What’s better than a steaming hot bowl of rice and dal? A steaming hot bowl of rice mixed with dal! That’s exactly what Pongal is. It is a soft, comforting dish made with rice and dal and a few mild flavors.
The main “spice” in Pongal is ground black pepper. A generous amount of butter and cashews are also involved, which really add to the taste. Plus, the smell of cashews roasting in melted butter is just amazing!
Pongal is traditionally prepared during the the harvest festival of Makara Sankranti (also called Pongal!). However, you can eat Pongal any time. It is a very popular breakfast dish in South India.
In fact, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a very popular breakfast combination is Pongal with Udina Vada/Medu Vada. Check out my recipe for this delicious savory “donut” here.
As pictured, other common sides to Pongal include Coconut Chutney and Puli Thanni. Check out my recipe for Coconut Chutney here.
Pulli Thanni is a little side made from Tamarind pulp. It’s a bit too sour for my taste. As with most rice dishes, I prefer to dunk my Pongal with homemade yogurt! 🙂 Check out how to make your own here.
Pongal
Cuisine: Indian, South Indian4
servings10
minutes20
minutes200
kcalA soft and comforting South Indian style rice dish made from rice and lentils and made flavorful with black pepper, cashews, and butter
Ingredients
1 cup dry Sona Masoori rice
1/2 cup dry moong dal/ split moong beans
6 cups water
Salt to taste
1 stick butter
2 tsp jeera seeds
2 tbsp cashews (whole or split)
1 inch grated ginger
2-4 green chilis (minced)
A few curry leaves
2 white onions (finely diced)
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp whole black peppercorns (or coarsely ground, if you prefer)
1/4 cup milk (I used 2%)
A handful cilantro (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Add 1 cup dry Sona Masoori rice and 1/2 cup dry moong dal to a bowl. Rinse with water and drain. Repeat twice to wash the rice and dal.
- Add washed rice and moong dal to a pressure cooker along with 6 cups of water and 2 tsp salt. Pressure cook for 2 whistles at a medium flame.
- Once the rice and dal has cooked, heat 1 whole stick of butter in a sauté pan at a medium flame.
- Add 2 tsp jeera seeds and 2 tbsp cashews. Roast till golden brown.
- Then, add 1 inch grated ginger and sauté till aromatic.
- Next, add 1 tbsp finely minced green chilis, a few curry leaves, and 2 finely diced white onions. Sauté till the onions turn translucent.
- Add 1/2 tsp turmeric and sauté till the raw smell goes away.
- Sprinkle 2 tsp whole black peppercorns (or coarsely ground) and sauté till aromatic.
- Add salt to taste and cook for a minute.
- Then, mix in the cooked rice/dal.
- Pour in 1/4 cup of milk and cook for a minute.
- Finally, take off flame and garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy hot! 🙂
Notes
- Short grain rice such as Sona Masoori is softer than long grain rice (Basmati rice) and works better for this recipe.
- Whole black peppercorns really add flavor to this recipe. However, some people don’t like biting into a whole peppercorn. In that case, it helps to coarsely grind the pepper with a mortar and pestle. If you use completely ground black pepper, you wont get the same taste.
- Pongal is one of those recipes where I feel that the traditional pressure cooker works better than an Instant Pot. However, you could adapt these recipes to the Instant Pot.
- I prefer to mince my green chilis in a grinder/ food processor. However, you can finely mince them by hand or even just slit them.
- I prefer to grate my ginger. Alternatively, you could use a pre-made ginger paste.
- There are many versions of this recipe. This is my tried and true version that I learned from my Mother. I hope you love it!
- Vegan Option: In order to make this recipe vegan, use Vegan Butter and Dairy-Free Milk (I would recommend Coconut Milk for this particular recipe.)
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you all try this recipe out! I would love to see your own adventures in cooking! Please take a pic and share them with me on Instagram/Facebook @chaitrascreations.
