VENN PONGAL

VENN PONGAL
Ingredients
Rice – 2 cups
Yellow Moong dal - 3/4 cup
Ginger – A small piece
Green Chillies – 2-3
Peppercorns – 1 tsp
Freshly grounded pepper powder – ½ tsp
Freshly grounded cumin powder – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 ½ tsp
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Salt to taste
Ghee – 2 tbsps
Curry leaves – A sprig
Cashews – 1-2 tbsps (optional)

Method
Wash and soak the rice and dal together for about an hour, this will ensure water retention and cook the khichdi(pongal) better.

You can either finely chop the green chillies and grate the ginger or make a paste of the green chilly and ginger as I have done in this recipe.

In a pan , Take some ghee, Add the cumin seeds and whole black peppercorns(while adding peppercorns, crush one or 2 peppercorns and let them fry. When the peppers burst add the Ginger chilly paste and let it fry, add asafetida, Add the curry leaves and fry. Now pour this in the soaked rice and dal, add turmeric, salt, freshly grounded pepper powder and the freshly grounded cumin powder. If you like to add cashew nuts, you can fry some cashew nuts in ghee and add to this mixture. Mix well. Add water to one inch above level of rice and pressure cook it upto 4 whistles. Once you open the cooker your Ven-pongal also known as Khichdi in the north is ready.

Serve it hot with some hot melted ghee and Kadi(Morkzhambu) Spiced Yogurt gravy.

In the south, Pongal is had with chutney and sambhar.