Ven Pongal / Khara Pongal

Lentil recipes are used throughout South Asia, the Mediterranean regions and West Asia. They are also combined with rice, which has a similar cooking time. A lentil and rice dish is referred as Mujaddara in Arab countries. They are also cooking together into Khichidi a popular dish in Indian subcontinents -India and Pakistan. South Indians make sweet and hot pongal with rice and lentils. 

Ven pongal is a very easy and comfort food which is very popular breakfast dish in Tamil Nadu. This particular South Indian rice dish is offered to god at temples.  This dish is usually served with coconut or peanut chutney and Sambar. It depends on your taste what kind of chutney you like. So this delicious and famous rice and lentil dish goes to the 2nd day of BM 54, under the theme " Lentils in 3 ways".

Ingredients:

Raw rice 1 cup
Split yellow moong dal 1/2 cup
Black pepper corns 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves 6
Cumin seeds / Jeera 1 spoon
Asafoetida / Hing 1/4 spoon
Green chilies 5
Oil / ghee 4 spoons or according to your taste

For Chutney:

Roasted peanuts 1/2 cup
Chutney dal / putnalu 1/4 cup
Green chili 2
Garlic clove 1
Slat to taste
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Udad dal 1 spoon
Red chili 1
Curry leaves 4
Oil 2 spoons


Preparation:

In a presser cooker heat ghee add cumin seeds, black pepper corns, curry leaves, slit green chilies 
and asafoetida. 
Saute for few seconds.
Now add washed dal and rice together and drain water.
Add them to the tempering and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Now add 5 cups water to the rice and dal mixture.
Add salt to taste and mix well.
Cover with lid and cook till you hear 3  to 4 whistles.
Let the presser completely go away before removing the lid.
Remove and serve hot with chutney.
If you like add a spoon full of ghee on top of pongal after serving on to plate.

For Chutney:

Add peanuts, chutney dal, green chili, garlic and salt to mixer.
Grind to smooth paste adding water.
To prepare tempering heat oil in small pan and add udad dal, curry leaves, cumin, mustard seeds and red chili. Fry for few seconds are till mustard seeds crackle.
Add this tempering to ground chutney and serve with hot ven pongal.

Check to see what my fellow bloggers are cooking for BM 54.