Khara Pongal (Rice and Mung Bean Porridge)
Khara pongal is a savoury porridge-like dish that is traditionally prepared in South India for the Makar Sankranti festival that heralds the arrival of summer. The sweet pongal variety differs only in the spices added, and the two are often cooked together from the same batch of rice and dhal.
- Prep
- 24 min
- Cook
- 29 min
- Total
- 53 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Medium
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Cook the rice and dhal together with turmeric powder in a pot or pressure cooker until mushy.
Procedure
Heat a little ghee in a large pan and brown the cashew nuts. Remove them from the pan.
Procedure
Add the rest of the ghee and the oil and heat.
Procedure
Throw in all of the spices, starting with the mustard seed and finishing with the cashew nuts.
Procedure
Mix in the rice and dhal, warming through. If it is too thick, add a little water.
Procedure
Add salt and extra ghee to taste. You can also add some grated coconut at the end.
Photo: Thamizhpparithi Maari · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 6 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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