Pongal – Recipe from the kitchen of Sri Devi Badiga

Serves 6 people

Ingredients

• 1½ cup of normal cooking rice (not basmati)
• 1 cup green Gram dal / Moong dal
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 3 cups of water

For Seasoning:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1½ tsp cumin seeds / jeera
• 10-12 whole black pepper corn
• 4 slit green chillies
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 8-10 cashew nuts
• 2 twigs of curry leaves
• Pinch of asafoetida / hing

Method

• Dry roast the rice lightly for 2 minutes and keep aside.
• Dry roast the Gram dal for 2 minutes and keep aside.
• Mix the rice and dal, wash them together in water.
• Roast the slit cashew nuts in ghee and keep them aside
• In a pressure cooker heat the ghee add jeera, black pepper corn, slit green chilly, curry leaves and hing.
• Mix the washed rice and dal into it, then add 3 cups of water, pressure cook it for two whistles.
• Keep it closed for 5 minutes, then pour 1 tbsp of good ghee and the cashew nuts.
• Mix and serve.

–Usually served at breakfast.
–Better to eat with Pacchi Pulusu.