Ven Pongal Recipe

Ven Pongal Recipe - How To Make Ven Pongal

AuthorAnkita
RatingDifficultyIntermediate

An Introduction To Ven Pongal Recipe

Ven Pongal recipe is a delicious recipe made with rice and lentil cooked up in a particular proportion and spruced up with aromatic Indian condiments.

INDIA(Bharat) is noted not only for its renowned cultural heritage, religions, languages, philosophy art and architecture but also for its rich culinary heritage.  It is dated back several hundreds of years  that holds a variety of regional and traditional cuisines from all over the country and there are plenty of ancient dishes that has passed through many generations  with authenticity and fervour. One such traditional dish is this Ven Pongal recipe which is very much associated with the Tamil festival `pongal` as the name suggests it. During this festival `sarkarai pongal and ven pongal are prepared and offered to the `Sun God` on the first day of Pongal festival.

Speciality Of Ven Pongal  :

Ven Pongal can be taken in any part of the day as it has both protein and carbohydrates. In South India, it is taken mostly for breakfast and dinner. Sometimes, it is packed for lunch too. As it is much filling for the stomach, it makes an ideal breakfast for a holiday followed by a power nap. There are only a few dishes which can be taken in any part of the day and one such dish is this VEN PONGAL.

Spiritual Implication Of Ven Pongal Recipe :

Since ancient times, ven pongal has been offered as `prasadham`(offertory) in many temples and Ashrams and till now this has been in practice in many temples of South India. No wonder people just crave for this special `Ven Pongal Prasadham` from the temples not only for its divinity, but also for its extraordinary taste.

Ven Pongal's Popularity :

Ven Pongal recipe is famous in the States like Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh and Karnataka. It is the quintessential dish of South India, which is indispensable during the festivals like `Pongal`, marghazi mahotsavam and `dussehra`. It is the much opted dish for any festival or function as it is loved by people of all age groups.

My Experience Ven Pongal :

My mother is an expert cook and `Ven Pongal` is one of her fantabulous dishes which our family used to  relish often. She used to prepare this in a thick bottomed golden colour `vengala Panai` (bronze pot) which my grandma gave to my mother for her wedding. The way she sautés the `Ven pongal` with roasted pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves and cashews in a lavish amount of ghee still lingers in my memory and I can recall the tempering sound of it as I used to watch her cooking as a kid singing by her side. She makes it a point to serve this awesome dish hot in banana leaf with a spoon of ghee over it, with her special `vengaya( shallots) sambhar` and `Medu Vada` to our family friends and relatives with fondness and care. Here I have given you my mother`s version of cooking this dish as I want you to devour this dainty delight the same way as I do. Let us see the ingredients required for `Ven Pongal`.

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how to make ven pongal recipe
Yields4 Servings
Prep Time10 minsCook Time20 minsTotal Time30 mins

Ingredients Required To Make Ven Pongal Recipe

 1 cup Raw Rice
 ¾ cup Moong Dhal
 1 Inch Ginger (grated)
 1 Green Chilli
 ½ tsp Pepper (grounded)
 ½ tsp Pepper Full
 1 tsp Jeera Seeds
 10 Nos Cashews
 1 Sprig Curry Leaves
 1 Pinch Asafoetida
 2 tbsp Ghee
 Salt as Required
 Water as Required

How To make Ven Pongal Recipe

Initial Preparation To Make Ven Pongal Recipe
1

To make ven pongal recipe, Take the measured quantity of raw rice and moong dhal in a vessel and pour water in the ratio of 1:3.

2

Let it soak for a few minutes

3

Take the `Vengala panai` and keep it in the stove and switch it on. Keep it in high flame.

4

As it is a thick and heavy vessel, it takes a few minutes to get heated.

5

Once it is heated just drop in the rice and dhal mixture into the vessel along with the water and keep stirring with a `vengala karandi` {thick heavy bronze ladle}

6

Adjust the flame to medium mode.

7

Let it cook for 10- 15 minutes. Keep stirring every now and then in order to prevent the rice from getting scorched.

8

After a few minutes, {12-15 minutes approximately} you will see that the rice and dhal have been cooked up well.

9

Take out a little in the `karandi` and squeeze it and check whether it has been cooked up properly.

10

If it mashes well in your fingers effortlessly, and if the ven pongal is in the appropriate consistency, it indicates complete cooking. Just lower the flame and let it remain in the stove.

11

In case, if it gets a little hard to press, it indicates that the rice need to be cooked for some more time.

Preparing The Ven Pongal Recipe
12

Besides, you just start the preparation for sautéing it.

13

Place a small frying pan for example, an `iluppa karandi` (which means an exclusive long ladle made of iron which normally Indian moms use for tempering) in another burner of the stove and switch it on.

14

Tip in two tablespoons of ghee in it and once it is heated add the jeera seeds, pepper corns, grated ginger, green chilli, asafoetida and the curry leaves one by one and keep sautéing until they turn aromatic.

15

Finally drop in the measured quantity of cashew nuts and fry till golden brown.

16

You will get a nice colour and aroma now. Switch the burner off.

