REASON I STARTED THIS BLOG

When I tell someone I am an Iyengar, they invariably ask me one question "Can you give me the recipe of pulioyogare?". No doubt our trademark is pulioyogare but its just not only pulioyogare. With this blog, I wish to get out all those recipes from our kitchen to all those people who are fond of our food. I remember all my friends in college would be going gaga over rasam, akki roti, pulioyogare, kolambu and many more like these prepared by my mom. Well, as for me I would be patting my back as if i prepared them.

I started this blog to express my gratitude to the person who taught me ABCs of cooking. And that special person is my grandmother whom I called Ajji/Paati. This is my sincere attempt to help people to learn not only our style of cooking but all kinds. Although I have given the name "Iyengar's Kitchen" to my blog, I will try my best to include other kinds of food too. Iyengar recipes would come definitely from my home which i have learnt from many people like firstly my ajji, my mom , dad, sisters, mother-in-law, aunt and many more in the family. Learning from them has made a better cook today. Most of all without the strong support of my husband I dont think i could have made anything because he has been my best critic. Most of other recipes that i post in the future are from my experiences living in different places, meeting different people, learning how to make their food, recipe books, internet, neighbours, relatives, friends, the list is endless:-).

This blog is also for those people who have absolutely have no interest in cooking or ever tried to enter the kitchen. I will try to keep it simple so that every person is able to understand my recipes and hopefully will generate interest in them to try these.I started this blog a few days back so i will take a little more time to update many things on the web page, like pictures, etc. All your encouragement and support will help me to make this a better page.

Hasi(raw) coconut chutney

This recipe I learnt from my mom. I believe she makes the best chutney.

Ingredients:

Coconut- 1 cup
Coriander leaves-½ cup
Tamarind-1 small piece
Ginger-1 inch piece
Green Chillies-4 or 5
One red chilly
Garlic(optional)
Roasted gram (hurgadle in kannada)-1 handful (can add more if you want to increase quantity)
Salt- as per taste

Grind all the ingredients and give a tadka or seasoning of mustard, curry leaves, in oil.

This chutney is absolutely mind blowing with Idli, Dosa, Pongal, upma....just about anything.
If you are health conscious and dont want to use too much coconut then add ½ cup of coconut and more of roasted gram.

Khara pongal

Ingredients:

Green gram dhal (split) (also known as hesar bele in kannada)-1 cup
Rice - 1 cup

For Tadka:

Oil-2 tblspn
Jeera-2tspns
Hing-one pinch
Pepper coarsely crushed-3tspns
Green chillies - 4-5 split (it depends on the spicyness of chillies)
Turmeric-½tspn
Cashewnuts -½ of handful split them and break them in pieces
curry leaves- chop them to enhance flavour
Milk- ½ cup
Ghee -2 tspns
Salt as per taste

Procedure:

1. Pressure cook the dhal n rice with little more water then usual.
2. Take oil in a big kadai(pan) , add jeera, hing, pepper crushed, chilles,
curry leaves, add the dhal and rice mixture, salt, little turmeric, mix them well.
3. Lower the flame and add the milk and mix well.
4. Just before serving add ghee and serve it hot with hasi(raw) chutney.

Happy Pongal and Shankranthi!!!!

I am starting my blog on this auspicious day of the year. Keeping in mind with the tradition I will start off with pongal. On this day of the year every household in Karnataka and Tamil nadu, prepare two kinds of pongal. The first one is sweet pongal and the second one is spicy(khara)pongal.