𝑨 𝒑𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒍..

Self isolation is what we have been adviced for. While I am bored with the country under lockdown I thought of creating a festival dish which is now regularly consumed as a healthy breakfast rich in carbohydrates and protiens. The faint aroma of rice and dal is homespun yet the sharpness of seasoning tickles your apetite. This is a plain and simple recipe of Khara Pongal which I have learnt from one of my friend. As I enter kitchen, the image of clean kitchen granite slab on which the sun rays falling, brightens my day. I take 500g of rice and 500g of moong dal first. You need to roast the moong dal first. Take a pressure cooker and dry roast the moong dal. Add in the rice and wash, both dal and rice. Add 5 cups of water ( Till the 2inches of your finger when you dip it in the water. Make sure you touch the surface and not the bottom). Cook till 2 whistles. After it cools down,

open the pressure cooker and cook it on high flame for the water to reduce and rice to thicken. For seasoning assemble 10 curry leaves, 1tbsp mustard, 1tbsp Of cumin ( I had to google what is jeera called in English, it is sometimes difficult to keep a track of everything. I tend to forget easy stuff😁), 5 cloves of garlic, 4 slit green chillies, 1 inch ginger chopped and 2 tsp turmeric ( if you need a brighter colour nobody is stopping you for adding more turmeric). Now when the rice is thick. Take seasoning pan, add 2tbsp ghee and add the above mentioned ingredients. Let it splutter and clutter for 2mins. Now add the seasoning in the rice and dal, combine it, cook on low flame with vessel covered for 2mins and there you go, Pongal is at your service. Enjoy it with Raita. Self isolation can be fun. Hope you all are safe❤️