Ven Pongal Recipe - This south Indian breakfast made from rice and lentils is a great way to start your day. Pair it with sambar and chutney for a complete gastronomical experience.
Wash and rinse the dal and rice using a colander and set aside.
Set the Instant Pot to 'Saute' mode and adjust the setting to 'More'. When the display reads 'Hot', add ghee.
Once the ghee heats up, add cumin seeds and black peppercorns. As the cumin seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves, asafoetida, green chilies, ginger, and cashews.
When the cashews turn golden brown, add rice and dal and mix well. Saute them for a minute or two before adding water and salt. Mix well. Close the vent and set it to the sealing position.
Pressure cook under high pressure or use the Porridge mode and set it for 10 minutes.
Once cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release on its own before opening the lid.
Reheating instructions - To reheat refrigerated Ven Pongal, add a couple of tablespoons of water, mix well and microwave it for a minute.
Vegan - Replace ghee with coconut oil
If you prefer the traditional way of adding the tempering at the end, follow this process.
Pressure cook roasted dal and rice along with ginger and salt in a pressure cooker.
The next step would be the tempering process - cumin seeds are added to hot ghee and when it starts to splutter cashews, curry leaves, asafoetida, green chilies, peppercorns are added to it.
Saute them for about or so before pouring it over Pongal.