Rava Pongal Recipe – Sooji Pongal– How To Make Rava Pongal

Rava Pongal is one of the easy to make South Indian breakfast recipes. It is very popular in Tamil nadu. Rava khara pongal recipe ( sooji pongal) is prepared with roasted semolina ( Sooji in Hindi) and pressure cooked yellow moong dal as major ingredients. Its cooking method is very similar to our Ven pongal recipe/Ghee pongal but semolina is used instead of rava.

Even though rava pongal is not widely available in Tamil nadu hotels, this must be a favorite breakfast recipe to many of us. In my home, Sendhil loves rava recipes a lot more than me & Raksha. So I try to make rava upma, rava dosa or this rava pongal at least once in a week. I started making this recipe after watching a cookery show by our beloved Chef Damu. After making it several times, I started preparing in my own comfortable way. I have shared the same in this post. Quantity of water, little oil and more ghee is the key for soft pongal. If you have cooked moong dal in hand, rava pongal can be prepared quickly and easily. Bachelors and working women can try this for breakfast. Ok, lets see how to make sooji pongal/ Tamil nadu style rava pongal with step by step photos and a video ( Video is under editing). I will try to share it soon.

Rava Pongal Recipe – Sooji Pongal

Rava Pongal Recipe - Sooji Pongal How to make rava pongal recipe – Easy, yummy South Indian breakfast recipe

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Breakfast

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup – 250ml

Semolina / Sooji / Rava – 3/4 cup ( Upma rava)
Yellow moong dal – 1/4 cup (roast in 2 tsp ghee)
Water – 1.5 cups ( for dal) + 2.5 cups ( for rava)
Salt – As needed

To temper

Ghee + cooking oil – 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Pepper corns – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Cashew nuts – 5 nos ( break into two)
Ginger – 1 inch piece ( chopped finely)
Curry leaves – Few
Asafetida/ Hing – A pinch

METHOD

In a pressure cooker base, heat 2 tsp of ghee and roast the moong dal till nice aroma comes out. Add 1.5 cups of water and pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles. Open the cooker once its done and mash the dal.
Heat a kadai and dry roast the rava in medium flame for 5 minutes. Take care, Rava should not burn. Transfer it to a plate.
In the same kadai, heat 2 tbsp ghee + 1 tbsp oil and add pepper corns.When the pepper corns starts to splutter, add finely chopped ginger, cashews and curry leaves. When the cashews start to turn golden, add cumin seeds and hing.
Mix well and add water 2.5 cups of water immediately ( I used 1:3 ratio of rava & water). Add the required salt, cooked moong dal in the water.
When the water starts to roll boil, simmer the flame completely or switch off the flame if you are a beginner. Add the roasted rava slowly in one hand while mixing the water in other hand. This is most important to avoid lump formation.
After the rava is mixed well with water, it becomes thick. Cover & cook for 5 minutes in low flame. Open the lid and mix it once. Again cover cook for 2 minutes till rava becomes soft and well cooked.
Add 1tbsp of ghee at the end, mix well and switch off the stove. Initially, when the pongal is hot, it looks mushy. But it will become non-sticky and stay soft when it becomes warm. Serve with your favorite side dish like coconut chutney or gosthu.

Enjoy !

Note

Do not reduce the quantity of ghee mentioned in the recipe. U can always add more if you want. Oil helps to keep the pongal non-sticky.
You can add more water for cooking rava. 1:4 ratio of rava & water is also fine.
Use upma rava/coarse sooji not chiroti/fine rava.

Enjoy this easy, yummy South Indian breakfast Rava pongal at home !