Rava Pongal recipe with step by step photos. This is a comforting and delicious breakfast recipe of Pongal variant made with rava (semolina), moong dal, cashews, spices and herbs.
About Rava Pongal
With rava (sooji or cream of wheat), many quick dishes can be made like Rava Uttapam, Rava Chilla. This sooji pongal is one of those recipes that can be made with rava.
Though not quick to make as you need to cook moong dal first, but tastes very good when paired with coconut chutney or just plainly served. In the recipe, some grated veggies and green peas also can be added.
Pongal is a very popular South Indian Breakfast Recipe. It is not only delicious but also healthy and easy to make. There are many variations of Pongal and this rava Pongal is one of them. Other popular variations that are traditionally made are:
Usually I serve rava pongal with Coconut Chutney, Mango Pickle or curd. Though you can also have it with Sambar. It stays soft even after cooling down, so you can also pack it in the tiffin box. This is a no onion no garlic recipe, though you can add onions if you want.
How to make Rava Pongal
1. Pick 3 tablespoons of moong dal first to get rid of stones if any. Then heat a small pan or a small kadai and add the moong lentils.
2. On a low heat stirring often roast the moong lentils till they become aromatic.
3. The moong lentils only need to be roasted till they become aromatic. No need to brown them.
4. Now take them in another bowl or you can use the same pan for rinsing. Rinse the roasted moong dal a couple of times in fresh water. Then add them to a 2 litre stovetop pressure cooker.
5. Add ¾ cup water and pressure cook the mung lentils for 6 to 7 whistles or 10 to 12 minutes on medium to high heat.
For moong dal which cooks quickly, you can pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles and add ½ to ⅔ cup water.
6. When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, then only open the lid of the cooker. Mash the dal and keep it aside.
Roasting Rava for Rava Pongal
7. When the moong dal is getting cooked, then you can roast the rava and prep the other ingredients. Heat a kadai or pan and add ½ cup rava to it.
Ensure to use finer textured rava. You can also use Bombay rava.
8. On a low heat, stirring often roast the rava till it becomes fragrant and the grains look separate and crisp.
Roasting the rava will take about 7 to 8 minutes on low to medium-low heat.
9. No need to brown the rava. Just roast till it becomes fragrant.
10. Then remove the rava on a plate and keep it aside in a plate or thali.
Making Rava Pongal
11. Heat the same pan and add 3 tablespoons of ghee. You can add less ghee if you want.
12. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds (whole or slightly crushed) and saute on low heat till they splutter.
13. Then add 12 to 15 cashews.
14. Saute till the cashews turn a light golden.
15. Then add 1 sprig curry leaves and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger.
16. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of crushed black pepper. Stir and mix well.
17. Now pour 1.5 cups water.
18. On a medium to high heat begin to cook this water mixture.
19. Bring to a rolling boil.
20. Lower the heat and then add the roasted rava in batches.
21. As soon as you add the rava, stir well. Keep adding rava in batches and mixing so that lumps are not formed.
22. Then add the cooked moong dal.
23. Stir and mix well.
24. Season with salt as per taste.
25. Stir and mix again.
26. On low heat for a few minutes simmer till the rava is cooked well and the mixture thickens.
27. Serve rava pongal hot or warm with coconut chutney or mango pickle or some fresh curd (yogurt).
Few more breakfast recipes for you!
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Rava Pongal
Ingredients
For cooking moong dal
- 3 tablespoons moong lentils (moong dal)
- ¾ cup water – for pressure cooking moong dal. if moong dal cooks quickly, then add ½ cup or ⅔ cup water
Other ingredients
- ½ cup rava (sooji or cream of wheat), 90 grams rava
- 3 tablespoons Ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds – whole or slightly crushed (jeera)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper – slightly crushed or 1 teaspoon lightly crushed black pepper
- 1 inch ginger – finely chopped or 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger (adrak)
- ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- 12 to 15 cashews
- 1 sprig curry leaves or 10 to 12 small to medium-sized curry leaves
- 1.5 cups water
- salt as required
Instructions
Roasting moong dal
- Pick 3 tablespoons of moong dal first to get rid of stones if any. Then heat a small pan or a small kadai and add the moong lentils.
- On a low flame stirring often roast the moong lentils till they become aromatic.
- The moong lentils only need to be roasted till they become aromatic. No need to brown them.
Pressure cooking moong dal
- Now take them in another bowl or you can use the same pan for rinsing. Rinse the roasted moong dal a couple of times in water. Then add them in a 2 litre pressure cooker.
- Add ¾ cup water and pressure cook for 6 to 7 whistles or 10 to 12 minutes on medium to high flame. For moong dal which cooks quickly, you can pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles and add ½ to ⅔ cup water.
- When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, open the lid of the cooker. Mash the dal and keep aside.
- When the moong dal is getting cooked, then you can roast the rava and prepare the other ingredients.
Roasting rava
- Heat a kadai or pan and add ½ cup rava/sooji in it.
- On a low flame, stirring often roast the rava till it becomes fragrant.
- No need to brown the rava. Just roast till it becomes fragrant.
- Then remove the rava and keep it aside in a plate or thali.
Making rava pongal
- Heat the same pan and add 3 tablespoon ghee. You can add less ghee if you want.
- Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (whole or slightly crushed) and saute till they splutter.
- Then add 12 to 15 cashews. Saute till the cashews turn a light golden.
- Then add 1 sprig curry leaves and 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper. Stir and mix well.
- Now pour 1.5 cups water. On a medium to high flame begin to cook this water mixture.
- Bring to a rolling boil. Lower the flame and then add the roasted rava in parts.
- As soon as you add the rava, stir and mix very well.
- Keep adding rava in parts and mixing so that lumps are not formed.
- Then add the cooked moong dal. Mix well.
- Season with salt as per taste. Mix again.
- On a low heat for a few minutes simmer till the rava is cooked well and the mixture thickens.
- Serve rava pongal hot or warm with coconut chutney or mango pickle or some fresh curd. you can also have it with sambar.
Notes
For cooking moong lentils in a pan:
- Rinse and then soak moong lentils for about 30 minutes in water.
- Take ¾ cup water in a pan and heat it. Then add the moong dal.
- Cover and simmer till the lentils have softened really well.
- Mash them and then use in the rava pongal recipe.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Rava Pongal Post from the blog archives, first published in August 2016 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
Which other lentil can I use in place of moong dal in this recipe? Also, can I make this recipe without adding any lentil?
Traditionally, moong dal is used and works best for rava pongal because it gives a soft texture and mild flavor. But you can try using masoor dal (red lentils) as a substitute. The taste will change slightly. You can also make it without any lentils. It will still taste good.
Simple and delicious recipe. Served it with coconut chutney for breakfast with some hot ghee and it was delicious!! Thanks for sharing!!
thanks preeti. glad to know that you liked the pongal recipe.