Do you believe in love?
Well, that could be a debatable topic for a few. But, this is not the 'love at first sight' kind of love that I am talking about. This is the kind of love that you feel in your mum's morning Bournvita or the prick of your dad's beard on your cheek when he kisses you. I believe in love. I love love. I try to give my love to people through food. Just the way Appa does.
I can still remember, one sunny Sunday morning, still in bed. I could smell something wonderful. It was so good, it made me switch off the AC, take off my utterly comfortable blanket and check what was cooking. Amma is an amazing cook! But this is not something she is cooking, I could tell that for sure. I enter the kitchen and see Appa there, with his lungi tied up on his big and round beer belly (Oh! how much I love that belly). It was a surprise. He has not been home for at least three months. I tear up immediately. I run back to the bed room and wake up my sister. "Dhanu, Appa is home!" My sister could sleep like a baby throughout the weekend even without water, but then, Appa was home!
Coming to my first attempt of writing a blog, it was influenced by my best acquaintance (as she calls herself), Lalitha Lavanya Surabhi! Thanks to you, I am writing something for people to read.
I am starting with something very simple. Something which shouts out "Chennai" in every bite. This is a cheat code to Appa's Pongal recipe. Probably the easiest breakfast you could make, but the best on a Sunday morning. This recipe can serve 4 people with a normal appetite. So, here it goes:
You will need:
Raw rice - 2 Cups
Moong Dal - 1/4 of a cup
Milk - 1/4 of a cup
Water - 4 cups
Ghee - 3 tablespoons
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Jeera - 1/2 a tablespoon
Pepper corns - 10 to 15
Asafoetida - A pinch would do
Ginger - one inch piece
Salt to taste
Curry leaves for garnishing
(Psssssst.. Don't forget that extra spoon of love!)
Mix raw rice and the dal and rinse them well. Add four cups of water (2:1 ratio with rice), quarter cup of milk, jeera and the asafoetida. Add salt and check if it is a little more than what you would like. Make sure it is a wee bit salty.
Add all of it in a pressure cooker and let it cook for 15-17 minutes, allowing the pressure cooker to whistle 6-7 times. This again depends on the pressure cooker that you use. Pongal should always be soft. It should neither be hard or runny. So, make sure there is enough water and give it enough time to cook on a medium flame.
Do not let the steam off the cooker, Wait till you can open it with ease. Our whole point is to over cook the rice. A pale yellow pongal is what I would look for. Mix the rice and dal in your cooker. You can see it blend with each other beautifully.
Now, take a small kadai/wok and heat up a tablespoon of oil. Once it is warm, add the pepper corns. Remember, pepper corns act just like dried corn kernels, they start popping out. Once you hear one or two pop, you can take them from the oil and add it to the rice mixture. Add roughly sliced ginger and fresh curry leaves into the same hot oil. Pour it in the rice mixture once you hear that beautiful sizzle.
Say bye bye to the weight watching part of you and add three hearty spoons full of ghee (please don't go easy on it). It is seriously okay to be generous once in a while.
Mix them well and voila, your Pongal is ready!
Pongal goes very well with Coconut chutney and Sambar. Oh! how can I forget. It tastes the best with Gojju/Gotsu. I will write one recipe for that one. And once again, DO NOT forget to add some love!
Well, that could be a debatable topic for a few. But, this is not the 'love at first sight' kind of love that I am talking about. This is the kind of love that you feel in your mum's morning Bournvita or the prick of your dad's beard on your cheek when he kisses you. I believe in love. I love love. I try to give my love to people through food. Just the way Appa does.
I can still remember, one sunny Sunday morning, still in bed. I could smell something wonderful. It was so good, it made me switch off the AC, take off my utterly comfortable blanket and check what was cooking. Amma is an amazing cook! But this is not something she is cooking, I could tell that for sure. I enter the kitchen and see Appa there, with his lungi tied up on his big and round beer belly (Oh! how much I love that belly). It was a surprise. He has not been home for at least three months. I tear up immediately. I run back to the bed room and wake up my sister. "Dhanu, Appa is home!" My sister could sleep like a baby throughout the weekend even without water, but then, Appa was home!
Coming to my first attempt of writing a blog, it was influenced by my best acquaintance (as she calls herself), Lalitha Lavanya Surabhi! Thanks to you, I am writing something for people to read.
I am starting with something very simple. Something which shouts out "Chennai" in every bite. This is a cheat code to Appa's Pongal recipe. Probably the easiest breakfast you could make, but the best on a Sunday morning. This recipe can serve 4 people with a normal appetite. So, here it goes:
You will need:
Raw rice - 2 Cups
Moong Dal - 1/4 of a cup
Milk - 1/4 of a cup
Water - 4 cups
Ghee - 3 tablespoons
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Jeera - 1/2 a tablespoon
Pepper corns - 10 to 15
Asafoetida - A pinch would do
Ginger - one inch piece
Salt to taste
Curry leaves for garnishing
(Psssssst.. Don't forget that extra spoon of love!)
Mix raw rice and the dal and rinse them well. Add four cups of water (2:1 ratio with rice), quarter cup of milk, jeera and the asafoetida. Add salt and check if it is a little more than what you would like. Make sure it is a wee bit salty.
Add all of it in a pressure cooker and let it cook for 15-17 minutes, allowing the pressure cooker to whistle 6-7 times. This again depends on the pressure cooker that you use. Pongal should always be soft. It should neither be hard or runny. So, make sure there is enough water and give it enough time to cook on a medium flame.
Do not let the steam off the cooker, Wait till you can open it with ease. Our whole point is to over cook the rice. A pale yellow pongal is what I would look for. Mix the rice and dal in your cooker. You can see it blend with each other beautifully.
Now, take a small kadai/wok and heat up a tablespoon of oil. Once it is warm, add the pepper corns. Remember, pepper corns act just like dried corn kernels, they start popping out. Once you hear one or two pop, you can take them from the oil and add it to the rice mixture. Add roughly sliced ginger and fresh curry leaves into the same hot oil. Pour it in the rice mixture once you hear that beautiful sizzle.
Say bye bye to the weight watching part of you and add three hearty spoons full of ghee (please don't go easy on it). It is seriously okay to be generous once in a while.
Mix them well and voila, your Pongal is ready!
Pongal goes very well with Coconut chutney and Sambar. Oh! how can I forget. It tastes the best with Gojju/Gotsu. I will write one recipe for that one. And once again, DO NOT forget to add some love!
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