Thinai Sarkarai Pongal | Millet Sweet Pongal | Pongal Recipes | Millet Recipes

At times all you need is something healthy. At times all you need is something comforting and at times all you need is some sarkarai pongal. Sarkarai pongal to me is simply home... Amma's sarkarai pongal is the best. It hits every note right, not overpoweringly sweet, the right amount of ghee, correct consistency and is perfection in every aspect. My son loves sarkarai pongal and I make it a point to make it for him once every two weeks and sometimes I sneak in healthiness like this, by subbing the rice for millet. He never finds a difference and its a win-win for both of us. You can use any kind of millet here - kodo, jowar, barnyard or anything.

~*What U Need*~ Fox millet / Thinai - 1/2 cup Moongdal - 1/4 cup Jaggery - 1/2 - 3/4 cup Saffron - 4 to 5 strands Cardamom - 2 to 3 crushed Cashewnuts - a handful Raisins - 1 tbsp Ghee - 2 to 3 tbsp Water - as needed How I Made it: Wash and soak the millet and set aside. Heat 1/2 tsp ghee in the pressure cooker and fry the moongdhal till it turns light brown. Add the soaked and drained millet to this, add 2 1/2 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Meanwhile, heat the jaggery with 2-3 tbsps of water till the jaggery melts. Strain the syrup and set aside. Once the pressure subsides, remove the lid, add the strained jaggery syrup and heat the mixture in medium heat for 3 - 4 mins. Remove from the flame. Roast the nuts and raisins in ghee. Add the nuts, ghee, saffron and cardamom to the pongal and mix well.

Serve warm.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,
Vimitha
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Mango Sago Kheer | Mango Javvarisi Payasam

Hi my friends, how are things going on at your end? Life has been pretty hectic. We moved back from the US and still haven't got the hang of things. The weather was too much for us that I came to my parents' house in Nagercoil for the kid's summer vacay. Time seems to be flying with friends and family visits happening every now and then. The kid is enjoying to the fullest whereas I am eating to my fullest.

This kheer happened when my mama's family came to visit us. Making the dessert fell upon me and since mangoes are in season and there was this fully ripened mango smiling at me from the fruit basket, this is what I came up with. This payasam is perfect for the season, mildly sweet and slightly thick with the light hint of mango. I would suggest to serve this chilled because it brings out the flavors.

~*What U Need*~ Sago / Javvarisi - 1/2 cup Milk - 2 cups Water - 1 cup Mango - 1, peeled and pureed Sugar - 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup Ghee - 2 tsp Cashews - 6 to 7 broken Dried grapes - 10 Cardamom - 3 Chopped mango pieces - 1/4 cup How I Made it: Soak the sago in water for 15 to 20 mins. Rinse and drain the sago. Add this to 1 cup of water and boil till the sago turns clear or cooked. Add milk and boil for 5 to 7 mins. Add sugar to taste and boil for an additional 5 mins. Add the mango puree. Bring it to a brief boil, add crushed cardamom and switch off the flame. Heat ghee in a pan, saute the cashews and kismis and add this to the kheer. Serve chilled topped with chopped mango pieces.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,
Vimitha
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Pasi Paruppu Payasam | Parippu Payasam

With the dreaded winter setting in, days seem to be moving slowly and I just don't want to move away from the couch. A good book, a cup of hot chocolate and a calm house is what I am craving for every day. It is on days like these that I crave for amma and her food. I am really bored, bored of eating my own food and outside food is just not right. Even a simple curd rice sounds way better.

When amma reminded me of Kathigai deepam, all I could think about was something simple but delicious like this paruppu payasam because as I said I am really lazy to move my *** and this payasam just takes 10 mins which is just right for a lazy me.

