Pongal
Pongal is a comforting South Indian dish mainly comprising rice and moong dal as the base of this delicacy. They are lightly seasoned with spices and heated with a wonderful ghee aroma to finish. Rice and lentils are pressure cooked together till they get creamy, and the dish is then given a topping of black pepper, cumin, ginger, curry leaves, red chilies, and roasted cashew nuts.
Ingredients
For making the pongal:
- ½ cup rice small grains
- ½ cup moong dal
- 3 cups water to boil rice and dal
- 1 tsp ghee clarified butter
- 1 piece green chili whole, slit from middle
- ½ tsp sugar optional
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder optional
- Water warm, as required for the desired consistency
For making the tadka:
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp asafetida hing
- 15 pieces cashew nuts
- 1 tsp ginger finely chopped
- 4 pieces dry red chilies whole
- 8 pieces curry leaves
Instructions
- Dry roast ½ cup of moong dal over a medium flame for a minute. Transfer to a mixing bowl when done.
- Add ½ cup rice (small grains) to it. Wash them both nicely.
- Transfer washed rice and dal to a pressure cooker and add 3 cups of water (3 times of amount of rice and dal combined), 1 tsp of ghee (clarified butter), 1 piece of green chili (whole, slit from middle), ½ tsp of sugar (optional), ¼ tsp of turmeric powder (optional), and salt to taste. Cover the lid and boil it for up to 3 whistles.
- Open the lid, add warm water as needed to make it less thick. Mix nicely and check the final consistency. Keep it aside.
- Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a tadka pan. When it is hot, add 1 tbsp of black peppercorns, ½ tsp of cumin seeds, ¼ tsp of asafetida (hing) and let them cook for half a minute. Then, add 15 pieces of cashew nuts and 1 tsp of finely chopped ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Finally, add 4 pieces of dry red chilies (whole) and 8 pieces of curry leaves. Cook till the color of cashew nuts change to light brown.
- Transfer the tadka immediately to the Pongal in the pressure cooker. Mix nicely.
- Transfer it to a serving bowl. Garnish with another teaspoon of ghee.
- Your tasty and healthy homemade Pongal is ready to enjoy as is or with coconut chutney and sambar.
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Notes
I have used an equal amount of rice and moong dal. You can use more rice and less dal or vice versa.
Pongal is traditionally made using rice of small fat grains.
If you want to make white, salted Pongal, skip haldi and sugar.
I recommend using water 3 times of the amount of rice and dal combined for boiling.
Do not pressure-cook rice and dal for more than 3 whistles because moong dal gets cooked very quickly and overcooking will make your Pongal too mushy.
Nutrition Info (Estimation Only)
Nutrition Facts
Pongal
Amount per Serving
Calories
291
Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat
11
g
17
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4
g
Cholesterol
22
mg
7
%
Sodium
58
mg
3
%
Potassium
114
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
39
g
13
%
Fiber
4
g
17
%
Sugar
2
g
2
%
Protein
9
g
18
%
Vitamin A
483
IU
10
%
Vitamin C
82
mg
99
%
Calcium
55
mg
6
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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