Pongal

Pongal is a delicious South Indian rice and lentil dish garnished with cracked pepper, curry leaves, cumin, ginger and cashew nuts. It is often made as an offering (prasadam) to God on festival days. It can be eaten as breakfast, lunch or dinner and is served with chutney on the side. A dollop of ghee (clarified butter) is a must for anyone who is not counting calories. The proportion of rice and lentils can be varied as per your choice. Some people prefer to use twice as much rice as lentils

Pongal

Print Recipe

Servings

6

Servings 6

Pongal Print Recipe Servings 6 Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup split mung dhal (yellow lentils)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
• 1 or 2" piece ginger
• pinch asofetidia (hing)
• 12 cashew nuts (broken into halves)
• salt to taste

Servings:

Instructions

1. Peel and grate the fresh ginger piece to get 1 tablespoon of finely grated ginger.
2. Crush the peppercorns gently to get roughly cracked pepper after keeping aside 1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns.
3. Wash rice and mung dhal well and add turmeric, 1 tablespoon oil, salt to taste and 4 cups water.
4. Cook briefly in a pressure cooker or for a longer time in a large dish on the stovetop until the rice and dhal mixture is mushy and well cooked.
5. Heat the remaining oil and ghee. Add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and grated ginger. When the cumin seeds and curry leaves crackle, add the, asofetidia (hing), cashew nuts, cracked and whole pepper and switch off heat. The cashew nuts should be light brown.
6. Add the tempered cumin seeds and spice mixture to the cooked rice and dhal.
7. Serve with a dollop of ghee and chutney of your choice.