HAPPY KARTHIGAI DEEPAM

~*What U Need*~ Pasi paruppu/moong dal - 1/2 cup, heaped Jaggery - 1/4 cup Milk - 1/2 cup, whole milk Water - as needed Ghee - 1 tsp Cardamom - 1, crushed Cashews - 4-6, broken How I Made it: Fry moong dal with ghee until golden brown and roasted. Add water and milk and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Mash the dal but do not make it too mushy. Add the powdered jaggery and boil for 2 mins in low flame. Add milk/water to adjust the consistency. Fry the cashews in little ghee and add to the payasam. Remove from flame.

Serve warm!!!

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Butter Chicken | Side dishes for Parottas/Rotis

As everyone out there is blogging about sweets and savories for Diwali, I donot have even one in my kitty and I am in no mood to make one. That doesn't mean that I will not be preparing anything for the festival, I have some ideas but I am gonna get into it next week only. Diwali is never complete for us without a non-veg three course meal but this Diwali I am planning something new and this Butter Chicken is definitely in the menu. Its rich, creamy and totally addictive and pairs perfectly with parottas and naans.

~*What U Need*~ For the chicken: Chicken - 1/4 lb, with bone Yogurt - 1/4 cup Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Salt, pepper For the sauce: Onion - 1, finely chopped Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Garam masala - 1/2 tsp Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Tomato puree - 3/4 cup Water - 1/4 cup Cream - 1/8 cup Ghee - 1 tbsp Butter- 2 tbsp Salt and Pepper to taste Kasurimethi leaves - 1/4 tsp Cilantro - 1 tbsp How I Made it: In a bowl, mix together the chicken with the marination ingredients and set aside for 30 mins or overnight. Preheat oven to 475 degrees, place the chicken on a baking sheet lined with foil paper and bake it in the oven for 10 minutes, turn the broiler on high and broil till the chicken is charred and then remove from the oven. In a large pan, heat the oil and butter and allow the butter to melt. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to cook for about 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook till soft, add the ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell goes off. Add tomato puree and cook for 3-5 mins. Add the garam masala, coriander powder and chili powder and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken, add some water and cover with a lid and simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in the cream and fenugreek leaves, season with salt and pepper to taste, add in the cilantro and reduce the heat to low and allow to cook gently for a few minutes.

Serve over some jeera rice or parottas or rotis!!!

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Ambur Chicken Biryani | Ambur Style Chicken Biryani

To the huss weekends are never complete without a plate of chicken biryani. So if I don't make biryanis in the weekend I make it a point to make some by middle of the week. This biryani happened like that. We are not spice lovers, well we like it but we generally prefer mild spices in our food. The ambur version of biryani never fits our bill. Its super spicy and the color of the biryani screams spiciness when you even look at it. This is my version of the ambur biryani cos I have used my own strategies to reduce the spice level. But if you are in for the game then skip the cashew paste in the recipe, reduce the yogurt to 1/4 cup and add more chillies as per your spice level.

Prep time: 10 mins; Cooking time: 40 mins; Serves - 3-4 ~*What U Need*~ Chicken - 1 lb, with bone Oil - 2 tbsp Ghee - 2 tbsp Onions - 1, large, sliced Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp Coriander Leaves - a handful, chopped Mint Leaves - a handful, chopped Tomatoes - 1 large, chopped Thick yogurt - 1/2 cup Biryani rice - 1 1/2 cups Water - 2 cups To grind: Cashews - 5-6, whole To grind separately: Red chillies - 2, seeds removed For biryani masala: Fennel Seeds - 1 tbsp Cinnamon - 1" Cardamom - 2 Star anise - 1/2 Cloves - 2 How I Made it: Wash and soak the rice. Soak the red chillies in hot water for 5 mins. Drain and make it into a smooth puree. Set aside. Grind the cashews and set aside. Heat oil in a kadai. Add 1 bay leaf and fry for a min. Add the onions and saute well. Once golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes off. Add the tomatoes and fry well. Add the chopped mint and coriander leaves and saute for a min. Add the fresh biryani powder and saute well. Add the cleaned chicken pieces and mix well. Now add the chilli paste and fry till the chicken is half cooked. Add the cashew paste and fry for 2-3 mins. Add the yogurt and mix well. Add water and the drained rice. Add 2tbsp ghee, give it a stir and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Open the lid and fluff the rice.

