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    You are here: Home / RandomPosts / Ven Pongal Recipe (Khara Pongal)

    Ven Pongal Recipe (Khara Pongal)

    Last Updated On: Jul 13, 2024 by Sharmilee J

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    Ven Pongal is a traditional South Indian breakfast made by cooking rice with moong dal, tempered spices, flavored with ghee and garnished with cashews. Pongal often called as Ven Pongal or Khara Pongal or Ghee Pongal is a staple for breakfast in South Indian homes. Learn to make Ven Pongal the perfect way with step by step pictures and video.

    ven pongal served with vada,sambar and chutney

    Ven Pongal (Khara Pongal) or Ghee Pongal is one of the regular breakfast in South Indian households. Pongal is a filling and delicious breakfast made with rice and lentils, seasoned with spices and ghee. Ven Pongal is served with medu vadai, sambar and coconut chutney.

    Jump to:
    • About Ven Pongal
    • Ven Pongal Video
    • Ven Pongal Ingredients
    • How to make Ven Pongal Step by Step
    • Expert Tips
    • Serving & Storage
    • FAQS
    • 📖 Recipe Card

    About Ven Pongal

    Ven Pongal is a savory dish made with rice and moong dal as main ingredients along with tempering, cashews and ghee. Ven Pongal is typically served with coconut chutney, sambar, and is loved for its melt in the mouth texture, even kids love it.

    Ven Pongal is a delicious, filling and hearty meal that is popular with people of all ages. Pongal is made by first roasting then washing rice, moong dal and then cooking them together in a pressure cooker with water until soft. The cooked mixture is then tempered with cumin seeds, black pepper, grated ginger, hing, cashews and curry leaves and is served hot.

    Ven Pongal is unique by its taste and texture. The combination of rice and lentils creates a creamy and smooth texture, the spices and ghee add a delicious flavor to the dish. Additionally, the use of ghee in the dish provides healthy fats, making it a nutritious breakfast option.

    Ven Pongal is a popular breakfast dish in restaurants and hotels. The dish is a great way to start the day and provides a good source of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fat. It is one of the well balanced breakfast option as it is rich in protein and carbohydrates.

    Ven Pongal is also a part of many South Indian festivals and special occasions especially for breakfast. No wedding is complete without Pongal in the menu for breakfast.

    Ghee is one of the main flavoring that enhances the taste of ven pongal. You can use fresh cows ghee for best taste, however you can buy butter from stores and make homemade ghee too.

    ven pongal served with vada,sambar and chutney

    Ven Pongal Video

    Rice to Dal Ratio

    Ven pongal is filling and nutritious so best to have it for breakfast. The ratio of rice : dal differs from each household according to their preferences. This is my ratio which I am using since many years and have had perfect pongal every single time.

    This is my ratio : For every 1 cup of raw rice I use 1/2 cup of yellow split moong dal. Raw rice is called pacharisi in tamil, also known as short grain rice, moong dal is paasi paruppu in tamil.

    Similar Recipes

    • Sakkarai Pongal
    • Sambar
    • Chutney

    Ven Pongal Ingredients

    • Raw Rice – Choose pongal raw rice as there are different varieties of raw rice available in the market.
    • Moong Dal – Use split yellow moong dal, it is roasted which gives a nice flavor to the pongal.
    • Ghee – Use homemade ghee which tastes the best however you can use store bought good quality ghee too.
    • Tempering – A tempering is prepared using cumin seeds, pepper, ginger, green chillies, cashews, hing and curry leaves. This adds unique flavor to this dish.
    ven pongal ingredients

    How to make Ven Pongal Step by Step

    1.Dry roast 1/4 cup moong dal in a pressure until a mild aroma comes and is hot.

    roast moong dal

    2.When you touch it it should be hot that is enough, no need to check for color change.

    roast until hot to touch

    3.Now add 1/2 cup raw rice.

    add raw rice

    4.Dry roast for 2 seconds and switch off.

    roast for few seconds

    5.Now transfer it to a strainer, cool down then rinse it well and drain water completely.

