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    Home » Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner Recipes » Ven Pongal Recipe | How to make Ven Pongal Step by Step Recipe

    Ven Pongal Recipe | How to make Ven Pongal Step by Step Recipe

    Published: Sep 15, 2011 · Modified: Oct 18, 2020 by Srivalli · 16 Comments

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    When it comes to a typical South Indian breakfast, Ven pongal or Pongali as we say in Telugu features side by side to Idlis and Dosas. Now when I go to restaurants, it's a hard choice to select which one to eat, among the Pooris, Idlis, Dosas, and of course this very tempting Khara Ven Pongal. So I normally order whichever one I would want to eat and hope others would order the rest so that I can taste! Athamma would invariably order this Ven Pongal and I get to taste it and know that the dish tastes awesome. If you have had a prasadham from the temple, you will know how well this dish is made. One can never beat the Kovil ven pongal prasadam.

    With all the love and affection this dish gets at home, I have mostly followed by the method of roasting the spices and then cooking it as I have shown in the first Ven Pongal recipe. There are a couple more methods of making a ven Pongal. In my first method, I had arrived at my own recipe where I used garlic, which is not usually added. Still, it always makes it a heavenly meal.

    Today's recipe is the second way of making Ven Pongal. Every time I make it, hubby dear says it's not spicy referring to the peppery taste that comes from a temple prasadam. Later I remembered our office cook who makes the yummiest Pongal, and she is your typical measurement by look and instinct person. It's extremely hard to get the measurement from her as she hardly knows the count. She does everything from experience and only knows by andaz.

    She resorted to using this method of adding powdered pepper, saying everybody is removing the whole peppers she adds. Later while browsing through Meenashki Amma's Samathu Paaru, I read that she has listed out some four varieties of making Khara Pongal and found that she also uses a similar way. I was happy that unknowingly I had been following a prescribed method.

    Khara Pongal tastes great with the coarse peppercorn and ghee. Please don't go stingy on the ghee part, though I use half cooking oil also. As you might know, the Temple prasadam is always full of ghee and it's fine to include that once in a while.









    Soaking Time: 10 - 15 mins
    Preparation Time: 5 mins
    Cooking Time - 10 mins
    Method of cooking: Pressure Cooker
    Cuisine: Tamil Nadu, South Indian Recipe

    Khara Ven Pongal - Method 2

    Ingredients Needed:

    For the Pongal

    Raw Rice - 1 cup
    Split green gram / Moong dal / Pasiparupu* - 1/2 cup
    Water - 3 & 1/2 cups**
    Salt to taste

    * We also refer split green gram as Split yellow Moong dal
    ** The amount of water depends on the rice you use, normally for Ven Pongal more water is added since this dish is more of a runny type. Even after adding more water, once it's cooked if you allow it to rest, it gets to that nice soft texture.

    For the Seasoning:

    Ghee - 3 - 4 tsp
    Cooking Oil - 2 - 3 tsp
    Whole peppercorns, - 1/4 tsp (abt 10 nos), powdered coarsely
    Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
    Whole cashews - 7, broken into tiny bits
    Curry leaves few
    Ginger - 1" (can be added as grated or as big chunks)

    How to make Kara Ven Pongal

    To make the Pongal:

    Wash the rice and soak for 10 mins. Meanwhile, dry roast the moong dal for 5 mins on high, when you start getting the aroma, remove, allow it to cool, and add to the rice to soak. Wash again once the time is up.

    Take this soaked rice and dal in a pressure cooker, measure 3 & 1/2 cups of water, add salt. Cover with lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Remove and keep aside for the pressure to release.

    Tip- When you are in a hurry, you can easily remove the pressure by putting a spoon under the whistle, thereby slowly releasing the pressure. Take caution not to remove the whistle in haste, wait for the pressure to completely fall down, before opening the lid. Remember the food will be still cooking in and will burst out if you do it hastily. Please don't attempt this method if you don't know the physics.

    To make the seasoning:

    Coarsely powder the peppercorn, make sure you don't grind it to a very fine. We don't want it completely powdered, it should be like how it's in the picture, even bigger if you can't stand the pepper spice.

    Heat the ghee, oil in a small pan. add the cashew bits, allow it to get roasted well, then add the whole cumin, pepper, garlic, then finally the curry leaves. Take care since the curry leaves will have water and it might splutter out.