Serve with some raitha!!!

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Mughalai Chicken Biryani

By now, you should have known about our love for biryanis. When I say its biryani for lunch or dinner, the boys keep chanting the term till they get some on their plates... I love trying new biryani varieties when the mood sets in and it happened again last week.
It was a weekday and pappu was sound asleep taking his afternoon nap... I felt like doing something and reading a book didn't help... The kitchen seemed to be the destination and biryani the solution... I was going through my biryani booklet when I came upon this mughalai biryani.. The richness called my name and I didn't waste another minute resting on my couch...

~*What U Need*~ Chicken - 500 gm, cleaned Onion - 1, large, sliced Tomato - 1, large, sliced Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Green chilli - 1 Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup Mint leaves - 1/4 cup Oil/ Ghee - 2 tbsp Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cup Water - 2 cups To grind to a paste: Cashew - 1/4 cup Almonds - 1/4 cup Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp Yogurt - 1 tbsp For Briyani Masala Powder: Fennel Seeds - 1 tbsp Cinnamon - 1" Cardamom - 2 Star anise - 1/2 Cloves - 2 How I Made it: Dry roast the ingredients under biryani masala and grind in a coffee grinder. Soak the rice in enough water. Grind cashews, almonds, poppy seeds and yogurt to a smooth paste. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and fry the green chilli. Add the onions and saute till brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off. Add the tomatoes and fry till oil separates. Add the spice powders and biryani masala powder. Add the chopped coriander and mint leaves followed by the chicken. Once the chicken is half cooked and leaves water add the ground cashew paste and mix well. Add the soaked rice and water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Serve hot!!!

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Chicken Haleem

One thing that the huss enjoys to the core is anything and everything with chicken in it. Well, I am no less. We love our share of chicken anytime.

I was totally new to the word haleem then. While I was born and brought up in the Gulf, I was there only till my IInd standard. So its just a few memories that I carry around like how I always wore sockings when I was little or the little forest that I saw from our back window or the few words of Arabic that I learnt from my Arabic class or how I was the favorite of everyone in our apartment and finally George chetta from next door. Haleem and nombu kanji were often mentioned by appa and amma when we talked about life in Gulf. That was that.

After marriage, the huss used to mention this delicacy whenever the holy month of Eid sets in. And thats when I started browsing about haleem. Appa also explained the process to me on how the chicken is slow cook with wheat, barley and other dhal varieties. The huss was so adamant on getting his hands on haleem that he ordered himself a pack of haleem from Hyderabad which came by courier. He tasted it and he loved it. This was the story two years back. Fast forward now, far away from home country, he didn't have the option to online order and I knew that he was craving for the dish for sometime. Finally I gave in and started browsing for recipes and found a promising one at vahrehvah's site. I adapted the recipe to what I had in hand and it was a total hit. The huss loved it to the core.

~*What U Need*~ To Grind : Wheat rava - 1/2 cup Masoor dal - 1 tbsp Toor dhal - 1 tbsp Barley - 1/4 cup Urad dhal - 1 tbsp Channa dhal - 1 tbsp Peppercorns - 1 tsp Jeera - 1 tsp Cloves - 4 Cinnamon stick - 1 inch Green cardamom - 2 Almonds - 5 Sesame seeds - 1 tsp For porridge: Chicken - 1 lb, with bone Chicken stock - 6 cup Onions - 2, finely sliced Green chillies - 2, finely chopped Mint leaves - 1/2 cup Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp Curd - 2 tbsp Ghee - 2 tbsp Oil - 1/4 cup Juice of 1 lemon How I made it: Heat oil in a pan and fry sliced onions till it turns golden brown and crispy. Remove from the heat and split fried onions into two parts. Reserve one half for garnishing. Grind everything under “To Grind” to a coarse powder. Heat the same oil in a pressure cooker. Add ghee to it and once it melts, add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 2 mins. Add chicken and fry till seared. Add chicken stock and mix well. Add fried onion, curd, green chilies, mint leaves and coriander leaves. Mix everything and cook for a min. Add ground mixture and stir frequently to avoid lumps. Season with salt and pressure cook at high flame for 2 whistles. Switch to low flame and pressure cook it for 40 mins. Once the pressure goes, open the lid and mash everything. Sprinkle lemon juice.

