Vegetable pongal is a delicious South Indian dish made with rice, lentils, and an assortment of vegetables. It is typically seasoned with fragrant spices like cumin, mustard seeds, and curry leaves, giving it a wonderful flavor profile. This hearty and nutritious dish is often enjoyed during breakfast or as a comforting meal on a chilly day. Feel free to customize your vegetable pongal with your favorite veggies such as carrots, peas, bell peppers, or even spinach to add color and variety to the dish. It’s a great way to sneak in some extra nutrients while still enjoying a satisfying meal.
Vegetable Pongal
4
servings10
minutes20
minutesDiscover the delightful flavors of vegetable pongal, a hearty South Indian dish packed with rice, lentils, and fragrant spices. Perfect for breakfast or a cozy meal!
Ingredients
Raw Rice – 1 cup
Green Gram Dhal – ½ cup
Diced vegetables – 2 cups (carrot, beans, green peas, cauliflower etc)
Green chillies – 2
Fresh ginger – a small piece
Curry leaves – few
Turmeric – ¼ teaspoon
Asafoetida – A pinch
Red Chillies – 2 Nos
Coriander seeds – 2 teaspoons
Black Pepper – 1 teaspoon
Jeera – 1 teaspoon
Cashewnuts – few
Ghee – 2 tablespoon
Oil – 1 teaspoon
Water – 4 cups
Milk – ½ cup
Salt – 1 and half teaspoon or as per taste
Directions
- Wash the rice and dhal and put it in a pressure cooker. Add 4 cups water and half cup milk along with vegetable pieces, chopped ginger, asafotida and one teaspoon salt and cook for three to four whistles.
- In a teaspoon of oil, fry the red chillies and coriander seeds and powder it.
- Powder pepper and jeera coarsely.
- In a kadai put the ghee and fry cashew nuts till it turns light brown. Add curry leaves and green chillies slit into two. Fry for a while and add pepper, jeera powder and immediately add it to the cooked rice, dhal and vegetables and stir well.
- Keep it on a low flame and add red chillies, coriander powder and a teaspoon of ghee and mix well.