Post No.182
Pongal is the staple breakfast in many parts of south india especially in Tamilnadu. Ven pongal is a blend of rice and lentil and spiced with some crushed peppercorns. Sakkarai pongal is made with rice, lentils and jaggery makes it a wholesome sweet to be served for the festivals.
Ingredients for Ven Pongal and Sakarai Pongal
1 cup rice
½ cup yellow moong dal
6 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seed
I inch ginger grated
2 tsp blackpepper corns coarsely pounded
4 tablespoon cashew nut halved
½ cup jaggery
½ tsp cardamom powder
Salt to taste
For chutney
1 cup grated coconut
4 green chillies
1 piece of ginger
1 dry red chilli broken
1tsp oil
Salt to taste
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp urad dal
1 sprig curry leaves
Method
For making the ven pongal first cook the rice and dal in the pressure cooker. Heat the cooker on medium heat and add a table spoon ghee. Add the washed moong dal and roast the dal in the ghee for about a minute. Once dal is roasted add rice and 4 ½ cups of water. Cover and cook until you get 3 or 4 whistle. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally.
Heat a table spoon of ghee in a pan and add in the 2 tbsp of cashew nuts and roast on low heat until it is light brown in colour. Next add in a teaspoon of cumin seeds, 2 teaspoon of pounded black pepper, and grated ginger. Stir well and turn off the heat. Now add half the quantity of cooked dal and rice mixture to the seasoning and stir well. Add one tablespoon of ghee into the rice and mix well.
Your ven pongal is ready to serve.
Sakkarai Pongal
In a sauce pan add ¼ cup of water and melt the jaggery on a medium heat. Allow the jaggery to come to boil. Stir in cardamom powder and turn off the heat and keep aside.
Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a small pan and roast the cashew nuts until golden and crisp. Turn off the heat and keep aside.
Next add melted jaggery mixture and the roasted cashew nuts along with 2 tbs ghee into the remaining cooked rice and dal mixture. Stir well on medium heat for about 5 minutes until the jaggery has got well blended with the rice and dal mixture. The Sakkarai pongal is ready now.
Coconut chutney
Add the fresh coconut, green chillies and ginger along with half cup of warm water into a mixer and blend it to make a smooth coconut chutney. Now transfer into a bowl and add salt and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal and allow it a crackle and dal to turn golden brown. Once the dalturns brown, add the curry leaves and red chillies and sauté for a few seconds. Spoon the tadka over the coconut chutney and serve along with Ven pongal.
Serve Ven pongal with coconut chutney along with Sakkarai Pongal and filter coffee.
Usha's Kitchen 