Chuck the cravings with the tasty Katte pongali

The popular savoury dish is often cooked for breakfast in households

Katte pongali or Ven pongal is an authentic South Indian recipe. Prepared with rice and moong dal, it is similar to north Indian khichdi. It has a unique flavour and rich consistency. Pongal is also offered to deities as naivedyam across all the temples in south India, then it’s distributed to the devotees as prasadam. It is a traditional practice to cook this recipe with different variations either sweet or savoury for Pongal festival / harvesting festivals, or Sankranti, as thanksgiving to the Sun god for agricultural abundance. Kattu pongal/ Ven pongal is also referred to as khara pongal and is regularly cooked in south Indian households for morning breakfast or any meal sometimes. This is a porridge savoury dish tempered with spices, flavoured with dripping ghee and cashews. At times, it can be garnished with freshly grated coconut and with a dash of asafoetida while tempering the pongal, as it takes it to a next level. To make it tastier and healthier, veggies can also be added. Kattu pongal can be served with sambar or some coconut chutney.

Ingredients:

* Rice                       : 1 cup
* Moong dal           : ½ cup
* Peppercorn        : 1 tbsp
* Salt                       : 1 ½ tsp
* Cumin seeds       : 1 tsp
* Green chilies      : 2 to 3 slit
* Ginger                  : 2 tsp finely chopped
* Ghee                     : 3 tbsp
* Curry leaves      : 2 shoots
* Asafoetida         : a pinch
* Water                   : 5 cups

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Method:

* In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of rice and ½ a cup of moong dal, wash them 2 to 3 times.
* After washing, add some water and let it soak for a while.
* Take 1 tbsp of peppercorns, and coarsely grind half of it.
* Add soaked rice, and dal to the pressure cooker
* Add 5 cups of water to cook the Pongal soft.
* Add 1 ½ tsp of salt or as needed.
* Add ½ tbsp of coarsely ground pepper, and a tsp of cumin seeds.
* Mix all of it and add 1 tbsp of ghee to enhance the taste of the Pongal.
* Pressure cook till 5 whistles, then let it release the pressure naturally.
* Now temper the Pongal.
* To a pan, add 2 tbsp of ghee and heat it.
* Add 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 2 to 3 green chillies slit, and let them splutter.
* Add 2 tsp of finely chopped ginger and ½ tbsp of peppercorns.
* Add a handful of cashews and let them fry for a while. It’s optional, but if added, it enhances the taste.
* Add 2 shoots of curry Leaves to the temper.
* Add the cooked rice mixture to the temper, and mix them thoroughly.
* Kattu Pongal is ready, tasty, and delicious.
* Serve hot with a dollop of ghee.

(Stay tuned to Hyderabadi Ruchulu column for more recipes. YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.co m/hyderabadiruchulu; Website: www.hyderabadiruchulu.com)

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