Keerai Pongal

KEERAI PONGAL: Ingredients: Raw rice-1 cup Split green gram-¼ cup Water-6 cups Onion-1 [finely chopped] Cumin seeds-1sp Asafetida powder-1sp Green chillies-3 [finely chopped] Ghee-¼ cup Crushed tomatoes-1 cup Crushed ginger-1sp Small eggplants-3[finely sliced] Coarsely ground peppercorns-1sp Turmeric powder-1sp Finely chopped palak leaves-2 cups Salt to taste Method: Wash the raw rice and the green gram together and soak them for ½ hour. In a cooking vessel pour the water and let it simmer. When the water is simmering, add the rice and the dal and cook under medium fire. When this is being cooked, fry the onion, cumin seeds, asafetida powder and the green chillies in the ghee in a kadai. Then add 1 cup tomato pieces and cook them until it is mashed nicely and the oil floats on the surface. Then add the eggplants and fry for a few minutes. Lastly add 2 cups of shredded keerai, 1sp crushed

ginger, turmeric powder and enough salt. Cook the vegetables nicely. When the rice is almost cooked, add the vegetables and mix well. Cook on a low fire for a few minutes until every thing is well blended.