Ven Pongal is a very traditional and a very popular breakfast of Tamil Nadu:) It’s the tamil cuisine version of Khichidi. It is a must in all the wedding breakfast menu:)
Though all of us like Ven Pongal at home, I don’t make it often as this dish requires a lot of ghee which is very important for this delicious, melt in mouth dish. So, I make it for special occasions 🙂
Ingredients
Raw rice – 11/2 cups
Moong dal- 3/4th cup
Melted ghee- 1 cup
Grated ginger- 1 tsp
Pepper- 1 tsp
Jeera- 1 tsp
Cashew nuts- 1 tbsp
Curry leaves- little
Hing- 1/4th tsp
Method
Dry roast rice and dal till dal turns slightly golden.
Cool, wash well, add 51/2 cups water. Add grated ginger and salt to taste. Mix well.
Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. It should be cooked really soft.
To the cooked rice and dal mixture add 3/4th cup melted ghee and mix well.
Crush the pepper and jeera coarsely. Chop the cashew nuts.
Heat the remaining ghee in a pan. Add the crushed pepper and jeera, chopped cashew nuts. Sauté till the cashew nuts turn slightly golden. Add the curry leaves and hing.
Pour the tempering over the pongal, mix well and serve hot with gothsu / sambar and chutney:)
