Pongal - Tamil nadu favorite dish

Let's start with the recipe

Ingredients

1. Rice: Here as suggested by Durga ji, I have used seeraga samba rice as it gives a good flavor. But if you do not get seeraga samba rice, you can use any regular medium to short grained white rice. I make khara pongal with any short grained Indian variety of rice available in the pantry – surti kolam, sona masuri or indrayani. You can easily buy these Indian varieties of rice on amazon or online.
2. Moong lentils: Ven pongal is made with husked, split and yellow moong lentils. Try to use fresh lentils and not aged ones as they will take a lot of time to cook.
3. Spices & herbs: The spices, herbs that bring so much taste and flavor in ven pongal are cumin, black peppercorns, curry leaves, ginger and asafetida. Try to include all of them and do not skip on any one.
4. Ghee: Also known as clarified butter, ghee is yet another important ingredient which imparts so much aroma to this dish. You can always add more but do not add less of it.
5. Cashews: Nutty cashews add a fabulous crunch, but you can skip these nuts if you are allergic to them.

6. Black Pepper

   Black pepper is one of the key ingredient added in ven pongal. The black peppercorns are added whole and when you eat khara pongal, you also bite into the black pepper.

• Pick ¼ cup of moong dal 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 flame stirring often roast the moong lentils until they become aromatic.
• You need to roast the moong lentils until they become aromatic. There is no need to brown them.
• Take the roasted moong lentils in another bowl or you can use the same pan for rinsing.
• Add ½ cup rice in the bowl containing the roasted moong dal. You can use any non-sticky short to medium grained white rice.
• Rinse both rice and the roasted moong dal a couple of times with water.
•  Drain very well and then add them in a 3 litre pressure cooker.

Now add the following ingredients – ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ⅛ teaspoon asafetida (hing), 1 teaspoon heaped chopped ginger. Add salt according to your liking.

• TIP: Crushing the cumin seeds lightly in your palms before adding gives a nice aroma.

• Pour 3 to 3.25 cups water. The amount of water to be added depends on the consistency you want and on the quality of moong dal.
  
  Usually I cook the moong lentils for 7 to 8 whistles. Thus I add 3.25 cups water. If you get moong dal, that cooks faster with 2 to 3 whistles, then add about 2.5 cups water.

• Pressure cook on a medium to high heat for 7 to 8 whistles or 11 to 12 minutes. For moong dal which cooks quickly, you can pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles.

• Let the pressure settle down on its own and then you remove the lid to check the doneness and consistency. The consistency of pongal is mushy and like a Khichdi or a porridge.

  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 set aside.

  TIP: If the pongal has a consistency like that of a pulao, then add ½ to 1 cup hot water and mix very well.

• In another small pan, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee. 3 tablespoons ghee gives a good taste and flavor.

• Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds.And let them splutter.And add 10 cashews and fry them until they turn light golden.Once they begin to get light golden, then add 1 teaspoon black pepper 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.

• . Now pour this entire tempering on the cooked rice and lentils and mix thoroughly.

• Cover with the lid (with the vent weight/whistle on the lid) and set aside for 5 to 6 minutes. This allows the tempering flavors to infuse with the khara pongal and the aroma to stay in. Then remove the lid and serve ven pongal hot or warm.