By Shreya Sarpal
September 30, 2025
Pongal is a traditional South Indian dish that is soft, creamy, and lightly spiced, often prepared during the harvest festival of Thai Pongal and enjoyed as a comforting breakfast or prasadam in temples.
1 cup raw rice ¼ cup moong dal (yellow split gram) 3 cups water 1 cup milk (optional, for creaminess) 2 tbsp ghee 10-12 cashews 1 tsp black pepper (whole or coarsely crushed) 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 finely chopped inch of ginger 8-10 curry leaves A pinch of asafoetida (hing) Salt to taste
Dry roast moong dal until slightly golden and aromatic.
Wash the rice and dal together and pressure cook with water (and milk, if using) until they are soft and mushy, then mash them lightly.
Heat ghee in a pan, fry cashews until golden, then add cumin, pepper, ginger, curry leaves, and asafoetida and sauté for a few seconds.
Add the tempering into the cooked rice-dal mixture, mix well, and adjust salt and consistency by adding hot water if too thick.
Pongal tastes best with coconut chutney, sambar, or just a drizzle of ghee.