Dal Curry

The simplest of all dishes I present here is the basic dal curry, which can be eaten with rice, dosa or idlies...

Pongal

Pongal is one of the main rice dishes of Tamil Nadu.
Simple and easy to prepare. Can be eaten along best with sambhar or with pickle.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1 cup
Jeera - 1 tsp
Slightly ground pepper balls - 1 tsp
Cashew nuts - 3 or 4 nos.(Optional)
Dry grapes - 1 tsp(Optional)
Ghee/Oil - 2-4 tsp

Method of preparation:
1) Heat ghee in pressure cooker. Add jeera, slightly ground pepper balls, grapes and cashew nuts.
2) Wash rice and moong dal thoroughly with water. Add rice and moong dal to the pressure cooker. Add 4 cups of water. For 1 cup of rice and 1 cup moong dal, add double the water to the pressure cooker. That's 4 cups of water for 2 cups of rice-moong dal.
3) Add salt to taste. Close the pressure cooker. After the first whistle blows, keep flame low for another 5 minutes.
4) Allow the pressure cooker to cool on its own to release the pressure.
5) Pongal is ready. Its best to served hot with sambhar. Other alternative could be to serve it with pickle.