Ven Pongal Recipe
Ven Pongal is a popular South Indian dish made with rice and lentils, typically flavored with black pepper, cumin, ginger, and ghee. It's often served as a breakfast dish or during festivals
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Tamil
1 cup raw rice not par-boiled rice ½ cup split yellow moong dal paasi paruppu ½ teaspoon whole black pepper adjust to taste ½ teaspoon cumin seeds jeera 1 teaspoon ginger minced For Tempering ½ teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup cashew nuts A few curry leaves ¼ teaspoon asafoetida hing or perungaayam 3 tablespoon ghee 2 tablespoon oil or just use more ghee Rinse ½ cup split yellow moong dal until water runs clear and soak for 30 minutes
Wash 1 cup raw rice and add the soaked dal to this along with 3 cups water
Place in a bowl in a pressure cooker with water. You can also cook it directly in the pressure cooker but we usually do it this way.
Add ½ tsp whole black pepper and ½ tsp cumin seeds to this along with 1 tsp ginger minced
Cook for 4 whistles or 15-20 minutes. The rice and dal should be cooked and very soft. Keep aside.
Powder or crush together ½ tsp cumin seeds and ½ tsp black pepper for tempering. Keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsp oil or ghee in a large pan and add ¼ cup cashew nuts .
When they turn a light golden brown, add ¼ tsp asafoetida , the powdered cumin and pepper, and A few curry leaves
Roast well and add the cooked rice and dal mixture to this
Add salt and top up with 3 tbsp ghee (or more as needed) and mix well to combine fully
Serve immediately