Thuvaram Paruppu Pongal

Below recipe by Sowmya Venkatachalam

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Raw Rice 1 Cup - 250ml

• ½ Cup Toor Dal (Pigeon pea)

• 1 tbsp Peanuts

• ½ tsp Peppercorns

• ½ tsp Cumin Seeds

• Few Curry leaves

• 1 Pinch Asafoetida (Asafetida / Hing)

• 1¼ tsp Salt

• 2 tbsp Ghee

Instructions:

• Take rice and thurdal in a vessel. Rinse the rice and dal twice and add 4.5 cups of water along with salt and pressure cook it allowing for 4-5 whistles.

• While the rice and dal is getting cooked, take the peanuts in the mixer and give a pulse or two just to crush the peanuts. Do not grind it to a smooth powder. If you have a mortar and pestle, you can crush the peanuts using that.

• Then take the pepper and cumin seeds and grind it to a coarse powder

• Once the pressure is fully released from the cooker, remove the cooked rice and dal and mash it using the backside of a ladle. Heat ghee in a pan. Add crushed peanuts and curry leaves

• Saute it for 20 seconds. Add the mashed rice and dal to the pan. Give it a good mix.

• Then add pepper-cumin coarse powder and mix well. Switch off the flame

• The yummy Thurdal Pongal (Thuvaram Paruppu) Pongal is now ready to serve!. The best combination for this pongal is Coconut chutney and Sambar.