What type of rice is used for pongal?

A short grain variety is best for pongal. In India sona masuri or ponni rice is typically used. However any short grain variety should do. You can alternatively use basmati or a long grain rice but just increase the water as long grain varieties have a harder time melding together.

What type of dal is used for pongal?

You can use moong dal or toor dal for pongal. I prefer to use moong dal as it is a thinner variety that cooks faster. To learn more about Indian dal varieties, check out this blog post .

What is the ratio of rice to dal to use for pongal?

My recipe uses a 2:1 ratio of rice to dal for a creamy and decadent dal. However, if you are looking to increase your intake of protein, you can change the ratio to 1:1. If you add extra dal to the pongal, add extra water as dal requires much more water to cook. The rule of thumb is that if you add 1/4 cup more of dal, add double the amount of water, so 1/2 cup more of water to compensate.

How to make pongal without pressure cooker?

You can simply add the ingredients to a deep pot with a lid. Allow the water to come to a boil and cover and cook for 15-20 mins or until the lentils and rice and cook through and lose their shape.

How to make pongal without ghee?

Pongal is a rich dish that gets a lot of its decadence from ghee. However, if you are going to omit ghee, you can add butter (vegan or non-vegan) to get the richness. If not, substitute with a bit of oil while cooking the dal and rice. However, completely omitting the ghee/butter will result in a pongal that isn't as creamy.

What goes well with pongal?

Pongal goes very well with sambar as an accompaniment.

How to reheat pongal?

When reheating pongal, whether on the stovetop or in the microwave, add 2-3 tablespoons of water as the pongal will dry out as it sits in the fridge.

Is pongal the same as khichidi?

Nope. Both pongal and khichidi are lentil and rice porridges. However, pongal is a specific dish from Tamil Nadu and uses aromatics like ginger, black peppercorn, curry leaves, and cumin seeds whereas khichidi is more of an umbrella term that has many varieties that include different spices and vegetables.

Instant Pot Ven Pongal

Name: Ven Pongal - A Creamy Rice and Lentil Porridge
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1/2 cup - Short Grain Rice (100g) (Look in notes for substitutes); 1/4 cup - Split Moong Dal (65g); 3 cups - water; 1/3 cup plus 1 tsp - Ghee, unsalted; 2 teaspoons - Kosher Salt; 20 - Raw Cashews; 5 - 10 - Black Peppercorn, slightly crushed; 1- 2 Thai or Serrano Chilies, halved; 1 Tbs - Ginger, grated; 2 tsp - Cumin Seeds; 10-15 Curry Leaves, removed from stem; 1/4 tsp Hing or Asafetida (Optional)

Description

Ven Pongal is a buttery lentil-rice porridge. Moong daal and rice are cooked together and topped with a thalicha (tadka) of ghee infused with black peppercorn, ginger, and curry leaves.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup - Short Grain Rice (100g) (Look in notes for substitutes)
1/4 cup - Split Moong Dal (65g)
3 cups - water
1/3 cup plus 1 tsp - Ghee, unsalted
2 teaspoons - Kosher Salt
20 - Raw Cashews
5 - 10 - Black Peppercorn, slightly crushed
1- 2 Thai or Serrano Chilies, halved
1 Tbs - Ginger, grated
2 tsp - Cumin Seeds
10-15 Curry Leaves, removed from stem
1/4 tsp Hing or Asafetida (Optional)

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Instructions

Using your hands, rinse the rice and dal to release the excess starches. Drain the cloudy water and repeat this process until the water is nearly clear while rinsing.
In an instant pot, add rice, moong dal, water, 1 tsp ghee, and salt and cook on the rice setting for 12 minutes. Let the instant pot naturally vent for 10 minutes. We intentionally put a large amount of water so the rice and dal are easily mashable. Once cooked, whisk the rice and dal so they meld into one and set aside.
In a medium pan add ghee and cashews and sauté them on medium-low heat until the cashews become golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove and set aside the cashews while leaving the ghee behind in the pan.
Make tadka (tempering): Add crushed peppercorn, ginger, cumin seeds, asafetida, and curry leaves to the ghee remaining in the pan and sauté on medium heat for ~1 minute or until the cumin seeds start to dance in the ghee and release their aromatic scent.
Pour tadka over the pongal and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Taste the pongal and add additional salt as required.
Top pongal with cashews and enjoy on its own or with a side of sambar and coconut chutney.

Notes

Look at this blog post for dal variety alternatives
You can alternatively use basmati rice or long grain rice for your pongal you may need to add an additional 1 cup of water.
If the pongal is too watery, simmer the pongal in the instant pot until the water evaporates and the pongal is creamy. If the pongal still has grains of rice and lentils that haven't melded, add 1/4 cup of water at a time and allow the pongal to boil until soft enough, then whisk to emulsify.
To reheat the pongal add a bit of water to the pongal and heat on stovetop or in the microwave

Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 25
Category: Breakfast
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: Indian

Keywords: Instant Pot Ven Pongal