Khara Pongal and Sakkarai Pongal

Wishing all our dear readers abundance of  happiness and prosperity on this Pongal. Pongal is a harvest festival mainly celebrated by the people of Tamil Nadu.  It also coincides with MakaraShankaranthi  which is also the harvest festival for many other states. On this special day  they make the two versions of this rice and lentil dish, one sweet and one spicy  i.e,  Sharkara Pongal and Khara pongal.

    Ven Pongal/ Khara Pongal

Prep Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:

Sona Masuri Rice: 3/4 cup

Yellow Split Moong Dal: 1/4 cup

Jeera: 1 teaspoon

Black Peppercorn: 1 teaspoon

Ginger (grated): 1 teaspoon

Green Chili (chopped): 1

Turmeric Powder: 1/2 teaspoon

Ghee: 3-4 tablespoons

Curry Leaves: 2-3

Water 

Heat some ghee in a pressure cooker.  Add jeera, black peppercorns and the grated ginger and saute. Add the moong dal and saute for a minute. Add the rice. Put the turmeric powder and saute for 5 mins.  Add 3 cups of water.  Put salt to taste.  Stir and cover and cook for about 3-4 whistles.

Turn off the heat. Open and check to see if its all cooked and should look little mushy. If you think its still thick and lumpy. Boil some water and add it little by little while continuously stirring.  Heat little more ghee and fry some cashews and add on the top. Serve hot plain or along with some steaming sambhar.

                                                                  Sakkarai Pongal

Prep Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:

Sona Masuri Rice: 3/4 cup
Yellow Split Moong Dal: 1/4 cup
Jaggery: 1/2 cup or more 
Cashew nuts: 1 tablespoon'
Raisins: 1 tablespoon
Cardamom: 2 pods powdered
Ghee: 1/3 cup
Milk: 1/2 cup
Water : 3 cups

* You can fully cook it in low fat milk or do half - half ratio of milk and water.

Lightly toast the moong dal in a pressure cooker without any ghee. Add the rice. Pour the milk and water and pressure cook for 3 -4 whistles until fully soft and cooked. Melt jaggery with 2-3 tablespoons water until syrupy. Open the pressure cooker and add in the melted jaggery and stir well and let it thicken on low heat. Add the ghee and cardamom powder. Stir well. Turn off the heat. Fry some raisins and cashews in one tablespoon of ghee and garnish.  

Serve warm.