Riya's Samayal

Ingredients: 1.Pepper-2 tsp. 2.Cumin seeds-2 tsp. 3.Grated Coconut-2 tsp. 4.Vegetables (Avaraikaai/Broad beans,Snake gourd,Brinjal)-2 cups. 5.Water-2 Cups. Method: 1.In a pan Fry pepper and cumin  without oil for 2 mins. 2.Grind it corasely. 3.Boil the diced vegetables. 4.Add Pepper,cumin powder to the vegetables. 5.Add Grated coconut, turmeric & Salt to that. 6.Keep stove in medium flame for 5 more mins.

Ingredients: 1.Rice-1 cup. 2.Jaggery-11/4 cup. 3.Cardamom pwd-1/4 tbsp. 4.Ghee-4tsp. 5.Cashews-8 to 10. 6.Raisins-8 to 10. 7.Milk-1/2 cup. 8.Water-2 1/2cups. Sarkarai Pongal Jaggery Paagu Method: 1.I used Pressure cooker for this.(Instead of traditional way of using Pot). 2.Cook Rice  with 2 1/2cups of water and 1/2 cup of milk (4 vissels). 3.In a Pan Pour the Diced jaggery and add some water for 5 mins. 4.Mash the rice slightly with a laddle. 5.Mix the rice with jaggery water. 6.Heat 1/4 cup of ghee and fry raisins and cashew nuts separately and add it to the rice along with ghee. 7.Cook for some more time till everything gets blended well.Serve hot.

A 400 year old tradition, making these dishes on Pongal. Are they different? Yes! There are no Tomatoes and Chillies used. Why? Tomatoes and Chillies came to India from South America (through Portugese merchants) only in 17th Century. Instead we use Pepper & cumin seeds.....! Ingredients: 1.Avaraikaai -1 cup chopped. 2.Pepper-2 tsp. 3.cumin/jeeragam-2 tsp. 4.Salt-As req. 5.Oil-1tbsp. Method: 1.Boil the chopped vegetable with salt.  2.Drain the remaining water. 3.In a pan pour oil and add mustard seeds. 4.Adn then add the boiled vegetable to the pan. 5.Corasly grind the pepper and cumin. 6.Add the grinded pepper cumin powder to the pan. 7.Side dish is ready.