Rava pongal

Venpongal is a popular South Indian breakfast item. For venpongal, we use rice and dhal as a main ingredients. But here in rava pongal we use rava / semolina instead of rice and rest of the ingredients are same. It tastes as good as our regular venpongal and it goes well with sambar and coconut chutney.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup – Rava / semolina
• 1/2 cup – Split green gram / Paasi paruppu / moong dhal
• 2 1/2 cup to 3 cup– Water (as needed)
• 1 tsp – Ghee
• Salt as needed

Seasonings:

• 2 tbsp – Butter
• 1 tbsp – Oil
• 1 tsp - Whole black peppers
• 1 tbsp - Cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp -  Chopped ginger
• 1 no – Green chilli (cut into two)
• 10 nos - Cashews nuts
• 10 nos – Curry leaves
• 3 pinches – Asafoetida

Preparation method:

1. Wash split green gram thoroughly and cook in enough water until mushy or well cooked. You can either cook this on a stove top or in a pressure cooker.
2. Heat a tsp of ghee in a pan, roast rava over medium heat until there are slightly golden brown in color. Remove  from stove and allow them to cool.
3. In the same pan, add 2 1/2 cup or 3 cup water and bring it to boil. Add required salt and then gradually add rava/ semolina, keep stirring to avoid forming lumps. When the water has almost been absorbed, add the cooked moong dhal and mix well.
4. Meanwhile heat butter and oil in a tempering pan, season with items given in the list for seasoning, set aside.
5. Once rava and moong dhal is done, add the seasoning to this mixture and mix well. If you want more ghee add at this time and switch off the stove. Serve hot with sambar and coconut chutney.

Notes:

• While roasting rava you have to keep you flame over medium heat. Otherwise rava will easily get burnt.
• You can do seasonings in the beginning of the process before adding water, like we do for rava upma.
• Cook moong dhal in sufficient water. Do not add too much water.