Ven Pongal

Venpongal is a favourite cuisine in everyone's Kitchen; however making a “tasty venpongal” is still a challenge, offcourse, taste matters for every recipe. After couple of trials, I got the way to make it best at Minu’s Kitchen :) .It gives its original taste when served with chutney and sambar adding with a Vada will makes your meal satisfied. My Amma gave me the secret of her perfect pongal by adding little milk while boiling rice. It goes well with a perfect with Tiffin Sambar which I have already posted in my blog.

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice (Pacharisi)- 1 Cup
• Milk- half Cup
• Moong dal/pasi paruppu- ¼ Cup
• Salt-To taste
• Water-2 Cup

To Temper:

• Pepper seeds- 2 Tspn
• Ghee- 3 Tspn
• Jeera- 2 Tspn
• Cashew- 5 Nos
• Asafoetida- a Pinch

Method:

Wash rice and dal together and set it dry.

Boil rice, dal in cooker along with the said milk and water adding salt to it for 4 whistles. Adjust water according to the rice.

After the pressure goes out completely, smash it well with a ladle, so that the texture will be loose and mixed well.

In a separate pan, pour ghee, when it becomes hot, add pepper seed, let it splutter and add all other items under To Temper list.

Season the pongal with the above said tempered items and serve hot.

Tips:

"Add cashews at the last while tempering else, it will become darker.

Adding milk is optional however, it enriches the taste.

Adjust water as per rice, make sure, water should be more than the usual rice for this, as this should be loose in the texture."