Ven pongal, medhu vadai, sambhar, and chutney….. A classic breakfast combination in any South Indian home. The soft creamy ven pongal drizzled with ghee with specks of pepper and Cumin along with which would peep out glistening cashews and curry leaves is a calming morning food. Paired with hot crisp medhu vadais, steaming spicy sambhar, and coconut chutney… Its seventh heaven.
As a nutritionist, this combo can be vouched, for a balanced meal. I can see raised eyebrows… Deep-fried vadas early morning??? It’s perfectly fine and moderation is the key. Use a good plant cold-pressed oil. Sesame or groundnut which will add to its flavour and also your nutrition load. This meal is abundant in the protein of good biological value and the calories will see you energetic through the day. My family loves this as a Sunday brunch after which we catch up on a good weekend sleep. The day is completed with a light off-beat dinner. A wonderful way to end a busy week indeed.
Ven Pongal Recipe:
Ingredients for Ven Pongal Recipe:
- Raw rice 1 cup
- Green gram/moong dal 1 cup
- Pepper 1tsp
- Cumin seeds 1tsp
- Ginger chopped 1tsp
- Curry leaves few
- Cashews broken 1 tbsp
- Asafoetida ¼ tsp
- Ghee ¼ cup
- Oil 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
Preparation Method:
- Take a pressure cooker, add 1 tsp ghee. When hot add the dal and roast till light pink.
- Add the rice, ginger, asafoetida, required salt, and pressure cook with 8 cups of water.
- After the release of the first whistle, lower the flame. Cook for 15 minutes and switch off the flame.
- Allow for the pressure to be released completely before opening the cooker. Mash the mixture.
- Take a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the ghee and oil.
- When hot add the broken cashews and fry till golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Pound the pepper and cumin very lightly in a mortar such that they are lightly crushed. Add this along
- with ginger and curry leaves to the hot oil-ghee mixture.
- Pour on to the mashed Pongal. Add the cashews. Mix well and serve hot.
Medhu Vadai Recipe:
Ingredients for Medhu Vadai Recipe:
- Whole skinned black gram dal/Urad dal 1 cup washed and soaked
- Ginger 1 inch piece
- Green chilly 4 finely chopped
- Curry leaves few
- Coriander leaves finely chopped handful
- Asafoetida ¼ tsp
- Salt as required
- Oil for frying
Preparation Method:
- Soak the dal for 2 hours and drain.
- Grind with sprinkles of water in a grinder.
- Grind such that the batter is smooth and fluffy.
- Take care not to add too much water as the batter will become runny.
- Add asafoetida, curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves, and ginger. Mix well along with the required salt.
- Shape into vadas on your palm, make a hole in the center, and deep fry till golden brown.
- Remove and serve hot.
Coconut Chutney Recipe:
Ingredients for Coconut Chutney recipe:
- Grated coconut ¼ cup
- Toasted Bengal gram/pottu kadalai 2 tbsps
- Green chilly 2
- Ginger chopped 1 tsp
- Coriander chopped 1 tsp
- Onion 1 thin slice (optional)
- Salt as required
For the tempering:
- Oil 1tsp
- Mustard seeds 1 tsp
- Black gram dal/urad dal ¼ tsp
- Asafoetida ¼ tsp
- Curry leaves few
- Broken red chilly 1
Preparation Method:
- Grind all the ingredients for the chutney with water into a thick smooth paste.
- Adjust the consistency to your liking with water. Squeeze a few drops of lemon (optional).
- Temper with the tempering ingredients.
- Serve with Ven Pongal.
Tiffin Sambar Recipe:
Ingredients for Tiffin Sambar recipe:
- Green gram dal /moong dal 1 cup
- Shallots 10 or 1 medium onion sliced
- Turmeric 1 tsp
- Mixed cubed vegetables 1 cup (drumstick, ladies finger, brinjal, pumpkin, ash gourd, flat beans)
- Tomatoes chopped 1 cup
- Marble sized tamarind
- Ghee 1 tbsp
- Mustard seed 1 tsp
- Asafoetida ¼ tsp
- Curry leaves few
- Tiffen sambhar powder 4 tbsps
- Salt as required
- Chopped coriander leaves a handful
Preparation Method:
- Take a pressure cooker, add the dal, onions, turmeric, and tomatoes. pressure cook with 3 cups of water.
- After the first whistle lowers the flame and cook for 10 minutes. Open the cooker after all the pressure is released.
- Take a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the ghee. Temper the mustard, asafoetida, and curry leaves.
- Add the vegetables and sauté till soft.
- Extract the tamarind with 1 cup of water. Add the vegetables and bring to a boil.
- Add the required salt and the sambhar powder.
- Boil well for full 10 minutes on low flame.
- Add the cooked and mashed dal.
- Boil again for 5 minutes.
- Add coriander and serve hot
BONUS: Tiffin Sambar Powder Preparation
- Bygadi chilly 100g
- Red chilly 100g
- Coriander seeds/Dhania 200g
- Cumin seeds/jeera 100g
- Fenugreek seeds/Methi 100g
- Pepper 100g
- Mix well and powder fine. Store in an airtight container
Classic Combo of Ven Pongal with Medhu Vadai is Ready 🙂
