Ven pongal / Kara Pongal / Uthiri Pongal, a delicious South Indian breakfast made from rice, dal and tempered with aromatic Indian Spices. It's usually served with sambar and/or chutneys.

The recipe that i'm sharing today is for soft and fluffy pongal not the mushy one that is usually available in restaurants. Though mushy pongal tastes great when served hot, it doesn't taste the same when it's cold. 

So, In South Tamilnadu, when pongal is prepared in large quantities for temple festivals or marriage feast to feed many people, usually it's not mushy because that's when even the last serving has the same taste as the first serving.

For this pongal, raw ponni rice is used generally for its small grain size and the taste. But seeraga samba rice/biryani rice  also taste equally good for this pongal with enhanced flavor.

As in this pongal recipe, the rice and dal is cooked along with the tempering, the flavor is intense even without a lot of ghee and makes you want to eat more & more ! That's why it's our family favorite.

Now let's check out on how to make this delicious pongal.

Ven Pongal | Kara Pongal | Uthiri Pongal

Preparation Time : 30 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Breakfast | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Ven Pongal, Kara Pongal, Uthiri Pongal Ven pongal / Kara Pongal / Uthiri Pongal, a delicious South Indian breakfast made from the rice, dal and tempered with aromatic Indian Spices.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Seeraga Samba rice / Raw Ponni rice - 1/2 cup
Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Water - 1 & 1/2  cups
Salt - to taste

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Oil - 2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp
To Temper
Cumin Seed - 1  tsp
Pepper Corns - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 tbsp(minced)
Curry leaves - few
Cashew - 6 to 8
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Procedure

First in a bowl, add the rice and dal, wash it well and then soak it in the water for 30 mins.

Next take all the ingredients for tempering and then heat a pressure cooker with oil and 1 tsp of ghee, add all the tempering ingredients one by one.

Saute till they are aromatic and then add the water. 

Next add the turmeric powder and salt. Bring the water into boil.

Drain the water from the soaked rice and dal and add into the pressure cooker. Give a quick stir and then cover the pressure cooker with lid and put a whistle. Cook it for 3 whistles.

Once the pressure is released from the pressure cooker, open it and add the remaining 1 tsp of ghee, give a gentle mix. 

Tada, Tasty and fluffy Ven Pongal is ready. Serve it with sambar and/or chutneys.

Related: How to make Crispy Rava Dosai

Notes:

• Instead of whole pepper corns, crushed pepper corns can also be used. 
• Adding good amount of ginger truly elevates the flavor and taste of the pongal.