Pongal Recipe with step by step photos. Pongal is a very traditional breakfast in South India, Pongal is a Ghee Khichdi made with rice and moong dal (pesara pappu) cooked and seasoned. It takes just around 25-30 minutes to make. If you are short on time, pongal can be a good option on the lunch or dinner menu. Pongal is very healthy and easy to digest. You can add vegetables to this recipe to make Veg Pongal/veg khichdi. Pongal can be eaten with Roasted Chickpea/Dhalia/Pappula Chutney, Pachi Pulusu, mago pickle and/or sambar.

Pongal with a twist: Spicy Pongal
How to make Pongal
PREP TIME: 5 MINS COOK TIME: 20 MINS TOTAL TIME: 25 MINS COURSE:BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER CUISINE:SOUTH INDIAN SERVINGS : 4
Ingredients
- Rice-Sonamasoori rice or Jasmine rice – 1 cup
- Moong dal – yellow or split moong dal with skin – 1/4 cup
- Water – 4 to 5 cups
- Ghee – 2 tbsp
- Cashew nuts – few
- Green chillies – 3
- Red chilli – 1
- Curry leaves
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
- Urad dal – 1 tsp
- Pepper powder or pepper corns (miriyalu) – 1/2 tsp
Instructions
Here I used jasmine rice and dal with skin to enhance nutrition.
- Heat a pan, add rice, moong dal, and dry roast them seperately for about 3 minutes.
- Take them in a bowl and rinse. Drain the water.
- Take a pressure cooker add 4 to 5 cups of water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp of oil.
- Bring the water to boil. Add rinsed and drained moon dal and rice mixture, close the lid and cook it till 2 to 3 whistles.
- Add some more water if pongal feels very thick in consistency. Taste and adjust salt.
- For tempering : Take a small pan and heat it with 2 tbsp ghee. Add urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cashew nuts, curry leaves, green chillies, and red chilli. Fry until dal and cashews turns golden in color, add 1/2 tsp pepper powder (or whole/cushed pepper corns). Turn off.
- Add this tempering to cooked rice and moong dal mixture. Mix well.
- Serve hot with Roasted Chickpea/Dhalia/Pappula Chutney or Pachi Pulusu and/or sambar.
Step by step photo instructions
- Heat a pan, add rice, moong dal, and dry roast them seperately for about 3 minutes. Take them in a bowl and rinse. Drain the water.

2. Take a pressure cooker add 4 to 5 cups of water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp of oil.
3. Bring the water to boil. Add rinsed and drained moon dal and rice mixture, close the lid and cook it till 2 to 3 whistles.

4. Add more water if pongal feels very thick in consistency. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
5. For tempering : Take a small pan and heat it with 2 tbsp ghee. Add urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cashew nuts, curry leaves, green chillies, and red chilli. Fry until dal and cashews turns golden in color, add 1/2 tsp pepper powder or cushed pepper corns. Turn off. Add this tempering to cooked rice and moong dal mixture. Mix well.

5. Serve hot with Roasted Chickpea/Dhalia/Pappula Chutney or Pachi Pulusu and/or sambar.

Tips
- Sona masoori rice can also be used. I used jasmine rice only because it will not be very hard when we refrigerate leftover pongal. But Pongal tastes good with either choice of rice.
- You can add grated ginger in the tempering or in the rice while cooking.
- Can add hing to the tempering.
- Whole pepper corns or crushed pepper corns can be used in tempering. I don’t like to chew on them, hence added pepper powder.
- If you are allergic to nuts, you can skip cashews.
- You can add milk.
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