IYENGAR PULIYOGARE GOJJU (KARNATAKA STYLE)

Puliyogare is a South Indian rice preparation mixed with tamarind pulp and spices. It is offered to Perumal and served as prasadam in temples. Puli in Tamil is tamarind , Ogare is rice and Gojju is the paste made to mix with rice. Hence it is puliogare gojju. Puliyogare is also termed as Hulianna in some parts of Karnataka, puliyodharai in Tamil Nadu and Pulihora in Andhrapradesh.

Any Iyengar family would have these pulikkachal(🔗)/ gojju stocked and the recipe is passed down through generations. This Puliyogare gojju / Mysore Iyengar puliyogare gojju will be slightly sweetish unlike the spicy pulikkaachal of TamilNadu(🔗) and slightly different in the way it is prepared. In Karnataka, they add more jaggery, but I reduced the jaggery as I always prefer spicy paste.

INGREDIENTS:

Tamarind - tennis ball size
Crushed jaggery - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Home made rasam powder - 5 or 6 heaped tablespoons
Black sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon
Hing - 1/4 tsp.Oil - 3/4 cup

For tempering:
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1/2 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 2 or 3
Peanuts - with skin - 2 tablespoons

NOTE:

Use dark tamarind.

Make the rasam powder with byadge chillies for a bright colour.

In Karnataka, jaggery achu / blocks are used. More jaggery can be added if you like the sweet taste.

There are many variations in rasam powder which will definitely change the taste of the puliogare. If you do not have karnataka style home made rasam powder, MTR rasam powder can also be used. I will post the rasam powder used for this later.

Ensure low heat to avoid burning.

Oil should always float on top.

Temper only while mixing the rice and paste, which gives the crunchy bites and fresh taste.

METHOD:

Soak tamarind in water and extract thick pulp.

Dry roast sesame seeds until it splutters, transfer it to a plate. When cool grind it to powder. Keep aside.

Heat half the oil, add the pulp. Allow it to boil. When it boils add, rasam powder,hing and jaggery. Reduce the heat to medium and stir occasionally. Be careful not to burn the paste.

When slightly thick, add salt, reduce the flame to low and add sesame powder. Add the remaining oil. Stir well. Let it boil for few more minutes. Traditional puliyogare gojju is ready.

When cool, store it preferably in glass bottles or glass containers.

When kept at room temperature the gojju stays good for a month (only if the above mentioned oil is added). This paste can be stored in fridge for atleast 6 months.

How to prepare puliyogare:
In a tablespoon of oil, fry the items given in “tempering” to golden brown. Add little of the paste and temperings to the cooked rice. Mix well without breaking the grains. Mysore Iyengar Puliyogare is ready.

KADALAI PARUPPU BONDA / CHENNA DHAL BONDA

This is a traditional recipe made in our family. My mother in law makes this bonda for Bhogi. Along with this, general pandigai recipes and Poli is also made. As tomorrow is Bhogi, I thought of posting this kadalaiparuppu bonda recipe made in our home.

INGREDIENTS:

• Gram dhal (Kadalaiparuppu)- 1 1/2 cup
• Raw rice - 2 tablespoons
• Dry red chillies - 4
• Ginger - 1/2" piece
• Green chilly - 1 (finely chopped)
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs (finely chopped)
• Coriander leaves - fistful (finely chopped)
• Hing - a generous pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - to deep fry
• Scraped coconut - 1/4 cup (optional) 

METHOD:

1. Soak kadalaiparuppu (chenna dhal) and rice for 2 hours.
2. Drain the water completely and grind with red chillies, salt and ginger to a coarse paste by just sprinkling water. 
3. Now, add the chopped green chillies, coriander leaves, curry leaves and hing and mix well. 
4. You can also add the scraped coconut, if you wish.
5. Heat oil in a kadai, take out small balls from the ground paste, drop in gently into the oil and deep fry until golden brown. Ensure medium heat. 
6. Serve hot. 

Note: Do not refrigerate the batter after adding coconut. You can also grind green chilies instead of chopping.

KUTHIRAIVALI(BARNYARD MILLET) PANAMKALKANDU BHATH

This is a tasty, simple and mild sweet with barnyard millet, slightly different from Akkaravadisal and Sakkarai pongal. I tried the  same method as kalkandu bhath and substituted panankalkandu instead of kalkandu. It was really  good and a healthy recipe for sure.

INGREDIENTS:

Kudiraivali(Barnyard millet) OR any millet - 1 cup
Panam kalkandu (Palm Sugar candy) - 1 1/2 cup (roughly crushed)
Saffron - 1 pinch
Cashews - 10
Kismis(dry grapes) - 10
Pachaikarpooram - very little
Cardamom - 3 (powdered)
Milk - 4 cups
Ghee - 6 tablespoons

Panamkalkandu (Palm sugar candy)

                                    
METHOD:

Soak saffron in a tablespoon of hot milk. Fry cashews and kismis in a spoon of ghee. Keep aside.

