Semiya Payasam - Happy Diwali To All

Ingredients:

Semiya – 1 cup – Roasted

Sugar – 1 cup

Milk – 1 litre

Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Cashews – 8

Raisins – ¼ cup

Ghee – 3 tbsp

Method:

1. In a tall vessel, add milk and boil. Wait till it is reduced to half.

2. Add semiya and cook well.

3. Add sugar and mix well.

4. Add cardamom powder and mix well and switch off the stove.

5. In a small kadai, heat ghee and roast cashews and raisins.

6. Add roasted cashews and raisins in kheer.

Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is remembered by all during the  tamil month "purattasi" as this rice is common in perumal temple.
Also this rice is called as "kattu sadam" in kongunadu areas.

Here is the recipe for lemon rice.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Water - 3 cups

Onion - 2 big - chop fine

Red chillies - 4

Curry leaves - few

Lemon - 1

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt

To temper:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp ( i use more ured since i like this crunchiness in the dish)

Gram dhal - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Wash, drain and soak rice in 3 cups water for 20 min.

2. Transfer this rice into a pressure cook and cook it for 2 whistles. The rice must be soft and firm but not mushy.

3. Heat kadai, add oil and temper with the given ingredients.

4. Meanwhile take juice from lemon.

5. When onions are translucent, add turmeric powder and salt. Lower the flame.

6. Add lemon rice, fry for half a minute and switch off the flame.

7. Add rice and mi well.

Variation:

1). Can add peanuts at the time of serving. It adds a great taste to rice.