    rinse it well

    6.Add it to the same pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon ghee. Give a quick mix.

    add to cooker with water adn ghee

    7.Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles.

    pressure cook

    8.Let pressure release by itself then open.

    pressure released

    9.Mash rice, dal with a ladle. It should be goey not dry.

    mash it well

    10.Now to a tadka pan add 1 tablespoon oil and 3 tablespoon ghee.

    heat oil, ghee

    11.Add 1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns let it splutter. Be at a safe distance as it crackles.

    prepare tadka

    12.Now add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds let it crackle then add 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped.

    let it crackle

    13.Add cashews and fry until golden then add few curry leaves, a pinch hing and 1 slit green chilli.

    add cashews. fry until golden

    14.Give a quick mix and switch off.

    tadka prepared

    15.Add salt to taste along with this prepared tadka. You can do this without switching on the flame.

    add this to pongal with salt

    16.Give a quick mix.

    mix it well

    17.Soft melt in the mouth ghee pongal is ready!

    ghee pongal ready

    Enjoy hot Ven Pongal with chutney and sambar.

    ven pongal served with vada,sambar and chutney

    Expert Tips

    • Ingredients : Always use fresh ingredients. Also use good quality fresh ghee.
    • Roasting : Roasting dal is very important as it gives a good flavor to this dish.
    • Rice : Dal Ratio : I always use this ratio of 1 cup raw rice : 1/2 cup moong dal. I sometimes add 1/3 cup moong dal for 1/2 cup raw rice too and it tastes good.
    • Ghee : Do not reduce ghee as it is the one of the main ingredient which gives flavor and texture to pongal.
    • Texture : The consistency of pongal should be goey and not dry. When you scoop out it should get scooped but when demolded will not hold its shape perfectly will be slightly goey and that is the perfect consistency. It becomes cakey when cooled down if water is reduced.
    • Tempering – Tempering is the main part of this humble dish. Prepare the tempering hot and add it to pongal and mix it, it gives a good flavor.

    Serving & Storage

    Ven Pongal is savored with sambar and coconut chutney. Pongal keeps good for a day – For later use within the day, refrigerate and reheat it before serving. But Ven Pongal is meant to be served hot and fresh for best taste and texture.

    FAQS

    1.What rice should be used for ven pongal?

    Raw rice called as pacharisi in tamil is used. This rice is also called as short grained rice which has more starch than regular rice.

    2.What is Ghee Pongal?

    Ghee pongal is same as ven pongal. As the main flavoring of pongal is from ghee, it is popularly called as ghee pongal. So do not compromise on the amount of ghee added.

    3.Is Ven Pongal healthy?

    Yes Ven Pongal is healthy as it has a combination of carbohydrates from raw rice, proteins from moong dal and healthy good fat from ghee. To aid digestion a tempering with ginger, pepper and jeera is done.

    4.How to make Ven Pongal in instant pot?

    The measures are same for making ven pongal in instant pot also.

    • Add rice, dal along with ghee to the inner pot
    • Set the instant pot to pressure cook mode and set for 12 mins. 
    • Once the timer is up, let the pressure release manually.
    • Prepare the tempering and add it to cooked pongal
    • Mix it well, hot pongal is ready!
    ven pongal served with vada,sambar and chutney

    If you have any more questions about this Ven Pongal Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .

    Tried this Ven Pongal Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.

    📖 Recipe Card

    VenPongal6
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    Ven Pongal Recipe | Khara Pongal | Ghee Pongal

    Ven Pongal is a traditional South Indian breakfast made by cooking rice with moong dal, tempered spices, flavored with ghee and garnished with cashews. Pongal often called as Ven Pongal or Khara Pongal or Ghee Pongal is a staple for breakfast in South Indian homes. Learn to make Ven Pongal the perfect way with step by step pictures and video.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Servings2
    AuthorSharmilee J

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup raw rice
    • 1/4 cup split moong dal
    • 3 cups water
    • 10 nos cashews
    • salt to taste

    To Temper:

    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 3 tablespoon ghee
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon jeera
    • 1 tablespoon ginger chopped finely
    • 1 green chillies slitted
    • a generous pinch hing
    • few curry leaves

