Multi Millet Pongal

I'm on a "millet cooking" spree. This time it is pongal with assorted millets.

Of all the south indian tiffin varieties, I love Pongal the best. Especially the one from Saravana Bhavan. Yum!

During my semester holidays my mom and her colleagues use to take me on a "so-called-vacation-turned-into-a-complete-temple-trip".Grrr.... My friend S and her mom use to tag along. S , her mom , my mom and I have had numerous funny experiences together. Every semester there will be at least one paper that will threaten us and I'll keep cribbing about it to S. Poor soul had to bear that all the time! We use to write the names of all our friends and put it in the hundial (A collection box used in Hindu temples) assuming God will read our petition :-P and help us pass the subject.(lol!) Dhanushkodi-Rameswaram trip was one of a kind. 2 other friends of mine SG and GR joined the trip and it was such a fun filled memorable vacation. Most girls never get a chance to go on a trip on their own. But with super chillax mommies around, we had no restrictions and enjoyed as much as we could.

Starting with the jeep safari from Rameswaram to Dhanushkodi, the photo sessions inside the dilapidated buildings of Dhanushkodi, the beautiful sight of Srilankan border and Ramar palam, the car chase to catch the train (due to the change in train timings that we noticed in the last minute), the midnight drive on the rameswaram bridge, the giggling and gossiping all the time with our best pals.....  Aw...Miss those lovely days!I was reminded of these because of the food I ate for breakfast during these trips. It use to be Pongal always!


Here is the multi millet pongal recipe

 

Serves 2-3
Prep Time : 5 minutes
Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup assorted millets (little,pearl,foxtail, kodo,proso millets,bajra,jowar,black sesame seeds 2 table spoon each)
(I used the assorted millets packet from NallaKeerai . This packet had mung dal as well)
1/4 cup Mung Dal
4  cups of Water

To Temper
2-3 table spoon ghee 
3 teaspoon grated ginger
A bunch of curry leaves
10 peppercorns  or 3 teaspoons pepper powder
2-3 teaspoons Cumin seeds/Jeera
Salt as needed
A pinch of Asafoetida
5-6 Cashew nuts

 Method:

1. Dry Roast the assorted millets, and mung dal separately for few minutes until they are hot.
2. Take a pressure cooker and add these millets and dal and pour 4 cups of water.
( I generally add cumin-pepper powder along with the pongal because most of us don't eat the peppercorns)
3. Leave it for 4-5 whistles until it gets a mushy texture and open it after the pressure subsides.
4. In a separate pan add 1  tablespoon ghee and once it is hot add grated ginger and asafoetida and saute it until the raw smell disappears and add it to pongal
5. Again in the same pan, add 1 tablespoon ghee add peppercorns wait until it splutters, then add cashewnuts, jeera and curry leaves in that order and mix it with pongal.
6. Finally drizzle 1 tablespoon of ghee over the pongal and serve hot with coconut chutney.


Note: This is no different from the normal pongal we do.

Tidbits

Did you know curry leaves

1. are good for eye sight
2. reduce hair fall and improves hair growth
3. can relieve from indigestion