Kommu Senagalu Talimpu

1 cup black chickpeas/kala channa/kommu senagalu

salt to taste

Seasoning/Tadka/Poppu:

1 1/2 tsps oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp split gram dal/minappapu/urad dal

1-2 chopped green chillis

1 sprig fresh curry leaves

 Pressure cook chick peas till soft. Add salt and combine.
 Drizzle oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them pop, add the urad dal and as it turns red, add the asafoetida, chopped green chillis and curry leaves. Saute for 15-20 secs. Add the cooked chick peas and combine. Adjust salt and turn off heat.

Note: Grated coconut is optional. Add 2 tbsps of grated coconut and combine.

Rava Kesari

Rava/Sooji	1/2 cup
Sugar	1 cup
Water	1.5 cups
Ghee	1/4 cup
Cashew nuts	6
Saffron	a pinch
Warm Milk	1 tsp
Cardomom powder	1/8 tsp
Kesar food color	a pinch

Take 1 tsp of ghee and roast the cashewnuts.Soak the saffron in 1 tsp of warm milk (optional)

Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a pan and roast the rava until it turns pink in low - medium flame.A nices aroma comes out at this stage.Transfer it to a separate bowl and keep this aside

Boil 1.5 cups of water.Now add roasted rava slowly with constantly stirring so that no lumps are formed. Switch off the flame and leave it for 5 minutes so that all the water is absorbed

The rava would be now cooked in the hot water. Switch on the flame and add sugar and kesar color.The mixture will dilute at this stage. Stir it continuously to avoid lumps

Add the remaining ghee little by little until the mixture thickens.Also add the cardamom powder & soaked saffron. Switch off the flame once the required consistency is reached

Note that the consistency will get thicker after some time.So switch off the flame just before the required consistency is reached

Garnish with fried cashews

Venn Pongal

Cashew	piece	4-8
Cuminseeds	tbsp	1 1/2
Curry Leaves	leaf	6 or 7
Ghee	tbsp	2
Ginger	tbsp	1
Moong Dal	cup	1/2
Oil	to fry	3
Pepper Corns	tbsp	1
Rice	cup	1 1/2
Salt	to taste
Water	cup	6
Directions | How to make Venn Pongal
Clean and wash the moongdal and rice. In a pressure cooker, add 2-3tsp of oil, cumin, pepper corns, cashews and sauté them for a minute. Now add the ginger, curry leaves and sauté them altogether. Add the rice, moongdal, water and salt to the cooker. In a medium heat, cook until 1 whistle comes up. Remove from the heat after 1 whistle. Wait until release of the pressure of the cooker. Open the pressure cooker, add the ghee and mix them together. Serve hot with sambhar and chutney.