Saamai (little millet) Arisi Paruppu Sadam (Kongunadu Cuisine)

Any one pot, dhal-based dishes are a comfort food for me. I love these kinds of dishes since it is easy for lunch box packing as well. Recently I came across this Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Kongucurry?fref=ts  and I am a fan of this site now. I love their simple narration filled with nostalgia and with all traditional recipes. The arisi paruppu sadam was inspired from this page. I chose millet instead of rice used in the original recipe and the  only difference in my recipe is that I added some vegetables and omitted the mustard seeds and made this as a one-pot, oil-free dish.  This pairs well with any spicy side dishes like potato fry, any non-vegetarian dish, pickles and chips. To summarize, this is a low-carb, oil-free, one-pot, tasty dish :)

Ingredients:
1. Saamai millet or any other grains, 1-1/2 cup.
2. Dhal,(toor or masoor or moong), 1/2 cup.
3. Garlic, 2 cloves.
4. Green chilies, 2, slit into two.
5. Peeled small onions, 1 cup.
6. Chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup.
7. Curry leaves a few.
8. Cinnamon, a small stick.
9. Cloves, 2.
10. Turmeric powder.
11. Mixed vegetables like carrots, beans etc, 1 cup. (Since this is a one pot dish, make sure to cut into big pieces, so they along with the rice and dhal without turning mushy). You can also cook the vegetables separately and add in the end.

Preparation (pressure cooker):
Add all the ingredients in a pressure cooker along with 2-1/2 cups of water and pressure cook for 15 minutes for up to 3 whistles. Once the pressure is off, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot. If preferred, ghee can be added on top before serving.

Alternate method of cooking:
Cook the dhal separately until it is mushy and keep aside. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add 1/4 teaspoon of  mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cloves and cinnamon stick and saute for a few seconds. Now add the small onions, curry leaves, garlic, and green chiles and saute for a few minutes until the onions are tender. Then add the turmeric powder and the chopped tomatoes and keep sauteing until everything is well blended. Now add salt and 2-1/2 cups of water along with the dhal, millet, and chopped vegetables and cook under medium flame until the millets and the vegetables are cooked and the dish reaches the desired consistency. Garnish with ghee and chopped cilantro and serve hot.