Ven Pongal

A comforting South Indian savory rice-and-lentil porridge, made start to finish in the Instant Pot with ghee, cumin, pepper, ginger and cashews. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw rice (arisi) — Ponni or Sona Masuri

• ½ cup yellow moong dal, split (paasi paruppu)

• 4 cups water (thanni)

• 2 tablespoons ghee (nei), for frying cashews

• 1 tablespoon ghee (nei), for tempering

• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns (milagu)

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeeragam)

• 1 teaspoon ginger (inji), finely grated or minced

• 12 cashew nut halves (mundhiri paruppu)

• 1 pinch asafoetida (perungayam)

• 0.8 teaspoon salt (uppu)

Instructions

1. Press Sauté on the Instant Pot and let it heat up. Add the 2 tbsp ghee.

2. Add the cashews and fry until golden brown, stirring often. Remove and set aside if you like them crunchy, or leave them in.

3. Add the remaining 1 tbsp ghee, then cumin seeds, peppercorns, ginger, and asafoetida. Sauté until fragrant and sizzling — watch closely so the pepper and asafoetida don't burn.

4. Press Cancel to turn off Sauté. Rinse the rice and moong dal together until the water runs mostly clear, drain, and add to the pot.

5. Add salt and water. Stir well, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom.

6. Secure the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on Manual/Pressure Cook, High pressure, for 12 minutes.

7. Let the pressure release naturally — don't quick release. Wait until the pin drops before opening.

8. Open the lid, stir well, and adjust consistency with a splash of hot water if needed. Serve hot with pickle.

Notes

Water is bumped up to 4 cups (from 3 on stovetop) since the Instant Pot loses less steam — this keeps the pongal soft and mushy. Don't quick-release; natural release gives better texture. For a firmer texture, drop water to 3.5 cups.