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Iyengar Pongal Chutney

Traditional Pongal Chutney

Servings: 4
Ingredients
For Pongal
  • 1 cup short grain rice I used sona masoori
  • 1/2 cup split yellow dal / moong dal
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • salt
  • 1/2 cup  low-fat milk ~ optional
For the tempering
  • 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp whole black pepper coarsely crushed fresh
  • 1/4 tsp hing/asafoetida I use SSP brand powdered asafoetida
  • 2-3 tbsp copra /desiccated coconut / grated dry coconut
  • 10-12 cashews broken into pieces
  • 4-6 tsp  Ghee
For Chutney
  • 1 cup grated coconut fresh or frozen
  • 1-2 green chillies / Thai chillies
  • small handful cilantro
  • almond sized tamarind
  • salt to taste
For tempering
  • 1 tsp peanut oil
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida/hing
Other
  • Pressure Cooker
Instructions

  1. Dry roast the yellow lentils in a thick bottomed pan over medium heat until fragrant and golden brown.

  2. Wash rice a few times until water runs clear. Pressure cook the washed rice and roasted lentils with turmeric and four times the amount of water or 6 cups or optionally 51/2 cups water and 1/2 cup milk for 2-3 cooker whistles. Alternatively, bring water (or water and milk) to a boil in an open pot and add rice and roasted lentils. Stir intermittently to avoid boiling over. When rice and lentils seem half cooked, simmer partially covered until fully cooked. Add more water if required.

  3. In the meanwhile, grate dry coconut and ready the seasoning ingredients for Pongal and also make chutney.
  4. Grind together the chutney ingredients with enough water to a paste. Remove into a bowl. Pour a little water into the mixer jar and wash it off into the chutney bowl and set aside.
  5. Once the cooker has cooled, mash the lentil-rice mixture using a whisk for a uniform runny consistency and keep aside.
For the chutney seasoning

  1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan or kadai over high heat. When oil is hot enough and shimmering, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, reduce heat to medium, add asafoetida and quickly empty it over the chutney. Wipe the pan clean with a tissue using a pair of tongs.

Now for the Pongal seasoning

  1. Heat Ghee in the same pan over medium high heat. When ghee is hot enough (add a couple of cumin seeds to check), add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add cashews and fry till golden brown. Be careful not to burn them. Reduce heat to sim and add asafoetida, crushed black pepper and grated dry coconut quickly followed by the cooked lentil-rice mixture. Add salt to taste, mix well and switch off.

  2. Serve hot with coconut chutney and/or your choice of pickle.
Shortcut method
  1. If you have a pressure cooker, start with the seasoning and then add roasted yellow lentils and washed rice to that and stir until rice is translucent. Add turmeric, salt and required amount of water (and milk) and close the cooker lid and whistle. Allow to whistle for 3 times before switching off. Pongal is ready when cooker cools off.
Notes

Do not heat Ghee at high heat similar to oil or it will burn.

Do not use Basmati or any kind of aromatic rice. Short grain rice similar to Sona masoori will do well.

If the cooked rice and lentil mix does not have the consistency of a creamy porridge, add enough warm water or warm skim milk to bring it to the right consistency. The quantities mentioned here serve 2-3 people. To adjust quantities as per your needs, just remember to have a rice and lentil ratio of 2:1 and 3-4 times water. Eg. 1 cup rice + 1/2 cup lentil +5-6 cups water. Some prefer to use 1:1 rice-lentil ratio as well instead of 2:1. Suit yourself after trying.

Quantity of asafoetida used is directly dependent on its potency which differs by brand. For example, SSP brand asafoetida (which I use) is strong, hence a little goes a long way while L.G hing is milder than SSP. So adjust accordingly depending on the brand of your choice.