I make Pongal at home almost every week, because it's easy, tasty and heavy for weekend breakfast. So that my husband doesnt complain when lunch takes time. :) You would have read a lot of Pongal or Venpongal recipies... this one is especially for the working women who want to do stuff faster and avoid using lots of vessels for cooking. You need only one pressure cooker!! That's why i call it One pot Recipe.
Raw rice - 3/4 cup
Split Moong Dal - 1/4 cup (I had used 1/2 cup, that's why it looks more yellow)
Ginger finely chopped - 1 tsp
Green chilli (chopped into 2 or 3 pieces) - 3
Whole Pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds/ Jeera - 1 tsp
Cashew in halves - 1 tbsp
Curry Leaves
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee to roast cashews and to serve
Method:
1. Heat the Pressure cooker and dry roast moong dal for 2 mins. or golden yellow. Dont wait until it becomes brown. Keep it seperate.
#Cheat sheet - You can skip this step if don't have much time to roast it seperately.
2.Heat the Pressure cooker, add 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp ghee. Add the peppercorns, jeera, curry leaves, ginger and green chillies. Saute well.
#Cheat sheet - Add the moong dal now and roast it in oil for 2 mins if you have not roasted it seperately.
3. Add the roasted dal and rice now. Mix well, add salt and 3 cups of water.
4. Close and pressure cook until mushy or desired texture of rice.
5. Once cooked if you still find the rice not mushy enough, switch on the stove with the cooker lid open. Add hot water little by little and mash it with a laddle. Add 1 tbsp ghee side by side when you mash.
6. Roast cashews in ghee and add it to the pongal.
Serve hot with a dollop of ghee on top and with coconut chutney or sambar.
Happy Cooking!
Do you prefer one pot cooking or the traditional way?