Tillie Doyle
Pongal is a traditional Indian rice dish, often served during festivals and celebrations. It is typically made with rice, lentils, ghee, and spices, and can be cooked in a pot on a stovetop or in an instant pot. The dish is known for its distinct tempering with spices and curry leaves, and it is often served with sambar or chutney. In this paragraph, we will explore the different ways to cook Pongal in a pot and the key ingredients that make this dish so special.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of pot | Clay pot, pressure cooker, instant pot |
| Ingredients | Rice, moong dal, ghee, milk, water, jaggery, cardamom, cloves, cashews, raisins, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, asafoetida, curry leaves, ginger, green chilli, turmeric, salt |
| Rice type | Non-sticky, short- to medium-grain white rice like Surti Kolam or Sona Masoori; not basmati |
| Rice preparation | Rinse and drain the rice, then pour water and cook |
| Dal type | Split moong dal (yellow lentils) |
| Dal preparation | Rinse and drain the dal, then dry roast on a low to medium flame until fragrant |
| Ghee | Generous amounts of ghee made from cow's milk are added for aroma, taste, and sacredness |
| Milk | Use full-fat milk or vegan milk for a vegan version |
| Jaggery | Powder the jaggery and heat it with water until it dissolves, then add to the rice |
| Spices | Cumin seeds, black peppercorns, asafoetida, curry leaves, ginger, green chilli, turmeric, cardamom, cloves |
| Nuts | Cashews and raisins |
| Cooking method | Cook rice and dal together in a pot with ghee, spices, and water; for instant pot, use rice mode with low pressure for 12-15 minutes |
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What You'll Learn
Prepare ingredients: rinse rice and lentils, and roast lentils
Preparing the ingredients for Pongal is a simple process. First, gather your ingredients. For the tempering, you will need cumin seeds, black peppercorns, asafoetida, curry leaves, and cashews. For the rice and lentils, you will need rice, moong dal (yellow lentils), ghee, water, and salt. Some recipes also call for ginger, green chilli, turmeric, and hing.
Once you have your ingredients, you will need to rinse the rice and lentils. Some recipes suggest rinsing the lentils first and then frying them in ghee until golden, while others recommend dry roasting the lentils first and then rinsing them. Rinsing the lentils first can help to remove any pesticide residues that may be present. If you choose to dry roast the lentils, do so on a low to medium flame until they become fragrant and light golden. Be careful not to brown or discolour the moong dal. This step is optional but will add a distinct aroma to your Pongal.
After rinsing and roasting the lentils, you will add the rice to the same pan and rinse both the rice and lentils together at least two to three times. Drain the water completely before moving on to the next step of cooking your Pongal.
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Add ingredients to pot: rice, lentils, water, and salt
Pongal is a traditional Indian rice and lentil dish, often prepared in a clay pot. The dish can be made in a few different ways, but the ingredients typically include rice, lentils, water, and salt.
First, rinse the rice and lentils separately, draining the water. If you want to dry roast the lentils, do so now, roasting them on a low to medium flame until they become fragrant and golden. You can also choose to rinse the lentils first and then fry them in ghee until golden.
Next, add the rice to the lentils in the pot. The ratio of rice to lentils can vary depending on preference, but a common ratio is 1:1, or 3:1 or 4:1 rice to lentils. Pour in the water, with a general guideline of 1 cup of rice to 6 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
Finally, bring the pot to a boil and pressure cook. The number of whistles or minutes cooked will depend on your cooker, but a general guideline is to cook for 4 whistles or 9-15 minutes.
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Cook ingredients in pot
Pongal is traditionally cooked in a clay pot, but you can use a regular pot or a pressure cooker.
If you are using a pot, you will need to adjust the recipe quantities. One recipe recommends 1 cup of rice, 1/2 a cup of dal, 5 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of ghee, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1/2 a teaspoon of peppercorns, 1/2 a teaspoon of hing, 10 curry leaves, 10 cashews, and 1.5 teaspoons of salt. You can also add a jalapeno or green chilli, ginger, and turmeric.
First, dry roast the dal on a low to medium flame until it becomes fragrant and golden. Then, add the rice to the pot and wash the rice and dal together at least three times, being careful as the pot will be hot. Drain the water.
Next, add the ghee, cumin seeds, peppercorns, asafoetida, curry leaves, and cashews. Saute until the cashews are lightly roasted, then remove half of this tempering mixture for later. Add the ginger and chilli, if using, and saute for 30 seconds. When the ginger turns golden, add the rice and dal. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the water and salt.
Cover the pot and cook on a medium flame. The cooking time will depend on your cooker and heat source, but one recipe recommends cooking until you hear 4 whistles from a pressure cooker. If the pongal is too thick, add more hot water.
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Make jaggery syrup
To make jaggery syrup, you'll need jaggery, water, cardamom powder, and ghee. The first step is to powder the jaggery and heat it with water—just enough to immerse it. Bring this mixture to a boil and let the jaggery dissolve completely. You can then filter the syrup and add it to the cooked rice and dal in the cooker. If your jaggery syrup is clean, you can skip the filtering step and pour it directly into the pot.
Next, add cardamom powder and gently stir. Let it cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the dal and rice blend well with the jaggery syrup. Then, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee and press cancel. You can also add cashews and raisins to garnish your sweet pongal.
If you feel the consistency is too thick, add some hot water to the rice and dal before tempering. For a healthier option, you can also use brown rice, millets, quinoa, or steel-cut oats. Soaking them beforehand will help to reduce the cooking time.
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Temper spices and pour over pongal
Tempering spices and pouring the mixture over pongal is an essential step in making the dish distinct and flavourful. The final tempering with spices and curry leaves is what makes Pongal special and different from khichdi.
To temper the spices, heat two to three tablespoons of ghee in a small pan. Ghee is considered sacred in Pongal, so it is important to use a generous amount. Once the ghee is hot, add one teaspoon of black pepper and 10 to 12 curry leaves. You can also add cumin seeds at this stage. Stir well and fry until the curry leaves become crisp, and the black pepper is well fried.
Next, pour this tempering mixture over the cooked Pongal. Mix well and cover with a lid. Keep the Pongal aside for five to six minutes. This allows the tempering flavours to infuse with the Pongal and enhances the aroma.
Finally, remove the lid and serve the Pongal hot or warm. Pongal is traditionally served with coconut chutney or sambar. You can also serve it with a side of curd (yogurt) or mango pickle.
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