1 cup rice such as Jasmin rice or sona masuri rice. You need starchy glutinous rice, so don’t use Basmati rice
1 cup moong dal
2 tbsp ghee
1 inch ginger piece, finely chopped
1 green chili, cut in 4 pieces
6 cups water. Ven Pongal is supposed to be soft and hence more water than usual
1 tsp salt or to taste
For Tempering
1 tbsp ghee
1 1/2 tsp black pepper corns
2 tsp Cumin seeds
15-20 cashews, broken into pieces
1/2 tsp asafetida
15-20 curry leaves
Method:
Ven Pongal
Dry roast rice and dal over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Dal should not change its color. Once you feel the nice aroma of the dal turn off the heat and rinse it in water for a couple of times
Put instant pot in sauté mode. If using pressure cooker, put on medium heat
Melt ghee, add finely chopped ginger, green chili pieces and sauté for 30 seconds
Add the rice and dal, mix well and sauté for a minute
Then add water, salt and start cooking. If you are using Instant Pot, cook in a mode that cooks for 10 minutes under pressure. If using pressure cooker, cook for 4 whistles
When you are able to safely open, start preparing the tempering
Tempering
Put your tempering pan on medium heat
Melt ghee and roast cashews in it. Once the cashews turns golden, add pepper corns, cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafetida and mix for 30 seconds and then turn off the heat
Add the tempering to the pongal and mix well. Feel free to add more ghee at the end to get nicer aroma and taste!
Serve Ven pongal hot with chutney, sambar and vada!
In a pan heat 2 tsp oil, add the cut eggplants, 1/2 tsp salt and cook covered till soft and light brown in color, gently sautéing every once in a while
Keep aside the cooked eggplants
To the same pan, add 1 tsp oil, cumin seeds, bay leaf and asafetida. Sauté for 5-10 seconds till cumin seeds pop
Add chopped onion, ginger garlic paste and sauté well for 2-3 minutes
Add gram flour and roast on low flame for 4-5 minutes
Add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala and sauté for a minute
Add 1/2 cup water and 1 cup whisked yogurt, keeping the flame on low. Stir continuously till the yogurt is mixed well
Add the cooked eggplants, 1/2 tsp salt and mix well, then cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes
Add crushed kasuri methi and coriander leaves and mix well
Serve hot with any Indian bread such as millet roti, chapati or kulcha
250 ml thick butter milk, cold (churned full-fat yogurt with some added water)
Zest from 2 oranges
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup dried fruits such as golden raisins, chopped dried apricots, chopped dried orange
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
In a small bowl, combine cold buttermilk, orange zest and give it quick whisk and put aside
In a bowl, toss the raisins with 1 tbsp flour to coat and put aside
In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt
Add in diced butter and mix well for about 2-3 minutes
Pour in the buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined
Add walnuts / pecans and raisins and mix well for 10 seconds
Plop the very wet batter onto a floured surface. Give it a light kneading and shape it into a ball
Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet
Score an ‘X’ on the surface by cutting it at the middle in both the directions… make full cut through the depth of the dough
Do not overwork your dough and put it straight in the oven (lower rack) after making a cross cut. No need to rest the dough
Bake for about 40-45 minutes in the lower rack until a skewer comes out clean. Note that smaller ovens can cook faster and so start monitoring after 35 minutes of baking
Tap the base of your loaf for that hollow sound to ensure it has cooked through
Dark Compound Chocolate – 140g (You can give your brownie very interesting twist by adding flavored dark chocolate, such as Lindt Excellence Intense Orange Dark Chocolate Bar)
Salted Butter – 60g (1/4 cup) / if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp salt
Condensed Milk – 80g (1/4 cup)
Milk – 125ml (1/2 cup)
Powdered Sugar – 65g (1/2 cup)
Maida / Plain Flour – 95g (3/4 cup)
Cocoa Powder – 28g (4 tbsp)
Baking Soda (and not Baking Powder!) – slightly less than 1/4 tsp
Walnuts to garnish – about 1/4 cup
Method:
Cut the dark chocolate into small pieces /flakes and put into metal bowl
Add the salted butter
Over a pot of boiling water, place the bowl (make sure the base is not touching the boiling water)
Stir while the chocolate and butter melt into a smooth paste
Place the metal bowl aside to let the mixture cool
Preheat oven to 180 C (about 360 F). Turn on Convection Fan
Prepare baking tin by lining with parchment paper – cut off all paper going above the sides of the tin. (Using butter or oil to grease the baking tin affects the flavor of the brownies so parchment paper is recommended)
To the cooled chocolate and butter mix, add room temperature condensed milk (if it is cold, it will cause the chocolate-butter mix to solidify) and mix thoroughly
Add the room temperature milk and mix thoroughly
In a sieve held above the metal bowl, add powdered sugar, flour and cocoa powder
Add baking soda – amount will depend on whether you want a cake-like or fudge-like texture in your brownies
Sieve all the dry ingredients into the mix
If additional ingredients like chocolates, nuts, etc are desired, add them over the flour mix – the flour coating prevents them from sinking to the bottom
Stir the mix thoroughly, it will start to thicken
Quickly pour into baking tin and even out the mix – it is OK if the corners are thicker. Center should not be too thick otherwise the brownie will be rounded as it bakes
Garnish with chopped walnuts
Put into pre-heated oven (middle rack) to cook for 30 mins
Once baked, remove from oven and cool for half an hour
Parchment paper will lift out of the baking tin easily
Veggie Foodie 
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