Ven Pongal

                                             My Papa gets Pongal and Vada Sambhar every Saturday for breakfast from a restaurant called Janata Delux where we get the best Pongal in town.Ever since I tasted it, it has become my favourite dish. Surprisingly my sunny boy too enjoys it.

                            Pongal is prepared with rice and lentil seasoned with spices.The aroma of ghee enhances the flavour of the dish.More the ghee is added to the dish the taste enhances…This is a very easypeasy recipe and healthy too..I came across many recipes of Pongal and finally I tried the recipe from Sailus blog.Most of the recipes in many blogs were similar.Happy Saturday dear Readers !!!

Ingredients:
Rice- 1 cup
Moong dal- 1/2 cup
Water – 5-6 cups
Ginger- 1 tbsp,chopped
Green chillies -3-4,slit
Salt – to taste
Asafoetida- a pinch
Ghee- 2-3 tbsp

Ingredients to temper:
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Pepper -2 tsp
Jeera -1 tsp
Curry leaves- few sprigs
Cashewnuts -10 -12,broken

Method:

1. Wash rice and dal together and keep it ready.
2. Heat a pressure cooker,add ghee and roast ginger for few seconds.
3. Add hing,water and take a boil.
4. Add washed rice and dal,green chillies and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
5. Open and mash it.
6. Add more water if it turns dry.
7. Heat ghee for seasoning,splutter jeera,cashewnuts,pepper and curry leaves.
8. Season it to the Pongal and mix it.
9. Serve it hot with Sambhar,chutney,raita and a blob of ghee.
10. You may also garnish with grated coconut.