VEN PONGAL/KATTE PONGALI

Ven pongal or kattepongali is a rice dish from South India. It is a breakfast item from Tamilnadu served in almost all hotels. Venpongal with vada and coconut chutney is a perfect combination. Rice combined with moong dal, peppercorns, curryleaves and the tempering given with ghee, kaju and jeera makes the dish yummy. Some make it soft like butter and some other prefer the rice grains  to be separate.
INGREDIENTS

• Rice         1 cup
• Moong dal      1/4 cup
• Water              2 cups(3 cups for soft kattepongali)
• peppercorns    1Tsp
• Ghee              3 Tsp
• Green chillies      1 (finely chopped)
• Jeera              1 Tsp
• Salt                to taste
• Cashews         2 tsp
• curry leaves     a few
• Hing                 a pinch
• Ginger             finely chopped  1 tsp

PROCEDURE
Dry roast the yellow moong dal till a fine aroma is released. Wash the rice and moong dal and add water(according to the texture of rice you like to have). Add the salt , half of jeera, ginger, peppercorns and cook the rice in a pressure cooker till 3 whistles. Heat the ghee and add the remaining jeera, cashews, green chilies, curry leaves, hing and once it is done add to the rice. Serve with coconut chutney or any raita.
TIPS

• For extra kick add black pepper powder at the end.