This is my tangy twist on ven pongal — the classic creamy rice-and-moong dal comfort, lifted with fresh tomato purée. I cook the tomato down until its rawness disappears; that step is the difference between a fresh-tasting pongal and one that tastes sharp.
The ghee tempering goes on last and loud — cashews, ginger, pepper, cumin — and I serve it steaming hot with coconut chutney. Like all pongal, it thickens as it sits, so I keep hot water handy to loosen it.
Pairs well with: Lemon Coriander Rice and Karamani Rice.
Tomato Pongal Recipe
Tomato Pongal
Tomato Pongal blends creamy rice and roasted moong dal with tangy tomato purée, finished with a fragrant ghee tempering. Serve warm with coconut chutney.
4
servings10
minutes15
minutesIngredients
Raw Rice – 1 cup
Green Gram Dal – 1/2 cup
Tomato – 3 to 4
Turmeric Powder – ¼ Teaspoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
- For seasoning:
Ghee – 2 to 3 tablespoons
Fresh ginger – a small piece
Green chillies – 2
Black pepper – 1 teaspoon
Seeragam (cumin) – 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida Powder – 2 Pinches
Curry Leaves – few
Cashew nuts – few
Directions
- In a kadai put the green gram dal and dry fry till it hot to touch and remove.
- Add this fried dal to rice, wash well with water and keep aside.
- Cut the tomato into medium size pieces and grind it to a fine purée.
- Scrap the skin from ginger and chop it finely. Slit the green chillies into two. Crush the pepper and cumin coarsely.
- Keep a pressure cooker on the stove and add a tablespoon of ghee.
- Add tomato purée and stir well. Allow to cook for few minutes.
- Add the rice and dal along with turmeric powder and salt.
- Pour 5 cups of water and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles.
- Allow the pressure release naturally and then open the cooker and slightly mash the Pongal.
- In tadka ladle heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and add cashew nuts, chopped ginger, slit green chillies, crushed pepper and cumin, asafoetida powder and curry leaves. Mix well.
- Pour this seasoning over the Pongal and mix it.
- Serve with coconut chutney.
Notes
- Cook the rice and dal until completely soft and creamy; undercooked grains ruin pongal’s comfort factor.
- Fry the tomato purée until it darkens slightly — raw tomato sharpness has no place here.
- Roast cashews to deep gold in ghee, not brown; they turn bitter past that.
- Serve immediately; loosen leftovers with hot water and a fresh spoon of ghee.