Serve warm!!!

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Almond Maa laddoo

I joined few cooking challenges around the web for two main reasons, one was to get to know cuisines and fellow bloggers and second was for time management. I have always been weak on the time management part right from school. I study for tests at the last minute, do record work at the last minute and type status reports at the last minute. That is me and I have never worried about it. But then I started blogging and the last minute didn't seem to work out. And so I joined challenges so that I would learn and be prompt with the posts too.. Well, again I have failed. I have been skipping the HBC for the past two months and as for the secret cooking challenge, here I am with the post when it is near date to reveal this month's secret ingredient. I am really sorry admins, I am gonna try and make it up in the future.

Coming to this months Ssshhh Cooking secretly challenge, I was paired with PJ of Seduce your tastebuds and she gave me almonds and peanuts. I first thought of making halwa but since I was pressed on time, I settled for these easy laddoos. I made this for pappu who never eats nuts just because he needs to work it out with his teeth. I finally had to give in and made these so that he could have his daily nuts intake atleast in the form of a laddoo. He totally loved it and I have already made a second batch.

~*What U Need*~ Almonds - 1/2 cup Roasted channa dhal /pottukadalai - 1/2 cup Ghee - 1/4 cup, melted Sugar - 1/2 cup Cardamom powder - a pinch(optional) How I Made it: In a mixie, powder the almonds, channa dhal and sugar separately. In a mixing bowl, combine everything along with the cardamom powder. Add ghee and mix till it holds shape adding more ghee if needed. Form balls and store in an airtight container.

Serve with love!!!

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Palak Paneer

Palak paneer has been in my to-do list for a very long time but the huss has never been a big fan of spinach based gravies. Spinach to him is meant for keerai masiyal and nothing more than that. I have been doing a lot of experimenting for the past three weeks since I have an extra new guinea pig at hand and this one is not as picky as the huss. He happily gorges on anything that comes out from my kitchen with a happy grin and it-tastes-awesome look.

Coming to the recipe, palak paneer is a very famous north Indian gravy that has been adapted by many all over the world. You could make the dish as rich as possible or you could make it skinny if you are so health conscious. Rich is when you make it all-butter or ghee and adding a healthy dollop of cream at the end. And skinny is when you cheat by using oil and milk. Both ways it tastes good and makes a perfect side dish for chapathis or naans.

Prep time: 10 mins; Cook time: 20 mins; Serves - 3-4 ~*What U Need*~ For the palak puree: Fresh spinach - 1 bunch Green chillies - 2 Onion - 1, medium, finely chopped Tomato - 1, medium, pureed Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp Kasuri methi - 1 tsp, crushed Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Bay leaf - 1 Paneer - 1 cup, cubed Ghee - 2 tbsp, divided Salt, water How I Made it: Rinse the spinach in water. Boil water with some salt. Add the spinach leaves and allow to sit for 2-3 mins. Drain and immediately immerse in cold water. Reserve one cup of water. Drain and then puree the spinach in a blender with 1 green chili into a smooth puree. Heat ghee in a pan and fry cumin and bayleaf and slit green chilli. Add the onions and fry till brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes off. Grind the tomato and add this to the masala. Fry till oil separates. Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala and fry for 2 mins. Add the spinach puree and some water and cook in medium flame for 6-7 mins. Fry the paneer cubes in remaining ghee till evenly browned and add this to the spinach gravy. Add kasuri methi leaves and mix well.

Serve warm with rotis or naan or jeera rice. You can top with some butter or cream also.

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