Saraswathi Poojai-Sarkarai Pongal ,Sundal, Vadai

Sarkarai Pongal
Ingredients

1 cup sona masoori rice
1/3 cup bengal gram/kadalai paruppu
2 cups milk
2 cups water
3-4 tbsp ghee
3-4 cardamom(green)
7-8 piecs sarkarai/jaggery/vellam
7-8 whole cashews broken into half
1 tbsp golden raisin
very small pinch of salt

Method

1. In pressure cooker vessel, add rice and bengal gram and wash well
2. add milk and water with salt(very little pich)
3. cover and let whistles for 3 times
4. in the meantime, add jaggery to 5 tbsp water and keep in stove to get into jaggery syrup, keep stirring
5. roast the cashew in ghee, powder cardamom
6. when jaggery melts completely and boil once, remove from heat, add in cardamom powder cashew and raisins
7. add the jaggery syrup to the rice& dal mix well completely.
8. add ghee and mix completely
9. serve hot with vadai, sundal.

SUNDAL

Ingredients

1 cup Channa dal/vella kondakadalai
2 red chilly whole
2 tbsp coconut shredded/ grated/powder
1/4 tsp mustard seed
1/4 tspurad dal
1 strand curry leaf
pinch of asafoetida
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

Method

1. Soak channa dal/ kondakadalai for 4-5 hours
2. pressure cook kondakadalai with little salt
3. In a skillet,heat 1 tbsp oil, splutter mustard,add in chily, urad dal, curry leaf and asafoetida
4. now add boiled channa dal, coconut powder and mic all well.
5. serve
Methu Vadai

Ingredients

1 cup urad dal
8-9 shallot/small onion
4 green chilly
1" ginger piece
salt to taaste
1 strand curry leaf
handful of corriander leaves(optional)
oil to deep fry

Method

1. Soak urad dal for 4-5 hrs
2. grind urad dal with ginger, green chilly, salt to very smooth paste without adding water(thats important)
3. if you are using grinder this is possible easily
4. if you are ginding in blender, can add water sparingly, and keep mixing in between to make it completely ground without getting struck
5. Heat oil in skillet, to fry vadai
6. chop shallots in lengthwise, add into batter along with curry leaves and corriander leaves
7. roll into balls and press inbetween palms and make a hole in the center and drop into hot oil
8. cook on both sides until its golden brown
9. remove from oil and serve.