Pongal invokes in me some fond childhood memories. As a kid, I would look forward to this dish, which was offered as prasad (a devotional offering made to God) at our neighborhood temple. In fact, that was a big draw for me. It was probably the priest’s way of incenting kids to visit the temple. He would make a variety of offerings for different days of the week, all of them equally delicious!

 

Harvest Festival

Besides the dish, a harvest festival celebrated in South India, is also referred to as pongal. Yes, it can be confusing! This festival usually happens around mid-January and is also called Sankranti. I used to have so much fun during this time! We would have kite flying competitions that were both organized and impromptu (happens to this day!). Folks of all ages flying kites from roof tops, yelling, loud music and what not. It was a blast!

 

Harvest Festival

Harvest Festival

 

Sweet & Savory Versions

 

Not only is pongal made as a savory dish, it also has a sweet version. The sweet version is referred to as ‘Chakkarai Pongal’ or ‘Huggi’ (check out our Huggi recipe here). I’m personally not a big fan of sweet dishes (the exact opposite of my dad!), so I would opt for the savory version any day.

 

Khichdi

 

Undoubtedly, there are some clear similarities between savory pongal and Khichdi. Khichdi, a popular detox recipe is also made from lentils and rice, though the other ingredients may vary. Khichdi is one of my comfort foods. I have several versions of this dish that I churn out, depending on my mood.

 

Savory Brown Rice Pongal

 

While this is traditionally made with white rice, I wanted to make it healthier by replacing with brown rice. I also plan on trying it with quinoa soon. The challenge with brown rice is that it takes much longer to cook than white rice. You will need to soak it for at least a couple of hours before cooking. It turned out great for me – well worth the extra time!

 

Accompaniments

 

For the most part, any good South Indian restaurant typically serves this dish with vada (savory fried lentil donut). It is called Pongal-Vada. The sides include sambar (savory lentil and veggie soup) and 2 to 3 chutneys. A complete meal in itself! My personal favorite is a restaurant called Saravana Bhavan, located on Lexington Ave in New York (they have other locations globally). I never miss an opportunity to eat here whenever I happen to be in NY. So good!

My favorite is to eat pongal with this delicious Hunase (Tamarind) Gojju.

 

Pongal-Vada at Saravana Bhavan

Pongal-Vada at Saravana Bhavan

 

While you’re here, check out some of our delicious brown rice recipes:

 

Why is this Healthy?

Consisting mostly of brown rice and yellow mung beans, this recipe is rich in fiber and protein, making for a great breakfast, snack or your main dish at a meal.

 

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2.50 from 2 votes

Savory Brown Rice Pongal

This South Indian breakfast dish made primarily from rice and lentils is delicious! Enjoy it with sambar, coconut chutney or tomato chutney.
Course Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Brown Rice, Ginger, Pongal, seasoning, South Indian, Spices, yellow mung
Special Diet Gluten Free, No Added Sugar, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rice Soak Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 People
Calories 353kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup Yellow Mung - Split
  • 1 Cup Brown Rice
  • 1 Tablespoon Ginger - Chopped fine
  • 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper - Whole corns
  • 15 Curry Leaves
  • 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
  • 1 Chili Green Chili Pepper - Slit in half
  • 8 Cashew nuts - Whole
  • 2 Tablespoons Ghee - Clarified butter
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt - or to taste

Instructions

  • Wash brown rice well and soak in water for 2-3 hours. Make sure you have all your ingredients in one place for easy access.
  • Set Instant Pot on 'sauté' mode and add 1 tablespoon ghee. Once the 'hot' sign comes up, add soaked brown rice, mung lentils and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add 3 cups of water, mix well, put the lid on and turn IP to pressure cook mode on manual for 35 minutes. Once done open the lid and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
  • Set a pan on medium flame, add a half tablespoon of ghee, wait until it is heated and add chopped ginger, peppercorns, curry leaves, cashew nuts and cumin seeds. Roast till cashews are slightly brown and turn off the flame.
  • Add sauteed ingredients to the pressure cooked lentils/rice and mix well and serve hot.

Notes

Pongal is typically served with sambar and coconut chutney but it also goes great with tomato chutney, or a tamarind-onion based stew called Hunase Gojju.
*Use organic ingredients wherever possible

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Savory Brown Rice Pongal
Serving Size
 
125 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
353
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
10
g
15
%
Saturated Fat
 
5
g
31
%
Cholesterol
 
19
mg
6
%
Sodium
 
303
mg
13
%
Potassium
 
176
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
 
54
g
18
%
Fiber
 
5
g
21
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
11
g
22
%
Vitamin A
 
192
IU
4
%
Vitamin C
 
75
mg
91
%
Calcium
 
53
mg
5
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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