EASY SOUTH INDIAN RAVA PONGAL RECIPE FOR BREAKFAST
There’s something magical about starting your day with a comforting bowl of Rava Pongal — soft, creamy, and fragrant semolina khichdi with ghee and pepper. This South Indian breakfast classic, made with roasted semolina (rava or sooji), moong dal, and a tempering of spices, delivers both flavor and comfort in every bite.
Whether you’re looking for a quick weekday breakfast or a wholesome weekend brunch, this easy Rava Pongal recipe will warm your heart and satisfy your soul. Pair it with coconut chutney or tangy sambar, and you’ve got yourself a meal that feels like home.
🕒 Prep Time: 10 mins
🍲 Cook Time: 20–35 mins
✨ Key Ingredients: Rava, Moong dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves, black peppercorns, ghee, ginger, cashew nuts, asafoetida
🍽️ Best Served With: Sambar and Coconut Chutney
HOW TO MAKE RAVA PONGAL – STEP BY STEP RECIPE WITH PHOTOS
- First, dry roast half cup of moong dal till it is lightly browned and releases a nutty aroma that fills your kitchen. However, you may cook the dal without roasting but roasting the dal elevates the taste of the pongal.
After take the roasted dal in a bowl and add sufficient water. Rest it for five minutes for the dal to cool down. Then wash the dal two to three times and discard the water.
2. Take the washed moong dal in a pressure cooker. Add two cups of water, 4x the quantity of dal. Add salt, turmeric powder and half tablespoon of ghee. Cover the lid of the pressure cooker, keep the gas flame at low or medium and cook for one whistle. Allow the steam to settle down on its own.
3. Let’s prepare a simple yet special spice powder for rava pongal. Crush together one teaspoon each of cumin seeds and whole black peppercorns into a coarse powder and the spice mix is ready.
Tip : Do not replace whole black peppercorns with readily available black pepper powder, it will not give the authentic taste of rava pongal. Black peppercorns should be freshly crushed with cumin seeds for the real taste of pongal.
4. Heat two tablespoon of ghee in a cooking pan. Once the ghee is hot, add one teaspoon of black peppercorns and one fourth cup of broken cashew nuts. Fry the cashew nuts till it turn light brown in color.
Next, add the below mentioned ingredients one by one and fry together for few seconds :
- 1 teaspoon of Cumin Seeds
- 1/4th teaspoon of Asafoetida (Hing)
- 2 teaspoon of finely chopped Ginger
- 18 to 20 Curry Leaves
5. Add half cup of semolina or rava and fry it with the other ingredients. When rava or semolina turns tan or one shade darker in color then its rightly roasted.
6. Add two cups of hot water and quickly stir the rava so that no lumps are formed. Add salt as per taste considering the fact that boiled dal already has salt in it. Mix the salt and cover with a lid. Cook the rava on low flame for three to four minutes. Rava will soak up the liquid and get cooked.
7. Add the cooked moong dal and mix with the rava. Add the prepared spice powder and give a mix. Cook for few minutes stirring intermittently.
8. Add one tablespoon of ghee and cook the rava pongal for some more time stirring continuously till it gets a creamy consistency. Switch off the gas and delicious and comforting rava pongal is ready.
Enjoy with hot sambar.
