WHISKAFFAIR'S
Rinse moong dal with water and drain the water well. Line a baking tray or a large plate with a kitchen cloth and spread the dal on it.
Add the dal to a pressure cooker and roast on medium heat until lightly browned, stirring very frequently.
Add 1 cup of water, ginger, and salt to the cooker and stir well.
Close the lid of the cooker and cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes.
Open the lid and mash the dal until smooth using a wire whisk or the back of a ladle.
Add rava to a small pan and roast it on medium heat until slightly fragrant (2-3 minutes), stirring continuously. Do not over roast the rava. We don’t want to brown it. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
Heat 2 cups of water in pan over medium heat.
Once the water starts to boil, add the roasted rava slowly, and whisk using a wire whisk until a smooth lump free mixture is formed.
Add the cooked moong dal to the pan and mix well.
Add somemore water if the mixture looks thick. Reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times in between.
Heat ghee for tempering in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
Once the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds, asafetida, curry leaves, green chilies, and black peppercorns, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
Add cashew nuts and fry until they are slightly browned (1-2 minutes), stirring frequently.
Pour the tempering over the pongal and mix well. Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambhar.