam kuzhambu recipe too !

    Pongal festival kuzhambu

    Pongal Kuzhambu - Mixed vegetable sambar for Pongal Festival


    Pongal Kuzhambu - Mixed vegetable sambar for Pongal Festival

    No onion, no garlic mixed vegetable kuzhambu for Pongal festival day !


    Cuisine: South Indian
    Category: Side dish
    Serves: 3
    Prep time: 10 Minutes
    Cook time: 20 Minutes
    Total time: 30 Minutes


    INGREDIENTS

    1 cup - 250ml
    • Mixed vegetables - 1.5 cups ( 5 cluster beans, 1/2 raw banana, 1/2 sweet potato, 4 pumpkin pieces, 1/2 cup of mochai)
    • Toor dal - 2 tbsp
    • Tamarind - Medium gooseberry size
    • Green chilli - 2 nos
    • Asafetida / Hing - A pinch
    • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
    • Salt & water - as needed
    To roast & grind
    • Cooking oil - 1 tsp
    • Coriander seeds - 1.5 tsp
    • Chana dal - 1 tsp
    • Urad dal - 1 tsp
    • Pepper corns - 2 nos
    • Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1/2 tsp
    • Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
    • Raw rice - 1/4 tsp
    • Red chillies - 3 to 5 nos
    • Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
    To Temper
    • Ghee - 2 tsp
    • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
    • Curry leaves - Few
    • Coriander leaves - to garnish

    HOW TO MAKE PONGAL KUZHAMBU

    1. Wash and soak toor dal. Chop all the vegetables and keep aside.
    2. In a pressure cooker base, take toor dal and add vegetables, green chillies.
    3. Cook for 2 whistles in low flame. Open and mash the dal.
    4. To the cooked dal, add tamarind extract, roasted & ground masala.
    5. Boil for few minutes. Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves and add to sambar.
    6. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with white pongal / Paal pongal.

    METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

    • Wash and soak toor dal in a cooker base. Wash and chop all the vegetables into cubes and set aside. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water. Take the extract and keep aside.
      pongal kuzhambu
    • Add chopped vegetables to toor dal. Add slit green chilli. Add required water, turmeric powder and cook for 2 whistles in low flame. Remove the lid after steam is released. Mash the dal well. Set aside.
      pongal kuzhambu
    • Heat 1 tsp oil in a kadai. Roast all the ingredients given under “to roast and grind” and grind to a smooth paste.
      pongal kuzhambu
    • Add this paste and tamarind extract to the cooked dal. Mix well and boil for few minutes till its raw smell goes off. 
      pongal kuzhambu
    • Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves in ghee and add to sambar. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with white pongal / Paal pongal. This sambar tastes good with idli , dosa too.
      pongal kuzhambu
    • Enjoy !

    Note

    • Adjust the quantity of red chilli as per your taste.
    • Do not add more tamarind.
    • You can skip toor dal if you want to make this kuzhambu without dal. But adjust the quantity of coconut and roasting spices to give thickness to kuzhambu.
    Try this yummy Pongal kuzhambu with 5 vegetables and enjoy !
    Pongal sambar
    Continue Reading...


    January 13, 2018

    Iyengar Sakkarai Pongal – Iyengar Style Sweet Pongal Recipe In Pressure Cooker

    Iyengar sakkarai pongal
    Iyengar style sweet pongal / Sakkarai pongal recipe was in my try list for long time. Recently I bought a cookbook named “Iyengar Pandigai Samayal “ from Kumbakonam. All the Iyengar specialty recipes are discussed in that book according to the festival. I found a traditional Sakkarai Pongal recipe prepared using a pot ( bronze pot/ Venkala paanai). 

    When I saw that recipe, I immediately called my school friend Sumi who is the only source for my Tamil Iyengar Recipes in my website to confirm the recipe and ingredients. She shared all the most important tips to get perfect Perumal temple style Sakkarai Pongal. Thank you so much Sumi.  I became very happy and tried it for my Thursday Guru Pooja Neivedyam yesterday. It came out finger licking good. But for your help, this post would not have come up today :). 

    My friend told me to prepare this pongal in a bronze pot to get the authentic flavor and taste. But my pot is too big to make small quantity. So I used a pressure cooker to ease my job. My job was done in less than 30 minutes.

    Friends, I have shared all the tips shared by my friend Sumi if you like to try the authentic version like temples. If you wish, you can prepare in a bronze pot like temples or use your cooker to make it quickly. Choice is yours ! But taste wise pot pongal is the best. 

    Next year during pongal festival,  I will try to buy a small pot and make a separate & detailed post. Now lets see how to make Iyengar style sakkarai pongal recipe / Sweet pongal recipe with step by step pictures and video.

