Ven Pongal

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup raw rice
• 1/4 cup moongdal / pasiparuppu
• 3 cups of water
• 1/2 inch piece ginger (finely sliced)
• Season with salt to taste
• 2 tbsp ghee + 4 tbsp oil
• Cashew Nuts – 10 digits
• 1 teaspoon whole black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• a few curry leaves

Method

1. Wash dal and rice together and pressure cook for 12 minutes with chopped ginger, 3 cups water, and needed salt. Once the pressure has been released, mash the cooked dal and rice with the back of a ladle.
2. In a small pan, heat both the ghee and the oil. Fry the cashews in the hot oil until golden brown and leave aside. Temper cumin seeds, peppercorns, and curry leaves in the same oil. Mix this tempering into the mashed rice in the cooker.

Serve hot with Sambar Coconut Chutney and Ven Pongal.

Chef’s Tip

1. Always use this proportion: 1 cup rice equals 1/4 cup moongdal and vice versa. If you use too much moong dal, the Pongal will become sticky; if you use too little rice, the Pongal will taste like steaming white rice.
2. The second tip is to not use extra water; if you boil rice and dal in excess water, the surplus water will either remain below the cooker or the Pongal will taste bland, similar to porridge water ( Kanji Thanni). As a result, always use a 1:2 ratio (one cup rice+dal, two cups water) plus 1/2 cup more.
3. Pongal requires a lot of oil; don’t be afraid to use a lot of it; 6 tbsp (ghee + oil) may appear to be a lot, but when added to cooked mashed rice, it will be effectively absorbed and a soft Pongal texture will be obtained; this is a restaurant secret.