Ven Pongal

(Picture taken at a restaurant in Tamil Nadu. Pongal served with sambar and 4 varieties of chutney)

(Pongal, Vadai, Sambar and chutney made at home)

Each time I travel into Tamil Nadu, my breakfast is this cannot-go-wrong dish. If you serve pongal with idly and uzhundu vadai as many marriages solemnized in Tamil Nadu do, oh my God,  I am in Heaven!

Fluffy idly, crisp vadai and steaming pongal with spicy sambar and varieties of coconut chutney. Top that!

Ingredients:

Rice / pachari (white rice, not basmati) - 1 cup

Moong dal / pashi parippu / cheru parippu - 1/2 cup
Ghee* - 3 tbsp (heaped) (or) 1/4 cup
Cashew nut (broken) - 2 tbsp
Jeera -1/2 tbsp
Whole Peppercorn - 10
Ginger (minced fine) - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 15 , torn
Salt


Method:
Clean and soak the dal and rice together for 10 minutes.
Pressure cook with 4 cups of water and salt until mashed well (3 whistles + 10 minutes).
Open and it will be overcooked. Mix / mash well.
If you feel it is very thick (it should hold shape of the ladle when inverted on a plate) add some hot water and mix.
Heat the ghee and fry first the cashew nut and keep aside.
Next add the jeera and wait till it pops.
Turn off flame and add the rest of the ingredients (peppercorns, ginger and curry leaf).
Pour over the cooked rice-dal loose mass and mix well.
Serve hot with sambar and chutney.