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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Thinai Thayir saadam / Millet Curd Rice | Healthy recipes

I try to include something healthy in our diet atleast once a week. It might be in the form of adding wheat or oat bran to our daily bread or using whole grains to make pongal or some snack like kozhukattai. Last month when we went to Chicago to visit a few friends I visited the Whole Foods market with an interest to buy some whole grains. My first buy was a big bag of millet and I have been replacing most of our rice with millet these days. I made sweet pongal with it and it was a hit with the boys. My latest experiment is this thinai thayir saadam - a healthy and filling alternative to your regular rice.

~*What U Need*~ Millet - 1/2 cup Yogurt - 1/2 cup Milk - 1/4 cup Carrot - 2 tbsp, grated (optional) Ginger - 1/2 tsp, finely chopped Coriander - 2 tbsp, finely chopped Salt Oil - 2 tsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp Hing - a pinch Curry leaves - few How I Made it: Wash millet in running water using strainer. Take this in a pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles or till done. Let it cool for sometime. In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter, add urad dal fry till golden brown and then add curry leaves, hing. Add this to the millet, add carrot, finely chopped ginger and cilantro and mix well. Add the yogurt, milk and bring to the desired consistency. Season with salt.

Serve with potato for a winning combo!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

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