Of all the main breakfast dishes in Tamil Nadu, Pongal holds a very special place. This dish is associated with Pongal – the harvest festival in Tamil Nadu which is usually celebrated on January 14 or 15, the first day of the 10th month of the Tamil calendar – Thai. It marks the end of the winter solstice. The first Pongal of the year is usually ‘Paal Pongal’ (Milk Pongal), in which the first rice crop of the year is cooked with milk and a pinch of salt. In most villages and even urban centres in Tamil Nadu, Paal Pongal is cooked in earthen pots that wear a festive look and are surrounded by freshly chopped ginger and turmeric.
But this is not the version of Pongal that is usually eaten for breakfast throughout the year. This is Ven Pongal which means white Pongal. This dish is made of raw rice mixed with moong dal (paasi paruppu in Tamil) and flavoured with black pepper and curry leaves. It was in Coimbatore that I first tasted the delicious version of the traditional Pongal. I didn’t come to the Sri Anandhas outlet at Lakshmi Mills Junction to try this dish. I went there for their popular Karupatti Mysore Pak made with palm jaggery but it was the breakfast special of the day that made a bigger impact.
Also read: How to make Daliya Pongal? A simple and nutritious dish you would love to eat
Photo courtesy: Ashwin Rajagopalan
Sri Anandahas is one of the most popular vegetarian restaurants in Coimbatore, along with another local favourite – Annapurna. I have tried several new dishes here including their Chiku Kesari (similar to Sheera), but it is their Malli Pongal that stands out on their menu. It is not available at the restaurant every day though. This green version of Pongal has the unique flavour and colour of coriander (Malli or Kothamalli is the Tamil word for coriander). Though Malli Pongal may have been created recently, it still tastes like Pongal and has the same texture. This is why it won’t surprise old timers who are particular about their Pongal.
It is not just the fresh aroma of coriander, coconut milk is also added to this dish which further enhances its smooth texture. The cooking process is quite similar to a classic Ven Pongal, except for a paste that includes the main ingredients like cumin, black pepper, ginger, green chillies and cashews. This is in addition to the ingredients used for the ‘tempering process’. While it works well with sambar, it tastes even better with coconut chutney. Malli Pongal is a delicious variation from the classic Pongal and works equally well as a breakfast option or an all-day snack or a light dinner option. You can try this easy recipe at home:
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Malli Pongal Recipe
Material:
- 2 cups raw rice
- 1 cup moong dal
- 10 broken cashews
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- a pinch of hing
- a sprig of curry leaves
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2-3 tbsp ghee
- 2-3 tbsp oil
- Salt as needed
Ingredients for grinding:
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 5 cashews
- 1/2 inch ginger
- 1-2 green chillies
- 1 cup tightly packed coriander leaves (finely chopped)
Method:
- Wash rice and moong dal thoroughly, drain the water and keep it aside.
- Add all the ingredients (listed under ingredients to grind) in a mixer and blend to a smooth paste.
- Add 4-5 cups of water and salt as per taste in a pressure cooker. When the water boils, add washed rice and moong dal. Cook in a pressure cooker till 4-5 whistles. Keep aside.
- Heat ghee and oil in a pan and temper with black pepper, cumin seeds, cashews, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida. Add the ground paste and fry on low flame for 2 minutes.
- When the rice and lentil mixture is cooked in the pressure cooker, add coconut milk to it and stir well.
- Add the masala paste (including the seasoning ingredients) to it and mix well.
- Cook it on low flame for about 2 minutes. Finally, after turning off the flame, add more ghee to it.
- Serve hot with sambar or coconut chutney.