Clean and wash the millets. Drain the water completely. Pressure cook barnyard millet in milk for 4 whistles. While hot, mash it well. Add panankalkandu and mix well on stove. Its not necessary to powder the panam kalkandu. It automatically dissolves in a few minutes on heat. While mixing the texture becomes watery, do not panic, it will thicken when warm. 

Now add 1/2 of the ghee and stir for a while. Add powdered cardamom, saffron and pachaikarpooram. Add in the remaining ghee. Mix well. Garnish with ghee-fried cashews and kismis.

NOTE: The dish should be semi-solid and more milk can be added to get the desired consistency.

PONGAL

HAPPY BHOGI, PONGAL AND KANU TO  ALL!!

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE GUIDE  ON BHOGI, PONGAL AND KANU FESTIVALS 

PULIKKACHAL

Pulikkachal is a spicy, tangy instant rice mix. It is the paste used for making puliyodharai. This is "Neyar Viruppam" from many friends. This is exclusively pulikkachal preparation.

INGREDIENTS:

• Tamarind extract – 2 cups
• Mustard seeds- 1 tsp. 
• Chenna dal – 1 tsp
• Dry red chillies – 4 
• Methi seeds – ½ tsp 
• Groundnuts- 2 tsp. 
• Curry leaves - few 
• Hing 
• Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp.
• Gingelly oil -1 cup
• Salt 

METHOD:

Soak 2 lemon sized balls of tamarind in lukewarm water, extract pulp and keep aside. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat gingelly oil, add all the ingredients except the tamarind extract. When they turn golden brown, add the pulp and stir till it becomes like a paste. This is pulikkachal. This can be stored for 2 to 3 months in a refrigerator. Puliyodharai preparation is here.

Dry roast pepper, red chillies, coriander seeds, chenna dal and methi seeds and powder it in a mixie. This can be stored in an air-tight container.

NOTE: Pulikkachal + the powder mentioned in puliyodharai preparation makes puliyodharai distinct & unique and also enhances the flavour.

PONGAL CELEBRATIONS AT HOME

The turmeric plant at our backyard in full bloom three months before



Harvest before the festival Bhogi



My daughter puts a kolam in the frontyard for the festival



Pongal paanai decorated with the harvested turmeric





Kanu festival

AVIYAL FOR KANU

Aviyal is delicious south indian sidedish made with mixed vegetables. It is a traditional recipe of kerala. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Mixed vegetables - 3 cups ( beans, carrot, yam, ash gourd, pumpkin, raw banana etc.) Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Green chillies - 4 
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp. 
• Curry leaves(optional) - 1 sprig
• Thick curd - 1cup
• Coconut oil - 2 tablespoons 
• Salt - as per taste

METHOD:

1. Soak cumin seeds in water for 5 minutes and grind it along with scraped coconut and green chillies. Cut all the vegetables into thin long strips. 
2. Cook the vegetables in very little water and salt. 
3. When done add the ground paste and allow it to boil till the raw smell goes away. 
4. Switch off the stove and add the curd and mix well. 
5. Pour the coconut oil into it and mix well. 

This is an excellent combo for adai also.

SANKARANTHI KOOTU

Sankaranthi kootu is a yummy side dish made with healthy seasonal country vegetables. It is a great side dish for venn pongal. It is also one of the main dishes during pongal festival.

INGREDIENTS:

• Mixed vegetables - 3 cups (Pooshani, avarai, kathiri, Senai, Saembu, vazhai) 
• Field bean shelled (Mochai) - 1/2 cup 
• Cooked toor dhal - 1/2 cup 
• Tamarind - half the lemon size 
• Sambar powder - 1 tsp. 
• Green chillies - 2
• Red chillies - 1 
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp. 
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp. 
• Urad dhal - 1 tsp. 
• Scraped coconut - 1/2 cup 
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs 
• Hing 
• Salt - as per taste 
• Oil - 2 tablespoon

METHOD:

• Boil saembu, peel the skin. 
• Slit green chillies. 
• Cut all the vegetables into medium-sized cubes and cook it in a cup of water with salt, green chillies, turmeric powder and hing. Soak tamarind in little water and extract juice.
• Add the boiled saembu, tamarind water, cooked and mashed toor dhal and sambhar powder. 
• Allow it to boil for a while. 
• When slightly thick, add the scraped coconut, mix well. 
• Season it with mustard seeds, urad dhal, curry leaves and red chillies.

POLI

Poli (Boli) is a traditional indian sweet stuffed with coconut, jaggery, channa dal and rolled into a flatbread. It is one of the special dishes prepared during the Tamil festivals Bhogi, and Avani avittam.

