Rinse the quinoa, millet, and moong dal together for atleast three times. Soak it for about 15 to 20 minutes. While soaking, few millet and quinoa grains may float on top. Discard and drain the water.
Set the Instant Pot in saute mode and add the coconut oil. After 30 seconds, add the cumin seeds, whole pepper, curry leaves, and ginger. 3) Mix and saute for 30 to 45 seconds or until the cumin seeds sizzle. Do not let it brown. Now turn off the IP.
Add the quinoa, millet, and moong dal mix. Add salt and pepper powder.
Next, add water and mix it. Now close the Instant Pot. Make sure the sealing ring is in place and set the vent to the sealing position. Cook the pongal at high-pressure manual/pressure cook mode for 12 minutes, and after the cooking is done, allow the pressure to release naturally. Here is how it looks.
Now mix it. Ven pongal has to soft and mushy. That's the right consistency.
That's it. Serve it hot with sambar or chutney. I served it with onion-tomato relish or gojju.
Notes
There is no set ratio of grains to moong dal. You can adjust according to your preference.
I went with quinoa and foxtail millet combination. You can either use quinoa or foxtail millet or substitute foxtail millet with any other available millet.
If you are not allergic to nuts or asafoetida or diary products, replace coconut oil with ghee and add about 1 to 2 tbsp of cashews while tempering. Also, you can add ¼ tsp of asafoetida.
I tried this pongal with both cold-pressed peanut oil and coconut oil. But I personally liked the flavor of coconut oil.
Ground pepper is not mandatory. If you are not fond of whole peppercorns, you can reduce it and add extra ground pepper.
As always, adjust salt and spice to your taste preference.