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    Home

    Ven Pongal Recipe (Khara Pongal)

    Last Updated On: Apr 8, 2025 by Aarthi

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    Ven Pongal, Sambar, Coconut Chutney & Medu Vada my favorite breakfast combo ever. Also known as Khara Pongal is a popular South Indian family favorite. Ven Pongal recipe is made with rice, moong dal, which gets a tempering in ghee with ginger, cashews, black pepper, cumin seeds. This dish is offered as naivedyam in many temples during pooja and auspicious days. Ven pongal is served with coconut chutney and sambar and to make it even more special with crispy medu vada.

    ven pongal served with coconut chutney, sambar and medu vada in a banana leaf

    Ven Pongal Recipe

    Pongal is a typical South Indian dish that is usually served with sambar or chutney. Apart from idli and dosa, this one holds it unique place in all home. And this is one dish which is made on any special occasions and auspicious day specially during sakranti festival along with sweet pongal.

    Also check out my rava khichdi, coconut chutney and kaima idli

    Table of Contents

    • About Ven Pongal
    • Watch Ven pongal Recipe Video
    • Ven Pongal Ingredients
    • Rice to Dal Ratio
    • Expert Tips
    • How to Make Ven Pongal (Stepwise Photos)
    • How to Make Ven Pongal in Instant Pot?
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Difference between ven pongal and sakkarai pongal?
    • 📖 Recipe Card
    • Ven Pongal Recipe (Khara Pongal) | Ghee Pongal Recipe

    About Ven Pongal

    Ven pongal is made from raw rice (newly harvested short grain rice) also known as pacharisi which has more starch than regular ponni rice. Raw rice is mixed with yellow moong dal and made into this dish. Pongal is a well balanced dish to consume for breakfast since it has dals added it is rich in protein. Cooked rice and moong dal gets tempering which is made with ghee, whole spices, curry leaves.

    Ghee imparts the main flavour for pongal. Fresh cow's ghee is used for making the tadka. Even though pongal is mild made with rice and dal the tempering adds the unique aroma to this breakfast dish.

    My Recipe

    Ven pongal makes the best baby food as well. if you are making this for babies, instead of raw rice use regular rice. Since raw rice (pacharisi) for babies can be hard to digest.

    South Indian loves their ven pongal with all the accompaniments. If you want to make a healthy version of pongal. Check out my rava pongal, poha pongal, and millet pongal. If you are having Ven pongal for the first time and wondering how it taste. Think about khichdi, pongal is the basically South Indian dish of khichdi.

    I have shared all the tips and tricks which I have learned over the years to make the best tasting ven pongal. Make sure you read the whole recipe post.

    Watch Ven pongal Recipe Video

    YouTube video

    Ven Pongal Ingredients

    ven pongal ingredients

    Raw Rice - traditionally raw rice is used in making ven pongal. short grain rice combined with dal imparts the creamy texture to the pongal.

    Moong Dal - yellow split moong dal is slightly roasted and cooked with rice. The ratio of dal to rice totally depends on you.

    Ghee - most important ingredient, use fresh homemade ghee for best flavour.

    Milk - I add some milk to the cooked rice and dal to add more creamy texture as well as taste.

    Tempering - spices like black pepper, cumin seeds, asafoetida, ginger, green chilli, curry leaves and cashews is fried in ghee and added to pongal which adds to the unique flavour.

    rice and dal ratio shown

    Rice to Dal Ratio

    Ven Pongal is served in the morning as breakfast. It is a protein rich one pot meal which is really nutritious. The ratio to rice and dal varies to each household. But I am sharing my recipe here.

    I use raw rice (pacharisi) also known as short grain rice. For every 1 cup of raw rice I use ¼ cup of yellow moong dal (pasi paruppu). You can increase the dal and use upto ½ cup.

    ven pongal tempering

    Expert Tips

    You can easily make ven pongal like hotel style easily at home too. All you need is to understand few steps and few tricks. Follow all these tips and tricks to get soft ven pongal at home.

