Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 15 minutes
Serving : 3 members
Description
Pongal is one dish that all at home relish but are hesitant because of the calorie content in it . Though we all complain when it’s on the table , the mighty ven pongal is devoured in no time with utter silence seeking to line our stomachs full . This dish was a must when I had to pack lunch for my school going kids once a week . But it did change to once a month as my kids and hubby started complaining about becoming a python ( all they wanted to do was lay down and sleep :-)) at school and work . After my brother shifted to London with his family . My mom learnt a genius trick to pack ready made ven pongal mixes which she found so easy to cook when at my brothers home in London . She used to mix raw rice , moong dal , salt , cumin seeds , pepper corns , curry leaves and cashew nuts together and dry it in the sun for a day And Pack it . At my brothers place she would just take enough of the mix required and cook it with water in the rice cooker and when cooked , garnish with ghee and its ready to serve . I realised the hunger for comfort , the expression of deep cravings and love for the brilliant flavours of home cooked food when in London . What ever said and done my love for the old school laid back, life style in India with brilliantly intense filling relatives around , fresh home cooked food three times a day , our street food , cows at home , plenty of milk , curd to butter milk and the bonus of having maids at home is ultimate . What more would you want in life ????
Ingredients
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Raw rice ( pacha arisi ) | 1 cup |
| Lightly dry roasted Split yellow moong dal (pasi paruppu) | 1/2 cup |
| Salt | to taste |
| Ginger finely chopped | 1 teaspoon |
| Cumin/ Jeera seeds | 1 teaspoon |
| Whole black pepper | 1 teaspoon |
Ingredients For the seasoning
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Ghee | 1/ 2 cup |
| Cashew nuts | 6 to 7 |
| Curry leaves | few |
Method
- Mix rice , dry roasted moong dal, ginger , pepper corns , cumin seeds and pressure cook adding salt with 3 cups of water for 4 to 5 whistles.
- The rice has to be cooked in such a way that it should be mushy.
- Open the cooker once the pressure subsides and mash the contents well.
- Heat ghee , add curry leaves and cashew nuts . fry until the cashew nuts are golden brown in colour .
- pour the seasoning over the rice + dal mixture and mix everything well.
- Switch off and serve hot with sambar , coconut chutney and a kara chutney .
Notes
- The same can be done in a rice cooker . It’s more hassle free .
- Make sure you use only raw rice ( pacha arisi ) to make pongal .In case you want to use lesser ghee .
- Cook the pongal with jeerasala ( jeeraga samba ) broken rice and season with 1/2 the amount of ghee .
- Can use 1/2 oil and 1/2 ghee but the authentic way only ghee is used
