Pongal is a sweet rice concoction made with cashews, coconuts, and milk. The traditional treat is made for the four-day Pongal Harvest Festival of India and along with other traditional delicacies, is offered to the Sun God on a new banana leaf.
Try your hand at making this delicacy:
Ingredients
» 1 cup Rice
» 1/4 cup Moong dal (Mung Beans)
» /2- 1 tsp jeera (Cumin Seeds)
» 1/2-1 tsp peppercorns
» 1/2 tsp pepper powdered fresh
» A few Cashew nuts broken
» 1/2 cup desiccated Coconut
» A pinch of Turmeric powder
» Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Method
1. Fry the Moong dal a little till you get a light flavor.
2. Mix the dal with the rice, add 2 -3 cups of water (the rice should cook very soft)
3. Add turmeric powder, coconut, a few peppercorns and a 1-2 tsp of ghee to the rice and pressure cook till done.
4. When done, take a kadai add sufficient of Ghee to it, more the ghee better it tastes, add jeera, pepper corns and cashew nuts.
5. Add the cooked rice mixture, add pepper powder, salt and mix well with the ghee and jeera/cashew nuts.
The Pongal is ready! You can add some more ghee at the end if you need. It is best eaten fresh and hot! You can serve it with Coconut Chutney, or Onion/Tomato Raita.
For more Pongal recipes logon to: http://www.pongalfestival.org/.
