The South Indian Delicacy: VenPonga

Originated in the land of Tamil Nadu, Pongal is an appetizing dish that every South Indian would crave to have for breakfast. Pongal is the common name for the dish made with rice but mostly refers to the spicy pongal. There are various kinds of Pongal: Ven Pongal (spicy) , Sakkarai Pongal (sweet), etc., But generally, the sweet Pongal is done only during auspicious days and on functions while Pongal has become the usual tiffin served hot.

Pongal in Tamil means, “boil over”. And that is how it was made in early times; the rice boils and comes out of the pot. Today, due to the invasion of modern kitchen appliances the preparation has become more easy and swift. So, let us look into how it is made.

Ingredients:

Rice – 200 gms

Moong dhal – 50 gms

Pepper- 1 spoon

Cumin seeds- 1 spoon

Chopped ginger- 1 table spoon

Ghee- required amount

Salt- Required amount

Curry leaves – 10 leaves approx.

Cashew nuts- for decortion.

Preparation Time:  20 – 30 minutes.

Recipe:

  1. Put the rice and moong dhal in a pan and roast it nicely for 5 minutes and not more.

        2.Clean the rice and dhal well and cook it in a pressure cooker adding adequate amount of water so that it gets                 smashed to a considerable amount and is not sturdy. Turn the stove off after 3-4 whistles.

        3.Make sure that the rice-dhal mix is well smashed and not dry.

        4.Take another pan and place it on the stove, turning it on.

        5.Add four spoons of ghee, pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves and the cooked mix of rice and dhal and sauté it until      the ingredients get mixed well and evenly. Add essential amount of salt and mix it again. More the dish gets                    smashed, better is its consistency.

        6.Serve it hot on a plate by spreading a spoon of ghee on it and decorating with cashew nuts to give it an appealing           look.

Hot, South Indian Sambhar, Cocunut chutney or Brinjal Goths can go with the pongal to give the best possible eating experience.Vadas make a delicious supplement with pongal. As a foodie, I am a fan of pongal and I suggest you to have a taste of it if you haven’t yet. A suitable dish for kids to have for their breakfast, preferably on non-school days as it is strongly believed to induce sleep, but for most of them, has proven wrong.

Have a quick, mouth-watering, toothsome pongal experience!

Poornima Balasubramanian

I am a happy go person. Basically, love making friends. I spend my leisure by writing, reading, watching movies or sketching abstracts. I am a civil services apirant too!

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