What is Ven pongal ?
Ven pongal is also called khara pongal. Pongal is a rice dish where rice and dal are boiled in plenty of water till cooked, soft and porridge-like consistency. Traditionally it is cooked in an earthen pot over the wood fire. But in modern days, we cook in a pressure cooker or instant pot. Basically, ven pongal is South Indian version of moong dal khichdi. This rich, unique flavored khara pongal is commonly eaten as a breakfast. Also, it is made as an offering to God (naivedhya) during pooja. And most importantly prepared during harvest festival – Thai pongal. Along with this savory version, a sweet pongal is also made on this day. This is light on the stomach and very easy to digest. Today’s recipe is the basic, simple version. There are many variations to make it even more healthy where rice is replaced with millet, oats, quinoa, semolina.
Preparation for khara pongal recipe:
How to make ven pongal?
Khara pongal is best-served piping hot and warm. As it cools, it becomes thick and lose its consistency. The leftover can be reheated. But you may need to add hot water to make it the right consistency.
What to serve with ven pongal?
Ven pongal is served with coconut chutney and sambar. Pongal sambar is a very popular combination and it can be served as a meal and you can have roasted papad, pickle on side.
Tips to make BEST Ven pongal:
Do not reduce the amount of ghee in the recipe. The addition of ghee makes it aromatic, rich and flavorful. It also makes it smooth and less sticky. You can make a coarse mixture of cumin-pepper in a large batch and store in an airtight container. And use as needed. This mixture is used in many south Indian dishes like rasam, rava dosa, rava idli. So making a big batch and storing is a good idea if you are making such dishes frequently. You can dry roast the moong dal in a big batch (good enough for 1-2 months) and store in an airtight container. Roasting rice is optional. Pongal is usually made with a local verity of short grain rice. So every household use whatever they have and whatever they like. I personally use sona masoori rice. Dal and rice ratio is adjustable. If you want you can increase the dal amount and reduce the rice amount.
Check out more South Indian breakfast recipesUpma // Uttapam // Medu vada // Paniyaram // Idli
