Venn Pongal - Savoury Rice with Dal

 It was the 80s and I was in a hostel along with about 500 students.  we were slogging to get through our examinations. And every other day, breakfast used to be Venn Pongal. I cannot begin to tell you how much I had come to hate this dish! Every semester break I would rush home and eat my mother's home cooked food - especially the breakfast items and complain to her about how bad this venn pongal was!

The cook in my hostel, bless her, was known as Narayana amma - no one knew her real name.  She was just Narayana's mother.  And Narayana who must have been in his early 20s used to help get grocery and generally help his mother in the kitchen, It was not Narayana amma's fault of course, but she negotiated the best deal for herself and making venn pongal was one of the simplest breakfast things.  She also didn't use ghee as it was too expensive, and cashew nuts were far and few. 

Fast forward 35 years - and I find myself thinking of Narayana amma, Narayana, the patti (grandmother) whose job it was to help grind the dal to make the vadas. I found this amazing recipe by chef Dinu on instagram and decided to wake up early, motivate myself to make a Kings Breakfast on this long weekend and get the recipe  out.  So here I am!!!!  I am extremely pleased with my decision and my belly is thanking me too - :-D

Ingredients:

1 cup short grained fragrant rice - I used jeeraka samba rice

1/2 cup moong dal skin off

3 cups water (add up to a cup more later if needed)

1/2 cup ghee

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon asafoetida powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

For garnish:

1/2 cup ghee

1/2 cup cashew nuts, halved

1 tablespoon pepper corns

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon finely julienned ginger

1 sprig curry leaves

1 teaspoon asafoetida powder

Method:

Dry roast the moon dal for about 5 minutes till it emits a roasted nutty smell. Make sure you do not burn it.  The colour should remain golden.  Wash the moong dal along with the rice and set aside.

Add 3 cups water to a cast iron pan and bring it to the boil. Add asafoetida, grated ginger, cumin seeds, salt and washed rice and dal. Cover the pot and let it cook for 20 minutes till the rice literally mashes as soon as your spoon touches it. If the rice is too dry at this stage, add hot water a little at a time - so the rice doesn't turn gluggy but is still soft and able to be scooped up into a ball.

Cover the pot and set aside.  Get the garnish ready next.

In a saucepan, heat ghee.  I used home made ghee that I prepared from butter - so I had to take a picture! :-) The aroma when it melts and sizzles in the saucepan does make your mouth water.

Any store bought ghee will do just fine, though.

Add in the peppercorns first and when they turn crisp - they will sizzle and may even pop, add the rest of the ingredients. When the cashew nuts turn golden, take it off the flame.

Pour this on top of the rice and dal mix. Mix well.

Serve hot with sambar, vadai, chutney and the essential South Indian filter coffee.