VenPongal is a one pot balanced preparation of lentils and rice, typically found on the South Indian menu. It is often served as breakfast with chutney and sambar. It’s an understatement to call this super healthy, figure friendly rice preparation breakfast only. It’s an all round, timeless,comfort food. To go on with it it is wholesome balanced food . I would say have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner… its is satisfying good.
The ratio of the lentils and rice is what makes this preparation nutritious. It is a soft food and hence often fed to toddlers, convalescent and older people.
On Pongal day, January 14, VenPongal commonly prepared with the fresh winter crop of rice.
Tempered with cumin and black pepper to add flavor to the liberal use of ghee, this preparation has quite been considered medicinal too.
Read more about pongal in the post link below
If you are worried about the ghee.. no harm, skip the ghee, use a roasted cumin and pepper combination. The creamy mashed savory preparation will still hold up to your expectation.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Passive Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings | people |
- 1 cup rice raw, white, short grain
- 1 cup mung bean/ moong dal/ pasiparippu/ cheupayar skinned spilt green gram
- 6 cups Water drinking quality
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp ghee / clarified butter can omit
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Black pepper crushed
- 1 sprig curryleaves
- 1 pinch hing/ kayam/ asafeoteida powder
Ingredients
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- Into a dry pressure pan add the clean split moong bean and roast for a minutes.
- Add in the rice . Stir for a minute
- Add water and mix it well. Pressure cooker till well done. It takes around 4 long whistles
- Wait till the pressure pan cools Meanwhile you can prepare the garnish.
- To a small pan add clarified butter or ghee add the cumin allow it to.become golden add in the rest of the garnish and saute till the cashew turns golden.
- Open the pressure pan when the steam releases, be careful.
- Pour on the prepared garnish into the cooked rice.
- Add necessary salt and mix well. If the mixture of rice and lentil appears to be very thick add a bit of warm water.
- Serve hot with chutney, sambar, or even simple yogurt.
The serving consistency is is like that of mashed potatoes . If the mixture appears thick add necessary water to adjust.
again as the mixture cools it will turn thicker.Adjust with warm water and salt if necessary.
This is my all-time favorite breakfast! Ven Pongal and coconut chutney are best together 🙂