South Indian Ven Pongal Recipe - Instant Pot & Stovetop
Ven Pongal is a traditional and classic South Indian Breakfast. This simple recipe with dal & rice is a staple in most households. Pair it up with a simple chutney, sambar or gothsu for a fantastic meal experience.
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Stovetop Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- ½ cup Rice
- ½ cup Moong Dal
- 1 teaspoon Ghee
- Salt as needed
- 3 & ½ cups Water
For Tempering
- 3 tablespoon Ghee
- 3 tablespoon Cashewnuts
- 1 teaspoon Peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- Curry Leaves Few , chopped
- 1 inch Ginger Chopped
- Asafoetida a Pinch
Instructions
To cook Ven Pongal In Instant Pot
- Press SAUTE (Normal) on Instant Pot. Add 1 & ½ tablespoon ghee to the Pot.
- Once POT becomes hot, add in Cashewnuts. Saute until cashewnuts turn light brown in color.
- In the same ghee, add peppercorns, cumin seeds, ginger, asafoetida and curry leaves. Saute until the ingredients splutter. Remove and keep it aside.
- Next, add the dal and rice.Saute for less than 1 minute till dal becomes aromatic.
- Add water, salt and ghee. Then, mix well.
- Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK(High Pressure) and set timer to 10 minutes.
- Wait for PRESSURE to release NATURALLY.
- Once the pressure has released, open the lid and mash the dal and rice well.
- Add the tadka that we kept aside. Serve hot with Sambar or Chutney.
To cook Ven Pongal In Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a pressure cooker and add the dal. Saute the dal for few minutes till dal turns light brown or aromatic. Next, add the rice.
- Add water, needed salt, 1 teaspoon ghee and mix well. Close the lid and put the whistle weight on. Cook for 4 whistles on medium flame. Switch off the flame and wait for pressure to release naturally.
- Now in another pan, add ghee and let it become hot. Once hot,add cashews. Once cashew turns golden brown, keep them aside. To the same pan,add cumin seeds, peppercorns, asafoetida, ginger, curry leaves.
- Saute for 30 seconds. Once the pressure has released,open the lid and mix the rice and dal mixture well. Mash it well.
- Serve hot with Sambar or Chutney.
- Now, add the tempering and cashews to the Pongal mixture. Mix well.
Notes
You can use millet in place of rice.
I have used standard measuring cups to measure the ingredients. The ratio is 1: 3.5, which means (½ cup Rice + ½ cup Dal )1 cup: 3.5 Cups Water. The right consistency of Pongal is it should be mushy but not watery.
If Vegan, you can skip ghee and use oil in its place. But ghee tastes the best for this recipe.
If you feel salt is less after cooking, add a little salt to some warm water, mix well and then add it to the Pongal. Give a good mix and see.
If you do not like having whole peppercorns, slightly crush them and add them to the Ven Pongal.
I have used an equal amount of dal and rice in this recipe. The ratio is completely your choice. You can use half a quantity of dal for 1 cup of rice, too.
Ven Pongal tastes best when served hot. Pongal thickens on cooling. Add some boiling water and adjust consistency before serving.
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