The savoury variation, known as ven pongal or khara pongal, is made with ghee, curry leaves, black pepper, ginger, cumin, and hing. During regular pooja, auspicious days, and festivals, this very savoury and delectable meal is presented to the deities. Ven pongal is a popular dish during the festivities in south India but it’s also one of the comfort foods that can be made and served at any time of the day. Ven pongal could be served as a light snack or as a whole meal, it depends on the portion size. Ven pongal tastes delectable with a dollop of coconut chutney. I usually serve pongal with coconut chutney in the morning. But apart from that it pairs equally well with sambar and tomato chutney.
What is pongal and when is it celebrated?
Pongal is a multi-day harvest festival held in South India, mainly in Tamil Nadu, that commemorates the first day of the sun’s return voyage to the northern hemisphere, which is known in India as Makar Sankranti and is observed on January 14. Ven pongal is a popular dish that is served during this festival.
Is Ven pongal healthy?
Ven pongal is a traditional south indian dish that is considered a protein packed dish full of healthy nutrients. It contains a slight amount of ghee but not to worry because ghee is considered a healthy fat. You can switch the rice with brown rice or millets to make it even more healthier and diet friendly.
Why we love this Pongal recipe
What’s not to love about this flavourful combination of asian style veggies and simply delicious sauce?
Easy, healthy, protein packed meal Diet-friendly, weight loss friendly Ready in about thirty minutes Perfect to satisfy your south indian flavours cravings A good way to spice things up in the kitchen
Ingredients
Rice: any standard medium to short grained white rice would suffice. Surti kolam, sona masuri, or indrayani are some of the short-grained Indian rice varieties I use to produce khara pongal. Moong lentils: Ven pongal should be made using fresh lentils instead of dried ones. if you use the aged lentils then it will take much longer to cook. I have used yellow moong lentils that have been husked, split, and peeled.
Cumin seeds crushed Asafoetida- Hing Ginger Water Salt Cumin seeds Black pepper Sprig of curry leaves Cashews- for the nutty crunchy and creamy flavour but you can also skip adding this if you’re allergic Ghee- ghee stands to be the ingredient that makes a lot of difference because it adds the much wanted aroma to the ven pongal.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
For tempering the ven pongal.
Ven Pongal In Instant Pot
What kind of dal and rice are used?
To achieve the soft gooey texture, it’s very important to use short grain rice and moong dal. If you use basmati rice give the dish a good mash with the back of the ladel. The next ingredient you really need to focus on is the kind of ghee you temper the dish with. Cow ghee elevates the flavours of ven pongal and gives it the aromatic sense.
Can it be made gluten-free?
A lot of people avoid consuming rice either due to weight issues or they can’t tolerate gluten. Ven pongal could be made with any kind of grain. You can switch your regular rice with millets, oats, brown rice, black rice and it would more or less taste the same.
Substitutions
Instead of white rice, you can use brown rice/black rice/quinoa/millets to make it healthier. All of the above grains are gluten-free. Make sure you do not substitute cumin seeds with ground cumin.
Variations
Ven pongal can be prepared in a variety of ways. You might also blend veggies like carrots, french beans, green peas, cauliflower, capsicum, or corn with shredded coconut. To make a healthier alternative, add some oats to the pongal. To develop healthier pongal variants, millets, quinoa and even broken wheat (dalia) can be included.
Pro tip
Ratio of Dal:Rice: WaterMost important to note here is ratio of dal to rice. I usually go with 1:1:1 for the perfect texture of the ven pongal. Ghee: Make sure the ghee you use is fresh and flavorful since it’s one of the main ingredients which adds a lot of aroma to the ven pongal.
Recipe Notes
Cooking in a pot or pan: If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you may make khara pongal on the stovetop in a pot or pan. Cook the rice and lentils in 3.5 to 4 cups of water according to the instructions. If necessary, add extra water. Proportions of lentils and rice: The quantity of yellow lentils, rice, water is important.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this flavourful deliciousness with a side of coconut chutney. I personally love to serve ven pongal with a side of mango pickle, yoghurt and sambar. If you do not have a lot of time to prepare the side dishes, you can simply serve it with papad.
Storage
Ven pongal is best served fresh, thus I would not recommend making it ahead of time and freezing it. The pongal will thicken and turn lumpy if refrigerated or frozen. The flavour of the food alters as well. Freshly cooked lentils and rice are the finest.
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