    Roasting Dal

    Some people add moong dal roasted or unroasted. For best taste and aroma, I always prefer to dry roast moong dal before cooking.

    Ratio of Rice and dal

    Use raw rice for the best texture. raw rice has more starch compared to regular rice which gives a softer pongal. Ratio of rice and dal is up to you. You can half measure of dal to rice in making pongal.

    Amount of ghee

    Using generous amount for ghee is important. fresh desi ghee adds so much flavour to pongal. So don't be shy in using ghee.

    Texture of pongal

    Pongal is a comforting dish. It has a creamy and gooey texture. Cooking pongal with the right amount of water is important for achieving this texture. Usually for every 1 cup of rice and ½ cup dal, you need 5 cups of water. Once the rice and dal is cooked, I add extra milk to get the creamy texture. Pongal may look runny when you open the lid, but as it cools it will thicken.

    top shot of ven pongal served with coconut chutney, sambar and medu vada in a banana leaf

    How to Make Ven Pongal (Stepwise Photos)

    1)Start by dry roasting moong dal in a pan till light golden. it should take around 2 to 3 minutes. I don't wash my dal before roasting.

    dry roasting moong dal in a pan

    2)Take raw rice in a pressure cooker.

    take raw rice in pressure cooker

    3)Add roasted moong dal into the rice. now you can wash both rice and dal together.

    add roasted dal

    4) Cover with water. I like to add 1 tsp of ghee into the rice and dal when cooking. You can add or skip if you want.

    wash dal and rice, cover with water

    5)Add salt to taste.

    add salt

    6)Pressure cook for 4 whistle. Let the pressure release by itself. Now open the lid.

    pressure cook dal and rice for ven pongal

    7)Pour in milk and mix well. The milk will make the pongal even more creamy and gives it the right texture.

    pour in milk

    8)Add a tbsp of ghee to the pongal at this point.

    add ghee over rice

    9)Mix it really well and set aside.

    rice and dal mixed with milk and ghee

    10)Now let's make the tempering for the pongal. Heat ghee in a pan.

    heat ghee in a pan for tempering

    11)Add in cashews and roast lightly. Once cashews turn light golden, add in cumin seeds and black pepper.

    add cashews, black pepper and cumin seeds

    12)Roast the spices in ghee.

    let them fry in ghee

    13)Add in chopped ginger and green chillies. Make sure you chop them finely. You can grate ginger.

    add ginger and green chillies

    14)Add in asafoetida and curry leaves.

    add asafoetida and curry leaves

    15)Fry this for 2 minutes till it gets toasted.

    ven pongal tempering is ready

    16)Pour the tempering into the cooked rice and dal.

    pour tempering over cooked pongal

    17)Mix well. Your ven pongal is ready to serve.

    tempering mixed with ven pongal

    18)Enjoy.

    ven pongal served with coconut chutney, sambar and medu vada in a banana leaf

    How to Make Ven Pongal in Instant Pot?

    Ven pongal can be made at home in either pressure cooker or on instant pot. Either way the ingredients are same but the method of making may vary. Recently instant pot is widely used in making pongal. Making ven pongal in instant pot is very similar to making it in pressure cooker.

    how to make ven pongal in instant pot
    • Follow the same process as pressure cooker.
    • Set the instant pot to pressure cook mode and set for 12 mins. 
    • Once the timer is up, leave it for 10 mins. Then manually release the pressure. 
    • Do the tempering as given and pour over the pongal. Mix well and serve.
    • Another method of making pongal in instant pot is given in the recipe card. 

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is pongal healthy?

    There is a huge debate whether pongal is healthy or not. Ven pongal has rice and dal used to make it. Dal is one of the healthiest grain to use with. It is rich in protein. pongal is one of the wholesome dish and very healthy.

