Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Ven Pongal -The South Indian Khichdi (A wholesome breakfast)

I once read that "All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast" - and can't agree with it more !


Breakfast is a very important meal as it kick starts the day, pepping us with all the energy. It helps us sustain the rigmaroles of day-to-day living. Making kids gulp their morning food is very vital as it ensures that they stay brisk, smart and alert. Why kids, I find that  a hearty breakfast enables me to bounce in a happy mood the whole day while no breakfast or little breakfast makes me grumpy, slouchy and irritable. Besides, eating breakfast ensures maintaining a healthy weight. Eating a healthy breakfast is as important as making sure you eat breakfast . Say not to high sugar food or meat and dig in to a breakfast that is loaded with carbohydrates/ protein packed/ fibrous.

In the midst of the chaos and mayhem that is a typical morning having good options help and that is where South Indian Breakfasts kicks in. Idlis and dosas in its myriad avatars, pongal, puttu, pesarattu- the list is power packed with nutrients as well as immensely satisfying.

Ven Pongal is one such super breakfast. It is my favourite comfort dish too ! The dish can also be the perfect dinner or the god sent bowl to the occasional hungry pangs that hits you at 4 PM ! It is our very own answer to the Khichdi of North India, our very own kedgeree.Loaded with rice and lentils, the dish is not only healthy but also tasty and pleasantly satiating.


The recipe varies in each house hold in terms of the proportions of the lentils to the rice.To each their own !  


And like any other south Indian dish, this dish gets it's zing from the curry leaves.


What's in it :-
  • Rice - 1 cup
  • Mung Dal (Split & husked green gram) /பாசி பருப்பு  - 1 cup
  • Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp
  • Black Pepper corns - 1 tsp - to taste
  • Green Chillis - 2 - chopped
  • Ginger - a small piece - grated
  • Curry Leaves - a few - rough chopped
  • Asafoetida - a small pinch
  • Butter/ Ghee - 2 tbsp + 2 spoons extra to finish 
  • Cashewnuts - as required
  •  Salt - to taste
Here's How :-

Cook the rice and lentils separately with enough water. I pressure cooked them in separate bowls till 3 whistles. For a better mix cook the lentil for 2 whistles.

In a kadai, add butter/ghee and as it starts warming up, add the Cashewnuts and fry till golden. Next tip in the cumin seeds and pepper corns. As they start crackling , add the curry leaves, ginger and asafoetida along with chopped chillis. 

Stir in the cooked rice and lentils. Season it with salt. If you find the mix to be too thick add 1/2 cup of water. Add 2-3 spoons of ghee to finish.

Serve hot with sambhar/chutney/gotsu or any other accompanimenmt of your choice.

You must have heard the saying breakfast like a king, and if it is power packed, the day gets a real kick. So what are waiting for ? Fuel your soul and stomach with this wonderful dish and start the day buzzing with tonnes of energy.This loaded breakfast is off to Avant Garde Cookies - Week 2 :Month 1 (Breakfast)


E.N.J.O.Y

Linking it to Gayathri's WTML-August guest hosted by Archana

32 comments:

  1. Priya.. this lokks like how they serve pongal in Saravana Bhavan..:))
    Yummy yum .. U have made me hungry earl in the morning..
    Reva

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  2. One of my comfort foods, just love it ....


    http://nayanas-kitchen-kreations.blogspot.in/

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  3. Something that I eat almost every week end at the darshini's !! Healthy and filling!

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  4. Perfectly made...
    http://recipe-excavator.blogspot.com

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  5. perfectly made and like your presentation :)

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  6. Delicious pongal n perfectly made.

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  7. Too good Priya.. well presented as well.. love the serving in vazha ilai... and no breakfast in India is complete without Newpaper (Hindu in my case) and some filter coffee... perfect...

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  8. OMG. one parcel please for me along with 2 medhu vada if that is not asking too much. what a spread with my fav sambar and that too in a bucket.

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  9. yummy looking pongal and love the way you have presented

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  10. inviting dear...join us in Fast Food Noodles event.

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  11. Delicious pongal. Lovely presentation.

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  12. yummy pongal....lovely clicks :)

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  13. My comforting food always, just love with moongdal sambhar,mouthwatering here.

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  14. pongal n sambar looks yum ...nice clicks

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  15. Huh..I can eat it anytime with chutney and sambar. love the ghee flavor in it.

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  16. Looks so very yummy... a query.... why are the rice and lentils boiled separately? Because, usually, in Khichdi, both are soaked and boiled together. Boiling them separately has some other significance??

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    1. no particular significance shilpa; you can definitely cook the rice and lentils together.it is just that my hubby is not fond of a very mushy pongal. More often than not I find that when I cook both of them together it becomes soggy. By cooking separately, I can control how I want my final dish to be !

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    2. Yes, you are right, with both cooked separately, they'll give a 'khile khile' look and not a clumpy one... will try it your way, next time. Thks :)

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  17. Looks super delicious..loved it topped with some ghee..

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  18. Pri!! Semma clicks paa!! :) :D Love the way you've written the intro. Made me re-realize the importance of eating a healthy breakfast! :)

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  19. Priya this looks super cool. I am going to try this soon... once the chaos is back :)

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  20. That looks soooo delicious Priya
    If only I could cook :D

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  21. Lovely pongal...we normally cook both rice and dal together for the khichadi :)

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  22. Inviting pongal and love the clicks.

    Vardhini
    Event: Rice

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  23. We have been eating khichdi almost everyday these days. Your version looks and sounds great! I have never tried khichdi like this- cooking the rice and lentil separately. Sounds a bit more work but if the results are great, I don't mind the extra work. If only there was someone to do the extra dishes, I would have been making it now!

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  24. Very nice dish. Love the curry leaves. I have to learn more about Indian dishes. Nice to meet you-)

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  25. Atlast your blog showed on my system - I have tried reading you before but just couldn't - soem system issues !

    That looks awesome - I want ma's ven pongal now! :)i can eat this anytime of the day - seriously! with or without gotsu/chutney - I can just lap this up all by itself. amazing pictures :)

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  26. My dad loves Pongal and so do I, whenever he visits Tamil Nadu, that's what he orders for breakfast. I love the peppercorns too.

    Your pic of curry leaves is v nice.

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