    Instructions

    • Dry roast 1/4 cup moong dal in a pressure until a mild aroma comes and is hot.
    • When you touch it it should be hot that is enough, no need to check for color change.
    • Now add 1/2 cup raw rice.
    • Dry roast for 2 seconds and switch off.
    • Now transfer it to a strainer, cool down then rinse it well and drain water completely.
    • Add it to the same pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon ghee. Give a quick mix.
    • Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles.
    • Let pressure release by itself then open.
    • Mash rice, dal with a ladle. It should be goey not dry.
    • Now to a tadka pan add 1 tablespoon oil and 3 tablespoon ghee.
    • Add 1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns let it splutter. Be at a safe distance as it crackles.
    • Now add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds let it crackle then add 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped.
    • Add cashews and fry until golden then add few curry leaves, a pinch hing and 1 slit green chilli.
    • Give a quick mix and switch off.
    • Add salt to taste along with this prepared tadka. You can do this without switching on the flame.
    • Give a quick mix.
    • Soft melt in the mouth ghee pongal is ready!

    Notes

    • Do not reduce ghee as it is the one of the main ingredient which gives flavour and texture to pongal.
    • Always use good quality fresh ghee.
    • The consistency of pongal should be goey and not dry. When you scoop out it should get scooped but when demoulded will not hold its shape perfectly will be slightly goey and that is the perfect consistency.
    • I sometimes add 1/3 cup moong dal for 1/2 cup raw rice too and it tastes good.
    • Amma always roasts the moong dal as it gives a nice flavour to the pongal.
    • Adjust water according to the rice variety.
    Nutrition Facts
    Ven Pongal Recipe | Khara Pongal | Ghee Pongal
    Amount Per Serving (125 g)
    Calories 615 Calories from Fat 189
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 21g32%
    Saturated Fat 8g50%
    Trans Fat 0.03g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
    Monounsaturated Fat 9g
    Cholesterol 29mg10%
    Sodium 1980mg86%
    Potassium 160mg5%
    Carbohydrates 92g31%
    Fiber 4g17%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 14g28%
    Vitamin A 255IU5%
    Vitamin C 100mg121%
    Calcium 87mg9%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sharmispassions or tag #sharmispassions
    Like our video?Subscribe to our youtube channel to get latest updates!

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    Filed Under: Breakfast Ideas, Other Pongal Recipes, Pongal, RandomPosts, Recent Posts, Special Breakfast

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous

      February 20, 2012 at 4:24 am

      yUMMY PONGAL…..NICE CLICKS and step by step process…..helpful for begginers….drooling here and making hungry tooo……….

      Reply
    2. Gayathri NG

      February 20, 2012 at 4:25 am

      Simple and delicious recipe, i also prepare in same method…

      Reply
    3. Anonymous

      February 20, 2012 at 4:31 am

      Iam waiting for your pound cake recipe….the photo looks simply superb…

      Reply
    4. Sangeetha Nambi

      February 20, 2012 at 4:49 am

      Wow ! finger Licking !

      Reply
    5. Prathibha

      February 20, 2012 at 5:50 am

      my fav breakfast..love it with sambar or gojju…yummy

      Reply
    6. RAKS KITCHEN

      February 20, 2012 at 6:32 am

      My favorite ever, i cant get it right consistently. Looks super delicious and soft! Lovely clicks 🙂

      Reply
    7. Shilpakiran

      February 20, 2012 at 6:32 am

      truely the perfect one .. persentation too good

      Reply
    8. Aruna Manikandan

      February 20, 2012 at 7:36 am

      looks delicious and very tempting 🙂

      Reply
    9. jeyashrisuresh

      February 20, 2012 at 8:13 am

      my family's fav breakfast recipe. You have made it so nice and addition of green chilli is new to me

      Reply
    10. Rekha shoban

      February 20, 2012 at 8:15 am

      perfectly done!!my favourite..superb presentation n click!