    Pour this seasoning on the cooked Pongal. Mix well a couple of times. At this stage, the Pongal might look soggy, but when you add the seasoning and mix a couple of times, you will get that typical look of that soft, well-done pongal.

    Cover for a couple of mins for the season to steep in.

    Notes:  This can be completely made with just ghee, will be tastier. By making cashews into tiny bits, you get to mix it more and adds crunch. Green chilies can also be used if wanted.

    This is mostly served with Coconut Chutney in Tamil Nadu along with either Vegetable Samber or Vengaya Sambar. I mostly make Groundnut Chutney.

    Since this is my neivedhyam on Saturday, we offer this to God and no tasting is done before that.

    Other Pongal Recipes

    Savory Pongal
    Ven Pongal Recipe 1 | Pulagam
    Whole Green Moong Dal Rice Porridge | Pasipayar Ven Pongal | Pesalu Pulagam

    Sweet Pongal
    Bellamannam / Sakkarai Pongal
    Broken Wheat Sweet Porridge | Samba Godhuma Sakkara Pongal
    Sakara Pongal with Sprouted Whole Moong Dal

    Print Pin
    4 from 2 votes

    Ven Pongal Recipe | How to make Ven Pongal Step by Step Recipe

    Course Breakfast, Brunch
    Cuisine Tamil Nadu
    By Diet Vegetarian
    Dish Type Pongal Recipes
    Author Srivalli
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cooking4all or tag #cooking4all!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. The Mad Jammer says

      September 15, 2011 at 2:06 am

      Pongal is my absolute favourite, paired with gotsu! I make it the same way, but add grated ginger. Amma says it helps in digestion.

      Reply
    2. MyKitchen Flavors-BonAppetit!. says

      September 15, 2011 at 3:21 am

      Hi Cooking4allseasons,Ven pongal luks really yumm in the click.The step by step method for the recipe is well-narrated.Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    3. Hari Chandana says

      September 15, 2011 at 3:52 am

      My fav breakfast.. simply inviting 🙂

      Reply
    4. Srivalli says

      September 15, 2011 at 2:51 am

      ArchanaActually I add it too, though I don't like to bite on a ginger, so normally add as big chunks..:)..else on rare moments, add grated ginger..thanks for reminding..I forgot to mention that.

      Reply
    5. Nitha says

      September 15, 2011 at 1:25 pm

      Thats a filling breakfast..

      Reply
    6. Priya says

      September 15, 2011 at 1:54 pm

      My fav anytime, makes me hungry..

      Reply
    7. divya says

      September 15, 2011 at 2:27 pm

      Looks mouthwatering !!

      Reply
    8. alpana says

      September 15, 2011 at 12:40 pm

      V inviting......LOve it.

      Reply
    9. SravsCulinaryConcepts says

      September 16, 2011 at 5:46 pm

      looks delicious !!

      Reply
    10. Nalini's Kitchen says

      September 16, 2011 at 6:31 pm

      one of my favorite breakfast with chutney and sambhar,looks delicious..

      Reply
    11. soujanya says

      September 16, 2011 at 6:45 pm

      pongal looks yummm!!!my fav...

      Reply
    12. Raksha says

      September 17, 2011 at 11:32 am

      nice and easy

      Reply
    13. Anamika says

      September 17, 2011 at 11:42 am

      Hi Cooking4allseasons,pongal looks really delicious and the step by step method for the recipe is too helpful.

      Reply
    14. Pavitra Venkat says

      September 19, 2011 at 1:35 pm

      hot ven pongal with gotsu or sambar is my fav 🙂 next time try replacing 1 part water with milk and had a pinch of hing, lil jeera, curry leaves and ginger while cooking pongal and later follow it up with usual tempering with pepper... the taste is heavenly and is just like the temple prasadam 🙂

      Reply
    15. Srivalli says

      September 19, 2011 at 5:08 pm

      Thank you everybody!

      Pavitra, thanks for dropping..Yes I do make with milk sometimes. I have not made with hing but if you noticed I did add cumin, curry leaves and ginger during seasoning..

      Reply
    16. CinnamonNChillies says

      September 22, 2011 at 3:22 pm

      Wonderful step by step presentation!! Bookmarking!!

      Reply

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    Hi! Seasons change, yet there are some timeless recipes you can enjoy anytime. If you are sport for it, you are in the right place!

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