Pongal - Rice-Moong Breakfast

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup
• Moong Dhal - 1/4 cup
• Black Peppercorn - 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp (depending on how spicy you want it to be)
• Jeera - 1.5 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tbsp
• Hing - less than 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric porder - 1/4 tsp
• Ghee - 3 tbsp for cooking + 1 tbsp for garnishing
• Coconut or Copra (Dry coconut) - 3
• Cashew pieces - 1 to 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Dry roast jeera and pepper separately till they splutter and powder the mixture.
2. Dry roast rice and moong dhal separately for few minutes and place them aside.
3. Wash rice and moong dhal and put in a pressure cooker.
4. Add 6 cups of water, turmeric powder, salt, ghee, hing and close the lid. Let it cook for few whistles.
5. After it cools, remove the lid and place on low flame.
6. Add coconut and jeera-pepper powder and stir the pongal.
7. For garnishing: Add some ghee in a small frying pan and add cashews. Roast till golden brown and garnish (Optional: Add curry leaves also along with cashews during garnishing).
8. Serve hot with either jaggery-coconut mixture or chutney.