      Reply
    11. Saraswathi Iyer

      February 20, 2012 at 8:19 am

      Looks delicious and tempting.

      Reply
    12. M D

      February 20, 2012 at 9:16 am

      Beautiful Sharmilee! Love that second pic, so pretty and indicative that it's being served hot out of the stove.

      Reply
    13. Chitra

      February 20, 2012 at 9:18 am

      I make it once a week. i add 5 cups of water. lookas delicious 🙂

      Reply
    14. Sathya Priya

      February 20, 2012 at 12:05 pm

      my hubby's all time fav is pongal…dry roasting moong dal is new to me…should try this way….nice clicks sharmi…..

      Reply
    15. Kurryleaves

      February 20, 2012 at 12:53 pm

      beautiful clicks …looks really tempting..

      Reply
    16. Lavi

      February 20, 2012 at 1:08 pm

      last pics makes me drool. i just love pongal for break-fast!

      Reply
    17. Cilantro

      February 20, 2012 at 2:32 pm

      Super Delicious! I can`t resist hot pongal with chutney and sambar. Lovely clicks!

      Reply
    18. sangee vijay

      February 20, 2012 at 3:41 pm

      Super delicious Ven pongal…looks more tempting!!

      Reply
    19. Spandana

      February 20, 2012 at 4:15 pm

      Love it.. looks very yummm… I love the second pic with the steam.. nicely clicked.

      Reply
    20. Anu

      February 20, 2012 at 4:20 pm

      Yum pongal. Always makes me drowsy and sleepy after having this.

      Reply
    21. Suchi

      February 20, 2012 at 4:34 pm

      Looks awesome, your photos are fab…

      Reply
    22. Suja Manoj

      February 20, 2012 at 5:21 pm

      Looks awesome.lovely presentation.

      Reply
    23. Kalyani

      February 20, 2012 at 11:35 pm

      delicious and tempting clicks sharmilee ……

      Reply
    24. Nalini's Kitchen

      February 21, 2012 at 2:34 am

      Delicious and tempting pongal…my all time favorite.

      Reply
    25. Hema

      February 21, 2012 at 3:05 am

      Very, very inviting clicks..

      Reply
    26. SnehaPrasad

      February 21, 2012 at 4:45 am

      Nice recipe, i always add milk which tastes even better.

      Reply
    27. SnehaPrasad

      February 21, 2012 at 4:46 am

      Nice recipe, i always add milk which taste even better.

      Reply
    28. nidhi@whats cooking mom

      February 21, 2012 at 7:20 am

      Amazing photography. Pongal is Looking very tempting.

      Reply
    29. Sukanya Ramkumar

      February 21, 2012 at 11:31 am

      My all time fav. Lovely presentation. We also follow the same recipe. YUM!!!

      Reply
    30. Sanjeeta kk

      February 21, 2012 at 1:43 pm

      Comfort food for any day, lovely clicks!

      Reply
    31. Ash

      March 08, 2012 at 3:12 am

      tried ven pongal and sambhar last night…turned out very yummmm

      Reply
    32. UmmSumayya

      March 23, 2012 at 5:29 am

      Mom adds a little bit of milk to cook rice and dal, she says this give a nice white colour. Otherwise I make it the same way and it never fails.
      Cheers

      Reply
    33. priya

      April 18, 2012 at 11:00 am

      Tried ven pongal and sambat last night… Turned yumn… Thanks for the recipe..!!

      Reply
    34. Divya Kudua

      June 15, 2012 at 1:48 am

      I am planning to try it this weekend!

      Reply
    35. Unknown

      July 19, 2012 at 2:19 pm

      do i need roast moong dal and then soak it with rice?? please ans me…waiting to do it:)

      Reply
    36. Sharmilee! :)

      July 19, 2012 at 2:34 pm

      @Unknown : Yes roast it and then soak….

      Reply
    37. arthi

      October 02, 2012 at 8:20 am

      A small suggestion-first temper,then add water ,rice,dal,hing to the pan and pressure cook. Easier and not much of a difference to the taste. The fried cashes could be added after pressure cooking.

