Ven Pongal

Ingredients
Items	Qnty	Comments
Raw Rice	1 cup	(tamil:pachai arisi)
Split Bengal Gram(Skinless) or Moong Dhal	1/4 cup	(tamil:pasi paruppu)
Ginger	1 inch piece	(tamil:ingi)
Green Chillies	3	(tamil:pachai milagai)
Cummin seeds	1 teaspoon	(tamil:seeragam)
Black Pepper	½ teaspoon	(tamil:milagu)
Green Curry Leaves	5	(tamil:karuvepilai)
Cashew Nuts	5	(tamil:munthiri paruppu)
Pepper-Cummin Powder	1 teaspoon	(tamil:milagu-seeraga thool)
Asafoetida	¼ teaspoon	(tamil:perungayam)
Turmeric powder	¼ teaspoon	(tamil:manchal thool)
Salt	1 teaspoon	Or as required
Ghee	2 tablespoons	(tamil:kaachuna nai)

Method

1. Scrape the skin off the ginger and finely cut into small pieces.

2. Slit the chillies.

3. Split the cashews into two halves.

4. Grind 1 teaspoon of black pepper and 1 teaspoon of cummin powder in a dry blender to make the pepper-cummin powder.

5. Heat the ghee in a sauce pan and add black pepper,cummin seeds,asafoetida,curry leaves,ginger,chillies,cashews and sauté well for about 2 minutes..

6. Wash the rice and moong dhal together and drain the water.

7. Add the rice and moong dhal to the sautéed mixture and saute for a minute.

8. Pour 3 1/2 cups of water and allow to boil.

9. Add turmeric powder,salt and pepper-cummin powder and stir well.

10. Allow the contents to boil for 5 minutes.

11. Off the stove and transfer the contents to a vessel that fits in the pressure cooker.

12. Pressure cook for about 5-6 whistles.

13. Off the stove and wait for about 20 minutes for the pressure to settle down.

14. Take out the vessel and mix the contents well with a spatula.

15. Transfer to a serving dish.

Tips

· Ghee can be substituted with oil if needed or a mixture of both.

· Chillies and pepper-cummin powder can be reduced according to taste.

· This item is very good for kids.

· Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambhar.