Happy Pongal

Today is Pongal the South Indian Harvest festival dating back over 1000 years! where either Venn (savoury) or Sweet pongal is made. Pongal means to spill over, in villages milk is boiled in a clay pot and allowed to spill over. This means prosperity for the family. In fact the Tamil Government actually clubbed Tamil new Year and Pongal together this year to mixed feelings.
So why not have some fun and celebrate pongal and try a new dish !

Savoury Pongal
Ingredients

1 cup: Raw rice
½ cup: Milk
1/3 cup: Green gram dal
11/2 tsp: Black pepper
1 tsp: Cumin seeds
1 tbs: Broken cashew nuts
1 tbs: Finely cut ginger (optional)
A few: Curry leaves
2 tbs: Ghee
5 cup: Water
Salt to taste

Method
Wash rice and dal and cook them together in five cups of water for 10 minutes.
Add salt, curry leaves and ginger with half a cup of milk. Simmer for a minute and remove from fire.
Fry cashew nuts, pepper and cumin seeds in ghee.
Pour this over the rice-dal mixture.
Mix well and serve steaming hot with ghee on top.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1
Amount per Serving
Calories 212 Calories from Fat 66
Total Fat 7.41g
Saturated Fat 1.56g
Trans Fat 0g
Sodium 823.29mg
Total Carbohydrate 29.28g
Dietary Fiber 7.41g 30%
Protein 6.96g

Pongal can be high in saturated fat if made with ghee, and of modest nutritional value, change to using canola oil, and a little more moong dal to rice ratio to increase protein and fiber content, and eat along with veggies.