VEN PONGAL 
Ven pongal is a common and popular breakfast in Tamilnadu. Generally, Ven pongal is served with coconut chutney, sambar and vadai. It is a very simple yet tastier dish. Ven pongal can be cooked in two ways. One is adding the seasoning after cooking rice and dal. The other is doing the reverse way. Adding seasoning to the uncooked rice and dal, then cooking. In this way, the pongal color may look more darker than the first way of cooking.You can add some milk together with water instead of whole water to cook the pongal.
Ingredients
Rice
: 1 cup
Greengram Dal
: 4 tbsp
Water
: 4 cups
Cashew nuts
: 5-6
Cumin seeds
: 1 tsp
Pepper
: 1/2 tsp
Ghee
: 3 to 4 tbsp
Ginger cut finely
: a small piece
Salt
: To taste
Method
- First take the cashews in a microwave safe bowl and add a tsp of ghee and set it on microwave high for half a minute. Transfer to another container and in the microwave safe bowl, add the washed raw rice and moong dal along with 4 cups of water.
- Spread a little ghee on it so as to prevent spilling.
- Set the Microwave to high for 10 minutes. Remove it and check if the rice is cooked well, else cook it for another 3 to 4 minutes.it depends on the quantity and quality of rice used.
- Mix it well along with salt as per taste, the roasted cashews, finely cut ginger, pepper and jeera. Microwave it on high for another minute. Allow 3 minutes standing time.
- Transfer to serving bowl and serve with ghee, coconut chutney or sambhar.