Ven Pongal Recipe | Khara Pongal | Ghee Pongal
User Reviews
5.0
78 reviews
Excellent
Ven Pongal Recipe | Khara Pongal | Ghee Pongal
Report
Ven Pongal recipe also known as Khara Pongal or Ghee Pongal is a popular South Indian porridge like savory dish that is made with rice, yellow moong lentils and laced with the wonderful flavors of black peppercorns, cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and ghee.
Share:
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- ½ cup rice - any medium to short grained or regular rice, 100 grams
- ¼ cup moong dal or 60 grams, hulled and split mung lentils
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds - lightly crushed
- ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- 1 inch ginger - chopped or 1 teaspoon heaped chopped ginger
- 3 to 3.25 cups water or add as required
- salt as required
For tempering
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns whole or crushed, you can also add ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 prig curry leaves or 10 to 12 small to medium curry leaves
- 10 to 12 cashews - whole or halved
- 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
Instructions
Roasting moong dal
- Pick moong lentils first to get rid of stones if any. Then heat a small pan or a small kadai and add the moong lentils.
- On a low heat stirring often roast the moong lentils till they become fragrant.
- The moong lentils only need to be roasted till they become fragrant. No need to brown them.
- Now take them in another bowl or you can use the same pan for rinsing.
Rinsing rice and lentils
- Add rice in the bowl containing the roasted moong dal.
- Rinse both rice and roasted moong dal a couple of times with water.
Cooking rice and moong dal
- Drain very well and then add them in a pressure cooker.
- Now add the following ingredients - cumin seeds, asafetida (hing), chopped ginger. Also add salt as per taste.
- Pour 3 to 3.25 cups water. The amount of water to be added depends on the consistency you want and also on the quality of moong dal.
- Pressure cook on a medium to high heat for 7 to 8 whistles or 11 to 12 minutes.
- Let the pressure settle down on its own and then you remove the lid to check the doneness and consistency. If the pongal has a consistency like that of pulao, then add ½ to 1 cup hot water and mix very well.
- Both the rice and the moong dal should be cooked very well. If you want you can even slightly mash the cooked rice and moong lentils. If cooked well, then cover with the lid and keep aside.
Tempering
- In another small pan, heat the ghee.
- Add the cumin seeds. Let them splutter.
- Then add the cashews. Fry until the cashews become light golden.
- Once they begin to get light golden, then add black peppercorns and 10 to 12 curry leaves.
- Stir very well and fry until the curry leaves become crisp. The black pepper should also be fried well.
Making ven pongal
- Now pour this entire tempering on the pongal. Mix very well.
- Cover with the lid (with the vent weight/whistle on the lid) and keep ven pongal aside for 5 to 6 minutes. This allows the tempering flavors to infuse with the pongal and the aroma to stay in.
- Then remove the lid and serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar.
Notes
- For cooking ven pongal in the Instant pot, after the roasting and rinsing steps, add the lentil, rice, spices in the steel insert of your IP. Add 3 cups water. Pressure cook on high for 6 to 7 minutes.
- Do a quick pressure release after 10 to 12 minutes. If the consistency looks thick, add some water to thin it a bit and using the sauté option, simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Later fry the spices, nuts separately and add to the cooked rice and lentils. Mix and serve.
- If you have moong lentils, which cook faster, then add about 2.5 cups water and cook for 2 to 3 whistles. The lentils and rice have to be mushy and the pongal should have a porridge like consistency.
- Fresh ingredients: Use fresh and good quality ingredients. Do make sure to have your spices fresh and not stale.
- Ghee: Use fresh ghee and you can always add more of it, but do not add less.
- Gluten free recipe: For a gluten free pongal, I would suggest to add a gluten-free asafetida, rather than skip it completely.
- Black pepper: You can crush the black pepper lightly in a mortar-pestle instead of adding them whole.
- Cooking lentils: Depending on the quality of moong dal, it can take less or more time to cook them. I usually cook the moong lentils for 7 to 8 whistles and so I add about 3.25 cups water. If you have moong lentils, which cook faster, then add about 2.5 cups water and cook for 2 to 3 whistles. The lentils and rice have to be mushy and the pongal should have a porridge like consistency.
- Cooking in a pot or pan: If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can make pongal in a pot or pan on the stove-top. Simply follow the recipe and cook the rice, lentils in 3.5 to 4 cups water. Do add more water if needed.
- Lentils and rice proportion: In this recipe, the proportion of rice is more. For more protein, you can easily switch to equal proportions of rice and lentils.
- Scaling: Make a big batch of this recipe easily to feed a crowd.
- Make ahead: I would not suggest to make ahead and freeze ven pongal, as it tastes best when served fresh. On refrigerating or freezing, the pongal will thicken and become lumpy. The taste also changes as well. Lentils and rice are best had freshly cooked.
- Variations: You can add some mixed veggies like carrots, green peas, french beans, cauliflower or corn. Adding oats will give you a healthy oats pongal. Pongal can also be made with millets or dalia (cracked wheat)
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
285kcal
(14%)
Carbohydrates
38g
(13%)
Protein
8g
(16%)
Fat
11g
(17%)
Saturated Fat
6g
(30%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
Cholesterol
22mg
(7%)
Sodium
409mg
(17%)
Potassium
101mg
(3%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
1g
(2%)
Vitamin A
39IU
(1%)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
4mg
Vitamin B6
1mg
Vitamin C
7mg
(8%)
Vitamin K
4µg
Calcium
35mg
(4%)
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
42µg
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Magnesium
30mg
Phosphorus
65mg
Zinc
1mg
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 3Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 285 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 285kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 38g | 13% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 22mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 409mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 101mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 39IU | 1% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 4mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 1mg | |
| Vitamin C | 7mg | 8% |
| Vitamin K | 4µg | |
| Calcium | 35mg | 4% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 42µg | |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
| Magnesium | 30mg | 8% |
| Phosphorus | 65mg | |
| Zinc | 1mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
78 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
