1. Dry roast mung dhal until it just changes colour.

2. Wash rice and mung dhal together and soak for an hour. Drain in a colander.

3. In a large saucepan bring milk and 2 cups of water to a boil. Add dhal, rice and coconut. Cook on medium low heat, stirring often, until water is completely absorbed.

4. Add brown sugar, cook on low heat, stirring frequently to prevent pongal sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add 3 teaspoons ghee and cook until sugar mixes well with rice and dhal and pongal becomes a sticky mass.

5. Warm 1 teaspoon ghee in a small saucepan over a medium low heat. Fry cashew nuts until golden. Stir in sultanas and fry for about 20 seconds. Add to pongal.

6. Stir in cardamom and cloves. Remove from heat.

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Serve warm.

Serves 8 

 

⅓ cup mung dhal (split, skinned green gram)

½ cup basmati rice

1 cup fat free milk

2 tablespoons desiccated coconut

1 cup brown sugar

4 teaspoons ghee (clarified butter)

 

10 cashew nuts, broken into bits

1 tablespoon sultanas

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground cloves or nutmeg