Ven Pongal
Rice and moong dal cooked down to a soft, almost porridge-like consistency, generously finished with ghee, coarsely crushed black pepper, and cashews fried until golden. Tied to Tamil Nadu's Pongal harvest festival, where it's traditionally made with the season's newly harvested rice as an offering, though it's eaten as a breakfast staple year-round; the coarse pepper and generous ghee are what define it, not a background garnish.
Vegetarian
⚠ Contains: Dairy, Tree Nut. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw short-grain rice (e.g. sona masuri)
- 1/2 cup split yellow moong dal
- 4-4.5 cups water
- 4 tbsp ghee, divided
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1-inch piece ginger, finely chopped
- 10-15 curry leaves
- 15-20 cashews
- Pinch of asafoetida
- Salt, to taste
Steps
- Dry-roast the moong dal in a pan over low heat until lightly golden and aromatic, about 3-4 minutes.
- Rinse the rice and roasted dal together, and combine in a pot with water and a pinch of salt.
- Cook until very soft and mushy, simmering covered 25-30 minutes, mashing lightly with a spoon.
- In a separate small pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee and fry the cashews until golden, then set aside.
- In the same ghee, add the crushed peppercorns, cumin seeds, ginger, curry leaves, and asafoetida, and saute until fragrant.
- Pour the tempering and fried cashews over the cooked rice-dal mixture, and stir in the remaining ghee.
- Serve hot, traditionally with coconut chutney and sambar.