Pongal

**hehehewalrus** · 18th July 2005, 10:58 PM

hi,
This is my method of preparing venn Pongal. It turns out slightly dry.
Take 3 cups of rice and 1 cup of moong dhal and pressure cook it in 4 cups of water. Add salt to the water. Since I used normal rice, i shred it a few seconds in the blender. In a pan, heat up ghee and add curryleaf, cashewnuts, pepper corns and jeera. Transfer the rice-dal mixture once ready and mix. Turned out quite well though little bit dry.

Tamil Nadu style pongal is on the drier side and kerala pongal is thoroughly semi-solid. In between taste will be fine. Can anyone say where I am going wrong? Please share your personal methods of preparation.

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**hehehewalrus** · 18th July 2005, 10:59 PM

I think 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice-dal mixture is quite less. Is it ok to add some milk to the cooker mixture?

**Tharuna** · 19th July 2005, 11:41 PM

hi hehehewalrus,
i think the best ratio for pongal is 1 cup of raw rice (tastes better than parboiled rice) and half a cup of moong dal. u can dry fry the moong dal and add 3 cups of water.
add ghee to the mixture(beforecooking)and pressure cook it. jus try this and let me know

**padmasini** · 20th July 2005, 12:25 AM

You can also add 1/2 to 1 cup of milk. The taste will be heavenly.

**shreya23** · 20th July 2005, 07:30 PM

i never knew that you could add milk to prepare pongal !

http://enveetusamayal.blogspot.com/

**hehehewalrus** · 25th July 2005, 11:34 AM

thanks tharuma, padmasini. I followed both ur advice and it turned out much tastier and enjoyable

But i am still looking for a good sambhar recipe that goes well with the pongal - i cant make coconut chutney since there is no indian store for coconuts nearby.

**hehehewalrus** · 1st August 2005, 10:27 AM

hi, I would like to make sweet pongal. Is my understanding correct that the jaggery mentioned in recipes refers to Vellum?
If so, I have no access to vellum. Is there an alternative to it?

**dev** · 1st August 2005, 11:36 AM

HHHW,

as far as my knowledge goes, we add 'karumbu sakkarai' for sweet pongal... If it is not available ,u can use any of the unrefined sugar(brown ones) varieties but there will be some difference in the taste...