A savory and comforting South Indian dish made from rice and moong dal, tempered with ghee, cumin, peppercorns, and cashews. It's a popular breakfast and a key dish for Pongal festival.
Ingredients
1 cup Raw rice
1/2 cup Moong dal (split yellow gram)
4 cups Water
Salt to taste
For Tempering:
3-4 tbsp Ghee
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Black peppercorns, whole or crushed
1/2 inch Ginger, finely chopped
1 sprig Curry leaves
10-12 Cashews
A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
Instructions
Dry roast the moong dal until aromatic.
In a pressure cooker, combine the roasted moong dal, rice, water, and salt. Cook for 4-5 whistles until everything is soft and mushy.
Once the pressure releases, open the cooker and mash the mixture well with a ladle.
For the tempering, heat ghee in a small pan. Add cumin seeds and peppercorns.
Once the cumin sizzles, add the cashews and fry until golden.
Add the chopped ginger and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds. Finally, add the asafoetida.
Pour this entire tempering over the cooked pongal. Mix everything very well.