Ven Pongal

Ven Pongal

Ven Pongal

Veg

Silky, comforting savoury porridge of rice and split moong dal cooked together until they meld into a creamy, soft mass, then tempered in ghee with black pepper, cumin, ginger, cashews, and curry leaves. The quintessential South Indian breakfast — served hot with coconut chutney and sambar across every home, temple, and canteen in Tamil Nadu.

Cuisines

Chettinad Tamil Brahmin Kongunadu Madras Udupi Andhra

Best for

Breakfast Lunch

Recipe

Prep: 10 min Cook: 30 min Total: 40 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

Rice 1 cup Rice , raw
Moong Dal 1/4 cup Moong Dal , split yellow
water 4 cups Water
ghee 1 tablespoon Ghee
Black Peppercorn 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorn
Cumin 1 teaspoon Cumin , seeds
Ginger 1 teaspoon Ginger , grated
Cashew 10 pieces Cashew , nuts
asafoetida 1 pinch Asafoetida
Curry Leaf 1 sprig Curry Leaf
salt 1 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

  1. 1 Wash the rice and moong dal together and drain.
  2. 2 In a pressure cooker, add the rice, moong dal, and 4 cups of water.
  3. 3 Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles until soft and mushy.
  4. 4 In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee and roast the cashew nuts until golden brown. Set aside.
  5. 5 In the same pan, add another 2 tablespoons of ghee.
  6. 6 Add black peppercorns, cumin seeds, grated ginger, asafoetida, and curry leaves.
  7. 7 Sauté for a few seconds until the spices release their aroma.
  8. 8 Add the cooked rice and dal mixture to the pan.
  9. 9 Add salt and mix well, allowing the flavors to blend.
  10. 10 Garnish with roasted cashew nuts and serve hot.

Tips

For a richer taste, you can add a little more ghee before serving.