Ven Pongal |Ghee Pongal | Popular South Indian Breakfast | How to make Ven Pongal at home | Stepwise Pictures | Quick and Easy Recipe | Happy Pongal

Hi Supermoms,

Happy Pongal to Tamils across the globe.' Ven Pongal'  is the most comforting food usually had as a breakfast in the south. It is also one of the most popular dishes in any South Indian Resto menu. Rice and Moong dal/Mung dal well cooked in cumin, ginger and pepper flavours. The speciality of this dish is that it completely melts in the mouth as it is prepared with ghee/clarified butter.

Just a few basic ingredients are essential for the Ven pongal Preparation. It is a filling breakfast and is enjoyed with Kathirikai Gotsu, Tomato Gotsu, Coconut chutney , Onion Chutney , Tomato kurma, Vengaya Kosu. 

Pongal is a favourite  at home. I make it almost every week with different side dishes. Shall update all recipes as and when I make them. I have seen my mother making the pongal differently. She first boils the rice and moong seperately and then tempers it with the pepper,cumin,ginger and curry leaves in ghee.  I like to cook the rice with the pongal flavours infused in the rice itself.  Idli, Vadai, Pongal with sambar is the ultimate breakfast combination for any foodie !

Do check out my 'Pongal' recipe videos for detailed steps and lots of cooking tips:

Method 1: 

Method 2:

Masterchefmom Special Pongal Recipe 1 :

Masterchefmom Special Pongal Recipe 2 :

Diet Friendly Pongal Recipe :

Ven Pongal | Ghee Pongal Recipe:

Preparation time : 7 minutes

Cooking time : 40 minutes

Serves : 3

1 cup = 250 ml cup

Special Vessel : Wide mouthed pressure pan/ Pressure cooker , Iron ladle

Ingredients :

1 cup sona masoori raw rice

1/4 cup moong dal/ husked split green gram

3 cups water ( adjust water quantity according to the type of rice you are using)

3 tablespoon Ghee/clarified butter + extra for garnish

1/2 teaspoon peppercorns( Half coarsely crushed, half uncrushed)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds( crush lightly with mortar and pesstle to release flavour)

1 " ginger (chopped finely)

1 green chilli ( chopped,optional)

20 curry leaves ( tear roughly)

7- 8 cashews 

salt to taste

Method :

1. In a pan, dry roast the rice and moong till the dal turns fragrant. Cool, wash and set it aside.

2. Heat a pressure cooker, add ghee.

3. Add the ginger, peppercorns, cumin seeds,curry leaves.

4. Mix them in low flame for 30 seconds.

5. Add the rice and moong and fry in ghee for another 30 to 40 seconds.

6. Add water, salt and few drops of ghee on top and pressure cook the Pongal upto 3 whistles in medium flame and 1 whistle in low flame. Switch off.

7. Once the pressure comes down, open the pressure cooker and mash the pongal with the ladle. 

8. Heat a teaspoon of ghee in an iron ladle and toast the cashews till golden and mix in the Pongal.

Your steaming hot pongal is ready to be served. In fact Pongal tastes heavenly when served  with a spoon of hot ghee . If you are diet conscious, you can reduce the ghee quantity or substitute ghee with oil. However, for authentic taste ,cook the pongal with only ghee.

Happy Cooking!

With love, 

Masterchefmom

You can also check out other Pongal special recipes like Sakkarai Pongal, Poli, Medhu Vadai, Thengai Saadam, Lemon Rice , Paruppu Vadai .