Breakfast · 35 min · indian

Ven Pongal

An Indian breakfast built around raw rice and moong dal — on the table in 35 minutes. At 253 calories and 3g protein per serving, it fits easily into a high-protein day. Naturally vegetarian, it scales cleanly if you are cooking for more than one.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 1 cup Raw rice
• 1/2 cup Moong dal
• 4 tbsp Ghee
• 2 tsp Black peppercorns
• 1.5 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup Cashews
• 8 Curry leaves

Steps

1. Dry-roast the moong dal in a pan until it smells nutty and turns a shade darker, about 4 minutes — this one step gives pongal its signature toasty depth.
2. Cook the rice and roasted dal together in 5 cups water until completely soft and porridge-like, about 25 minutes; mash lightly with the back of a ladle.
3. Heat the ghee and crackle the cumin and coarsely crushed peppercorns 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Fry the cashews golden, then add the ginger and curry leaves for the last 30 seconds.
5. Pour the entire sizzling tempering over the rice-dal and stir through with salt — the ghee should gloss every spoonful.
6. Rest 5 minutes covered; pongal thickens as it sits, so keep it slightly loose in the pot.
7. Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar for the classic Tamil breakfast trio.

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