Ulundhu Saadham. Urad Dal Kitchedi/kitcheri. Ulundhu Pongal.

This recipe was prepared by my family friend ‘Meena Aunty. Though she is from Palayamkottai, uncle is from Thirunelveli. Well…she made this Urad Dal Pongal on some special occasion and called this as ‘ Thirunelveli Ulundhu Saadham’! I thought urad dal will make the pongal very gooey! But she did add enough oil…so the rice was pretty much stiff and well seperated infact.

Ingredients:

Raw rice 1 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup(broken, washed)
Salt
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 5-7
Wholepeppercorns 2 spoons
Cumin seeds 2 spoons
Curry leaves 4 twigs
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Ghee/Oil 1/2 cup.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, heat 2 spoons of ghee. Add rice and urad dal. Add salt and 4-5 cups of water. Pressure cook till tender and soft. Maybe till 6-7 whistles.

In a seperate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, pepper, cumin, chilies, asafoetida and curry leaves. Let them crack and splutter well.

Now run this sesonning over the cooked rice-lentils setup. Mix thouroughly.

Serve steaming hot! Maybe with coconut chutney and onion sambar would be a good choice.