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Ven pongal
Tamil Nadu's soft, buttery rice and moong dal porridge with black pepper, cumin, ginger and ghee
Ven pongal, 'white pongal', is the gentle, savoury breakfast of Tamil Nadu, served in homes, temples and Chennai's tiffin halls. Rice and roasted yellow moong dal are cooked together until soft and creamy, then finished with a ghee tempering of whole black pepper, cumin, ginger, cashews and curry leaves. It's mild and comforting, with little bursts of heat from the peppercorns. Serve it with coconut chutney and sambar, or with medu vada on a Sunday. Chef's tip: dry-roast the moong dal for a few minutes before cooking until it smells nutty; it takes the pongal from plain to deeply savoury.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the pongal
For the tempering
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Dry-roast 2 ⅝ oz yellow moong dal (split, skinless) in a heavy pot over a medium heat, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until it smells nutty and a few grains turn light gold. Don't brown it.
4 minStep 2: Add 5 ½ oz short-grain rice (such as sona masuri) to the pot and rinse rice and dal together twice, draining well. Add 3 ¾ cups water and bring to the boil, skimming the foam.
5 minStep 3: Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 18–20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and more often towards the end, until the rice and dal are completely soft and mushy. Mash with a ladle into a creamy porridge, add 1 tsp salt and a splash of hot water if it's too stiff. (In a pressure cooker: 4 whistles.)
20 minStep 4: Heat 4 tbsp ghee in a small pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp black peppercorns and 1 tsp cumin seeds and fry for 20 seconds until the cumin darkens a shade, then add 12 cashew nuts and fry until golden. Add 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 10 fresh curry leaves and ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing) and sizzle for 10 seconds.
2 minStep 5: Pour the tempering over the pongal and stir well. Serve hot and soft; it firms as it cools, so loosen leftovers with hot water when reheating.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ven pongal take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of short-grain rice (such as sona masuri)?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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