VENN PONGAL & VEGGIE PONGAL

‘Venn Pongal’ is a popular breakfast dish from Tamil Nadu – served hot with chutney and sambar. The main ingredients are yellow moong dal and rice - yes you heard it right - rice and for breakfast, yes!

I am giving you the recipe for the traditional South Indian Pongal. Apart from its popularity as a breakfast item, it is ideal as a light simple dinner. For that, I've suggested a modification in the recipe - just add a twist to it by adding a bowl of cooked veggies!
The South Indian 'Pongal' is a distant cousin of the North Indian 'khichadi'!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. Rice – ¾ cup (about 180 gms)
2. Yellow moong dal – ½ cup
3. Ghee – 3-4 tbsp
4. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
5. Urad dal – 1 tsp
6. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
7. Black pepper – 1 tsp
8. Pepper powder – ½-1 tsp
9. Roasted cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Asafetida – a pinch
11. Curry leaves – 8
12. Cashew nuts – 2 tbsp
13. Salt to taste

Method

1. Dry roast the moong dal to light brown – till it gives out a nice aroma.
2. Mix the rice and dal and wash well.
3. Pressure-cook it with nearly an extra ½ glass of water so that it is overcooked (3/4+1/2 rice-dal x 2 = 2 ½ + ½ = 2 3/4 - 3 cups water, if Basmati rice is being used).
4. Allow the cooker to cool.
5. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a kadhai and fry the cashew nuts till golden brown and set aside.
6. Heat the entire ghee, add mustard seeds, urad dal, and cumin seeds and whole pepper corns. When they crackle, add pepper powder, cumin powder and curry leaves and a pinch of asafetida and salt.
7. Add the cooked rice and mix well.
8. Garnish with roasted cashews.
9. Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar.

Tips

1. If you are not weight-watchers, you can add a dollop of extra ghee in your plate of 'pongal' and relish the yummy taste.
2. Pongal can be prepared for a quick, hot simple dinner - especially if you are down with a bad throat / cold.
3. If you want to make it more wholesome, add a bowl of cooked veggies - corn, peas, carrots, cabbage, and beans and watch the surprise on your family's faces!

© Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.