Parippu vada and tea ( Channa dal fritters)

Ingredients

Kadala parippu(Channa dal) - 1 cup
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - grated 2 tbsp
Garlic - 4 cloves finely chopped
Green Chilly - 4-6  chopped
Curry Leaves - 3 tbsp chopped
Coriander leaves - 1 cup chopped
Salt to taste
Oil for deep fry

Soak  channa dal for at least 2 hours. Drain the water completely. Now grind this coarsely without adding water, take care not to grind it to a fine paste.
To this add all the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Meanwhile heat enough oil in a pan.
Take small amount of the dal mixture and make a ball.Place in the center of the palm,slightly press it with your palm and make patties and drop into the hot oil.
Cook until dark brown and crisp. Hot and crisp Parippu vada (Channa dal fritters) is ready to serve with hot tea

Pongala Payasam - Sweet rice pudding

Its basic ingredients are rice, jaggery and ghee. This has an unique taste as we add grated coconut, some chopped bananas, and finally for flavour cardamom powder.

Ingredients

Kerala matta rice(brown rice) or raw rice - 1 cup
Jaggery - 3 balls (grated)
Ghee - 1 cup(be generous adding ghee)
Grated coconut - 1 cup ( i used coconut flakes)
Banana - 3-4 sliced into small rounds
Cardamom pods/powder
Water to cook rice.

Soak rice , boil water in a big pot/pan, add rice. When rice is almost cooked add jaggery , mix well and cook for 5 minutes. Keep stirring and add ghee spoon after  spoon until the payasam  gets thickened. Lastly add sliced bananas, coconut and cardamom pods or powder mix well. Sweet rice pudding(Pongala payasam) is ready.

This is very similar to Chakkara Pongal/Sweet Pongal!