Ven Pongal Recipe | Khara Pongal | Ghee Pongal | Pongal Special Recipes

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Ven Pongal Recipe | Khara Pongal | Ghee Pongal | Pongal Special Recipes

I started to work again after my maternity break and it is really hard for me to manage the blog now. Yet, I am trying my level best to share some recipes. This Ven Pongal recipe was there in my drafts for such a long time now and thought of posting it before this year’s Pongal. Pongal is not my favourite breakfast while Jany loves to have it with Sambhar. So, I make it once in a while.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 1/2 Cup

Moong Dal - 1/4 Cup

Water - 2.5 Cups

Salt - as needed

To temper:

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts - 6 to 10

Jeera - 1 tsp

Ginger (chopped finely) - 1.5 tsp

Black pepper - 1 tbsp

Asafoetida - a generous pinch

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Dry roast the moong dal until light golden brown and keep it aside. Wash rice and dal together.

2. Pressure cook it with 2.5 cups of water and required salt for 3 to 4 whistles until mushy. Meanwhile, in a pan add the ghee and fry the cashews until golden brown. Remove and keep it aside.

3. In the remaining ghee, saute the pepper, Jeera and chopped ginger. At last add the asafoetida, salt, curry leaves and switch off the flame. Once the pressure releases, add sauted items to the cooked pongal and mix well.

If required, add ghee at the end and serve hot with sambhar and coconut chutney.

Points to remember:

Dry roasting the dhal gives a nice flavour to the Pongal.
Adjust the water quantity as per the raw rice variety you use. Cook until it is soft and mushy.
Take care not to burn the Jeera, else it will change the flavour of the Pongal.
You can crush half of the pepper before adding if you prefer your Pongal to be little spicy.
If your Pongal is dry, add little milk or hot water to bring it to the exact consistency.