Pongal is a traditional dish made with rice and moong dal, and the savory version is popularly known as the Ven Pongal or the Khara Pongal (the sweet version is the Sakkara Pongal) which is a favorite breakfast recipe in TamilNadu and all over Southern India. Check out my easy peasy pressure cooker version of this comfort food – ven pongal.
I usually make ven pongal on Thursdays as I can offer the same as prasadam or neivediyam for God. Talking about neivediyam, ven pongal is one of the famous prasadam in Vishnu Temples / Perumal Kovil in TamilNadu. IMO, nothing can beat the taste of Madapalli Ven Pongal or the Pongal made in the Temple Kitchen. I love the hot pongal served in the donnai (leaf bowl) during the month of Margazhi/December.
Ven Pongal is a meal on its own. You can either serve this with chutney or sambar or both. In the restaurant, they serve this with Sambar and Chutney and also you can find Ulunda Vadai in this combo. But the two other side dishes that are authentic, and goes really well with pongal are the Gojju and Gothsu. I like pongal with all these sides.
Without any further ado, here is the video recipe of the pressure cooker ven pongal.
Ingredients:
- Raw Rice – 1.5 cups
- Moong Dal – ½ cup
- Curry leaves – 10
- Black Pepper – 1 tbsp + ½ tbsp
- Salt – 1.5 tsp
- Water – 5 cups
- Ghee – 3 tbsps
- Cumin seeds – 2 tbsp
- Cashews – 2 tbsp
- Finely chopped ginger – 1 tbsp
Steps:
- Wash the rice and moong dal.
- Now, this washed rice and moong dal to the pressure cooker or the vessel that you can keep inside the pressure cooker and add 1 tbsp of black pepper, few curry leaves, and salt.
- Add the water and mix well.
- Pressure cook this for at least 4 whistles.
- Let the pressure release and carefully open the lid and mash the rice and dal mix.
- If you feel the consistency is not soft and mushy, add one more cup of hot water and mix well.
- In a separate kadai, heat the ghee and when it melts add the remaining pepper, cumin seeds, cashews, chopped ginger and curry leaves.
- Roast for a minute or until the cashews turn light brown. Add it to the cooked rice and dal and mix well.
- That’s it. Ven Pongal is ready. Serve hot with chutney or sambar.
Notes:
- If you are not a big black pepper fan, instead of adding black peppercorns, add 1 tsp of black pepper and 1 tsp of grounded black pepper or adjust the pepper powder according to your taste.
- If you feel the salt is less, add the required amount to salt to a ¼ cup of hot water. Allow it to dissolve and then add it to the pongal. Do not add the salt directly to the pongal.
- Adjust the water according to the rice and as per your liking.
- You can replace rice with quinoa or millets. (Check quinoa foxtail millet pongal recipe)
- 1.5 cups Raw Rice
- 1/2 cup Moong Dal
- 10 Curry leaves
- 1.5 tbsp Black Pepper 1 tbsp + ½ tbsp
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- 5 cups Water
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tbsp Cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp Cashews
- 1 tbsp Ginger Finely chopped
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Wash the rice and moong dal.
-
Now, this washed rice and moong dal to the pressure cooker or the vessel that you can keep inside the pressure cooker and add 1 tbsp of black pepper, few curry leaves, and salt.
-
Add the water and mix well.
-
Pressure cook this for at least 4 whistles.
-
Let the pressure release and carefully open the lid and mash the rice and dal mix.
-
If you feel the consistency is not soft and mushy, add one more cup of hot water and mix well.
-
In a separate kadai, heat the ghee and when it melts add the remaining pepper, cumin seeds, cashews, chopped ginger and curry leaves.
-
Roast for a minute or until the cashews turn light brown. Add it to the cooked rice and dal and mix well.
-
That’s it. Ven Pongal is ready. Serve hot with chutney or sambar.
- If you are not a big black pepper fan, instead of adding black peppercorns, add 1 tsp of black pepper and 1 tsp of grounded black pepper or adjust the pepper powder according to your taste.
- If you feel the salt is less, add the required amount to salt to a ¼ cup of hot water. Allow it to dissolve and then add it to the pongal. Do not add the salt directly to the pongal.
- Adjust the water according to the rice and as per your liking. You can replace rice with quinoa or millets. (Check quinoa foxtail millet pongal recipe)
Comfort food:-)
Yup :-)