Cracked wheat Pongal (Godhuma Rava Pongal)

Pongal is a comforting South Indian rice dish usually savored as breakfast.But it could pass for any meal. Cracked wheat Pongal is a healthy alternative to the regular rice pongal. It's made with Cracked wheat or Godhuma Rava cooked with split green gram (moong dal/Pesarapappu).

 I make this dish usually for dinner as it's quick n light yet makes up a satisfying meal. We usually have it with lemon pickle and my Majjiga Charu recipe ( spicy Yogurt). You can also serve Peanut chutney or Rasam along with it. It's packed with the goodness of carbs from wheat rava and proteins from Moong dal. The ghee in the dish acts as fat source. Together the ingredients create a wholesome meal. The pepper, ginger in the recipe helps with the digestion of lentils.So it is a healthy n balanced recipe in every way.

I have used Fine Rava for this recipe which is usually used to make Upma. This would give the right texture to the recipe. I got it from Indian store. You can make this dish on stove top or in pressure cooker. 

The usual pongal recipe calls for whole pepper corns but instead I have used pepper powder (only few peppercorns were used to get that authentic look ) .Using powder gives spicy flavor than when whole pepper corn is used. It would also help you from picking these out since they are not pleasant to consume. 

I have also used grated ginger as it would give nice ginger flavor compare to ginger pieces. I also added few ginger pieces as I love to eat those pieces. So it's your preference. Adjust amount of Ghee as per your liking.More is always tasty. What I do is use less ghee for cooking and top the finished dish wish generous amounts of ghee only for kids. Try it with my simple Majjiga Charu recipe today.

Servings:
Four (4)
Total time:
45 minutes(20 minute Soaking time) stovetop
25 minutes pressure cooker
Category:
Breakfast
Author:
Praveena Gudipati

Ingredients: (I use US standard measuring; 1cup=8oz=250ml)
1 cup Cracked wheat fine
1/2 cup Yellow Moong Dal (Skinned split Green Gram)
4.5 cups water
2 tbsp Ghee
1 teaspoon black pepper corns
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
2 inch ginger piece
1/4 tsp Turmeric

Cracked wheat Pongal step by step recipe with Photos

1. Soak Moong dal for 20 minutes in warm water.
2. Chop or grate ginger and keep aside.
3. Keep few peppercorns aside and grind rest of the peppercorns into a fine powder.
4. Heat a vessel and take 2 tablespoon Ghee in it. season with whole peppercorns,cumin seeds.When the seeds splutter add curry leaves,ginger, pepper powder.It would give a nice aroma when the pepper powder hits the ghee.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Add water to the vessel.Add salt to taste, turmeric. Now add the drained moong dal to this water.
   
   
   
   
6. Let the water boil and cook the dal till it changes color/cooked.Keep the vessel half covered during this process.
   
   
   
   
7. Once the dal is cooked add cracked wheat and cover the pan completely, cook for 10 minutes.The pongal should be runny when done.If not add more water and cook for a minute or two.Pongal becomes thick when it’s cooled down.
   
   
   
8.  Turn off the stove and Pongal is ready to serve.By the time I clicked photo it got thicker :-).
   

Pressure Cooking:

1. You can do the whole process in pressure pan/cooker.It would cut down some time doing in pressure cooker.
2. Once you add water,salt, turmeric and Moong dal, cover pressure cooker with no whistle. Cook until dal turns transparent. 
3. Add cracked wheat. Stir in nicely. Now put the whistle on, put the stove on medium heat, cook for 1-2 whistles. If you wait for 3 whistles the Pongal will turn thick. Rava Pongal tastes good when it's little runny. 

Tips: 

• You can boil dal and turn off stove and when it's time for dinner/ meal heat it, add cracked wheat and cook. This way you can have hot food on the table in 10 minutes and all the prep was done in advance.

Related Recipes:

• Paneer cracked wheat Upma
• Cracked wheat pulihora 
• Pongal
• Majjiga Charu