Sankranthi Subhakankshalu / Happy Pongal

Happy Sankranti to my fellow bloggers. No celebration is complete in south india without a sweet and rice preparation and a muggu/kolam/rangoli :) . My cousin sister who studies near chennai dropped by to celebrate pongal and made a beautifull rangoli for us !!

Today I took the opportunity to prepare a biyyam parvanam / rice kheer with a little twist to bring some magic to the flavors. With the kheer I prepared pulihora/tamarind rice.I had posted another version of pulihora earlier which was my MIL version while this one is my mothers style. 

So let me share both my festival recipes today : ) 

Rice Kheer

Ingredients

• 4 cups full fat milk
• 1/3 cup basmati rice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 pods crushed cardamon
• 8 finely chopped pista
• 1 tbsp chopped cashewnuts
• 1 tbsp condensed milk - milkmaid
• 2 tbsp kismis / raisins 
• 1 tsp ghee / clarified butter
• pinch of saffron

Procedure

Pressure cook the rice with one cup milk for 3 whistles for 10 minutes in sim. Switch it off then one the pressure releases remove the lid and mash the cooked rice to make it more soft.

Boil the milk and add the above mashed rice and let it boil, the milk will  begins to thick. Add the sugar , condensed milk and saffron and stir and let it boil for 5 minutes. switch off the flame and let it cool.

Fry the chopped cashewnuts with 1tsp ghee till light golden brown, then add the kismis and a little chopped pista, once the kismis become fluffy add the cardamom powder and then add this to the kheer.

Garnish with remaining pista serve warm or chilled as you prefer

Note: Using basmati rice brings more flavor to the kheer 

Pulihora / Tamarind Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• a big lemon size tamarind soak in 1 cup water
• 4 red chillies
• 2 tbsp channa dal
• 1 tbsp urad dal
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 3 springs curry leaves
• 2 tbsp peanuts
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 green chilli
• 1/8 tsp hing
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp jaggery
• 1/8 cup oil
• salt to taste

Cooking procedure

Soak the tamarind in warm water for 30 min ,then nicely squeeze and extract the pulp and keep aside.
Soak channa dal with enough water for 30 minutes
Cook the rice with 2 cups of water and with a 1 tsp oil in pressure cooker for 3 whistles .

Dry roast sesame seeds with 1 red chilli and a pinch of cummin seeds, once sesame seeds start to splutter transfer it immediately to a plate to cool after that make a fine powder and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan add urad dal ,peanuts, mustard seeds ,fenugeerk seeds and when mustard seeds starts to splutter add the channa dal soaked earlier and fry till it appears golden color. Then add the red chilli,curry leaves,turmeric and hing and stir for 30 sec ,then add tamarind pulp and jaggery and stir n cook till the mixture become a thick and when oil begins to saturate switch off the flame and let it cool.

Mix the above mixture to the rice till it blends nicely with rice ,then mix the sesame seed powder nicely ,then cover n keep aside for 30 min before you serve

Note :

• You can prepare the tamarind paste before ,store in the jar and refregirate it ,use when ever u want .
• If u add more jaggery then will get the sweeter version of pulihora
• Adding sesame seed powder will balance the tangy flavors