17

Meanwhile, just check out the `vengala panai` to see the ven pongal has been cooked up completely.

18

You will see that the rice and dhal are mashed up together and at this stage you sprinkle over the required salt along with half a tea spoon of coarsely powdered pepper powder and mix well. Just sprinkle a little water to adjust the consistency and stir in. Let it cook for five minutes approximately.

19

At last, transfer the tempered ingredients to the `Vengala Panai` and do not mix. Just keep it as such and turn off the stove.

20

It will be so attractive to see the `vengala panai` pongal garnished with spices and nuts on the top smeared with a table spoon of ghee all over, with the nice authentic aroma of the original `South Indian Pongal`, a trademark recipe of Tamil Nadu cuisine.

21

You can never imagine `Ven Pongal` without being hot. So, serve it hot with the South Indian special `katharikkai gotsu’ ( an apt accompaniment for Ven Pongal) and coconut chutney.

22

It gives a heavenly taste when combined with a crispy `Medu vada`, again an exclusive delicacy from the South.

Points To Remember To Make Ven Pongal Recipe :

  • As consistency is one of the essential criteria in the making of Ven pongal, be keen on checking with it.
  • It should be in soft and mushy consistency which is called as `Kuhaivu Padham` in Tamil and if you reach this consistency half the work is done.
  • Broken new raw rice {Udacha pudu pacharisi} is preferred for this dish to get an awesome result.
  • Be liberal in using the ghee as it is the key ingredient of Ven Pongal.
  • If you want you can add a pinch of turmeric powder as it is optional.
  • We add both pepper corns and pepper powder in order to make it spicy. Because pepper powder gives an overall spiciness to the Ven Pongal.
  • You can try out this recipe with other millets like, kuthiraivali arisi, varagu arisi, thinai arisi, samai arisi and mappilai samba arisi which are all the ancient millets of India that holds an umpteen number of health benefits and are coming into vogue again with full spree.

Ingredients

 1 cup Raw Rice
 ¾ cup Moong Dhal
 1 Inch Ginger (grated)
 1 Green Chilli
 ½ tsp Pepper (grounded)
 ½ tsp Pepper Full
 1 tsp Jeera Seeds
 10 Nos Cashews
 1 Sprig Curry Leaves
 1 Pinch Asafoetida
 2 tbsp Ghee
 Salt as Required
 Water as Required

Directions

Initial Preparation To Make Ven Pongal Recipe
1

To make ven pongal recipe, Take the measured quantity of raw rice and moong dhal in a vessel and pour water in the ratio of 1:3.

2

Let it soak for a few minutes

3

Take the `Vengala panai` and keep it in the stove and switch it on. Keep it in high flame.

4

As it is a thick and heavy vessel, it takes a few minutes to get heated.

5

Once it is heated just drop in the rice and dhal mixture into the vessel along with the water and keep stirring with a `vengala karandi` {thick heavy bronze ladle}

6

Adjust the flame to medium mode.

7

Let it cook for 10- 15 minutes. Keep stirring every now and then in order to prevent the rice from getting scorched.

8

After a few minutes, {12-15 minutes approximately} you will see that the rice and dhal have been cooked up well.

9

Take out a little in the `karandi` and squeeze it and check whether it has been cooked up properly.

10

If it mashes well in your fingers effortlessly, and if the ven pongal is in the appropriate consistency, it indicates complete cooking. Just lower the flame and let it remain in the stove.

11

In case, if it gets a little hard to press, it indicates that the rice need to be cooked for some more time.

Preparing The Ven Pongal Recipe
12

Besides, you just start the preparation for sautéing it.

13

Place a small frying pan for example, an `iluppa karandi` (which means an exclusive long ladle made of iron which normally Indian moms use for tempering) in another burner of the stove and switch it on.

14

Tip in two tablespoons of ghee in it and once it is heated add the jeera seeds, pepper corns, grated ginger, green chilli, asafoetida and the curry leaves one by one and keep sautéing until they turn aromatic.

15

Finally drop in the measured quantity of cashew nuts and fry till golden brown.

16

You will get a nice colour and aroma now. Switch the burner off.

17

Meanwhile, just check out the `vengala panai` to see the ven pongal has been cooked up completely.

18

You will see that the rice and dhal are mashed up together and at this stage you sprinkle over the required salt along with half a tea spoon of coarsely powdered pepper powder and mix well. Just sprinkle a little water to adjust the consistency and stir in. Let it cook for five minutes approximately.

19

At last, transfer the tempered ingredients to the `Vengala Panai` and do not mix. Just keep it as such and turn off the stove.

20

It will be so attractive to see the `vengala panai` pongal garnished with spices and nuts on the top smeared with a table spoon of ghee all over, with the nice authentic aroma of the original `South Indian Pongal`, a trademark recipe of Tamil Nadu cuisine.

21

You can never imagine `Ven Pongal` without being hot. So, serve it hot with the South Indian special `katharikkai gotsu’ ( an apt accompaniment for Ven Pongal) and coconut chutney.

22

It gives a heavenly taste when combined with a crispy `Medu vada`, again an exclusive delicacy from the South.

Ven Pongal Recipe

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