Paal Pongal is made on Pongal festival or Mahar Sankaranthi along with Sweet Pongal or Sakkarai Pongal with the first harvested rice of the year. Paal Pongal is offered to Sun God and traditionally cooked in open space facing sun in mud / brass pots. Paal Pongal is a buttery delicious pongal made by cooking rice & moong dal in milk & water.
Paal Pongal recipe with stepwise pictures and video. Paal Pongal or Vellai Pongal is nothing but milk pongal cooked in milk and garnished with ghee.This pongal has just the milk flavour and a slight hint of ghee, tastes so good with pongal kuzhambu.
About Paal Pongal
We usually make paal pongal this way, but wanted to post the traditional making in brass pot as we do every year.I love sakkarai pongal more but this paal pongal with pongal kuzhambu tastes soo good. I learnt this method of vellai pongal with variations from my friend so thought to post it with video.
Traditionally rice and dal is cooked in milk no other flavouring is added but if you want you can add ghee fried cashews, ghee. We serve it along with pongal kuzhambu so the taste is balanced wheh had with it.
Ingredients
- Rice – Use raw rice. At stores it is available as Pongal Raw Rice / Pongal Pacharisi. This is used traditionally so do not replace it with any other rice variety.
- Moong dal – Always use split yellow moong dal for taste and flavour.
- Milk – Make sure to use boiled, cooled milk preferably full fat milk.
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Paal Pongal | Milk Pongal
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw rice
- 2 tbsp moong dal optional
- 6 cups water
- 1 + 1/2 cup milk
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp ghee plus 2 tbsp for serving
Instructions
- First rinse rice, dal and keep it ready. To a brass pot add milk and water.
- Let it boil, keep in medium high. Let it overflow. Now add rice, dal mixture.
- Mix well and cook in medium flame, keep stirring. When rice is 3/4 th cooked add milk and required salt.
- Cook until its thick and creamy. Keep stirring to avoid burning at the bottom. Finally add ghee mix well and switch off.
- While serving make a dent in the center add ghee and Enjoy Paal Pongal!
Video
Notes
- Switch off when its slightly runny as it becomes thick when it cools down.
- Add more ghee while serving.
- Water quantity may vary according to the quality and freshness of rice so adjust accordingly.
How to make Paal Pongal
1.First rinse rice,dal and keep it ready.
2.To a brass pot add 1/2 cup milk.
3.Then add 6 cups water.
4.Let it boil.
5.Let it boil, keep in medium high.Let it overflow.
6.Now add rice and dal.
7.Mix well and cook in medium flame,keep stirring.
8.When rice is 3/4 th cooked add milk and required salt.
8.Now add remaining 1 cup milk.
9.Cook until its thick and creamy.Keep stirring to avoid burning at the bottom.
10.Finally add ghee mix well and switch off.
11.While serving make a dent in the center add ghee in it and Serve.
Serve hot or warm!
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip coconut here as its the only main ingredient that gives flavour to the pongal.
- Any veggie gravy will get along with this very well, so when combined and had, no salt is required!
- It thickens with time so add hot milk while serving time if its too thick.
Variations
- You can add a pinch of palm jaggery for flavour.
- Add full fat milk for rich and creamy pongal.
- You can add a dollop of butter for extra flavour at the final stage.
Serving & Storage
You can serve with ghee or butter along with pongal kuzhambu, Tastes best when served hot!
It can be stored in fridge for 2 days but I would not recommend to leave in room temperature. As milk is added it may get spoiled.
Paal Pongal in Cooker
Milk pongal or paal pongal is traditionally made in brass pot but for ease and convenience you can make it in cooker too. Also this recipe is for all those who asked me to post an easy version of milk pongal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw rice
- 3 tbsp moong dal
- 2 tbsp coconut grated
- few cashews broken and fried in ghee
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups water
- salt to taste
- First roast moong dhal and keep aside.Rinse rice and add it along with moong dal in a pressure cooker. Add 1 cup milk and 2 cups water.Make sure your pressure cooker is big enough the water milk and rice mixture should just be to 1/4th of the cooker so that it will not overflow.
- Pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles until soft. Mash it well with a laddle and add the remaining milk say 1/2 cup of milk in intervals twice and mix well.Allow it to boil for 3mins until its thick.Add required salt.
- Add coconut, ghee and give a quick stir.Add the ghee fried cashews and switch it off.
Delicious creamy milk pongal ready!
Kumuthini Vinoth Kumar
PLease tell me, which brand cane sugar you are using. Is it jaggery powder.
Sharmilee J
I buy from a neighbor here but you can check out any store near u