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–+ servings
Pongal with toasted cashews in a small bowl

Ven Pongal - A Creamy Rice and Lentil Porridge

Shri Repp
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.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • ½ cup (100 g) short grain rice Look in notes for substitutes
  • ¼ cup (65 g) split moong dal (hulled)
  • 3 cups water
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted ghee plus more
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 20 raw cashews
  • 7 - 10 black peppercorn slightly crushed
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 10-15 curry leaves removed from stem
  • ¼ teaspoon asafetida Optional

Instructions
 

Prep Ingredients

  1. Lightly crush 7 - 10 black peppercorn with a mortar and pestle.
  2. Add enough fresh ginger to a mortar and pestle and grind to yeild 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger. It is also okay to use store bought ginger paste but fresh ginger tastes MUCH better.

Make Pongal

  1. Using your hands, rinse the ½ cup short grain rice and ¼ cup split moong dal (hulled) to release the excess starches. Drain the cloudy water and repeat this process until the water is nearly clear while rinsing.
  2. In an Instant pot, add rice, moong dal, 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon of the ghee, and 1 teaspoon sea salt and cook on high pressure 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.
  3. Once cooked, whisk the rice and dal so they meld into one. The consistency should be of a thick congee or polenta. If the pongal is too runny, keep the Instant Pot on saute mode until the excess water evaporates. if the pongal is too thick, add a bit of water to loosen the pongal.

Make Topping and Tadka

  1. In a medium pan add remaining 6 tablespoons unsalted ghee and 20 raw 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.
  2. Add 7 - 10 black peppercorn, 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, 2 teaspoons cumin seeds to the remaining ghee in the pan on medium heat. Cook until the raw smell of the ginger dissipates and the cumin seeds start dancing in the ghee.
  3. Make sure that there is enough ghee still in the pan. If not, add another tablespoon as needed. Add 10-15 curry leaves, to the hot pan with spices and wait for the curry leaves to sputter in the oil or impart their aromatic scent. Once the curry leaves sputter, turn off the heat. Add ¼ teaspoon asafetida to the spices.

Assemble

  1. Pour tadka over the pongal and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Taste the pongal and add additional salt as required. 
  2. Top pongal with cashews and enjoy on its own or with a side of sambar and coconut chutney.
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Notes and Tips

  • 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 ¼ 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
Did you make this recipe?Tag @moonriceshri so I can see your amazing creation!