LENTILS DISH 2 - VEN PONGAL / BREAKFAST RECIPE

Ven pongal a popular breakfast recipe in tamilnadu.It is very easy to prepare and tastes too good if we do it in a correct way.At first time I cooked this recipe along with my friends, when we were staying together it was good in taste but not so perfect, this I came to know when I had a ven pongal in sangeetha restaurant in my office cafeteria. After my marriage few times I prepared this recipe few but every-time in different method, I felt something is missing ever time.After coming here to sweden I read so many blogs on this recipe and finally I got a comment from Sri saying "hey, do you remember how you prepared this recipe in earlier times, it is too good now, I can see a great improvement in your pongal" Whoa!! What else I need, so happy now :).Ven Pongal goes well with sambar and Medhu vadai. 

Mostly I prepare this on weekends, when we both wake up late this is one of my perfect choice. There is just a two steps for this recipe, pressure cook rice and dhal, temper it with the ingredients mentioned below. Easy to make and yummy to taste... :)

In this recipe I have used Moong dhal, So I am adding this in Lentils recipe dish.
So here comes the instructions and notes,

Ingredients

Raw rice	1 Cup
Moong Dhal	1/2 Cup
Green chilly	1 tsp
Salt	As per taste
Pepper Corns	1 tblsp
Cumin seeds	1 tblsp
Ginger	1 tblsp(Finely chopped)
Curry leaves	10 Nos
Mustard	1 tsp
Cashew	6 to 7 Nos(Optional)
Ghee	2 tblsp
Oil	3 tblsp

Instructions

1) Mix rice, moong dhal and soak it for 10 to 15 minutes.
2) Pressure cook rice and Dhal with 4 Cups of water ( 1 rice + 1/2 Dhal = Normally we use 3 cups of water but for ven pongal we need to use extra water so use 4 Cups of water).Add salt.

3) Once the pressure is released smash the mixture with spatula.Check for salt, if not enough add in this stage.
4) In a pan add ghee& Oil, then add mustard seeds once it splutters add cashew, wait till it turns to golden brown color and add Cumin seeds & pepper corns let the both splutters and add curry leaves, ginger and green chillies.Saute all for 2 to 4 seconds and pour the mixture into the rice and Mix well.

5) Transfer it to a bowl and serve hot with sambar and Medhu vadai.

Notes:
1) Pressure cook the rice with 2 or 3 extra whistles. With extra water and whistles you will get the semi gravy consistency.
 2) If you feel there is more water after the pressure is released, then let it cook for few minutes in low flame till the extra water evaporates.
3) Here I have mentioned 2 tablespoon ghee and 3 tablespoon oil, you can use ghee alone for richness. 
4) By using more ghee/oil, we can prepare non- sticky pongal.