Ven Pongal is a simple , popular breakfast dish from south India . It is a mixture of rice and moong dhal cooked together and seasoned with ginger , pepper corns , jeera ( cumin) , cashews and curry leaves. There are different ratios and methods of doing the dish . Pongal can be had with any kind of chutney , sambar of even just spicy pickles . There is s sweet version as well , Sakkarai pongal , which is cooked during festivals as offerings .

I like to add more moong dhal and use broken pepper corns instead of whole ones . Normally short grained rice is used for this dish

Ingredients

White rice -1 cup

Moon dhal -1/2 cup

Water -5 cups

Ginger – cut finely -1 tsp

Jeera-1 tsp

Black pepper -11/2 tsp( broken )

Cashews-10-12 pcs broken

Asafoetida-2pinches

Curry leaves-2 springs

Melted Ghee -2tbsp

Salt as desired

Method

Wash and cook rice and moong dhal , with water , salt and a pinch of asafoetida. If using pressure cooker cook for 5-6 whistles .

We need the rice and dhal to be a complete mash .

Heat ghee in a pan , add jeera , pepper , ginger , cashews, asafoetida and curry leaves and add to the cooked mash . Mix well . The mixture must not be sticky and must fall of the spoon , this is the right consistency. Add more ghee if needed to achieve that consistency.

Some cook the peppercorns with the rice and dhal . If doing that use whole peppercorns.

But I like the peppercorns to be crispy fried , I break them so it’s easier to eat with the rice .