Prepare The Moong Dal

• 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.
• Let it air dry for 20 minutes.

Cook The Dal

In A Pressure Cooker

• Add the dal to a pressure cooker and roast on medium heat until lightly browned, stirring 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.
• Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally.
• Open the lid and mash the dal until smooth using a wire whisk or the back of a ladle.

In An Instant Pot

• Press the SAUTE button.
• Add the dal to the instant pot and roast until lightly browned, stirring very frequently.
• Add water, grated ginger, and salt to the cooker and stir well.
• Close the lid of the Instant Pot and set the valve to the sealing position
• Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 12 minutes at high pressure.
• Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
• Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
• Mash the dal until smooth using a wire whisk or the back of a ladle.

Roast The Rava

• 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. You don’t want to brown it.
• Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Make The Pongal

• Heat 2 cups of water in a 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.⅔
• Add the cooked moong dal to the pan and mix well.
• Add some more water if the mixture looks thick. The consistency should be similar to that of porridge or khichdi; it should drop slowly off a spoon, not pour.
• Reduce the heat to low.
• Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times.
• Check for salt and add more if needed.

Temper The Pongal

• 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.
• Tip – Save some tempering to garnish the ready pongal.