Ven Pongal (Ghee Pongal) - Tamilnadu Style

Ven Pongal/ Khara Pongal is one the simplest and traditional breakfast prepared in South India. It is also called as South Indian khichdi. Rice and moong dal are cooked together and seasoned with pepper, other spices and nuts in ghee.

Ingredients :

• Rice - 1 cup
• Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
• Peppercons - 2 tsp
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 2 sprig
• Green Chili - 3
• Cashewnuts - 10 to 15
• Ghee - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Hing a pinch

Method :

• Heat a pan and dry roast moong dal till they are aromatic and slightly golden in color.
• In a bowl take rice and moong dal. Wash and soak them for half an hour. (Soaking is optional)
• Pressure cook rice and dal with 4 cups of water, 1tsp ghee and salt for 4-5 whistles on medium flame. The rice has to be cooked in such a way that it should be mushy. (Amount of water and duration of cooking depends on the rice used.)
• Once the pressure subsides, open the lid and mash the contents when it is hot.

• Meanwhile prepare the tempering.
• In a pan/kadai heat  2 tbsp ghee. Add jeera and let it splutter.

• Add broken cashewnuts and fry till they are crispy and golden in color.

• Add crushed ginger, hing, slit green chili, curry leaves and slighlty crushed peppercons. Fry till raw smell of ginger goes away.

• Add the mashed rice to the tempering or vice-versa and mix well. Check for salt.

• Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar.

Tips & Variations :

• Add whole peppercons if you want spice to be less or serving to kids.
• We should be generous in using ghee for this recipe. The flavor of ghee with pepper is the unique taste of pongal. Hence the name Ghee Pongal.