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Ghee rice is an easy prep which fits all special occasions. I had it with Nilgiri Chicken Kurma as a side, but this can be combined with any chicken/veg gravy. If you are having guests at short notice, here’s a simple recipe to surprise them for sure.
Happy Tamil New year Friends !!
I was thinking to do something sweet on the Tamil New year day but wasn’t sure what to do. Suddenly got reminded of the rock sugar which I recently brought from Indian groceries and got this recipe from my MIL. She was telling me that this would taste like halwa as we add more milk and ghee. Trust me, they tasted really like halwa !!! I added more milk than water, also the ghee improved it’s taste.
I don’t remember a special occasion on when this is prepared at our houses, but these days Kalkandu pongal is served in marriages at my palce for dinner.
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Dhal fry is a very famous north Indian dish. Normally called as, ‘Tadka dhal Fry’ meaning seasoned lentil fry, seasoning the cooked dhal. It is served in most of the Indian restaurants. Any dhal varieties can be used to cook this dish. In a typical south Indian family, dhal will be cooked at least once a week. Dhal is rich in nutrients. When I was a kid, I remember harvesting dhal from our farms. They will be mixed with red soil and kept covered in the floor ( not sure, why ) for 1 or 2 days, cleaned thoroughly and cooked. Dhal with shells on is rich in fiber, my grand mother never split them before cooking.
If the cooked dhal turns out too thick, add little hot water to get your required consistency. Season the cooked dhal 5 min before serving, for a better taste. Add a little ghee to give it that extra taste. I became a fan of dhal fry since I started working.
One of the authentic ways of cooking Obbutu at Kongunadu. Opputu is how we call it at my house, first time hearing is it ? During local festivals at temples, when we all get together we used to make this at my granny’s place. I am not sure how this name came about, but I will surely enquire. We often make it with channa dhal filling, but sometimes we do replace them with coconut sugar fillings. Both tastes good, but I am an avid fan for coconut stuffing than channa dhal.
I used to bug my mom to prepare this very often at home, since it required some process my mom used to buy me from a famous shop near my house. I am crazy about it. At least 4 times a month I bug my mom to get it for me. Sometimes I finish it all without leaving the traces.. he he he…. Later on they closed that shop.I was very much disappointed, after all it was a great loss for me. Never had the coconut stuffing after that. Should ask my mom to start the quest to find the best shop, when I go home next time, I would bug her to get me every day. he he he ….
One of the Kongunadu recipes. These days there are very few marriages at my place without curd semiya, quite famous among kids too. Some people add rice to it and some cook semiya in the normal procedure and add curd to it. We use home made curd which we freshly prepared from the milk we get from our farms. It would be thick, creamy and with slight natural sweetness. Curd with white rice would be our last meal in our lunch for sure. I miss the fresh homemade ones here .. We add pomegranate to curd rices and semiya. In this procedure, tempering can be skipped. It can be severed as it is or cold. You can see the tips to make home made curd in US here.
This is a simplified version of bisibelabath. Hang on, I didn’t mean the authentic one, it’s my version. When you feel lazy to cook, this would be an easier recipe with a quick cook time. Of course, dhal with ghee tastes heavenly and you can add any vegetables of your taste. Though it is sort of an instance recipe, it vanishes from the plate pretty fast.
