Pongal

Ingredients:
1.)Rice - 1 cup
2.)pesara pappu - 1/4 the cup
3.)pepper corns- 1tbsp
4.)curry leaves - 10
5.)astefodia - pinch
6.)cumin seeds - 2 tsp
7.)salt to taste
8.)cashewnuts - 8
9.)ghee/oil - 1tbsp

Procedure:
Wash rice and pesara papu. In a pan add rice and pesara papu and add water in the ratio of for 1 cup of rice/ dal 2 and 1/4 cups of water and let it boil(Amount of water may vary based on the rice u use). In a presuure cooker cook it for about 6-7 whistles. Then once the steam is gone add salt and mash the rice and dal mixture to a coarse paste.
In another pan, add ghee/oil. When it is hot add cumin seeds, pepper corns, astefodia, cashews. curry leaves. WHen the start spluttering and the cashews get brown add this mixture to the rice and dal mixtures and mix well. Pongal is ready to serve. this goes well with mango pickle or any chutney.

Sakara/Sweet Pongal

Ingredients:
1.)Rice - 1 cup
2.)pesara pappu - 1/4 the cup
3.)cardamon powder - 1tsp
4.)jaggery 3/4 cup(depending on how sweet u want the dish to be vary the amount of jaggery)
5.)Ghee - 1tbsp
6.)raisins - 8
7.)cashews - 8(or any nut that u like)
8.)milk - 2 cups

Procedure:
Wash rice and pesara papu. In a pan add rice and pesara papu and add 2 cups of water and tow cups of milk and let it boil. Ina presuure cooker cook it for about 6-7 whistles.
In the meanwhile take the jaggery and dissolve it it hotwater (to disolve jagerry faster, take jagerry ina bowl add a little water and put it in the microwave for a couple of mins until u find the jaggery dissolved.).Then once the steam is gone add the dissolved jaggery and mash the rice and dal mixture to a coarse paste.Now again put the mixture back on to the stove.To it add cardamon powder and mixwell. Keep mixing occasionally other wise the misture stick to the bottom of the pan. Leave it on the stove for about 5 mins.
In another pan, add ghee/oil. When it is hot add Cashews and raisins. When the raisins and puffed and cashews are brown add this to the rice and dal mixture and mix well. Pongal is ready to serve.