Thiruvathira puzhukku

Ingredients:

1.  Suran/Chena - 1 cup
2. Ratalu/Kaachil - 1 cup / 1 medium sized
3. Taro root/ Chembu - 1 cup / 1 medium sized
4. Chinese potato/ Koorka - 1 cup
5. Raw Plantain/ Kaya - 1
6. Sweet potato - 1 small/ 1 cup
7. Van payar/ Red cow peas - 1/2 cup
8. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
9. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp(optional)
10. Curry leaves - 1 or 2 sprigs
11. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
12. Salt to taste

To grind

1. Grated Coconut - 1 cup
2. Jeera - 1 tsp
3. Dry red chilly - 5-6

Method:

1. Soak vanpayar overnight and pressure cook it with very little water (just enough to cover it) for 3-4 whistles.
2. Peel and cut chena, kaachil, chembu, koorka, sweet potato and kaya into cubes. Pressure cook all these with just enough water(about 2 cups), salt and turmeric powder for about 2-3 whistles.
3. Meanwhile grind the ingredients under 'To grind' to a coarse paste. Add very little or no water at all.
4. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the cooked vanpayar  and ground coconut to it.
5. Bring the pressure cooker back to medium heat and mix well. Add the coconut oil and curry leaves and give a quick stir. Switch off the stove.

Serve warm!!

Ven pongal

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Water - 4 cups
Ginger - 1 tsp
Asfoetida - a pinch
Ghee - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

To temper
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Pepper corns - 1 tsp
Cashews - 1 tbsp ( 6-8)
Asfoetida - a generous pinch
Curry leaves - a sprig

Method:

1. Wash rice and moong dal together and keep aside. Heat a tsp of ghee in a pressure cooker and fry chopped ginger and asfoetida for a minute.
2. Add water and washed rice and moong dal to the pressure cooker. Cook for 3-4 whistles on medium flame.
3. Open the pressure cooker once the pressure is released and mash the rice and moong dal.
4. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan and add jeera, pepper corns, curry leaves, cashews and asfoetida. Fry it for a minute and pour it into the pongal and mix well.

Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar!

Koova Payasam - Thiruvathira special

                              Koova payasam is a traditional Kerala recipe.It is mainly prepared on the day of Thiruvathira, in the malayalam month of Dhanu along with Thiruvathira puzhukku and broken wheat upma..

Ingredients:

Koova Podi/Arrowroot powder - 1/4 cup
Water -  1 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup grated (I used the dark
Coconut - 3-4 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Ripe Plantain / Ethapazham - 1/4 cup , cut into small pieces
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp (Optional)

Method:

1. Take a heavy bottom pan, Add all the ingredients except cardamom powder.Mix well.
2. Boil the mixture in medium heat, stirring continuously. After about 10 minutes, the mixture starts becoming thick. When the mixture has turned dark brown and the consistency is semi thick, remove it from fire .
3. Garnish it with cardamom powder. This is optional.