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Home » Indian Vegetarian Recipes » South Indian » Ven Pongal Khara Pongal

Ven Pongal Khara Pongal

Published: January 12, 2020. Modified: January 12, 2020 By Dhwani Mehta. This post may contain affiliate links. This blog generates income via ads.

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khara pongal recipe

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.

Ven Pongal in a steel bowl with peanut chutney on the sides

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. For more information on my Affiliate and Advertising Policy, please click Here.

Hello and welcome to my heart and my soul (My blog)!

Our today’s recipe is Ven Pongal aka Khara Pongal.

Table of Contents

  • So what is Ven Pongal?
  • Why I love this recipe so much?
  • Ingredients required to make this recipe –
    • For base
    • For tempering –
  • How to make this recipe? Step by step process –
    • Tempering
  • Notes and pro-tips –
  • Do You enjoy one-pot dishes? Here are some easy and delicious ideas:
  • Some more South Indian Recipe –
  • Ven Pongal | Khara Pongal
    • Ingredients
      • For base
      • For tempering –
    • Instructions
      • Tempering
  • Video
    • Notes
    • For Traditional pressure cooker version –
    • Nutrition

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.

Khara Pongal served in steel bowl

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. 🙂

Ven Pongal in a steel bowl with peanut chutney on the sides

Ingredients required to make this recipe –

For base

  • Sona Masoori Rice
  • Moong Dal
  • Ghee
  • Green chilies
  • Salt

Ingredients for ven pongal 1

For tempering –

  • Ghee
  • Water
  • Asafetida
  • Curry leaves
  • Cashew Nuts
  • Whole Black Pepper
  • Urad dal
  • Mustard seeds
  • Cumin seeds

Ingredients for ven pongal

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.

Step by step process of ven pongal recipe

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.

Step by step process of ven pongal recipe

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)

Step by step process of ven pongal recipe 1

Instant Pot Ven Pongal is ready. Serve this hot with Peanut Chutney.

best ven pongal served 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.

Pressure cooker ven pongal recipe.jpg

Do You enjoy one-pot dishes? Here are some easy and delicious ideas:

Vegetable Barley Soup

Instant Pot Goulash

Paneer Biryani

Vegetable Biryani

Mexican Green Rice

Instant Pot Mujadara

Mushroom Rice

Some more South Indian Recipe –

Mango Dal

Raw Mango Rice

Onion Chutney

Adai Dosa

★ Have you tried this recipe? We’ll love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate and leave your feedback in the comment box below.

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Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Check out our delicious Instant Pot Recipe board on Pinterest.

instant pot ven pongal recipe
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5 from 3 votes

Ven Pongal | Khara Pongal

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.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Khara Pongal, Ven Pongal
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 3 People
Calories 391kcal
Author Dhwani

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

Serving: 1person | Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 159IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Share your feedback with pics @cookingcarnival or tag #cookingcarnival on Instagram or Facebook!

Warm Regards,

Dhwani.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hema says

    January 15, 2020 at 11:02 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Dhwani Mehta says

      January 16, 2020 at 8:42 am

      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. 🙂

      Reply

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