It is also known as Puran Poli (North India), Obbattu (Karnataka).

Poli / Bholi

Total Time: 2 hours
Prep Time: 1.5 hour
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 10 to 12 Poli

INGREDIENTS:

Dough

• Maida - 1 cup
• Gingelly oil - 2 tablespoons
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Salt - a pinch

Filling

• Gram dhal - 1 cup
• Jaggery - 1 cup
• Cardamom - 4
• Scraped coconut - 1 cup

Other ingredients

• Banana leaf or plastic sheet - 1
• Ghee - 4 to 5 tablespoons

METHOD:

1. Mix maida, gingelly oil, salt and turmeric powder sprinkling little water.
2. Dry roast gram dal till golden brown and soak in water for an hour. 
3. Grind it along with scraped coconut. 
4. Now add the jaggery and cardamom and grind again. (Do not add the jaggery in the beginning).
5. Heat a heavy bottomed pan, saute the above ground mixture and stir till it is thick like a ball.
6. Allow it to cool. 
7. Take a banana leaf or plastic sheet. Take out a small ball of the maida dough, spread it with your hand.
8. Place a small ball of the dhal jaggery mixture on it
9. Wrap the jaggery mixture with dough and again spread it with your hand.
10. Heat a tawa, smear it with ghee and place the poli on it. Drizzle ghee to the sides. 
11. Flip it to the other side and again drizzle ghee to the sides. (Remove from tawa when brown dots appear.)
12. Serve hot with some more ghee spread on the top.

VARIATION: 

1. Mix maida, salt, turmeric powder and water. Do not use gingelly oil for the dough. This dough will be like chappathi dough. 
2. Roll out chappathis, place the filling and cover. 
3. Roll again using a roller. 
4. Other procedures are the same.

PONGAL KUZHAMBU / PONGAKKUZHAMBU

This kozhambu is done on PONGAL festival as a side dish for Vennpongal . It is actually Pongal Kuzhambu, coloquially told as pongakkozhambhu. This is slightly watery with lots of vegetables in it. This recipe slightly varies from the normal kuzhambhu and it has its own aroma with the country vegetables available during the season. This is my grandma's and mom's version.

INGREDIENTS:

• Tamarind - lemon size
• Mixed green vegetables, preferably country vegetables - 2 cups (Any vegetable can be used)
• Toor dhal - 1 tablespoon
• Salt - as per taste
• Oil - 2 tablespoons
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
• Urad dhal - 1 tsp.
• Jeera - 1 tsp.
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
• Sambhar powder - 1 1/2 tsp.
• Green chillies - 3
• Hing
• Curry leaves - few

METHOD:

1. Soak tamarind in lukewarm water, squeeze, filter and keep aside.
2. Pressure cook toor dhal with a pinch of turmeric powder. 
3. Chop all the vegetables to big pieces.
4. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds. 
5. When it splutters, add urad dal, turmeric powder, green chillies, curry leaves and hing. 
6. When golden brown, add jeera, saute for 5 - 10 seconds, add all the vegetables and saute for 5 minutes. 
7. Now add the tamarind water, sambhar powder, salt and mashed toor dhal. 
8. Allow it to boil till tamarind diffuses its raw smell. Serve hot with pongal.

SARKARAI PONGAL (SWEET PONGAL)

Sakkarai Pongal is an important offering to God and also a prasadam given in all temples. It is a rice based sweet made during festivals. Adding pachai karpooram, saffron and crushed cardamom enhances its taste.

INGREDIENTS:

• Raw rice - 1 cup
• Moong dhal - 2 tablespoons
• Water - 3 cups
• Crushed jaggery - 2 cups
• Cashews - 1 spoon
• Raisins - 1 spoon
• Ghee - 1 ladle
• Pachai karpooram, cardamom and saffron - optional

METHOD:

Wash rice and dhal together and pressure cook for 4 whistles.

Crush and powder jaggery. In half a cup of water, dissolve jaggery and strain it without any mud. Boil it till the raw smell diffuses. Take out the rice, mash well and add it to the jaggery. Mix well and stir in a low flame till thick.

In a pan, heat a spoon of ghee and fry the cashews till golden brown and also the raisins. Pour it over the rice. Add the remaining ghee, saffron, pachaikarpooram and powdered cardamom, mix well and serve hot.

VENN PONGAL / VENNPONGAL

Venn Pongal (Rice Pongal) is delicious traditional south indian breakfast. No visit to Tamil Nadu or Karnataka is complete without tasting a plate of piping hot venn pongal with Sambar & Chutney.  This is another famous perumal koil prasadam.

