Pongal
Rice plus moong dal (2.5 :1) in pressure cooker with 1stuff:3 water. Add salt. A bit of jeera and some black pepper. Cook well. Really well.
In a kadhai, heat generous amounts of ghee. Add jeera, black pepper (yes again), ginger chopped really small or grated, cashews, and hing (important flavouring). Add this chownk to the cooked rice dal. Pongal done
Gojju
Cut brinjal/katrika/eggplant/aubergine/(bhindi works too). In a kadhai, heat 3 tbsp oil. Add mustard, methi, chana dal, green (or red) chilli, kadi patta, hing. Once mustard pops, add the cut katrika. Saute until done (or nearly). Add tamarind water (soaked earlier otherwise....tamarind+water+1min in mw). Let swim, simmer and soak. If too liquid thicken with a bit of rice flour slurry. I add a nugget of jaggery when it's in the jacuzzi. I just like it. Cook till thicker than sambar consistency..quite like kootu consistency.
