Pongal

Pongal - Hesaru Bele Anna

Hesaru Bele(split green gram dal) Anna(Rice) is always called Pongal on the day of Sankranti. It is the main course and other side dishes accompany this. Avare kai is available in plenty during this season and one of the side dish would be Avare kai gojju.

How I miss this festival back at home. The day starts with the oil bath and the new clothes that we get on this day. Mom taking aarati of us and showering the Yellu-bella on our heads while seated on the mat.
Main part of any of our festival is the food. Sankranti is no different. Mom's pongal always has the same taste everytime she makes it. But the best pongal I remember is when I ate at my Mom's Aunt's (ie chikka Ajji's) place. Nice aroma of ghee woke us up that morning and I can still feel the taste.

Last year my MiL was with us and her recipe is different. I will post that recipe after trying it.

Today's recipe is mostly how we used to make it every Sankranti as the Chikka Ajji's recipe is too good for cholestrol ;)

Recipe
Ingredients
Rice – 3 cups
Green gram dal – 1 cup
Oil – ½ cup
Ghee – 1 tsp
Hing – ½ tsp
Mustard – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
Black Pepper - 2 tsp
Curry leaves – 10
Cashews or Peanuts – ½ cup
Dry coconut/Kobbari pieces ½ cup
Turmeric – ½ tsp


Directions:
Wash rice and green gram and let them soak for ½ hour.
In a pressure cooker add oil, ghee.
When oil is heated add mustard, let is splutter and then add, cumin seeds, pepper, hing, cashews/peanuts, kobbari pieces and curry leaves. (total duration is 2 mins)
Immediately add turmeric and the soaked rice, green gram dal and fry for a minute.

Add enough water (6 cups of water) and let it cook in the cooker for 15 mins or 3 -4 whistles on low medium flame.





Serve the pongal with raita or chutney or avare-kai gojju (which I will post later)