Khara pongal or ghee pongal made in restaurant/ hotel style with whole black pepper, cumin, green chilli, ginger and cashew nuts. Flavoured with asafoetida and curry leaves.
Mom makes pongal this way only from the day I know. I love both ven pongal and this version of pongal made with turmeric. Most of the hotels serve this type of pongal. That is they cook pepper, cumin and all together.
In hotels and in some households, they add half vanaspati or oil too, which gives a unique flavour that I like. But usually in our family, elders call it cheap to add vanaspati or oil and shout if the ladies adulterate the ghee pongal with oil or vanaspati. Somehow I love the flavour a lot.
In pongal, the texture is so important which I always struggle to get it right. I keep wondering why my pongal turn out dry instead of the moist juicy pongal. Then realised if dal is added more, it turns out dry. The rice also plays a main role, new rice variety doesn’t require much water while aged rice will take up more water.
So to troubleshoot, keep a cup of boiling water ready when you open the cooker and you can easily fix a dry pongal.
Check out this easy pongal gotsu with brinjal
Khara pongal recipe
Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Breakfast/ Brunch
Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 4 | Author: Raks anand
Click here for cup measurements
Khara pongal or ghee pongal made in restaurant/ hotel style with whole black pepper, cumin, green chilli, ginger and cashew nuts. Flavoured with asafoetida and curry leaves.
Ingredients
Raw rice (I used sona masuri) – 3/4 cup
Moong dal – 1/4 cup
Water – 4 cups (refer notes)
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Salt – As needed
Ghee – as needed
To temper
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Black pepper – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp heaped
Ginger, finely chopped – 1 tbsp
Green chilli – 2
Cashew nuts – 8
Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Method
- Heat a pressure cooker with ghee. Pop black pepper and in low flame, add cumin, cashew nuts, green chilli, ginger, curry leaves, asafoetida in order.
- Roast well. Add washed rice and dal and roast for a minute.
- Add water, salt and turmeric.
- Bring to boil. Close the lid and pressure cook for just 1 whistle in medium flame.
- Let the pressure release by itself and open the cooker immediately to mash it well.
Notes
- Keep a cup of hot water ready while you open the cooker in case you need to loosen up. But first make sure to mash the pongal when its hot.
- You can add ghee and vanaspati or oil equally.
- Adding ginger, cashewnuts add a good flavour along with asafoetida
Step by step method
- Heat a pressure cooker with ghee. Pop black pepper and in low flame, add cumin, cashew nuts, green chilli, ginger, curry leaves, asafoetida in order.
- Roast well. Add washed rice and dal and roast for a minute.
- Add water, salt and turmeric.
- Bring to boil. Close the lid and pressure cook for just 1 whistle in medium flame.
- Let the pressure release by itself and open the cooker immediately to mash it well.
Top with more ghee topped over the pongal. Serve hot with chutney and sambar.
Thanks Raji for sharing those tips on avoiding dry pongal, as i have also faced similar issues..pongal looks so good..
����One of my favorite south Indian breakfast .V can add 2 cloves and 1 star anise also it's also gives grt taste
I tried this today with millet and it tasted yum..thank you for your recipe
Hi raks,
what's the difference u think, between pongal and kharapongal as per ur recipe?
I have already posted a pongal which is made by cooking rice and dal separately and then just topping it with by tempering with the spices. This version the method is different where all are done in one pot and cooked together. This is how they serve in restaurants too, so I have posted this version as restaurant style khara pongal 🙂