Khara Pongal is a popular South Indian Breakfast prepared using split moong dal and rice , it's one of the main dish during Sankranti . Khara pongal is served hot along with coconut chutney and ghee .
Duo combination of khara pongal is sweet pongal also known as sakkarai pongal , which is also made during sankranti / pongal festival.
Also one more variant of Khara pongal is Huggi Anna , which is popular in Karnataka. Its made during Pongal festival . Though ingredients in Huggi anna are almost same as khara pongal with slight variations , the consistency of the rice and preparation methods are slightly different. Another variant of khara pongal is Rava Pongal , it's one of my favorite breakfast.
If you are looking for Pongal festival recipes then be sure to find best of best Sankranti recipe collections here.
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About this recipe
Khara pongal is one the simplest and comfort breakfast recipe in South India. Pongal is prepared mainly with split moong dal and rice. This recipe is quick and easy to make .
Khara in Kannada refers to "heat from spice" Though the name says spicy pongal, it’s not so. It’s just the name given to differentiate between Sweet pongal or Chakkare Pongal.
Khara Pongal is a spicy version of pongal. There are 2 different variations of making Khara pongal , version from Tamil Nadu is called Ven Pongal and in Karnataka , its called Khara Pongal .
This Karnataka style Khara Pongal , is normally seen in restaurants and also it's a breakfast menu in most of the South Indian wedding ceremonies. For this Pongal , roasted cumin seeds and black peppercorns are used. Also few uses tamarind juice or milk to make Khara Pongal. These are just the slight variations that are made to this original recipe.
Other Variant , Ven Pongal is served as prashad in temples during “Dhanur Masa” as per Hindu Calendar . Dhanurmasa falls from mid December to mid January ,till Sankranti. Where early morning pooja will be performed around Peepal Tree in a temple and have Ven Pongal also known as ghee pongal as prasad.
Ingredients
Check out the image below , these are the ingredients that went in to make this tasty Khara pongal recipe .
Pulses : Split Yellow Moong Dal is the main ingredient in Khara Pongal. Green moong dal with skin is not used to make Pongal .
Rice : Any variety of rice can be used ,as pongal has porridge consistency , no specific variety of rice is required here.
Produce : Green chillies , Ginger, curry leaves and dry coconut are used in this recipe.
Fat : Ghee / Clarified Butter is used as it brings out all flavours . Though yo can use any flavourless cooking oil , ghee is highly recomended.
Spices : Cumin and Blackpepper are must , as all flavours are from these spices.
Tempering ingredients - like mustard seeds ,cumin seeds , blackpepper corns , curry leaves , dry red chillies , cashews and asafoetida are used.
Others : Water about 5.5 cups is used in this recipe. Salt as required
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How to make Khara Pongal
Wash and soak rice for 10 minutes,drain and keep it apart.Wash Moong dal and keep it aside.
Add grated ginger and finely chopped green chillies, also add pinch of turmeric powder. Mix everything well and add 5 ½ cups of water and salt to taste. Pressure cook for 1 whistle.
For Tempering, heat ghee in tadka pan and remaining oil, add mustard seeds and black peppercorns.
Once it crackles , turn the flame to sim, add cashews,dry red chilli , asafoetida,jeera seeds and curry leaves and fry well. Pour tadka over the pongal, add copra/dry coconut mix well.Keep on a medium heat and allow to cook for 4-5 Minutes.
Serve it super hot with coconut chutney.
This post has been updated from the archives, was first published in January 2014.
Recipe Card
Khara Pongal Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Split Moong Dal
- ½ Cup Regular Rice
- 1 teaspoon Green chillies ,finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger ,grated
- ½ Cup Dry coconut , grated
- 3 tablespoon Oil
- 5 ½ Cup Water
- 1 ½ -2 teaspoon Salt or as required
Dry Roast Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Jeera /cumin seeds
- ¾ teaspoon Black peppercorns
For Tempering
- 3 tablespoon Ghee / Clarified Butter
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 tablespoon Cashews pieces
- 2 Sprigs Curry Leaves
- 1 Big Pinch Asafoetida / Hing
- 2 no Dry red Chillies , Broken.
Instructions
- Wash and soak rice for 10 minutes,drain and keep it aside.Wash Moong dal and keep it aside.
- In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tablespoon of oil and fry moong dal lightly for a 1-2 minutes, for this add rice and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Add grated ginger and finely chopped green chillies, also add pinch of turmeric powder.
- Mix everything well and add 5 ½ cups of water and salt to taste. Pressure cook for 1 whistle.
- Dry roast Black peppercorns and cumin seeds. Coarsely powder it in a mortar and pestle and set aside.
- Once pressure is released on its own, add the above coarsely grounded powder and mix well. Adjust water if it’s too thick.
- For Tempering, Heat ghee in tadka pan and remaining oil, add mustard seeds and black peppercorns.
- Once it crackles, keep flame on sim, add cashews,dry red chilli, asafoetida,jeera seeds and curry leaves and fry well.
- Pour tadka over the pongal, add copra/dry coconut mix well.
- Keep on a medium heat and allow to cook for 4-5 Minutes.
- Serve it super hot with coconut chutney.
Jenny Raj
Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe Ma'm ,It came out simply superb 🙂
Muktha Gopinath
Hey Jenny,that's great to know.Good you tried a recipe from my blog 😊
Padma K
This is now my go-to recipe for pongal! 🙂
Asha
It's one of the best khara pongal recipe ,I have come across . Tried this today ,too good , everyone loved at home. Thanks for the recipe mam 👍
Muktha
I am glad that you loved the recipe . Thank You
Darshana
hello mam, I tried your pongal recipe yesterday abd it was exactly like the one I tasted in a southindian cafe. loved it and ot was finished within an hour of making it. Thank you so much for such simply delicious recipes.
Muktha
I'm so glad ,you liked it Darshana . Do try other recipes too and give ur thoughts about the same. Thank You
Pavani
Delicious recipe ,now I have become a fan of this Pongal. Its so so so yum and light on stomach ,healthy too. Thanks again for this wonder recipe mam. Plz share Restaurant style Dal Kichadi recipe too.
Muktha
I'm glad that you liked it . Sure I'll share the recipe soon.Thank u
Vikram rao
In Karnataka,it's not called pongal..(which means to increase or raise),it's called huggi (which also translates to similar expanding..increasing ECT)
Muktha
Hi Vikram , I basically belong to Mysore and we do call this version of Pongal as Khara Pongal and we do get as prasada in all temples during Dhanurmasa . May be over the period of years huggi has got a generic name as Khara Pongal . Yes , rice made with moong dal is called Huggi Anna in Karnataka but texture , taste and consistency wise, Huggi Anna has no comparison with Pongal. But I definitely agree that there are different regional names given for a particular dish. And this Khara Pongal is one of the version of classic Tamil Ven Pongal with different taste . This type of Khara Pongal is what we get in darshini's of Bengaluru and also most popular breakfast during religious ceremonies and functions.Thank You , hope I have answered.