    Sweet pongal recipe Iyengar

    POINTS TO NOTE

    1. To make temple style pongal, you should cook the rice & dal in an open pot, preferably in a bronze pot as it helps to retain the heat longer & maintain the consistency of pongal.
    2. Addition of Pachai karpooram/ edible camphor is a must in Iyengar Pongal.
    3. They also use freshly made ghee from butter to roast the cashews and add to pongal for neivedyam. They do not use the ghee used for regular cooking. So the taste & flavor of fresh ghee matters a lot.
    4. Never use boiled rice. Always use good quality Sona masoori rice for best taste.
    5. Do not use basmati rice as well.
    6. Roasting moong dal is an optional step. Some people add it as such.
    7. My friend told me to soak rice & moong dal in milk & water for 15 to 30 minutes to cook quickly.  But I din’t soak it as I used pressure cooker.
    8. Milk should be used in Iyengar pongal. Some people cook the rice only with milk. But I have used a combination of water & milk as suggested by my friend.
    9. The quantity of milk may vary based on the consistency of pongal. So reserve some boiled milk and add it while serving if needed.
    10. I have used rice & jaggery in the ratio of 1: 2. Some people use 1:1.5 for mild sweet taste. It all depends on your taste buds.

    Iyengar Sakkarai Pongal - Sweet Pongal recipe


    Iyengar Sakkarai Pongal - Sweet Pongal recipe How to make Iyengar style sweet pongal recipe / sakkarai pongal with milk & jaggery.
    Cuisine: South Indian
    Category: Iyengar recipes
    Serves: 3
    Prep time: 5 Minutes
    Cook time: 20 Minutes
    Total time: 25 Minutes


    INGREDIENTS

    1 cup - 250ml
    • Raw rice - 1/2 cup ( Good quality Sona Masoori rice)
    • Yellow moong dal - 2 tbsp 
    • Boiled milk - 1 cup
    • Water - 1.5 cups
    • Powdered Jaggery - 1 cup ( Use 3/4 cup if using paagu vellam)
    • Water- 1/2 cup ( to melt jaggery)
    • Ghee - 2 to 3 tbsp ( I used 2 tbsp butter to roast nuts)
    • Cashew nuts - Few
    • Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
    • Edible camphor / Pachai karpooram - A pinch

    HOW TO MAKE IYENGAR SAKKARAI PONGAL

    1. In a pressure cooker base, heat 1 tsp ghee. Roast moong dal for a minute.
    2. Add raw rice to it and roast for another minute. Wash them.
    3. Add water + milk to the cooker along with a pinch of salt.
    4. Pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles.
    5. Mash the cooked rice & dal. Boil and melt jaggery adding water and strain the syrup.
    6. Add jaggery syrup, 1 tbsp ghee to the mashed rice. Mix well and boil till semi solid in consistency. Switch off flame.
    7. Add cardamom powder, a pinch of edible camphor and cashews roasted in ghee.
    8. Mix well and remove from flame. Garnish with more cashews if you like and serve hot !

    METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

    • In a pressure cooker base, heat 1 tsp of ghee. Roast yellow moong dal for a minute. To this, add rice and roast for one more minute. Remove the cooker and wash the rice + dal. Drain the water and keep it back in flame.

    • Add milk + water to the washed rice, dal mixture. Add a pinch of salt as well. Mix well.
      Iyengar sweet pongal
    • Pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles.Open the cooker after steam is released. Mash the rice and dal very well with a ladle or masher. Make sure rice + dal is mashed properly. Add more boiled milk or water if needed. Mix well. Keep the cooker aside.
      Iyengar sweet pongal
    • In a kadai, boil and melt jaggery adding water. Strain the syrup in a wire mesh. (If the jaggery tastes too sweet, you can reduce to 3/4 cup)
      Iyengar sweet pongal
    • Add the syrup to the mashed rice and mix well. Add little more hot water or milk if the pongal is too thick at this stage. Add 1 tbsp ghee to avoid sticking of rice to the bottom of cooker.
      Iyengar sweet pongal
    • Mix well and boil till pongal comes to semi solid in consistency. Do not cook till too thick. It will harden as it cools down. So make it semi thick.  Remove from the flame.
    • Roast cashews in the remaining 1 tbsp ghee and add to pongal. (  I used fresh butter, melted to make ghee and roasted the cashews as suggested by my friend.) Add cardamom powder, a pinch of edible camphor and mix well. Add 1 tbsp more ghee and few more roasted cashews for garnishing. Serve hot !
      Iyengar sweet pongal
      Iyengar sweet pongal



      Enjoy !

    Note

    • The ratio of rice & water depends on the quality of rice. Old rice takes more water. For pongal festival, we buy new rice ( pudhu arisi).So it takes less water. I used 1:5 ratio of rice and water. You can also use 1:4 or 1:6 based on the rice.
    • Similarly the quantity of jaggery depends on the type of jaggery. If you use paagu vellam, you can add 1:1.5 ratio of rice & jaggery else use 1:2 as I did to get nice color and taste.
    • If you feel the sweetness is more, you can add more boiled milk or hot water to reduce the sweetness.
    • Edible camphor is the most important to get temple flavor.
    • You can also add powdered nutmeg and roasted cloves if you like.
    • Do not reduce ghee than the mentioned quantity. You must add more ghee to get ghee dripping pongal else pongal looks dry.
    Try this easy, yummy Iyengar style Sakkarai pongal for this Pongal festival at home and enjoy !
    Iyengar sakkarai pongal
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