Rave Pongal :
You need the following :
Rave/Semolina - 1 cup
Hesarubele/Dhuli moongdal - 1/5th of the cup
Water : 1 cup rava: 2.5 cups water
Vaggarane Samanu /Seasoning
Black Pepper : 1/2 tsp +5 more
Jeera : 1/2 tsp
1. Cook hesarubele/moongdal separately and keep it aside. Measure the water which stands above moongdal. Adjust the water you add later accordingly.
2. Roast semolina till it is fragrant. Keep it aside
3. Roast/Fry 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp jeera and powder them. Keep it ready
4. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan. Add mustard jeera mixture and asafoetida. When mustard stops popping and asfoetida starts emanating its fragrance, throw in cashew nuts and when they start browning add ginger, curry leaves, green chilli, ginger,5 whole pepper and sautee. Next goes pepper n jeera powder to the pan. Mix and fry for a fraction of second. Add moongdal with water. Add plain water according to the quantity of moong dal water. Salt goes in next. Bring this mixture to boil.
5. Check salt levels and add more if required. Reduce the heat and wait for a second before you start adding rava slowly. Add rava, stir, add again. Once you are done adding all rava, let it cook for 1 or 2 mins. Switch off the stove, close the pan and let it settle down.
6. Serve with your favorite accompaniment. We liked it with Uddinahittu Gojju .
1. India users use small grain rava or bengaluru rava as we call in Karnataka. You can use bansi rava too, but bengaluru rava pongal was my choice. Bansi rava when cools down becomes grainy on the other hand Bengaluru rava still behaves like pongal :D keeping its mushiness intact.
2. Hesarubele/moongdal to rice proportion is less compared to normal rice pongal. Moongdal taste dominates in rave pongal if you add more.