Ven Pongal Recipe – Ghee Pongal

Ven Pongal is always a favourite at home. It is a very easy to make comfort breakfast food. It is truly divine when served hot with a dollop of ghee. Ven Pongal, Vadai, Sambar & Coconut Chutney.. Gosh!! It is an unbeatable South Indian combo!!  We love both the tiffin sambars with this pongal. I usually do the tempering in the beginning itself, so that the work would be done in one shot. U can temper finally too. Post updated with video 🙂

Here is the video..

Ven Pongal Ingredients:

• Raw Rice – 1 cup
• Moong Dal – 1/2 cup
• Cashews – 5 to 6
• Water – 4 cups
• Salt – as needed

To temper:

• Ghee – 1 tbsp
• Sunflower Oil – 1/2 tbsp
• Coconut Oil – 1/2 tbsp
• Pepper – 1 tbsp
• Jeera/Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tbsp
• Ginger – 1/2 an inch chopped finely
• Green Chilly – 1 slit
• Curry Leaves – 1 sprig

Method:

• Wash rice and dal together and keep aside. Heat both oils and half of the ghee in a pressure pan and temper with the items given under “to temper’.  To this add the washed rice/dal and add water, salt and mix.

• Pressure cook for 1 whistle and simmer it for 15 mins. Once the pressure is released, open and mash it. Meanwhile heat a pan with the remaining ghee and fry the cashews. Add this to to the mashed Ven Pongal.

Thats it!! Yummy Ven Pongal is ready!!

Serve hot topped with a dollop of ghee accompanied with sambar or chutney of your choice.

Tips:

1. It is purely optional to use coconut oil along with ghee. It gives a unique flavour. U can skip this and use ghee alone.
2. U can pressure cook rice and moong dal and temper finally.
3. Dry roast moong dal before washing for an extra flavour.
4. Using cashewnuts is purely optional. It gives extra richness though..