Ven Pongal

Ven Pongal

A dish served for every festival as an offering to God. It has been my all-time favorite since childhood. The flavor of pepper and cumin with the richness of ghee keeps you asking for more. A simple recipe that has been passed over for generations and relished by all. It is an Authentic Tamilian Cuisine enjoyed with Vada, Sambar, and Chutney.

Let us start cooking and the first thing to look at is the ingredients.

Ingredients -

Rice – 1 Cup

Moong Dal – ¼ cup

Whole Pepper – 1 tbsp

Whole Jeera – 1/2 tbsp

Ginger - 1 inch (sliced)

Green Chilly – 2 nos

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Bengal gram – 1tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Cashews Slit – 15 nos

Curry leaves

Red chili – 4 nos

Grated coconut – 4 tbsp

Salt to Taste

                                                                                                                                                               

Preparation –

We will begin the process by soaking rice and dal separately for about 10 minutes prior to your cooking.

• Take 4 cups of water in a pan. Add green chilies, pepper, cumin, and ginger to it and let it boil.
• Add soaked rice first and once it is half boiled add the soaked dal and salt to it. Let it cook for few minutes in an open vessel on the medium flame.  If the dal is undercooked you can add some more water.
• Once the rice gets mushy and the dal is cooked with a liquid consistency lower the flame.
• Take 1 tbsp of ghee in another pan, add mustard seeds, wait till it splutters, add Bengal gram, urad dal, red chili and curry leaves sauté for a min and tamper it on the pongal.
• Take 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan again, roast cashews and add it to the pongal and give it a good stir.
• Garnish it with grated coconut and coriander. Serve it hot with chutney or sambar.

Tip – You can also cook dal and rice in a pressure cooker for 3 to 4 whistles if you like both dal and rice to be mushy.