Pongal is a scrumptious South Indian porridge made with rice and yellow moong lentils. It may be made candy or savory. Right here I share the savory model of pongal recipe referred to as Ven Pongal or Khara Pongal laced with the fantastic flavors of cumin, asafetida, curry leaves, ginger and black pepper. To not overlook the stunning aroma of ghee, in it.
About Pongal Recipe
Pongal is a well-liked recipe having each savory and candy variations. It’s made through the in style Pongal Festival or different Hindu festivals in South India and is obtainable to the deities as naivedyam (choices of meals).
Pongal has at all times been our favourite dish. After having among the finest Ven Pongal on the Tirupati Balaji temple, I’ve been looking to make it precisely the identical approach it was made there.
Lately we received the possibility to savor ven pongal in JW Mariott resort on their breakfast menu. It was a great. Although not precisely just like the ven pongal we had in Tirupati temple, however positively a tastier one.
The additional quantity of ghee they added of their khara pongal made quite a lot of distinction to the style. They might additionally add grated recent coconut to their pongal.
So when I’ve been looking for a homely but a very good ven pongal recipe, I requested certainly one of my very expensive reader and pal, Durga aunty about her methodology.
Durga aunty was fast sufficient to provide me her mom’s recipe to make ven pongal. She gave all of the finer particulars to cook dinner one of the best pongal.
Durga aunty is in her 70’s and this recipe is from her mom. Thus making this recipe virtually a 100 yr outdated household recipe.
Once I made this recipe it was so good and jogged my memory of the ven pongal recipe we had on the Tirupati Balaji temple – sure it got here fairly near that pongal recipe.
Thanks Durga ji. This submit is devoted to you.
What You Want
- Rice: Right here as steered by Durga ji, I’ve used seeraga samba rice because it provides a great taste. But when you don’t get seeraga samba rice, you should utilize any common medium to brief grained white rice. I make khara pongal with any brief grained Indian number of rice accessible within the pantry – surti kolam, sona masuri or indrayani. You’ll be able to simply purchase these Indian forms of rice on amazon or on-line.
- Moong lentils: Ven pongal is made with husked, cut up and yellow moong lentils. Attempt to use recent lentils and never aged ones as they are going to take quite a lot of time to cook dinner.
- Spices and herbs: The spices, herbs that deliver a lot style and taste in ven pongal are cumin, black peppercorns, curry leaves, ginger and asafetida. Attempt to embrace all of them and don’t skip on anybody.
- Ghee: Also called clarified butter, ghee is one more necessary ingredient which imparts a lot aroma to this dish. You’ll be able to at all times add extra however don’t add much less of it.
- Cashews: Nutty cashews add a superb crunch, however you possibly can skip these nuts if you’re allergic to them.
On Black Pepper
Black pepper is without doubt one of the key ingredient added in ven pongal. The black peppercorns are added entire and whenever you eat khara pongal, you additionally chew into the black pepper.
If you don’t favor or like biting into an entire black pepper, then crush the black pepper coarsely and add.
Normally I add crushed black pepper, however since I wished to share an genuine methodology, I didn’t crush black peppers for this recipe submit.
Two candy and savory variations of pongal recipes
- Sweet Pongal – A creamy, sweetened model made with nuts, ghee and jaggery.
- Rava Pongal – A delish savory model made with semolina, ghee and nuts.
Step-by-Step Information
The best way to make Ven Pongal
Earlier than you start there’s some fast prep work like roasting moong lentils and rinsing rice, lentils. Additional on making khara pongal is a breeze. Wherever doable, I’ve talked about suggestions and options so that you just make a good ven pongal.
Roasting Moong Dal
1. Decide ¼ cup of moong dal first to eliminate stones if any. Then warmth a small pan or a small kadai and add the moong lentils.
2. On a low flame stirring typically roast the moong lentils till they grow to be fragrant.
3. It’s essential roast the moong lentils till they grow to be fragrant. There is no such thing as a must brown them.
4. Take the roasted moong lentils in one other bowl or you should utilize the identical pan for rinsing.
Rinsing Rice and Lentils
5. Add ½ cup rice within the bowl containing the roasted moong dal. You need to use any non-sticky brief to medium grained white rice.
6. Rinse each rice and the roasted moong dal a few instances with water.
Cooking Rice and Moong Lentils
7. Drain very effectively after which add them in a 3 litre stress cooker.
8. Now add the next substances – ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ⅛ teaspoon asafetida (hing), 1 teaspoon heaped chopped ginger. Add salt in response to your liking.
TIP: Crushing the cumin seeds calmly in your palms earlier than including provides a pleasant aroma.
9. Pour 3 to three.25 cups water. The quantity of water to be added relies on the consistency you need and on the standard of moong dal.
Normally I cook dinner the moong lentils for 7 to eight whistles. Thus I add 3.25 cups water. Should you get moong dal, that cooks quicker with 2 to three whistles, then add about 2.5 cups water.
10. Strain cook dinner on a medium to excessive warmth for 7 to eight whistles or 11 to 12 minutes. For moong dal which cooks shortly, you possibly can stress cook dinner for two to three whistles.
11. Let the stress cool down by itself and then you definitely take away the lid to test the doneness and consistency. The consistency of pongal is mushy and like a Khichdi or a porridge.
