Ven Pongal

Traditional South Indian breakfast, regular recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Rice - 3/4 cup
2. Moong dal - 1/2 cup
3. Ghee - 2 tbsp.
4. Jeera - 1 tsp.
5. Peppercorns - 1 tsp.
6. Cashewnuts ( broken) - 1 tsp.
7. Curry leaves - 10
8. Ginger - 1 inch piece

Procedure:

1. Roast rice and moong dal separately over medium flame. It is better to use new rice for pongal as it turns mushy on cooking (probably that is the reason the harvest festival is celebrated as Pongal and not as Biryani). Basmati and other long grain varieties are not suitable as they remain as separate grains upon cooking.
2. Cook the rice and dal together in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles either directly or in a container. Use around 4 cups of water. Mash this up lightly by stirring after it is cooked.
3. Crush jeera and pepper coarsely using a hand pestle. Chop ginger very finely.
4. In a kadai, heat ghee. Fry the cashewnuts in this lightly. Add crushed jeera, pepper, ginger and currry leaves. Pour this into the cooked rice and dal and stir well.
5. Serve piping hot with gotsu.