      Reply
    38. Sharmilee! :)

      October 02, 2012 at 8:27 am

      @Arthi : Yes its easier but I prefer adding the tempered items at the last stage to retain the flavour…Thanks for the suggestion..will surely give a try next time.

      Reply
    39. Uma Sundaram

      November 12, 2012 at 5:00 am

      This is my favourite breakfast… 🙂 Adding one glass of milk to the rice before cooking makes the pongal tastier. Sometimes, the dal (if it doesn't have enough water) tends to remain stiffly cooked. Pressure cooking rice and dal in separate containers and then mashing them up together takes care of this.

      Thank you for all your recipes. The photos are a big help and inspiration to try them out. Happy Diwali to you and your family….

      Cheers
      Uma

      Reply
    40. Meenal Ramanathan

      November 23, 2012 at 1:18 pm

      should we have to dry roast rice

      Reply
    41. Sharmilee! :)

      November 23, 2012 at 3:08 pm

      @Meenal : No just dry roasting dal is enough….No need to roast rice

      Reply
    42. Mrs Syed

      December 21, 2012 at 5:05 am

      Easy explaination and looks tasty too.
      Cld u also post a authentic sambar recipe also 🙂

      Reply
    43. Sangee

      February 06, 2013 at 5:01 am

      If the quantity of the pongal increases do the whistle counts will be the same or what?

      Reply
      • Sharmilee! :)

        February 06, 2013 at 7:04 am

        If you increase the quantity I am sure you will use a pressure cooker accordingly so the whistle counts does not change.

        Reply
    44. Rekha Samuel

      July 21, 2013 at 5:35 am

      Thanks for delicious recipe……it made our sunday morning

      Reply
    45. Indhu Vinod

      December 12, 2013 at 4:01 am

      Hi, can i use idly rice or basmati rice instead of raw rice.

      Reply
      • SHARMILEE J

        December 13, 2013 at 3:23 pm

        Try with idli rice, basmati rice will change the taste of the pongal

        Reply
    46. Gods Child

      January 14, 2014 at 6:36 am

      Thanks for the recipe. Great pics. Am rather confused reg. the g.chillies. They figure in the pics but not in the recipe – are they optional?

      Reply
      • SHARMILEE J

        January 16, 2014 at 3:10 pm

        Oh nono I missed to write it…now updated 🙂

        Reply
    47. Vєииєlα

      January 15, 2014 at 7:43 am

      Sharmi Ji you are awesome. I like your patience. Cooking and simultaneously taking pictures is very hard. Kudos to you.

      This recipe helped me today(Pongal Fest Day). Thanks for Sharing..!!

      Reply
    48. Krithika Premkumar

      May 15, 2014 at 3:26 am

      Your recipie is so simple and also gives me special interest to cook.

      Reply
    49. Remya RK

      June 03, 2014 at 2:14 am

      Sharmi ji, How much cashwes to be added? It is not mentioned in the ingredients list….

      Reply
      • SHARMILEE J

        June 03, 2014 at 6:53 am

        I have updated it now, thanks for letting me know 🙂

        Reply
    50. Remya RK

      June 07, 2014 at 11:43 am

      Sharmi ji, I have prepared ven pongal for the first time as per ur recipe. When I roasted moong dal it was little more brown than ur pic. So the yellow color for pongal didn't came. But the taste was really good. I will correct the roasting part next time. I have one doubt here. Is there any problem in adding salt while cooking rice and dal in cooker? What is the diff in adding salt while cooking and after cooking?

      Reply
      • SHARMILEE J

        June 08, 2014 at 3:00 pm

        You should roast moong dal only till golden brown else the color and flavour will change…That is not a problem, you can do it either ways

        Reply
    51. Gayathri Aswin

      March 14, 2015 at 2:46 am

      Wash moong daal & rice , roast or
      roast and wash????

      Reply
      • SHARMILEE J

        March 15, 2015 at 6:10 am

        Rinse it then roast….

        Reply
    52. Sakthi

      March 21, 2016 at 9:01 am

      Followed your method and Pongal was tasty!
      Thanks!

      Reply
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