Ven Pongal (Salt Pongal)

This is one of the most popular breakfast items made in South India. This goes extremely well with coconut chutney or gotsu, sambhar or even aviyal. This dish is made on Pongal day along with sweet pongal and kootu or aviyal.

Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rice

• 1/4 cup Yellow moong dal

• Salt, to taste

• 3 cups Water

For tempering

• 5 tbsps Ghee

• 1 tsp Peppercorns

• 1 tbsp Grated ginger

• 5 Broken cashew nuts

• 1 tsp Cumin seeds

• 5-8 Curry leaves

Instructions

1. In a pressure cooker, cook the rice and the moong dal together with grated ginger for 4-5 whistles by adding little additional water - ginger is added to infuse the flavour

2. It should be graviesh, mash it well and keep aside

3. In a pan take 3 tbsp ghee and splutter cumin seeds, pepper and curry leaves

4. Add cashew nuts and saute till it becomes light brown

5. Add the cooked rice-dal, salt and saute till well combined

6. Serve hot with ghee on top with aviyal or chutney (this needs to be had hot)