Ven Pongal is a traditional south indian breakfast made by cooking rice with moong dal & tempered spices and flavoured with ghee and cashews. Pongal often called as Ven Pongal or Kara Pongal or Ghee Pongal is a staple for breakfast in South Indian homes. How to make Pongal is explained in this post with step by step pictures and video.
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.
About Ven Pongal
Ven Pongal is a savory dish made with rice and moong dal as main ingredients along with temperings, cashews and ghee. Ven Pongal is typically served with coconut chutney and sambar, and is loved for its melt in the mouth texture. Even kids find it easy to eat as it is goey and has a melt in the mouth texture.
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.
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.
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.
- Ghee – Use homemade ghee which tastes the best however you can use storebought good quality ghee too.
- Tadka – A tadka is prepared using cumin seeds, pepper, ginger, green chillies, cashews, hing and curry leaves.
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📖 Recipe Card
Ven Pongal Recipe | Ghee Pongal Recipe
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.
Ven Pongal Recipe Step by Step
1.Dry roast 1/4 cup moong dal in a pressure until a mild aroma comes and is hot.
2.When you touch it it should be hot that is enough, no need to check for color change.
3.Now add 1/2 cup raw rice.
4.Dry roast for 2 seconds and switch off.
5.Now transfer it to a strainer, cool down then rinse it well and drain water completely.
6.Add it to the same pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon ghee. Give a quick mix.
7.Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles.
8.Let pressure release by itself then open.
9.Mash rice, dal with a ladle. It should be goey not dry.
10.Now to a tadka pan add 1 tablespoon oil and 3 tablespoon ghee.
11.Add 1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns let it splutter. Be at a safe distance as it crackles.
12.Now add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds let it crackle then add 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped.
13.Add cashews and fry until golden then add few curry leaves, a pinch hing and 1 slit green chilli.
14.Give a quick mix and switch off.
15.Add salt to taste along with this prepared tadka. You can do this without switching on the flame.
16.Give a quick mix.
17.Soft melt in the mouth ghee pongal is ready!
Enjoy hot Ven Pongal with chutney and sambar.
Expert Tips
- 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.
Serving & Storage
Ven Pongal is savoured 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 for best taste and texture.
FAQS
1.What is pongal, ven pongal , ghee pongal and kara pongal? Are they different?
All are the same these are different names for the dish ven pongal. For kara pongal we add more spices and herbs to make it more spiccier other than that all are the same.
2.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.
Anonymous
yUMMY PONGAL…..NICE CLICKS and step by step process…..helpful for begginers….drooling here and making hungry tooo……….
Gayathri NG
Simple and delicious recipe, i also prepare in same method…
Anonymous
Iam waiting for your pound cake recipe….the photo looks simply superb…
Sangeetha Nambi
Wow ! finger Licking !
Prathibha
my fav breakfast..love it with sambar or gojju…yummy
RAKS KITCHEN
My favorite ever, i cant get it right consistently. Looks super delicious and soft! Lovely clicks 🙂
Shilpakiran
truely the perfect one .. persentation too good
Aruna Manikandan
looks delicious and very tempting 🙂
jeyashrisuresh
my family's fav breakfast recipe. You have made it so nice and addition of green chilli is new to me
Rekha shoban
perfectly done!!my favourite..superb presentation n click!
Saraswathi Iyer
Looks delicious and tempting.
M D
Beautiful Sharmilee! Love that second pic, so pretty and indicative that it's being served hot out of the stove.
Chitra
I make it once a week. i add 5 cups of water. lookas delicious 🙂
Sathya Priya
my hubby's all time fav is pongal…dry roasting moong dal is new to me…should try this way….nice clicks sharmi…..
Kurryleaves
beautiful clicks …looks really tempting..
Lavi
last pics makes me drool. i just love pongal for break-fast!
Cilantro
Super Delicious! I can`t resist hot pongal with chutney and sambar. Lovely clicks!
sangee vijay
Super delicious Ven pongal…looks more tempting!!
Spandana
Love it.. looks very yummm… I love the second pic with the steam.. nicely clicked.
Anu
Yum pongal. Always makes me drowsy and sleepy after having this.
Aarthi
This looks totally delicious..
Aarthi
http://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/
Suchi
Looks awesome, your photos are fab…
Suja Manoj
Looks awesome.lovely presentation.
Kalyani
delicious and tempting clicks sharmilee ……
Nalini's Kitchen
Delicious and tempting pongal…my all time favorite.
Hema
Very, very inviting clicks..
Vardhini
Hubby's favorite dish .. not so much for me :). Inviting clicks.
Vardhini
Event: Sweet Luv
Event: Strawberries
SnehaPrasad
Nice recipe, i always add milk which tastes even better.
SnehaPrasad
Nice recipe, i always add milk which taste even better.
nidhi@whats cooking mom
Amazing photography. Pongal is Looking very tempting.
Sukanya Ramkumar
My all time fav. Lovely presentation. We also follow the same recipe. YUM!!!
Sanjeeta kk
Comfort food for any day, lovely clicks!
Ash
tried ven pongal and sambhar last night…turned out very yummmm
UmmSumayya
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
priya
Tried ven pongal and sambat last night… Turned yumn… Thanks for the recipe..!!
Divya Kudua
I am planning to try it this weekend!
Unknown
do i need roast moong dal and then soak it with rice?? please ans me…waiting to do it:)
Sharmilee! :)
@Unknown : Yes roast it and then soak….
arthi
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.
Sharmilee! :)
@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.
Uma Sundaram
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
Meenal Ramanathan
should we have to dry roast rice
Sharmilee! :)
@Meenal : No just dry roasting dal is enough….No need to roast rice
Mrs Syed
Easy explaination and looks tasty too.
Cld u also post a authentic sambar recipe also 🙂
Sangee
If the quantity of the pongal increases do the whistle counts will be the same or what?
Sharmilee! :)
If you increase the quantity I am sure you will use a pressure cooker accordingly so the whistle counts does not change.
Rekha Samuel
Thanks for delicious recipe……it made our sunday morning
Indhu Vinod
Hi, can i use idly rice or basmati rice instead of raw rice.
SHARMILEE J
Try with idli rice, basmati rice will change the taste of the pongal
Gods Child
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?
SHARMILEE J
Oh nono I missed to write it…now updated 🙂
Vєииєlα
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..!!
Naresh
WOW… nice…. thanks for posting this recipe…..
http://www.nareshgolla.com
Krithika Premkumar
Your recipie is so simple and also gives me special interest to cook.
Remya RK
Sharmi ji, How much cashwes to be added? It is not mentioned in the ingredients list….
SHARMILEE J
I have updated it now, thanks for letting me know 🙂
Remya RK
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?
SHARMILEE J
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
Gayathri Aswin
Wash moong daal & rice , roast or
roast and wash????
SHARMILEE J
Rinse it then roast….
Sakthi
Followed your method and Pongal was tasty!
Thanks!