Rava Pongal - Easy Tiffin Recipes

Rava pongal is a flavourful pongal variety which is an alternative to the regular pongal made with rice. I learnt this recipe from my cousin who makes this so well. This recipe uses a method similar to the rava idli preparation where rava is roasted along with the tempering. Also unlike the regular pongal, this recipe uses mustard, urad dal and channa dal in the tempering along with the other standard ingredients.  

                                   

              

Though the recipe calls for quite a number of ingredients, the pongal tastes so flavourful and yum. It is best for days which call for a no onion no garlic dishes. You can pair with sambar or chutney or even with a simple pickle. Try this recipe for a change to the regular pongal.

                                                               

Rava Pongal Recipe

Serves :  2 - 3 people

Ingredients

• Rava(Sooji)  - 1 cup ( I used coarse variety)
• Moong dal  -  1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder  -  1/4 tsp
• Salt  -  as required
• Water  -  as required (Check the Method and Notes section for more details on the water quantity)

To temper 

• Oil   -  1.5 tbsp
• Ghee  -   1.5 tbsp
• Mustard  -  1/2 tsp
• Split Urad dal  -  1/2 tsp
• Channa dal  -  1/2 tsp
• Pepper   -  1 tsp
• Cumin seeds  -  1 tsp  
• Asafoetida(Hing)  -  1/2 tsp
• Green chilly  -  1 big ( finely chopped)
• Cashew  -  5 to 6
• Ginger  -  small piece (grated or finely chopped)
• Curry leaves  -  a sprig

Method

• Dry roast moong dal in a pan until a nice aroma arises. Wash and pressure cook with turmeric powder and enough water until soft. I usually cook in the ratio of 1:5 or 1:4 for 6 to 8 whistles. The water quantity depends on the quality of dal. So for the above mentioned quantity, I added 2 to 2.5 cups of water.
• While the dal is cooking, take oil and ghee in a pan.
• Once heated, temper with mustard, split urad dal, channa dal, pepper and cumin seeds. Once they crackle,add hing, chilly, cashews, ginger and curry leaves.
• Add the rava and roast for 2 to 3 minutes without changing the colour.
• Once the dal is cooked, you can continue to cook the pongal in the pressure cooker itself. 
• Add the required water and salt in the cooker. The ratio for rava and water is 1:3.5. If the cooked dal has water in it, adjust the water quantity accordingly.        
• Once water starts boiling, add the rava mixture using one hand and constantly stirring with the other hand to avoid formation of lumps. Do this in medium flame.
• Once the mixture thickens and all the water is absorbed,  cook and cover for 7 to 10 minutes until the rava is cooked soft. Stir in between to avoid sticking to the bottom.
• Add a pinch of pepper powder at the end for extra flavour, if you prefer.
• Serve hot with chutney or sambar. We had with onion tomato gothsu.                 

                                 

                 

Notes

• I have used a combination of oil and ghee. If you prefer, you can use ghee alone.
• The key thing is to cook rava in the right amount of water (1:3.5).  So if the cooked dal has water in it, adjust the water to be added accordingly. Else it will turn too mushy.

Try this flavourful pongal for breakfast or dinner.