Author: Meal haven

Usually Pongal is made with rice and dal. Chakkarai Pongal is the sweet pongal made with rice, dal and jaggery. This is the savoury version of the pongal made with rava.

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Ingredients:

Roasted Bombay Rava/Semolina – 1 cup

Water – 3 cups

Moong dal – 1/2 cup

Seasonings:

Whole Pepper – 1 tsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Turmeric – a pinch

Asafoetida – a pinch

Ginger – 1 inch piece chopped finely

Ghee/Oil -1/4 cup

Preparation:

Roast the rava in a hot kadai until it is very slightly brown in colour (if the store bough rava is not a roasted one). Remove it from the pan and cool it. Though some people like to dry roast the moong dal, I prefer not to roast it. Boil the moong dal separately with 2 cups of water and a pinch of turmeric, until it is cooked. Do not overcook it. Heat kadai and add the seasonings and keep aside. In another pan, boil 3 cups of water. (Measure the water in which the moong dal has been boiled). Adjust the water accordingly. To the boiling water, add salt as per taste and add the rava and keep stirring to ensure lumps are not formed. Continue stirring for 2 minutes and then add the seasonings, stir it again and close and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve with spicy tomato chutney and add a little ghee before serving.

Egg and Bengal Gram Dhal (Chana Dal) pancake brings back nostalgic memories of my maternal grandfather as it was one of his favourite side dishes for lunch along with his rice and sambar or rice and kaara kolambhu. Serve it as an evening snack with tomato ketchup or as a side dish with lunch or as a wholesome breakfast item.

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Ingredients:

Bengal gram dal (chana dal) – 1 1/2 cups

Onions – 3/4 cup

Curry leaves chopped – 2 sprigs

Coriander leaves chopped – 2 sprigs

Green chillies chopped fine – 2

Water – 2 tbsp

Whole eggs beaten – 2

Soda bi-carbonate – a pinch

Preparation:

Soak bengal gram dal for about 3 -4 hours. Grind it in mixie to a paste. Add chopped onions, chopped curry leaf, chopped coriander leaf, green chillies chopped fine. Add the beaten eggs to the ground paste and add 2 tbsp water and soda to it. Pour it like an uttappam and serve hot with chutney.

You can also make this by substituting the bengal gram dal /chana dal with kadala maavu (besan flour).

A traditional South Indian dish made of semolina with vegetables. Most people turn away from it but it is my all time favourite, especially when it comes dressed as tomato upma. The yellow colour of the upma with a dash of green from the chillies, chopped coriander, curry leaves and the red of the tomatoes is a feast for the eyes. Can be served with chutney or sambar.

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Ingredients:

Semolina or Rava – 1 cup

Tomato – 2 big

Green chillies – 2 slit

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Coriander leaves – 1 sprig finely cut

Optional : Peas and carrot

Water – 3 cups

Oil – 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Seasonings:

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Udad dal – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

In a kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil. When it becomes hot, add mustard seeds. When it starts spluttering, add udad dal. Saute and add sliced green chillies and tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes. You can add carrots cut into small pieces and peas, in case you like . Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and saute again. Add 3 cups water and when it starts to boil, add salt and rava/semolina and keep stirring to avoid forming lumps. Stir for 2 minutes and close with a lid and allow it to cook. When done, garnish with coriander leaves.