    Is pongal and khichdi same?

    both are very similar in texture and look wise. but in khichdi we usually use onions which we won't use in pongal. 

    what is ghee pongal?

    ghee pongal is same as ven pongal. As mentioned in this recipe post pongal gets it main flavour and taste from the modest amount of ghee we use while making it.

    What type of rice is used for pongal?

    Ven pongal is made from raw rice (newly harvested short grain rice) also known as pacharisi which has more starch than regular ponni rice. Raw rice is mixed with yellow moong dal and made into this dish.

    Difference between ven pongal and sakkarai pongal?

    Even though both the recipes are made with common ingredients like rice and dal. Ven pongal is tempered with whole spices, ginger and green chillies. sakkarai pongal has jaggery, cardamom powder, cashews and raisins. Both pongal is made with generous amount of ghee.

    For specially occasions like sakranti festival, we make both ven pongal and sakkarai pongal together. You can cook both pongal together at the same time. Cook double the amount of rice and dal in a pressure cooker. Remove half of the cooked rice and dal to make ven pongal and other half you can make into sweet pongal (sakkarai pongal) following the recipe.

    More Pongal Recipes to Try

    • Arisi Thengai Payasam Recipe
    • Paruppu Vadai Recipe
    • Pazham Pori Recipe
    • Rasam Vada Recipe (Two Ways)
    • Rava Pongal Recipe
    • Quinoa Pongal Recipe
    • Nei Appam Recipe
    • Kalkandu Pongal Recipe

    📖 Recipe Card

    Ven Pongal Recipe (Khara Pongal) | Ghee Pongal Recipe

    Ven Pongal, Sambar, Coconut Chutney & Medu Vada my favorite breakfast combo ever. Also known as Khara Pongal is a popular South Indian family favorite. Ven Pongal is made with rice, moong dal, which gets a tempering in ghee with ginger, cashews, black pepper, cumin seeds. This dish is offered as naivedyam in many temples during pooja and auspicious days. Ven pongal is served with coconut chutney and sambar and to make it even more special with crispy medu vada.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 299kcal

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Raw rice (short grain rice)
    • ½ cup Split yellow moong dal
    • Salt to taste
    • 5 cups Water
    • 1 tbsp Ghee
    • ¾ cup Milk

    For Seasoning

    • ¼ cup Ghee
    • 10 Cashews
    • 2 tsp Cumin seeds
    • 2 tsp Black Pepper
    • 2 no Green chillies chopped finely
    • 1 tbsp Ginger grated
    • ½ tsp Asafoetida
    • 2 sprig Curry leaves

    Instructions

    • Dry roast moong dal in a pan for 2 to 3 minutes till it gets roasted a little. It will turn slight aromatic and light golden in colour.
    • Take rice and dal in a pressure cooker. Rinse both rice and dal together and Strain the water. Pour in 5 cups of water into the pressure cooker. Add 1 tsp of ghee which is optional. Season with salt to taste. Now cover the pressure cooker and cook on medium heat for 4 whistle. Turn off the heat and Let the pressure release by itself.
    • Once pressure is released, Open the pressure cooker and give a gentle mix. Add in 1 tbsp of ghee and ¾ cup of milk gradually and mix gently.
    • Heat ghee in a kadai and add in cashews, cumin seeds, pepper, ginger, asafoetida, green chilli, curry leaves and sauté this for a minute. Pour this tempering into the rice and dal mixture and mix well. Let the rice absorb all flavours.
    • Serve hot, add extra drizzle of ghee with sambar or chutney.

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    • Ratio of rice and dal is up to you. You can use ½ cup of dal to rice when making pongal.
    • Use raw rice for the best texture. raw rice has more starch compared to regular rice which gives a softer pongal.
    • Using generous amount for ghee is important. You can use equal amount of ghee and oil.
    • Usually for every 1 cup of rice and ½ cup dal, you need 5 cups of water. Pongal may look runny when you open the lid, but as it cools it will thicken.
    • If you feel your pongal is too thick, you can add some extra hot milk to adjust the consistency.

