Ven pongal

 Ven pongal

This is a breakfast dish very commonly prepared in Tamil Nadu 

Ingredients:

1. Raw Rice : 1cup

2. Moong dal : 1/8 th cup ( half of quarter cup) 

3. Black Pepper :  1 t spoon

4. Jeera/Cumin seeds :  1 t spoon

5. Ginger : one small bit (approximately 1” cube) 

6. Curry leaves : little

7. Ghee :  3 to 4 table spoons 

8. Cashew : about 10 or more 

9. Salt to taste 

 Method:

Finely chop ginger into small pieces after removing the skin.

Coarsely powder the pepper in a stone mortar and pestle.

Roast Moong dal in little ghee for few minutes in hot Kadai. 

Switch off stove  

Add rice and turn it for few minutes along with the moong dal in hot kadai 

Wash the rice and moong dal. add water I : 3 and  half  proportion  and pressure cook it by giving 3 or 4 whistles 

Once cool take out from pressure cooker add salt and little ghee and make it mushy with a thick spoon   

Add little ghee in kadai and roast the cashew till they are golden brown.   keep it aside  

Add some more ghee in the kadai  Roast the broken black pepper and jeera in ghee and add the finely chopped ginger and curry leaves.  Add the mushy rice and mix thoroughly  add the remaining ghee and also the roasted cashew nuts.  

Remove from stove

Serve the Pongal  hot with chutney or Sambhar