Kodo Millet Pongal

Kodo Millet Pongal is a healthier version of traditional ven pongal or khara pongal and this south Indian breakfast one-pot dish made with kodo millet, yellow moong lentils in ghee along with few Indian spices. A hearty spicy porridge style dish has the essential protein to start your day on a healthy note and also quick recipe to make in the mornings.

Khara Pongal and coconut chutney are one of my favorite comfort meals! It is sort of a regular at our house and lucky for me that my boys love it as well. It is one of the easiest one pot meals and healthy and delicious breakfast idea!

WHAT IS KHARA PONGAL?

Khara Pongal is a spicy, savory pongal that is rich, healthy, delicious and savory. It is specially prepared during the harvest festival of sankranti. Pongal is also prepared in South Indian homes for special occasions like pooja, marriages or in temples as naivedyam. Pair it with sambar and coconut chutney for a complete gastronomical experience.

WHAT IS MILLET?

Millets are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Millets are important crops in the semiarid tropics of Asia and Africa, with 97% of millet production in developing countries.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF KODO MILLET:

Kodo millet is a good substitute to rice or wheat. Protein, fiber, and mineral content are much higher than the major cereals like rice. It can be cooked just like rice or ground into flour. It provides balanced nutrition, unlike polished white rice.

• Kodo Millet helps in controlling blood sugar and cholesterol.
• It is easy to digest, contains a high amount of lecithin and is excellent for strengthening the nervous system.
• It is rich in photo chemicals that helps in reduction of cancer risks.
• Kodo is high in fiber and helps in weight management.
• Kodo millet grains consists of more antioxidant.

TIPS TO MAKE PERFECT PONGAL:

Here are some of the tips that I follow:

• Adjust the ghee according to your preference. For making it as vegan version, you can replace ghee with coconut oil.
• Soaking dal and millet makes to cook fast, but it is optional and can allow 1 more whistle extra.
• Ginger adds nice flavour to pongal, you can add while cooking dal or while tempering.
• Instead of Kodo Millet, you can use any variety of millet like little millet, barnyard millet.
• You can even add the peppercorns as a whole or crushed as per your preference.

HOW TO SERVE MILLET PONGAL?

Kodo Millet Pongal tastes good with coconut chutney or Gothsu or Sambhar.

Checkout other Pongal varieties,

Broken Wheat Pongal

Sakkarai Pongal

KODO MILLET PONGAL RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup kodo millet, washed and soaked for 15 mins
1/2 cup moong dal, washed and soaked for 15 mins
4 cups water
1 tbsp ginger, grated
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 green chillies
1 tbsp ghee
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup raw cashews
few curry leaves
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash and soak the millet and moong dal for 15 mins.
2. In a pressure cooker,add the soaked millet,dal,ginger,green chillies,peppercorns and salt with 4 cups of water. Pressure cook for 3 whistles and allow to naturally release the pressure.
3. Once the millet and dal are cooked, they should have a slightly runny, creamy consistency. Stir with a ladle, mashing the millet and dal a bit, and add a little more water if needed to get to this consistency. If you add more water, do it over medium heat so the rice warms through.
4. Make the tempering by heating the ghee in a skillet. Add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and stir for a minute.
5. Add the nuts and stir until lightly golden.
6. Add the tempering to the cooked millet and lentils. Mix well.
7. Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambhar.

RECIPE NOTES:

1. Adjust the ghee according to your preference. For making it as vegan version, you can replace ghee with coconut oil.
2. Soaking dal and millet makes to cook fast, but it is optional and can allow 1 more whistle extra.
3. Ginger adds nice flavour to pongal, you can add while cooking dal or while tempering.
4. Instead of Kodo Millet, you can use any variety of millet like little millet, barnyard millet.
5. You can even add the peppercorns as a whole or crushed as per your preference.

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