Ven Pongal Recipe (Instant Pot + Stove Top)
Ven Pongal Recipe is an easy one pot South Indian Savory Rice and Lentils dish that comes together in 30 minutes. Traditionally consumed as breakfast, this also makes a hearty weeknight meal for the family. It tastes best when served with Chutney and Sambar
Servings 4 people
Equipment
- Stove Top Pressure Cooker
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Rice Check Notes below
- ½ cup Yellow Moong dal Yellow Lentils / split and skinned green gram / Pasi Paruppu (Tamil)
- 4 ½ cups Water plus extra as required for soaking
- 2 tbsp Ghee or Clarified Butter
- ½ tsp Jeera or Cumin Seeds
- A pinch of Asafoetida or Hing
- 1 tbsp Black Peppercorns See Notes Below
- 1 tsp Ginger finely chopped or grated
- 7 Cashews (roughly chopped)
- Few Curry leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Stove Top Instructions
- Heat a pan and dry Roast 1/2 cup of Yellow Moong Dal until you get a nice aroma. Note - Do not roast them until brown.
- Wash and Soak the roasted yellow moong dal with rice for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, drain the water, rinse. Pressure cook the rice and lentils with 4 & 1/2 cups of water along with salt to taste.
- Once the pressure cooking is complete, release the pressure, remove the whistle, open the lid and slightly mash the rice and lentils using the back of your spoon (important step to be done when the rice and dal is hot).
- Prepare for tempering - Heat a small pan, add ghee, cumin, peppercorns, ginger, cashews and curry leaves.
- Once the nuts have roasted, pour the tempering over cooked rice and lentils. Mix and serve.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Switch on Sauté Mode, Dry Roast Yellow Moong Dal until you get a nice aroma. Remove the dal onto a bowl. Switch off Sauté Mode.
- Wash and Soak the yellow moong dal with rice for 15 minutes.
- Switch on Sauté Mode, add ghee, cumin seeds, peppercorns, ginger, cashews and curry leaves. Remove some tempering aside in a small bowl to add later.
- Add the washed and soaked rice and lentils (drain the water used for soaking) with 4 1/2 cups of water and salt to taste. Cancel Sauté Mode.
- Close the Instant Pot Lid, Cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes. Allow Natural Pressure Release (NPR) for 10 mins and release the balance pressure manually.
- Open the Instant Pot Lid, add the tempering and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Rice Variety - Ven Pongal is made using White Short Grain Rice. Sona Masuri, Organic Hand pounded rice, Kolam, Ponni rice are all great options. These are available at Indian stores in US / UK or local supermarkets / grocery stores in India. You can also use Basmati Rice for the recipe. The quantity of water does not change.
- The lentils are slightly roasted to get rid of the raw smell and then soaked along with rice. Both rice and lentils are cooked together and not separately.
- Brown Rice - In case you are using brown rice, increase the pressure cook (high) time to 22 minutes in the Instant Pot. For Stove Top pressure cooker, soak the rice for 30 minutes and pressure cook for extra 2-3 whistles.
- You can add an extra 1 and 1/2 glass of water to make it into a soupy consistency. This is especially great for kids and adults when feeling under the weather.
- Black Pepper - You can add whole peppercorns or lightly roast, coarsely crush them and add. Adjust the quantities of pepper and ginger in case you find it too spicy.
- Ghee - This dish is made using Ghee or Clarified butter. It tastes rich and comforting. If you follow a Vegan diet, use neutral flavor oil instead of ghee.