    Instant Pot Method

    Set instant pot to saute mode. Add in ghee along with all seasoning and let them sizzle. Add in rice and dal along with water, salt. Cover the instant pot and pressure cook for 9 minutes. once pressure is released, give it a stir. keep covered for another 10 mins. Serve hot with some ghee drizzled on top.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servings | Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
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    If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.

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    154
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    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kaveri

      at

      I surely can't say not that plate in the last click...looks mouthwatering, and making me hungry.

      Reply
    2. cajunlicious

      at

      WOW! These flavors sound so amazing and I love the cashews in the dish!

      Reply
    3. MyKitchen Flavors-BonAppetit!.

      at

      Yumm and delicious Venpongal.My fav Breakfast item dear. Tasting it visually.Thanks for the treat.

      Reply
    4. Torviewtoronto

      at

      delicious looking combination looks wonderful

      Reply
    5. Dzoli

      at

      This type of breakfast would surely give you enough energy for wuite soem hours.And sounds delicious on top of taht:)

      Reply
    6. Priya

      at

      Just drooling over that last click, soo tempting..

      Reply
    7. Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal

      at

      Absolutely love ven pongal.

      Reply
    8. R

      at

      luv this all time classic recipe! can't wait for ur sambar recipe....

      Reply
    9. Chitra

      at

      the rice is all smashed up and soft...love this texture in venpongal...

      Reply
    10. RAKS KITCHEN

      at

      Yummy, nothing can beat this, long time since I made/had this! This weekend, idhu dhan breakfast 😉

      Reply
    11. Sharmilee! :)

      at

      Nothing can beat this for breakfast...yummy

      Reply
    12. Rekha shoban

      at

      this is the perfect pongal....whenever i do pongal either overcooked or lesscooked...will try ur ratio and do it...thank u for sharing!

      Reply
    13. Priti

      at

      I love this too ...and your's looks perfect dear

      Reply
    14. Valarmathi Sanjeev

      at

      Love this...looks absolutely delicious....mouthwatering and yummy.

      Reply
    15. Prathibha

      at

      I love this anyday...looks perfect

      Reply
    16. Joanne

      at

      I'm always looking for new fun ways to cook rice! This sounds super tasty!

      Reply
    17. Beno Eniphs

      at

      plz tell me how to prepare tender coconu pudding.

      Reply
    18. Anonymous

      at

      Can we make this using green gram instead yellow split moong dal

      Reply
    19. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousit will affect the texture and taste

      Reply
    20. kunal gupta

      at

      Seems very taste 😉 also check
      pongal 2016 wisheshave a very happy day
      pongal whatsapp statushappy makar sakranti food items
      pongal messages qotes for whatsapp
      happy makar sakranti
      happy makar sakranti 2016wishing you and your family a very happy pongal
      makar sakranti whatsapp
      makar sakranti quotes wallpapers imagesthanks for sharing this article 😉

      Reply
    21. Anonymous

      at

      May I know wat type of rice it s...?? Raw rice( pacharici)or parboiled one

      Reply
    22. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousit is normal cooking rice, which we use in cooking

      Reply
    23. MADHUSUDHANAN

      at

      Hi can we use only moong daal without rice , Rice is not ok for me ...?

      Reply
    24. Anonymous

      at

      That will be a dal then. Not pongal.

      Reply
    25. kumar

      at

      Thanks for sharing the Pongal recipe tips. It is very nice Post. Today I prepared to Melagu (rice) Pongal Recipe http://bit.ly/2uYI51m

      Reply
    26. Jenny Jackson

      at

      Taste was wonderful. But it definitely won't suffice for 4 to 5 ppl, if we don't have ulundha vadai as side. Maximum 3 people.

      Reply
    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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