INGREDIENTS:

• Raw rice: 3/4 cup
• Moong dhal - 1/4 cup
• Water - 31/2 cups
• Grated ginger - 1/2 tsp.
• Salt 
• Hing - a pinch
• Pepper - 1 tsp.
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
• Curry leaves - few
• Ghee - 1 ladle
• Cashews - 2 tsp.

METHOD:

Pressure cook rice and dhal without adding salt.

In a pan, heat a spoon of ghee and fry cashews till golden brown. Keep aside.

In the same pan, heat a tablespoon of ghee, add pepper. When pepper splutters, add cumin seeds, curry leaves, grated ginger and hing. Pour it over the rice. Add salt as per taste and mix well. Garnish with cashews. Add the remaining ghee while serving.

Have it with coconut chutney or kothamalli chutney.

IYENGAR PULIYODHARAI / IYENGAR PULIYODARAI

Puliyodharai in Tamil / Puliyogare in Kannada is the most preferred tangy 'prasadam' in Perumal temples which sets the taste buds tingling. This rice recipe is synonymous with Iyengar and Iyengar cuisine. It is a unique rice preparation mixed with tamarind pulp and specific spices.

INGREDIENTS FOR PULIYODHARAI:

• Cooked rice 
• Pulikkachal
• Puliyodharai podi called as Mael podi

HOW TO MAKE PULIKKACHAL?

Ingredients for Pulikkachal:

• Tamarind - tennis ball size
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
• Dry red chillies - 10 -15
• Methi seeds - ½ tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Hing - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
• Gingelly oil - 1/2 cup
• Salt - as needed (preferably crystal sea salt - kal uppu)

HOW TO MAKE PULIYODHARAI PODI?

Ingredients for Mel podi (puliyodharai podi):

• Pepper - 1 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 4 to 5
• Coriander seeds - 4 tablespoons
• Methi seeds - ¼ tsp.
• Oil - ½ spoon

TEMPERINGS WHILE MIXING:

To temper in gingelly oil:

• Urad Dhal
• Chenna dal
• Groundnuts 
• Dry red chillies 
• Curry leaves

METHOD:

Soak tamarind in lukewarm water, extract pulp and keep aside.

In a kadai, dry roast methi seeds, keep aside. In the same pan, heat oil and add pepper, red chillies, coriander seeds, fry until golden brown and powder it along with methi seeds in a mixie. This is the mel podi.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat gingelly oil, add the ingredients mentioned in "for pulikkachal", one by one, except the tamarind pulp. When they turn golden brown, add the tamarind pulp and stir frequently until it becomes like a paste. This is pulikkachal. This can be stored for more than 2 to 3 months if prepared perfectly. You can also store this in the refrigerator.

HOW TO MAKE PULIYODHARAI?

Cook rice in such a way that the grains are separate and not sticky. In Tamil, we say it as 'killu padham'. Spread the cooked rice in a plate, add fresh gingelly oil and allow it to cool. When cool, add pulikkachal, temperings and the mel podi to the cooked rice, according to the requirement, Mix gently without breaking the grains. Iyengar special puliyodharai is ready.

NOTE:

Mel podi can be made more and stored in an air-tight container.

Raw rice (pachcharisi) should be used. The cooked rice should not be mushy. The grains should be separate without sticking.

LEMON RICE

Lemon Rice

INGREDIENTS:

• Cooked rice- 2 cups
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp.
• Urad dal – ½ tsp.
• Chenna dal – ½ tsp. 
• Groundnuts – 1 tsp. 
• Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp.
• Hing – a pinch
• Dry red chillies – 2 curry leaves – few
• Coriander leaves – few
• Lime – 1 
• Salt 
• Oil

METHOD:

1. In a kadai, heat oil, add mustard seeds. 
2. When they splutter add urad dal, chenna dal, dry chillies, groundnuts, curry leaves, turmeric powder and hing. 
3. When golden brown off the stove and add cooked rice, and salt. 
4. Squeeze the juice of a lemon and gently turn it around and mix well without breaking the rice grains. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Coconut rice / Thengai sadham

Coconut rice is a mildly flavoured, tasty South Indian rice recipe. It is an easy lunch box recipe.It is also made during Aadi 18 festival.

INGREDIENTS:

• Cooked rice - 2 cups
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
• Split urad dhal - 1 tsp.
• Chenna dhal - 1/2 tsp.
• Dry red chillies - 1 or 2
• Curry leaves - few
• Hing - a pinch
• Scraped coconut - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 1 tsp.
• Ghee - 1/2 tsp.

METHOD:

1. In a kadai, heat oil, add all the ingredients except coconut and saute till golden brown. 
2. Now add the scraped coconut and saute for some time till it changes its colour and be careful, it should not become brown. 
3. Switch off the stove. 
4. Now add the cooked rice, and ghee. Mix gently without breaking the rice. 
5. Your coconut rice is ready.