2 in 1 Pongal - Sweet Pongal & Ven Pongal (Instant Pot version)

Category: Pongal Recipes / Festive Recipes
Preparation Time: 10 mins  
Cooking Time: 30 mins  

Servings - About 4-5 servings

2 in 1 Pongal

During festivals we would be making different types of pongals, especially Sweet Sakkarai Pongal, Kalkandu Pongal and Spicy Venpongal. 

Instead of making it separately and also to save time, we can just cook the rice and dal in instant pot/ pressure cooker and use it up to make two different pongal.

Sakkarai Pongal

This also helps when we plan for making ven pongal but kids want sweet pongal :) Or when we want variety for a special day.

Ven Pongal

This is not a recipe as such, just an idea to make easy & save time :)

Ingredients:

• Raw rice - 1 and 1/2 cups (Ponni rice / Sona masoori rice)
• Yellow Moong dal - 1/2 cup (can use upto 1 cup)
• Water - 6 cups 

For Sweet / Sakkarai Pongal:

• Jaggery - 1 cup
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - 3-4 Tbsp
• Cashews, broken - 10-15 nos
• Raisins - 2 Tbsp

For Ven pongal:

• Ghee - 3-4 Tbsp
• Cumin - 1 tsp
• Black pepper - 1 tsp
• Cashews, broken - 10-15 nos
• Ginger, grated - 1/2 Tbsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Green chilly - 1, halved (Optional)
• Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Hot Water - 1/2 cup (use as required)

Method:

• Wash and soak rice for about 20-30 mins. While rice is soaking, dry roast the moong dal until it becomes aromatic and turn golden brown. Then add the dal to the soaking rice.
• In the Instant pot, add the soaked rice and dal, add about 6 cups of water (1:3 ratio)
• Pressure cook for 10 mins (Pressure cook mode, high pressure and set time for 10 mins)
• Once the timer completes, turn off and let the pressure release naturally
• Once the pressure got subsided, open the lid and mash the pongal a little

• Take half of the cooked pongal into a separate bowl

Making Sakkarai Pongal / Sweet Pongal:

• In a pan add the jaggery and 1/2 cup of water, heat it up until the jaggery melts completely, 
• Add cardamom powder and mix well

• Filter and add the jaggery syrup to the half potion of the pongal left in the instant pot

• Mix it well and press the saute option
• If we need more water, we can add little hot water to it and mix well until they all get combined
• Add 1 Tbsp of ghee, Cook for another1-2 mins and switch it off

• In a small pan, heat up ghee and add the cashew pieces; fry them until it becomes golden. Then add the raisins and switch off, they will puff up nicely
• Add the roasted cashews and raisins to the pongal and mix it up

• Serve warm!

 Tasty Sakkarai Pongal

Making Ven Pongal:

• In a pan, heat up the ghee and once it becomes hot, add the cashews followed by black pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, grated ginger, fry for few secs

• Add the other half potion of the pongal in a pan and add 1/2 cup of hot water, add required salt, mix it up well

• Cook for 2-3 mins and switch off

• Serve hot with sambar & coconut chutney

Yummy Venpongal