Oats Pongal

Oats Pongal is a healthy South Indian breakfast dish. This is a wonderful way to incorporate oats in your daily diet. It is nutritious and very easy to prepare apart from the fact that it tastes very close to the original Ven Pongal. This fiber and protein rich breakfast dish can be served with sambar/chutney. You can use gluten free oats if you are on a gluten free diet. If you want to avoid dairy, substitute ghee with oil.

Try this wonderful dish at your home and enjoy a healthy and hearty meal…

Cooking time: 30 minutes

No. of servings: 4

Spice level: 2.5 out of 5

Ingredients:

• Rolled oats – 1 cup
• Split moong dal – 1/2 cup
• Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tbsp
• Choped ginger – 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 3/4 tbsp
• Crushed black pepper – 1 tsp
• A few curry leaves
• A pinch of asafoetida
• Salt to taste

Method of Preparation:

Wash and pressure cook moong dal with 1 and 1/2 cups of water. Boil 2 cups of water with a little salt in a pan and add oats and cook for 3 to 4 minutes (or follow the instruction on the package).

Add cooked moong dal and mix well and let it cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add a tbsp of ghee and mix well.

In between, heat a tbsp of ghee in a separate pan and add cashew nut and fry for a minute and then add cumin seeds, crushed pepper, curry leaves and asafoetida. Toss until cashews become golden brown in color. Finally add finely chopped ginger and turn off the stove.

Add this mixture to the prepared pongal, mix well and remove from heat. Transfer the contents to a serving bowl.

When you are cooking oats you may need some additional hot water. So it is good to have a cup of hot water ready by your side. For a Gluten free and dairy free pongal, substitute oil for ghee/clarified butter.