Ven Pongal. A savoury traditional recipe

INGREDIENTS:
  • Rice (thin variety is best ) – 1 cup
  • Moong dhal (roasted to light pink ) – ½ cup
  • Oil ( oil+ghee tastes delicious ) – 2 tablespoon (can add extra)
  • Pepper 1 teaspoon and jeera 1 teaspoon – coarsely powdered
  • Grated ginger – 2 teaspoon
  • Hing – a Pinch
  • Cashew chopped – 1 tablespoon
  • Curry leaves – Few
  • Salt – taste
  • Raw jeera – 1 teaspoon
PREPARATION METHOD:
  1. Ligtly roast the rice and soak rice along with dhal for 30 minutes.
  2. If you are using thin variety of rice which takes water in the proportion 1:2 – for rice and dhal take 3 ½ cups of water.
  3. The variety of rice called Jeeraka Samba gives the best taste to pongal.
  4. If you do not use thin variety of rice, increase water suitably.
  5. In the pressure pan take water , add strained rice and dhal , raw jeera , hing and salt.
  6. When it starts boiling well , close the cooker , put the weight and lower the flame.
  7. Switch off after 10 minutes and leave the pressure to drop on its own.
  8. After opening if you like soft mushy pongal , lightly mash it. (some prefer grainy texture ).
  9. Heat ghee , temper with pepper and jeera powder, cashew, ginger and curry leaves.
  10. Mix well , serve topped with little ghee.

NOTES AND TIPS:

  • It is better not to wait for cooker whistle , since rarely , moong dhal can clog the vent and create problem.
  • Instead of full water you can add little milk with water .
  • The taste is very good. Depending on rice quality increase or decrease water.