🇮🇳 Indian Cuisine

Pongal

Rice and Lentil Porridge

Prep Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Difficulty easy

Calories 280 kcal

A comforting South Indian dish made from rice and moong dal cooked together into a creamy porridge, tempered with black pepper, cumin, and ghee. A temple food staple in Tamil Nadu.

Ingredients

rice (1 cup)
moong dal (1/2 cup)
black peppercorns
cumin seeds
ginger
curry leaves
cashews
ghee
asafoetida
salt

Instructions

1 Dry roast moong dal until fragrant. Wash rice and dal together.
2 Pressure cook rice and dal with water until very soft and mushy.
3 Heat generous ghee, add black peppercorns, cumin seeds, ginger, curry leaves, and cashews.
4 Pour the tempering over the cooked rice-dal mixture and mix well.
5 Serve hot with sambar and coconut chutney.

Did You Know?

Ven Pongal is served as prasadam (sacred offering) in almost every temple across Tamil Nadu, especially at the famous Meenakshi Temple.