A Delicious Variety of Savoury Rava Pongal made with fine Samba Wheat or Godhumai. Ideal for Diabetics and health conscious.
Celebrating the South Indian Festival of Harvest "Pongal" with this delicious Samba Wheat Rava Pongal or Samba Godhumai Rava Pongal.
Samba Wheat Rava or Dalia is a healthy breakfast option which keeps you full for long. Combined with lentils, i.e. the Yellow Moong Dal and a good tempering of ghee, pepper, jeera and cashews, this uber delicious breakfast when paired with a chutney, sambar or Gothsu is a treat!
Pongal, even though a Rice and Lentil based dish, is commonly eaten as breakfast in South India. A small portion is enough to keep you full until lunch. It is a healthy combination of carbs, protein, ghee, nuts and pepper that aids digestion. Ghee is one of the key ingredients for a good Pongal. Do not skip that nor substitute with oil. Some Traditional delicacies are to be best enjoyed with absolutely no guilt.
I have a traditional Ven Pongal or Ghee Pongal Recipe on the blog that is made with the Rice and Lentil combination but I decided to make an alternative variety of Pongal with Godhumai Rava or Dalia especially for Diabetics, who avoid rice. This is one of the safest food items to consume by senior citizens as it is very soft to chew and uses no spices except pepper which aids in digestion.
You can enjoy this Wheat Rava Pongal with some Apple Thokku, Inji chutney or Ginger Chutney (for easy digestion) or Thengai thogayal instead of regular coconut chutney.
For this recipe, I have used Fine Samba Wheat Rava. It is available in local grocery shops, especially the ones that sell South Indian Grocery. I have also cooked this in a pressure cooker which took only 3 whistles.
Samba Wheat is also known as Emmer Wheat and Khapli Wheat in Hindi. It is very fibre rich and the Dalia or the Wheat Rava is the most common way to cook and consume. Upon digging Wikipedia on Emmer Wheat, I found that it accounts for 2% of the total wheat grown in India and mostly grown in Southern India, some parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
You can use Samba Wheat Rava to make delicious Upma too with mixed vegetables. We usually make the Upma for brunch as it is very filling.
Let us now look at the easy recipe (with pictures) and make some healthy variety of Pongal for the entire family.
Taking this to #178FoodieMondayBlogHop where the theme is "Harvest Harmony" and I decided to make a healthier Pongal Variety especially for Diabetics, Samba Wheat Rava Pongal or Godhumai Rava Pongal.
Recipe to Make Samba Wheat Rava Pongal / Godhmai Rava Pongal
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 30 mins (includes 10 mins of soaking)
Serves 2
1 cup is 150 ml (serves 2)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Fine Samba Wheat Rava
- 1/4th cup Yellow Moong Dal
- 2 tblsp Ghee or Clarified butter
- 1 tsp Jeera or Cumin seeds
- 10 to 12 whole Pepper Corns
- 6 to 7 cashews (halved)
- Few Sprigs of Curry leaves
- salt to taste
Method
- Wash and soak the Samba Wheat Rava and Moong dal together for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes, add salt and pressure cook with required water for 3 whistles.
3. Heat a kadhai or non stick pan, add ghee or clarified butter.
4. Now add cumin seeds or jeera, peppercorns, cashews and curry leaves. Saute this for few minutes until the cashews have roasted and curry leaves appear slightly crisp.
5. Add the cooked wheat rava and moong dal mixture. Mix well, check for salt and switch off flame.
6. Serve piping hot with accompaniments of your choice.
Recipe Notes
- I have used Samba Wheat Rava here. You can use commonly available Dalia too.
- I have used the fine wheat rava instead of coarser variety that takes much more time to cook and an extra whistle in the pressure cooker perhaps.
- The water quantity used is approximately 3 cups for 1 cup of Samba Wheat Rava. 1 cup is 150 ml measurement.
- If you do not like whole peppercorns used, coarsely grind it and add. Do not skip pepper as it is essential ingredient for a good pongal and aids in digestion too.
- Leftovers stay good in a refrigerator for a day. It is however ideal to consume this piping hot for best results.
