Amma's Hug On A Plate

It was a lazy morning today yet I had a pile of pending housework to finish. The little boy slept in late  - one of those days when he chose to sleep beyond 07:15 - and I didn't have the heart to wake him up. This also meant that he skipped school. The house was back to wreck mode as soon as he woke up yet I couldn't have been bothered. I already had my hands full and I didn't want to take up another round of cleaning too. 

Time was passing quickly and it was almost 10:00 when I realised breakfast wasn't ready still. All of a sudden, all that I wanted was Amma's Pongal along with a mezhukkupuratti, chammanthi, pappadam and pickle - something that was warm, comforting and an instant mood lifter. Although I would have preferred a ladies finger mezhukkupuratti, knowing the husband, I knew he would be happier with a potato one. And today, I decided, I would go by what he likes since anyway, it was one of those days where even I needed a carb overdose. 

This Pongal is Amma's hug in a plate, if I have to describe it to you in one sentence. It reminds me of home, the mornings were all of us sit in the dining table - Achan reading the newspaper, Amma walking in and out of the kitchen, having her ear in the conversation that Achan and we, kids, were having and eye in the pots and pans simmering away in the stove.  Taking spoonfuls of the hot pongal served as breakfast, along with chammanthi, pappadam, mezhukkuvaratti and pickle was my perfect way to start the day. This is despite my love for Amma's hot and crispy dosas or Ammumma's soft and fluffy idlis. To me, Pongal was happiness - happiness served on the plate.

Now almost seven years of being married, yet still being very attached to home and being there almost every other month, I don't miss Amma's food much. Yet, when things get slightly overwhelming once in a rare while, or something bothers my mind, or it's one of those cold days, like today, when I feel lazy and would love to be the daughter of the house rather than the wife/mother, Amma's Pongal smiles at me from the memory corner and I fall in for the temptation to prepare it and be engulfed in its warmth.

Every single time, as soon as I take the first spoon of the Pongal mixed with the mezhukkupuratty, I am in heaven and itbrings in the realisation of how much I missed it. Having said that, I don't make it as often as I should be and I wonder why. Maybe because, as much as I love it, I would rather have it when Amma serves it to me rather than me making it. 

Yet, there still comes one of those days, when all I want is Amma's touch and Pongal is my reminder of the carefree daughter days and not the responsible wife/mommy days. 

PONGAL

Ingredients

• Rice - 3/4th cup
• Moong Dal (without skin) - 1/4th cup
• Water - 4 cups
• Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1 tbsp
• Ginger - a small piece
• Peppercorns - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt - as required

Method

• Slightly roast the moong dal and wash it properly along with rice and keep it aside.
• In a pressure cooker, heat oil, splutter the cumin seeds, ginger and peppercorn and saute for a minute or so.
• In a mortar and pestle, grind the sautéed ingredients and keep aside.
• Add the rice, moong dal, turmeric, the ground ingredients and shalt along with four cups of water to the pressure cooker and keep it on medium-high flame.
• Close the cooker with the lid (don't put the whistle) when the water boils, and keep it on sim for another 10 minutes.
• Switch off the flame and wait till the steam goes.
• Serve hot!