Akki Payasa (Using Jaggary)

Ingredients:
1 cup White Rice(Preferred: Basmathi / Gandhasale/ Sona Masuri)
2 - 2.5 cups thick fresh Coconut Milk
1.5 cups Jaggary
5 - 6 Cardamoms / Elakki
Pinch of Salt

Recipe:
Wash white rice in water for about 2-3 times and put them in a vessel. Add around 6 cups of water and cook the rice.

Grind fresh/frozen grated coconut into smooth paste by adding little amount of water.(If it is frozen coconut, use warm water while grinding.) Squeeze the ground coconut, by placing it in a clean cotton cloth.

After this process, add 2 cups of water to the squeezed coconut, mix well and squeeze it again. Put this thin coconut milk to the vessel containing cooked rice, add jaggary, pinch of salt and bring it to boil. Keep this in low flame for about 5 mins.

Add the thick coconut milk, stir the Payasa and bring it to boil. Add the mashed cardamom seeds and keep the Payasa in low flame for about 1-2 mins.

Mix well before serving. Serve hot or chilled. This can be used for Naivedyam.

Nugge Soppu(Drumstick Leaves) Palya

Ingredients:
1 bunch of tender Drumstick leaves / Ele Nugge Soppu or 2 cups chopped leaves
1 cup Black Eyed Peas / Alasande Kaalu
3 - 4 tsp Grated Coconut
2 - 3 Green Chillies
1 large Onion
2 medium sized Tomatoes
2 Garlic flakes
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
Pinch of Asafoetida powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
5 - 6 Curry Leaves
3 - 4 tsp Oil

Recipe:
Remove the drumstick leaves from its stem, wash them and keep them aside.

Soak black eyed beans in water for about 7-8 hrs. Wash this soaked black eyed beans 2-3 times and drain the water. Put this in a pressure cooker, add sufficient amount of water, salt and cook. (2-3 whistles) Drain the excess water content if exists.

Chop onion, tomato into small pieces as shown in the picture below. Cut green chillies into two halves. Chop the drumstick leaves into small pieces as shown in the picture below.

Put mashed garlic flakes and oil in a thick bottomed vessel and fry. Once it turns to golden in color add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fry. Once it starts spluttering, add curry leaves, chopped green chillies, chopped onion, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and fry them for about 4-5 mins in medium flame until onion turns golden in color. Add chopped drumstick leaves, salt, sugar and fry them for about 4-5 mins in medium flame. Add chopped tomato and fry them in medium flame for about 4-5 mins.

Add cooked black eyed beans, grated coconut and mix well.

Keep the palya in low flame for about 1-2 mins. Mix well before serving. It goes well with Rice/Chapathis.