Samba Wheat Rava Pongal / Godhumai Rava Pongal
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup Fine Samba Wheat Rava 1 cup is 150 ml measurement
- 1/4 cup Yellow Moong Dal
- 2 tbsp Ghee or Clarified butter
- 1 tsp Jeera or Cumin Seeds
- 10-12 nos Whole Black Peppercorns
- 6-7 nos Cashews (halved or roughly chopped)
- Few Sprigs of Curry Leaves
- Salt to taste
- Water as required to cook the Samba Wheat Rava
Instructions
- Wash and soak the Samba Wheat Rava and Moong dal together for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, add salt and pressure cook, with required water for 3 whistles.
- Heat a kadhai or non stick pan, add ghee or clarified butter.
- Now add cumin seeds or jeera, peppercorns, cashews and curry leaves. Saute this for few
minutes until the cashews have roasted and curry leaves appear slightly crisp. - Add the cooked wheat rava and moong dal mixture. Mix well, check for salt and switch off flame.
- Serve piping hot with accompaniments of your choice.
Notes
- I have used Samba Wheat Rava here. You can use commonly available Dalia too.
- I have used the fine wheat rava instead of coarser variety that takes much more time to cook and an extra whistle in the pressure cooker perhaps.
- The water quantity used is approximately 3 cups for 1 cup of Samba Wheat Rava. 1 cup is 150 ml.
- If you do not like whole peppercorns used, coarsely grind it / pound it and add. Do not skip pepper as it is essential ingredient for a good pongal and aids in digestion too.
- Leftovers stay good in a refrigerator for a day. It is however ideal to consume this piping hot for best results.
If you try this at home, please give me a shout out / Tag Me on any of my social media handles.
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/masalachilli
- Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/MasalachillibyVidyaNarayan/
- Pinterest - https://in.pinterest.com/masalachilli
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/masalachilli_vidyanarayan/
Vidya Narayan
The pongal looks delicious! I love the idea of using samba wheat rava to make savoury pongal. Lovely, healthy dish for the theme.
Thank you Priya. Healthy choices are the need of the hour!
I often make dalia upma Vidya. Loved your nutritious savory version of Pongal . It looks so soulful ! I will try making it your way next time. Thanks for the share.
Poonam, Samba wheat rava is so much healthier than the regular Dalia and way more filling too. We have been consuming this since childhood and absolutely love it. Thank you dear.
Rava Pongal sounds so interesting and I am drooling over the pics, with cashews in it. It seems like one comforting dish. Though never tried any Pongal recipes, I think it's time now I should try soon, after getting introduced to so many of different pongal varieties. Very nicely explained recipe.Lovely share!!
Swaty, it is very similar to the khichdi you made and like you mentioned, there is so much to learn from regional cuisine especially the festive ones. Thank you dear.
Piping hot bowl of rava pongal, a good book and soft music playing... what I will give to have all the 3 above. I love it Vidya. I am waiting with a good book and music how about some of the pongal from you??
Absolute comfort food I agree and yes, with the atmosphere that you have created (music, book), I think it sounds way more interesting. Haha.
This pongal sounds superbly delicious Vidya. Bookmaking it to try soon. I am sure moong dal with rava taste awesome. Can't wait to try it.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy this.
I make upma or idlis with Samba rava ! pongal is such a healthy idea, I too make rava pongal, but with lapsi or upma rava. good choice, Vidya ! Ilike the rava pongal better than the rice pongal.. a healthy twist..
Kalyani, I agree, Rava Pongal is so much better than the rice version, a bit light too for an early dinner option. Thanks.
I would definitely like to try this recipe with wheat rava and moong dal and yes will not add oil.. will make using ghee. A lovely healthy treat Vidya. Bookmarked it so that when I reach Bangalore, can make it for brunch.
I am sure you would love this Mayuri! Thanks so much.
such an interesting name for me really ! looks so delicious as well ? Lovely share for theme you have picked up Vidya !!
Thank you
I make this in a pressure cooker vidya. This looks amazing. Such a healthy dish
I cannot live without pressure cooker Veena. Makes life easy and cooking time too.
This is a very timely post! Ive switched over to Dalia instead of rice (except for the rare rice treat), and have been trying out different options like Dalia khichdi, Dalia upuma, Dalia with dal or rasam or sambar, etc. The Dalia pongal sounds delicious. Must try! Sujata. Shukla
I am glad you loved it. This one especially is filling so works as an early dinner too.
Dalia Pongal is so healthy and delish.We make it sometimes when we are bored of regular rice pongal.Fantastic share Vidya.
Thank you Preethi
I actually like this better than upma. somehow it feels so filling. i love the cashews and the aromatics that make it more exciting.
Definitely filling than Upma Seema, Thanks!