Ven Pongal or Khara Pongal is a wholesome vegetarian breakfast dish of lentils and rice, infused with fragrant Indian spices, served with sambar and coconut chutney.
Venn means “white” in Tamil and Pongal means “to boil” in Tamil. Pongal is a popular tiffin in South India prepared with rice and yellow split moong lentils. There are different Pongal varieties ranging from sweet to savoury versions. This no-onion-no-garlic, protein-packed, spicy dish is usually made during the Pongal Festival – the harvest festival of South India – or on any other auspicious occasion and is offered to God as naivedyam.
Ven Pongal Recipe:
Khara Pongal is a humble, nourishing meal of yellow lentils and rice, seasoned with flavorful cumin, asafoetida, fresh curry leaves, grated ginger and crushed black pepper, with a topping of fried cashews and a generous drizzle of ghee.
- To make khara Pongal, firstly heat a kadai over medium heat and slowly dry roast the raw rice for about half a minute. Remove into a bowl and keep aside.
- Then add the moong dal to the same kadai and dry roast for about a couple of minutes. Do not brown the dal.
- Add the roasted split yellow moong dal to bowl containing the raw rice.
- Wash the rice and dal well and put in a pressure cooker. Add about six cups of water and pressure cook on high for about 5 whistles (The rice-dal mixture should turn mushy).
- Meanwhile, slightly crush 1 tsp of pepper and 1 tsp of jeera and keep aside. Peel and grate the ginger.
- Open the pressure cooker lid after the pressure comes down.
- Now add salt, mix everything well and mash lightly with the back of a ladle.
- The cooked rice and moong dal mixture should be mushy.
- Heat oil in a small pan and fry the cashew nuts to a golden brown. Remove the fried cashew onto a plate and set aside for garnishing the Pongal later on.
- Then add the 1/2 tsp of whole black pepper and ½ tsp of cumin seeds. Sauté for about 15 seconds and once they sizzle, add the grated ginger and curry leaves. Sauté for about 30 seconds, till the curry leaves turn crisp.
- Now add the coarsely crushed peppercorns+cumin seeds mixture to the pan and saute for a few seconds.
- Pour this tempering over the mashed rice and moong dal mixture and combine well.
Drizzle ghee on top. Cover with a lid so that all the flavours are well-absorbed. You can also simmer the Pongal for a few 1-2 minutes after adding the tempering.
- Garnish with fried cashew nuts.
- Serve Ven Pongal with Sambar or coconut chutney.
- If you are searching for more vegetarian breakfast dishes, do try out Upma With Bread.
Khara Pongal Recipe Details below:
Khara Pongal With Rice And Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw rice
- 1/2 cup split yellow moong dal pesara pappu
- 6 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
For the seasoning
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts
- 1 inch ginger finely chopped
- 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 ½ tsp whole black pepper
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium heat and dry roast the raw rice for about 30 seconds. Transfer into a bowl.
- Now add the moong dal and saute it for 1-2 minutes and transfer into the same bowl containing raw rice.
- Wash the roasted dal and rice well and put them in a pressure cooker. Add 6 cups of water and cook on high for 5 whistles.
- Meanwhile, coarsely grind a teaspoon of whole black pepper and a teaspoon of cumin seeds. Keep aside. Also finely chop ginger.
- Once the pressure releases, open the lid and add salt. Mix and mash the cooked rice and dal well.
- Now heat oil in a pan and fry the cashew nuts till brown. Remove and keep aside.
- Add ½ tsp of whole pepper corns+1/2 tsp of whole cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.
- Then add the curry leaves and chopped ginger. Saute for 30 seconds and then add the coarsely crushed pepper corn and cumin seeds. Fry for 1-2 seconds and pour this tempering over the cooked and mashed rice and moong dal mix. Simmer for 30 seconds.
- Top with fried cashew nuts and ghee and combine well.
- Serve Khara Pongal with Sambar.
