Ven Pongal Recipe | Khara Pongal | Ghee Pongal
User Reviews
5
Ven Pongal Recipe | Khara Pongal | Ghee Pongal
Description
Ven Pongal Recipe | Khara Pongal | Ghee Pongal is a porridge-like dish made by pressure cooking rice and roasted moong dal with cumin, asafoetida, and ginger. The cooked mixture is soft and mushy, offering a creamy texture typical of this South Indian comfort food. The dish is highlighted by a tempering of cumin seeds, black peppercorns, curry leaves, and cashews fried in ghee, imparting a rich, fragrant, and slightly crunchy contrast to the soft base.
The blend of spices and ghee gives the dish warmth and subtle heat, enhanced by black pepper and a delicate bite from ginger. Cooking times and water quantity can be adjusted to achieve the desired consistency, from thick to semi-liquid. Ven Pongal is often served fresh as a light breakfast or a comforting snack with chutneys or sambar.
Practical advice includes roasting moong dal before cooking to boost aroma, carefully measuring water for consistency, and using fresh ghee for optimal flavor. While variations exist using vegetables or millets, the recipe focuses on traditional ingredients and methods to capture the authentic taste and texture. This dish is best enjoyed fresh and not recommended for freezing as texture and taste may suffer.
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
- Roast moong dal lightly until fragrant but do not brown.
- Use fresh ghee and spices to maintain aroma and flavor.
- Adjust water based on lentil freshness and desired consistency.
- The dish is best served freshly cooked and is not ideal for freezing as it thickens and changes texture.
- Tempering with cumin, pepper, curry leaves, and cashews in ghee adds flavor and texture contrast.
- Moong dal and rice can be cooked in an Instant Pot or stovetop with adjusted water and time.
- Add vegetables like carrots or peas for variation if desired, or substitute with millets for a different texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition 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.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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