Soy-free and gluten-free rice and lentil dish – Ven Pongal also called Khara Pongal, is a satisfying, rich, healthy and delicious South Indian breakfast recipe. It is made in Instant Pot with few ingredients and is awfully easy to make.
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Hello and welcome to my heart and my soul (My blog)!
Our today’s recipe is Ven Pongal aka Khara Pongal.
So what is Ven Pongal?
Pongal is basically like a Khichdi where rice and lentil cooked together to an almost mushy state and tempered with cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafetida, black peppercorn, and curry leaves.
It is a rice dish in the South Indian States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
It is specially prepared during the harvest festival of Sankranti.
Pongal is also prepared in South Indian homes for special occasions like pooja, marriages or in temples as naivedyam
Ven Pongal is usually served with Sambhar and Chutney.
Why I love this recipe so much?
- It is comfort food
- quick to prepare
- one-pot meal
- light on the stomach
- healthy
- takes less than 30 minutes
- protein-packed
- gluten-free
- perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
This has always been a favorite with us. After having one of the best Ven Pongal at my south Indian friend, Priya’s house, I have been looking to make it at home exactly the way she made.
I asked her the recipe and method.
She was quick enough to reply and even gave me her mother’s recipe and method to make ven Pongal.
She was detailed enough for me to understand the finer details of cooking it perfectly.
Thanks, Priya for this wonderful recipe. 🙂
Ingredients required to make this recipe –
For base
- Sona Masoori Rice
- Moong Dal
- Ghee
- Green chilies
- Salt
For tempering –
- Ghee
- Water
- Asafetida
- Curry leaves
- Cashew Nuts
- Whole Black Pepper
- Urad dal
- Mustard seeds
- Cumin seeds
How to make this recipe? Step by step process –
In a pan, take Lentil and rice. Dry roast them on medium heat until they become aromatic. You don’t need to brown them. (Photo 1)
Now take them in another bowl. Rinse them a couple of times with water. (Photo 2)
Drain very well. Keep it aside.
Take ghee in an inner pot of instant pot. (photo 3)
Add green chilies, washed and drained rice-lentil mixture, salt, and water. Stir once. (Photo 4 to 7)
Cover the instant pot with its locking lid. Set the pressure valve on a sealing position.
Press the manual/pressure button and set a timer to 13 minutes, under high pressure. (Photo 8)
Once cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally.
Tempering
Meanwhile, let’s prepare the tempering.
Heat ghee in a pan, add Urad dal, mustard seed, and cumin seeds. Once they begin to get light golden, then add coarsely crushed black pepper, cashew nuts, asafetida and curry leaves. (Photo 8 to 10)
Stir very well and fry till the curry leaves become crisp.
Open the Instant Pot and stir once.
Now pour the prepared tempering on the Pongal. Mix very well. (Photo 11)
Instant Pot Ven Pongal is ready. Serve this hot with Peanut Chutney.
Notes and pro-tips –
- This Pongal taste best when prepared fresh. Make the quantity only for one meal.
- In case you have more, add some water to it before refrigerating. It becomes thicker when refrigerated and adding some water to it will take care of the consistency.
- Use any small grain rice to make Pongal. I use Sona Masoori rice.
- You can add vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, green peas to make it healthier.
- Adding ghee is very important. It gives nice taste, aroma, and smooth texture, but Vegans can skip ghee/clarified butter and replace it with any cooking oil.
- I have crushed the black pepper coarsely and added it to the dish. If you like, you can use whole black peppercorn too.
- Dry roasting dal/lentil and rice before cooking is an important step. Don’t skip that.
- To make this recipe nut-free, skip the cashew nuts.
Do give this Indian traditional recipe a try this Sankranti (14th January), your family will love it.
Do You enjoy one-pot dishes? Here are some easy and delicious ideas:
Some more South Indian Recipe –
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Ven Pongal | Khara Pongal
Ingredients
For base
- 1/2 cup Sona Masoori Rice
- 1/4 cup Moong Dal
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 3 Green chilies According to your taste
- Salt to taste
- 3 cups Water
For tempering -
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- A pinch Asafetida
- 10-15 Curry leaves
- 1/4 cup Cashew Nuts
- 1 tsp Whole Black Pepper coarsely crushed
- 1 tsp Urad dal
- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
Instructions
- In a pan, take Lentil and rice. Dry roast them on medium heat until they become aromatic. You don't need to brown them.
- Now take them in another bowl. Rinse them a couple of times with water.
- Drain very well. Keep it aside.
- Take ghee in an inner pot of instant pot. Add green chilies, washed and drained rice-lentil mixture, salt, and water. Stir once.
- Cover the instant pot with its locking lid. Set the pressure valve on a sealing position.
- Press the manual/pressure button and set a timer to 13 minutes, under high pressure.
- Once cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally.
Tempering
- Meanwhile, let's prepare the tempering.
- Heat ghee in a pan, add Urad dal, mustard seed, and cumin seeds. Once they begin to get light golden, then add coarsely crushed black pepper, cashew nuts, asafetida and curry leaves.
- Stir very well and fry till the curry leaves become crisp.
- Open the Instant Pot and stir once.
- Now pour the prepared tempering on the Pongal. Mix very well.
- Instant Pot Ven Pongal is ready. Serve this hot with Peanut Chutney.
Video
Notes
- This Pongal taste best when prepared fresh. Make the quantity only for one meal.
- In case you have more, add some water to it before refrigerating. It becomes thicker when refrigerated and adding some water to it will take care of the consistency.
- Use any small grain rice to make Pongal. I use Sona Masoori rice.
- You can add vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, green peas to make it healthier.
- Adding ghee is very important. It gives nice taste, aroma, and smooth texture, but Vegans can skip ghee/clarified butter and replace it with any cooking oil.
- I have crushed the black pepper coarsely and added it to the dish. If you like, you can use whole black peppercorn too.
- Dry roasting dal/lentil and rice before cooking are important steps. Don't skip that.
- To make this recipe nut-free, skip the cashew nuts.
For Traditional pressure cooker version -
- Follow the same recipe and take 4-5 whistles in the traditional pressure cooker.
Nutrition
Warm Regards,
Dhwani.
I did this recipe today along with the Peanut chutney and I cannot tell you how good it tastes! My husband too loved it. The only thing that I did a bit different was to sauté the moong dal and rice together in a dollop of ghee and kept it aside. I followed the rest of the Instapot recipe as you gave them. The peanut chutney too was so delicious. Thank you for the fantastic recipe.
Hi Hema!
Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and sharing your valuable feedback with us. I am so glad to know that you liked this recipe. 🙂