Spicy Moong Daal & Peas Pongal

Pongal or Huggi (in Kannda language) is a traditional dish. Pongal is prepared using Moong dal + Rice and Jaggery. This savoury Pongal also contain Moong dal + Rice and some spices. This traditional dish is prepared on the day of Makara Sankranthi (also called Makara Sankramana) and served after Pooja. (Traditional way of Thanking God).

Pongal or Makara Sankramana normally falls on 14th of January every year and it is also called Uttarayana according to Hindu Mythology. The sun movement changes towards the north in this period. Uttara means North.

Makara Sankranthi is celebrated all over India. In Assam this festival is called as Bihu, in Tamil Nadu-Pongal, Makara Sankramana in Northern parts of India, Andra Pradesh and Karnataka ,Uttarayan in Gujarat and Lohri in Punjab.

Pongal falls during the Harvest time. People bring freshly grown paddy (rice), grains and vegetables home. This festival is celebrated to thank God for the good yield also may be the reason too.The Sun God is worshiped to thank him for his help to grow and get the good yield.

Moong dal has very low fat content which helps in reducing weight and it is a rich source of protein and fiber which helps to lower the high cholesterol level in the blood system.

Green peas are one of the most nutritious leguminous vegetables. They are rich in health benefiting phyto-nutrients, minerals, vitamins and anti -oxidants.

Here is a recipe with Khara (Savoury) Pongal. Now a days people  prefer to have Spicy Pongal for break fast, lunch or dinner as a main course. It is in a way healthy and contain less oil and mild spices.I have added peas also along with moong dal. Peas is a winter crop and fresh peas is available plenty in the market. Healthy note is that peas helps to keep the body warm.

Ingredients

Moong Dal :1 Cup
Raw Rice :  1 Cup
Pepper Pods : 10
Jeera : 1 Tea spoon
Green chilly :1
Ginger : 1 Tea spoon (grated)
Coconut : 3 to 4 Table spoon (Optional)
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Ghee : 2 Table spoons
Oil :1 Table spoon
Salt : to taste
Asafetida :  a pinch
Coriander leaves

Method:

1. Wash and dry roast Moong dal.

2. Crush the pepper pods and grate ginger and coconut.
3. Wash and cut green chilly,coriander leaves and curry leaves.

4. Now wash and cook roasted Moong dal and rice together in a pressure cooker. ( You can cook with out using the pressure cooker too) and leave it for cooling.
5. Cook Peas separately with very little water and keep it aside.

6 .Keep a pan on the fire. Put oil and heat.
7. Put jeera and crushed pepper pods. Let it fry for 3 to 4 seconds.
8. Add green chilly, ingh, Curry leaves. Mix well and add cooked peas. Fry for 2 minutes.
9. Add cooked rice and moong dal. Add ginger. Mix it well.
10. Let the fire be on the lower flame.
11. Add salt and stir slowly and leave it for 1 minute.
12. Add Coconut, cut coriander leaves and shift the Pongal to a serving dish.

13. Add ghee and mix it well.
14. Serve Khara Pongal with a side dish you have prepared.
15. Any kind of chutney will be tasty with Khara Pongal.

Notes. 

Do not over cook rice and moong dal. You can add more chilly if you wish. You
can also add more ghee. It adds taste to the Pongal. You can also use ghee instead of oil to fry jeera and pepper pods.

Serves : 3 to 4

Time : 
Preparation :10 Minutes
Cooking : 30 minutes.

Maddur Vada

Maddur is a small town in Karnataka near Mandya. Maddur is also famous for temples. May be these Vadas are prepared in that perticular place. These crispy and tasty Vadas must have started preparing in Maddur first. These Vadas named as Maddur Vadas got name and fame later on and now it is World famous.

Maddur Vada is a spicy Vada. Vada is a fried item. It is prepared using rice flour, maida, rava, onions, green chilly, jeera and curry leaves. Madduru Vada can be eaten for snack with cup of Coffee or Tea. It also eaten with lunch or dinner. You can munch maddur vada at any time of the day.

Maddur Vada Can be prepared in different ways. The ingredients propotion is differ from one type to other type.  Here is a recepi that shows the easy and crispy way to prepare Maddur Vadas. Cooking Soda is not added in this kind of Maddur Vadas. It does not absorb much oil too. It will be surely liked by each and every age group people.

Ingredients : 

Rice flour : 2 Cups
Rava : 1/2 Cup (Medium sized)
Maida (All Purpose flour) : 1/2 Cup
Onions : 2 (Medium sized)
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Curry leaves :  1/2 Cup ( at least 20 to 30 leaves)
Salt : as required
Jeera : 1 Tea spoon
Oil : To Fry  (1 to  1 1/2 Cup)

Method :

1. Wash and cut onions, curry leaves and green chilly. Keep it aside.
2. Now keep a pan and dry roast rice flour and maida separately. (2 to 3 minutes each flour).
3. Put roasted rice flour, maida and rava and leave the flour to cool.
4. Keep a pan and heat 2 table spoons of oil and pour this oil on the mixed flour.
5. Add salt and mix with flour. Let the flour mixture be cool.
6. Add cut onion, green chilly, curry leaves and jeera to the flour mixture.
7. Mix it well with flour and add required water little by little and prepare thick dough.

8. Now keep oil in a pan on the fire and heat.

9. Divide the Maddur Vada dough into small balls.

10.Take a portion and flatten on your palm and keep it on the plate or tray.

11. Fry them on low and medium flame on both sides.

12. Take out the Vadas when they turn little brown.

13. Repeat the same with rest of the dough. You can fry 3 to 4 Vadas at time.
14. Serve Hot Maddur Vadas with Coconut Chutney or Ketch up

15. You can also prepare Pakodas with the same dough.

16. Take a handful of dough and squeeze the dough in to pakoda shape.

17. Fry them till they are brown and remove from the oil.

Note :

Must fry these Maddur Vadas on low flame to get the crispy Texture.

Do not add much oil to the dough. Dry roasting rice flour and maida flour will also make the vadas crispy.  Do not add water or oil when the dry roast flour is still hot. Do not add water as soon as you add hot oil to the flour. It turns the Vadas soft. Adding more green chilly and curry leaves increases the taste. Adding more oil will lead to absorb more oil.

Time : 40 minutes (Preparation and frying)

No of Maddur Vadas : 20 to 25