Each the rice and the moong dal ought to be cooked very effectively. If you’d like you possibly can even barely mash the cooked rice and moong lentils. If cooked effectively, then cowl with the lid and put aside.
TIP: If the pongal has a consistency like that of a pulao, then add ½ to 1 cup sizzling water and blend very effectively.
Tempering for Ven Pongal
12. In one other small pan, warmth 2 to three tablespoons ghee. 3 tablespoons ghee provides a great style and taste.
13. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds.
14. Allow them to splutter.
15. Then add 10 to 12 cashews.
16. Fry till the cashews begin to grow to be gentle golden.
17. As soon as they start to get gentle golden, then add 1 teaspoon black pepper and 10 to 12 curry leaves.
18. Stir very effectively and fry till the curry leaves grow to be crisp. The black pepper must also be fried effectively.
Making Ven Pongal
19. Now pour this complete tempering on the cooked rice and lentils.
20. Combine completely.
21. Cowl with the lid (with the vent weight/whistle on the lid) and put aside for five to six minutes. This permits the tempering flavors to infuse with the khara pongal and the aroma to remain in. Then take away the lid and serve ven pongal sizzling or heat.
Serving Options
Normally we merely have ven pongal with a facet of curd (yogurt) or mango pickle. However it’s historically served with coconut chutney or sambar.
Durga ji suggests to have khara pongal with both onion gothsu or brinjal gothsu or coconut chutney or idli sambar or kalyana gothsu.
Whereas serving, you possibly can drizzle a little bit of ghee on prime and garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro) when you desire.
Khara Pongal Variations
Ven pongal could be made in some ways. You may add grated coconut and even combine greens like carrots, french beans, inexperienced peas, cauliflower, capsicum or corn. Add some oats to creating oats pongal for a wholesome variation. Millets and even cracked wheat (dalia) could be included to make wholesome pongal varieties.
Getting ready khara pongal doesn’t take a lot time. You can also make it for lunch or dinner, particularly if you’re in need of time or very busy. Then serve it with some pickle or a facet of curd or chutney or salad.
Suggestions
Professional Suggestions
Making Prompt Pot Ven Pongal
A lot of the instances, I desire making ven pongal in my Prompt Pot. However I do roast the lentils individually within the pan and solely cook dinner the rice, lentils and spices within the IP. I make the tempering individually to be added later because it provides extra taste.
For cooking ven pongal within the Prompt pot, after the roasting and rinsing steps, add the lentil, rice, spices within the metal insert of your IP. Add 3 cups water. Strain cook dinner on excessive for six to 7 minutes.
Do a fast stress launch after 10 to 12 minutes. If the consistency seems thick, add some water to skinny it a bit and utilizing the sauté possibility, simmer for a few minutes. Later fry the spices, nuts individually and add to the cooked rice and lentils. Combine and serve.
Ingredient Notes
- Recent substances: Not solely pongal, however when making any recipe at all times use recent and good high quality substances. Do be certain to have your spices recent and never stale or spoiled.
- Ghee: One of the crucial necessary ingredient that offers ven pongal its flavorful aroma is ghee. Use recent ghee and you may at all times add extra of it, however don’t add much less.
- Gluten free recipe: For a gluten free pongal, I might counsel so as to add a gluten-free asafoetida, slightly than skip it fully.
- Black pepper: You’ll be able to crush the black pepper calmly in a mortar-pestle as a substitute of including them entire.
Pongal Recipe Notes
- Cooking lentils: Relying on the standard of moong dal, it may well take much less or extra time to cook dinner them. I often cook dinner the moong lentils for 7 to eight whistles and thus I add about 3.25 cups water. You probably have moong lentils, which cook dinner quicker, then add about 2.5 cups water and cook dinner for two to three whistles. The rice and lentils should be mushy and the pongal consistency ought to be like a porridge.
- Cooking in a pot or pan: Should you wouldn’t have a stress cooker, you may make khara pongal in a pot or pan on the stove-top. Merely comply with the recipe and cook dinner the rice, lentils in 3.5 to 4 cups water. Do add extra water if wanted.
- Lentils and rice proportion: On this recipe, the proportion of rice is extra. For extra protein, you possibly can simply change to equal proportions of rice and lentils.
- Scaling: Make a giant batch of this recipe simply to feed a crowd.
- Make forward: I might not counsel to make forward and freeze ven pongal, because it tastes finest when served recent. On refrigerating or freezing, the pongal will thicken and grow to be lumpy. The style additionally adjustments as effectively. Lentils and rice are finest had freshly cooked.
FAQs
Sure, it’s wholesome because it contains each carbohydrates from the rice and proteins from the lentils with some fat from the ghee. The quantity of ghee added can also be not an excessive amount of.
Ghee pongal and ven pongal are the identical. Mainly they’re two totally different names of the identical recipe.
In no way! The consistency of a savory pongal and khichdi is analogous, however the spices, herbs that make up each are totally different. Clearly a khichdi tastes very totally different than a ven pongal.
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By Dassana Amit
Ven Pongal often known as Khara Pongal is a well-liked South Indian porridge that’s made with rice, yellow moong lentils and laced with the fantastic flavors of spices, herbs and ghee.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook dinner Time 20 minutes
Complete Time 25 minutes
Servings 3
Forestall your display screen from going darkish whereas making the recipe
This pongal recipe from the archives (April 2016) has been republished and up to date on 23 August 2021.
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