Kara Pongal /Huggi

Huggi/ Pongal is prepared during Dhanurmasa as I said earlier post. But this Kara /Spicy Pongal can be prepared at any time of the day. It is an easy and healthy dish that provide purpose of food.

It is prepared using moong dal and raw rice. I have learnt this recipe from one of my close friends daughter in Chennai. She has prepared this yummy dish and we all loved it.
We Udupians usually do not prepare kara /spicy pongal. It has become a practice these days and it is one of the stamped recipe of Tamailnadu. People do have this pongal mostly for breakfast in Tamilnadu.
Even Iyyers do prepare this Pongal in such a yummy way. Iyyers and Iyyangar's  Pongal is loaded with pepper and ghee. It has such a wonderful aroma, one should feel like eating it again and again.
Ok, coming back to this Kara Pongal is easy.
All you need is moong dal, rice, ghee, jeera /cumin seeds and pepper. They do not use any other spice. They do pour ghee on it...( As much it takes ).
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Raw Rice : 1 Cup
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
Pepper Pods : 8 to 10.( 3/4 Teaspoon ).
Jeera : 1 Teaspoon
Ghee : 1/2  Cup
Cashews : 6 to 8 or more
Salt : As required
Green chilly : 1 ( Optional )
Ginger : An inch

Method :

1. Wash and cook moong dal and raw rice separately.

2.Wash and slit green chilly., crush pepper pods and cashews cut into small pieces.
3. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate and keep it aside.
4. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add cooked rice and moong dal.
5.Add little turmeric powder, 1/2 glass of water and required salt. Mix it well and cook on low flame.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee, slit green chilly and grated ginger.

7. Keep a pan on the fire and add a tablespoon of ghee. Add cut cashews and fry til they turn golden brown.

8. Add jeera /cumin seeds and pepper. Fry for 10 seconds and put half of the seasoning to this mixture to already done pongal.

Cook on low flame for a minute.

9. Shift the pongal  / Khara Huggi to a serving dish. Add remaining cashews mixture on the top. Add remaining ghee to Khara Pongal /Spicy Huggi .
10. Serve when it is piping hot. Hot huggi taste delicious.

Note :

Do not over cook rice or moong dal. Adding more / less ghee is optional. Adding green chilly is optional. Do not add any oil or vanaspathi except ghee.
Time : 20 Minutes.

Serves : 4 to 5.

Huli Gojju / ಹುಳಿ ಗೊಜ್ಜು :

Huli gojju is a side dish with huggi. Huli gojju is sweet and savoury dish that is a must do dish with Huggi. We, people from Udupi will not cook huggi with lots of jaggery. The sweet taste is normally mild and adding huli gojju adds to the taste and increase your appetite. 

Preparing Huli Gojju is very easy. Soak tamarind in water and squeeze out the pulp. Add required jaggery and a green chilly. Allow it to boil till it gets sticky consistency. Then add a mustard seasoning. Huli gojju is ready to serve or eat. 

Things Needed :

Tamarind : 1 Small Lemon size
Jaggery : 4 to 5 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A little
Green chilly : 1
Ginger : An inch
Pepper Pods : 5 to 6
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Red chilly : 1 ( Optional )

Method :

1. Wash and soak tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes.
2. Squeeze out the pulp and keep it aside.
3. Keep a pan on the fire and put tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt.
4. Let it boil. Add slit green chilly.

5.Wash and peel off the outer layer of ginger. Wash it again and grate it. Add grated ginger to boiling tamarind pulp. Add crushed pepper.
6. Boil the mixture till it gets sticky consistency.

7. Shift the tamarind - jaggery mixture to a clean bowl.
8. Add seasoned mustard seeds, curry leaves mixture to Huli gojju. /Savoury gojju.

9. Mix it well and add it to huggi when you are serving or eating. Eat huli gojju with sweet huggi.

 Note : 

Do not make the gooju very thick. It should be watery consistency but stick. Adding more jaggery is optional. Use of any cooking oil is optional.
Time 10 Minutes .
Serves : 3 to 4.