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:
- Ligtly roast the rice and soak rice along with dhal for 30 minutes.
- 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.
- The variety of rice called Jeeraka Samba gives the best taste to pongal.
- If you do not use thin variety of rice, increase water suitably.
- In the pressure pan take water , add strained rice and dhal , raw jeera , hing and salt.
- When it starts boiling well , close the cooker , put the weight and lower the flame.
- Switch off after 10 minutes and leave the pressure to drop on its own.
- After opening if you like soft mushy pongal , lightly mash it. (some prefer grainy texture ).
- Heat ghee , temper with pepper and jeera powder, cashew, ginger and curry leaves.
- 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.