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Pongal: photo of the dish
Illustrative photo: Jennifer Kumar — Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Pasta & rice

Pongal

A comforting dish from southern India, pongal is a porridge of rice and split mung beans, flavoured with pepper, cumin and ghee. Soft, creamy and gently spiced, it is mostly eaten for breakfast or during the harvest festival.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Spices & seasoning

Optional extras

On the side

Instructions

  1. Rinse the rice and lentils together until the water runs clear, then drain them.
  2. Bring 1 litre of water to the boil with the salt.
  3. Add the rice and lentils, cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time, until very soft.
  4. Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a small pan and fry the cashews until golden, then set them aside.
  5. In the same ghee, fry the cumin, mustard seeds and crushed pepper until the seeds start to pop.
  6. Add the ginger, asafoetida, turmeric and curry leaves, and fry for 30 seconds.
  7. Pour this tempering over the cooked rice, mix, then scatter over the cashews and serve hot.

Variations and tips

Dry version. Reduce the water to 600 ml for a firmer pongal that can be cut into portions.

Using what's easy to find. Replace the mung beans with red lentils, which cook just as quickly.

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Original Ecomely recipe.