This week we present some festival recipes. And its a savoury dish thats served in Pongal at our home. Kids are now getting picky with the usual Ven Pongal & Chakkarai Pongal varieties, so we have ventured to make other varieties on festival days – both from an intention to consume millets / whole grains and also as a break from the usual fare.
The pongal Menu is quite exhaustive at our home : Rasam is usually not made that day and that feast would be presented shortly. And any variety of Pongal cooked for the festival is eaten for breakfast (post the puja) and then we begin the lunch preps. Carbs / calorie count is for another day, isn’t it? :-))
Today, do enjoy this Rava Pongal that Amma made and I loved to click (what bliss, right?;)) It’s a signature dish of Amma’s which she learnt from my youngest aunt (Mami) who makes this pongal spot on, every time we visit her!
Do not scrimp on ghee, else you would get a dry consistency of this pongal which isnt appeasing. and yes , like most pongal varieties, this needs to be had piping hot as is or with Tiffin Sambhar / Coconut Chutney /coriander – coconut Chutney / Thakkali Chutney/ Gothsu (Spicy tamarind gravy : our preferred side dish)
Off to the recipe. Before that a few more pongal varieties from my kitchen
- Kalkandu Pongal (rock candy sugar pongal)
- Chakkarai Pongal – ver 2
- Thinai Khara Pongal
- Classic Ven Pongal
- Oats Pongal (savoury version)
- Oats Chakkarai Pongal
- Chakkara pongal – ver. 1
Prep time : 10 mins, Cook time : 20 mins ,serves : 4
Semolina – Green gram Pongal | Rava Pongal | Dinner Ideas
Ingredients:
- Rava / Bombay Rava / Sooji – 1 cup
- Moong dal / split green – 1/4 cup
- Hot water – 2 cups (used as needed)
- Ghee – 3 TBSP
- Salt – to taste
- Jeera (cumin seeds) – 1 tsp
- Crushed pepper – 1/2 tsp
- crushed / grated ginger – 1/4 tsp
- Asafoetida / Hing – a generous pinch
- Turmeric – a small pinch
- Cashew bits – 1/2 TBSP
- Curry leaves – few
Method:
- Dry roast cumin, pepper. Powder this coarsely with the ginger & curry leaves (without any water).
- In a pan, heat 1 tsp. Roast the moong dal till nice aroma wafts out. Transfer to a plate. Soak the moong dal in 1/2 cup of water for 20 mins.
- In the same pan, add 2 TBSP more of rava / sooji and roast like you would roast for Upma.
- Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil, add a pinch of turmeric and boil the soaked (and drained) Moong dal and cook till dal is just cooked but still firm
- Drain the water and reserve it.
- In a non stick pan, add the remaining ghee, fry cashew. Add hing, rava, salt. stir well. Cook with 2 cups of reserved hot water (adding more hot water to make up 2 cups totally).
- Once the rava is cooked, add the powdered cumin-ginger-curry leaves-pepper mixture, moong dal and mix well.
- Cook covered for 1 more min till it reaches Upma consistency (porridge like but not too runny or too dry).
- Check for salt and spices and serve hot with coriander – coconut Chutney / Tiffin Sambhar or even Gothsu
Sending this to BM # 72 under “Festival Recipes” Theme
Good one!I used to eat a lot of pongal while Barkha was here , but it has been a while now and this pongal is definitely tempting me..ya I agree on the ghee part.
Those pictures look so bright and nice..good job!..I love all sorts of pongal obviously..:)
Such a healthy and yummy version of Pongal 🙂
Love this healthier take on pongal. Will try sometime.
Pongal and Sambar,such a divine combo.
I too make this pongal and enjoy it a lot. Lovely clicks.
One of my fav pongal. Looks so yum..
Looks just like ven pongal.. Looks yummy
The pongal looks so inviting. I think I have to venture into making pongals now!
Pongal for Maargazhi. Looks awesome
All time favourite pongal, makes me hungry already.
looks like it would be delicious – and love the banana leaf looking plate!
A very healthy version of pongal.
Yummy looking pongal.
A quick alternate to the regular pongal. Love the texture of it.
Delicious pongal. Love your rawa twist.
Perfect for festive time.. awesome
A different kind of pongal recipe. So different and it looks not only delicious but is nutritious too. Will have to give this Rava Pongal a try.
yes mayuri. its very nutritious for sure…