Kattu Pongal/Venn Pongal

Kattu pongal is a hot dish that is traditionally prepared in South India for the harvest festival of Makara Sankranti celebrated on January 14^th every year. When I am in Rajahmundry we   people used to have rangoli competition for sankranthi, whose design is the best and every year one of our elders used to be a judge and they will decide which rangoli is the best for that year. Once after this announcement, we all used to go to each and every friend home and wish them and finally by lunch time we used to come back to home. It was so fun in all those days. This hot dish is also prepared as 'naivedyam' or 'prasadam' as an offering to God during various festivals of India.

Ingredients:-

• Rice  -  1 cup
• Moong dal[pesarapappu] - 1/2 cup
• Green chillies - 5 or 6 small
• Ghee [clarified butter] -1/4 cup
• Cashew Nuts - 10 or 12
• Raisins - 5 or 6
• Cumin seeds[jeera] - 2 tsp
• Black pepper corns whole [miriyalu] - 10 or 12
• Black pepper powder - 2 tsp
• Ginger [allam] chopped-1 inch
• Curry leaves[karivepak]- a handful
• Asafoetida [hing,inguva]- 2 tsp
• salt to taste
• Coriander leaves [kothimeer] - a fistful

Method:-

• Mix rice and dal wash
• Add 2 cups of water do this process in a pressure cooker  add chopped ginger and asafoetida, salt, chopped green chillies slit wise  while cooking only .
• Heat ghee in a pan fry cashews, raisins remove and keep a side
• Add cumin seeds, black pepper corns, curry leaves  to the ghee pan and let it pop up
• Add this to rice cover and cook for 2 whistles.
• Remove from heat and let it cool, open the pressure cooker and spread the rice evenly in a big vessel.
• Let it cool for 2 -3 minutes. And then add fried cashews, raisins and add the black pepper powder from the top.
• Add the coriander leaves and curry leaves.
• Mix all the rice evenly.
• Serve hot with Coconut chutney /Sambar.

Note: This dish tastes good if it is served hot.