Ghee Pongal

Pongal is an unavoidable dish for Tamilians and must present dish on a wedding or function feast. Its an easy dish to prepare when the crowd is more at home. Pongal is my all time favorite. Whenever we go to a restaurant in Tamilnadu, my default order will be for pongal vadai. Now its my kid's most favorite dish. So it has become mandatory for me to prepare it for my kid. In my family only, I can get different recipes for this dish. My mom, my MIL, periamma each one have their own way of preparing it. Here am posting my own way of preparing it. Its big headache in my house that I love to have with coconut chutney and my husband loves only with sambar. So I have to prepare both, as I hate to have it with sambar. It always happens for every dish. 

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 1 cup

Moong Dhal - 1/4 cup

Water - 5 cups

Milk - 1 tbsp

Salt as Required

Seasoning

Ghee - 4 tbsp

Pepper - 1tsp 

Cumin - 1tsp 

Aesfoetida - 1 pinch

Cashews - as you like

Ginger - 1 inch

Curry Leaves 

Coriander Leaves

Method:

In the pressure cooker, add the washed rice, dhal and water. Pressure cook it for 4 whistles and in lower flame for 5 mins. Don’t add salt as it may not get cooked well. 

Once the pressure is released, check for the consistency. It should be very smooth and tender. Add the salt, milk and mix well. 

Crush the pepper and cumin coarsely. This I will do because, my hubby will keep aside all the pepper corns. It is good for health and I am forcing that. Also this will add up the flavor. 

Also in a mixer crush the ginger well, without adding water. 

In a kadai, add the ghee. Once its heated well, add the cashews. Once it turns light brown add the ginger and rest of the items for seasoning, except the leaves. 

Transfer this to the pongal and mix well. Now add the leaves and mix well. That’s it...Yummy pongal is ready. Serve hot with coconut chutney and/or Pasiparuppu sambar, Ulundu vadai.