Little Millet / Saamai Pongal

Millets in may series post 5- Little millet Pongal

The class 10 CBSE results are out today and my elder daughter Tharini has scored 98%  🎉!! So, here is something sweet to celebrate the occasion! What better than a delicious sweet Pongal? And when made healthier with millets, even better, na? Pongal is an all-time family favourite. As all of us love desserts at home so sweet Pongal is more of a dessert after the savoury Pongal for us 😉. Though rice Pongal is a regular at home for us, it is only recently that I started making Pongal out of millets. And I must say, it tastes good! Top it with some ghee fried cashews and grated coconut, and finish your traditional Sunday breakfast in style 😎

Health Benefits of Little Millets- Health benefits of Little millet- it is high in iron content and dietary fibers. It has medicinal properties and is useful in curing liver diseases, heart burn, indigestion and menstrual problems.

Click on the link below for more information on millets

https://laksmiscookbook.blogspot.com/2019/05/millets-what-you-need-to-know.html

Sweet Pongal Recipe

https://laksmiscookbook.blogspot.com/2019/01/sweet-pongal.html

Ven Pongal Recipe

https://laksmiscookbook.blogspot.com/2019/01/ven-pongal-savoury-khara-pongal.html

Preparation time: 10 minutes| Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutesCourse: Breakfast| Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

Little millet- 1 cup

Moong dal- ½ cup

Water- 4 cups

Jaggery- ¾ to 1 cup                                

Cardamom powder- a pinch

Ghee- 2 tblsp

For seasoning

Ghee- 1 tblsp

Cashews- 6 to8

Riasins- a few

Method:

1.      Take both millet and dal in a container together and wash and clean it. Repeat the process two or three times, to get it cleaned fully.

2.      Add the millet and dal to a cooker. Add four cups of water. Cook on medium flame for 4 to 5 whistles.

3.      Let the pressure release on its own.

4.      In the meanwhile, take jaggery in a vessel. Add ½ cup of water to it. Cook it on medium flame until jaggery fully dissolves. Switch off flame. Filter the jaggery syrup to remove impurities.

5.      Once pressure releases, open the lid of the cooker and slightly mash the millet and dal.

6.      Again, place it on stove and add the jaggery syrup to the millet mixture. Let it boil for a minute or two.

7.       Add a pinch of cardamom powder and 2tblsp of ghee to it and mix everything well. Switch off flame.

8.      Make sure that the Pongal doesn’t become very thick, when you switch off, because millet Pongal becomes more thicker, as it cools down.

9.      Heat ghee in a kadai. Add cashews and raisins. Fry till it turns golden brown. Switch off flame. Add this to the millet Pongal and give it a mix.

Notes:

·        This can be prepared with any millet of your choice. Always eat millet dishes, when it is hot or warm. If it gets cold, it becomes kind of dry and doesn't taste good.

·        If Pongal becomes very thick, you can add ½ cup of water or milk to it and give it one boil.

·        You can add some grated coconut on top, while serving. It enhances the taste.

Step by step pictures

 clean millet and dal.

add it to pressure cooker

add 4 cups of water and pressure

cook on medium flame for 4 to 5 whistles.

switch off flame and let the

 pressure release on its own

 meanwhile, take jaggery and water in a

vessel and cook on medium flame 

until it completely dissolves.

switch off flame and filter it

 when the pressure releases, 

mash the millet and dal

 place it on stove again and 

add the jaggery syrup and mix well

let it boil for a minute or two

add a pinch of cardamom powder and ghee
give a mix and switch off

heat ghee in a kadai. 

add cashews and raisins

fry till golden brown

add it to the pongal and give a mix.

serve hot.