This Sankranti, that is tomorrow January 14, 2016, every household in South Indian region would be in it’s food joy of traditional pongal in both sweet and savory version. They are the signature recipes of this festival. The pretty yellow lentils, oozing ghee, spice kicking black pepper, good-smelling cumin and sweet-sweet jaggery make the significant delicacies YUM YUM. This year my food senses steered me in the direction of authentic recipes with a delicious twist => just scroll to witness that green beauty.
In one of my previous posts that is rava pongal, I had promised you that, new age pongal recipes would be up in my blog soon. So today just before the the BIG day I am showing up here posting: khara pongal with mint leaves. You can name it as green pongal too because it is pretty like that having mint and coriander greens along with normal spices.
If you are like me who always, always love to play around, tweak and beautifully twist the normal recipes to bring in kind of freshness in look and taste, then you would definitely love khara pongal with mint leaves. The mint leaves render a unique flavor and yumminess to the pongal which is not so overpowering yet binds beautifully with black pepper and cumin. Which is why I loved this fancy pongal recipe because it still has the authentic taste, flavor and texture.
Wish you all a very HAPPY MAKARA SANKRANTI, let the festival enrich your lives with happiness, joy and good health.
Khara Pongal with Mint Leaves | New Age Pongal Recipes
Ingredients
- Uncooked Rice- 1/2 cup
- Split green gram lentils moong dal- 1/4 cup
- Mint leaves- 1/4 cup
- Coriander leaves- 1/4 cup
- Fresh grated coconut- 1/4 cup
- Green chillies- 1 no.
- Black pepper- 3/4 tsp
- Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
- Salt- 1 tsp
- Cooking oil- 3 tsp
- Curry leaves -Few
- Water- 3 cups
Instructions
Preparation
- Crush the black pepper coarsely using mortar and pestle, also rinse the rice with enough water,drain and keep it aside till use.
Method
- Take the split green gram lentils in a cooking pan or wok and dry roast them in medium flame with constant stirring. Ensure the lentils haven't changed color much. Next add the mint leaves, coriander leaves, little grated coconut and green chilly in to a mixer / blender and grind them together in to fine puree.
- Next heat a pressure cooker adding oil, cumin seeds and curry leaves. When the cumin seeds begin changing color, throw in crushed black pepper. Saute and include mint leaves paste from above step and stir for few seconds.
- Next add roasted moong dal and drained rice. Combine everything well.
- Add 3 cups of water, salt and let it cook for about 3 whistles in medium flame. When the pressure subsides completely, mix and garnish with grated coconut.
- Wonderful and colorful khara pongal with mint leaves is ready. Serve it hot.
Notes
- The mint and coriander leaves give nice flavor and taste to pongal. Also green chilly makes it spicy. So no side dishes are necessary to pair.
- The pongal turns thicker as it cools down. You may have to add little warm water to make it spoon-able consistency just before serving.
- You can top it with dollop of ghee too when serving.
