Ven Pongal

Ven Pongal is one of the most popular rice dishes of Tamil Nadu and South India. It is also popular in all Tamil areas and Tamil speaking community. Pongal is the common name of cooked rice dish and it is popular as two varieties namely the Sarkarai Pongal and the Ven Pongal.

The sweet variety, sarkarai pongal is made with jaggery and it is also a festival preparation during Thai Pongal.

The Ven Pongal is a common rice dish, made out of plain rice or a combination of rice and dhal. Mostly the green gram dhal or the moong dhal is mixed along with rice in this recipe. Sometime about 5 or more varieties of dhal and rice are also used as ingredients in pongal recipe. The common side dishes for this are the Sambhar and coconut chutney.
Now let is see how to make the Ven Pongal.

Ven Pongal Ingredients;

Raw rice – 1 cup
Green gram – 1/3 cup
Water – 4 cup
Pepper – ½ tsp
Cumin – ½ tsp
Cashew – 10
Salt – to taste
Curry leaves – few
Ginger – 1 inch
Asafoetida -2 pinch
Oil – 2 tblsp
Ghee – 2 tblsp

Ven Pongal Method:
Dry roast the green gram in a pan for about 5 minutes. Wash and soak the raw rice and green gram for about half an hour.

Peel and chop the ginger into pieces. Cook raw rice, green gram, ginger,asafoetida and salt with 4 cups of water in the pressure cooker for about 15 minutes.

Sim the gas stove after one whistle . When the steam subsides open the cooker and mash it well. Heat oil and ghee in a small pan and add cumin, pepper, cashew, and curry leaves.

When they crackle add it to the pongal and stir well and serve with coconut chutney and sambar.
Note:
If the pongal is hard, heat little water and add it to the pongal and mash it well.
I forgot to put asafoetida (perungayam) in the ingredients photo.