A Relaxed Morning

So Diwali is over. Except for the sweets and food that have found comfortable places in me and are going to take a lot of dedicated hours in the gym to get rid off. We still have a few more crackers to burst this evening. I think I was around 4 when a sparkler fell on my foot. And ever since, I have not been excited about fireworks. Till about a few years back when N insisted I light a flowerpot. Now, every year thats exactly what I do- light the flower pots and the ground wheel (chakra).

We had a yummy breakfast, courtesy Mom-in-law and Seema, of Pongal and Tomato Chutney. Pongal used to be a Sunday staple back in my parents' home.

Pongal

1 cup uncooked rice
3/4 cup moong dal
1 small piece of asafoetida or a pinch of its powder
7-8 curry leaves
2 green chillies
1 tsp cumin
8 peppercorns
1.5" finely chopped ginger
Salt, Ghee, oil

Pressure cook the rice and dal with 5 cups of water with salt, asafoetida and peppercorns till soft. Heat a mixture of 2 tbsp gingelly oil and ghee or just ghee. Fry the other ingredients in it for a minute, add the cooked rice and mix well. Add a little more ghee so the rice begins to leave the sides of the pan. Garnish with cashews fried in ghee.

Tomato Chutney

4 ripe red tomatoes chopped

1 big onion chopped

1" ginger chopped fine

1 green chilly chopped

2 tsp tamarind paste

1 tsp sambhar powder

1/2 tsp mustard

1 pinch asafoetida/hing

Turmeric powder, salt to taste, oil

1 sprig curry leaves, 1 tsp coriander chopped fine

Heat 2 tbsp gingelly oil in a pan. Add hing, mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger, chilly and stir for a minute. Add the chopped onion and fry for a couple of minutes. Mix in the tomatoes, sambhar powder and a pinch of turmeric powder. Meanwhile, dilute the tamarind paste in 1/2 cup water. Add to the tomatoes after 4-5 minutes. Mix well, add salt and let cook till the veggies are all cooked and the chutney reaches desired consistency. Garnish with chopped coriander.