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    Home » Vegetarian

    Published: Feb 4, 2014 · Modified: Aug 23, 2020 by Usha Rao

    Homemade Instant Pongal Mix ~ Khichdi Mix

    When I saw the themes for this month’s blogging marathon and read even mixes are accepted for kitchen basics, first thing that came to mind was pongal mix. I remembered Shubha's pongal mix which she shared in one of the social networking groups. Yes, this again is a recipe from a social networking group! However, this is a different group, not the one I mentioned yesterday.

    Khichdi Mix, Instant Pongal Mix, Homemade Khichdi Mix, Blogging Marathon

    Shubha has a food blog and she also shared an upma & rava idli mix. It is the same mix for both upma & rava idli but the preparation varies depending on what is being prepared. I am not a big upma fan and would not make it unless U is eating it. And idli is something I cook once in a blue moon. The last time I made idli at home was almost 2-3 years ago or even longer. I know, you would have never expected to hear this from a South Indian but that is how it is in my home!

    Khichdi Mix, Instant Pongal Mix, Homemade Khichdi Mix, Blogging Marathon

    On days when I do not have any leftover curries for lunch, I often make a quick and easy pongal by pressure cooking rice, dal and peppercorns. When Shubha shared her instant mix recipes, pongal mix was on my to try list. If few minutes of preparation can give me a tastier pongal, why not give this mix a try? So finally made the mix this weekend. Instant pongal mix was ready in a matter of 10 minutes. According to Shubha this mix stays fresh for 6 months in the refrigerator. With this mix, pongal is ready in 5-10 minutes in a pressure cooker, plus the cooling time of the cooker. And the pongal is yummy and tastes lot better than my baby food like pongal!

    Khichdi Mix, Instant Pongal Mix, Homemade Khichdi Mix, Blogging Marathon

    Source: Shubha
    Preparation Time: 10 minutes

    Ingredients:

    • 5 tbsp. Ghee ~ Clarified Butter or Oil (I used olive oil)
    • 1 cup Moong Dal
    • 1 cup Rice (I used Basmati but can use rice of your choice)
    • 1 tsp. Chana Dal
    • 1 tsp. Urad Dal
    • ¼ cup Cashew Nuts broken into half
    • 1 tsp. Mustard Seeds
    • 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
    • 1 tsp. Black Peppercorns
    • 3 Dry red Chilies broken into small pieces
    • 1 tsp. Turmeric
    • 2 Cloves
    • 5-8 Curry Leaves
    • ¼ cup approx. chopped Cilantro ~ Fresh Coriander
    • Pinch of Asafoetida ~ Hing (I did not use it)
    • 2 tsp. Salt (This is an approx. measure. I forgot to measure how much I added. Adjust according to taste)
    • 1 ½ cups sliced Dry Coconut (I did not use)

    Preparation:

    • Heat ½ tbsp. of oil in a pan. I used a cast iron but any pan can be used. Fry moong dal for a minute or two until dal turns red.
    • Add rice and continue to fry for another couple of minutes or until rice changes color. Transfer to a plate and keep it aside.
    • In the same pan, heat remaining oil, add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
    • Add cashews and fry for few seconds until light golden brown. Keep an eye on the cashews as they roast very fast and do not burn them.
    • Add cumin, peppercorns, urad dal, chana dal, asafetida if using, red chilies, curry leaves, cilantro and cloves. Sauté till curry leaves and cilantro dehydrate.
    • Add salt and add back the rice mixture. Add coconut, if using. Mix well and remove from heat.
    • Cool the mixture completely and store in an airtight container. It can be store in the fridge for more than 6 months.

    To prepare Pongal:

    • Cook 1 cup of pongal mix with 2 ¼ cups of water in a pressure cooker. In my Hawkins pressure cooker, I cooked the pongal for 5 whistles on high heat. Let the cooker cool down and serve hot.

    Note:

    • Depending on the rice, cooking time and pongal mix to water ratio may vary. Shubha used 1:3 pongal mix to water ratio and cooked for only 1 whistle. Do a trail and error to figure out the right water to mix ratio and also the cooking time.

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Kinjal Shah says

      June 09, 2016 at 11:23 am

      Is it okay to consume the dal without washing it ? I want to make it for my kid so little concerned.

      Reply
      • MySpicyKitchen says

        June 09, 2016 at 4:22 pm

        It is ok. If you are unsure, wash the dal, drain the water and then roast the dal.

        Reply
    2. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      March 01, 2014 at 11:52 pm

      Usha, the pictures are just so awesome! Love the recipe as well. How long can we store it?

      Reply
      • MySpicyKitchen says

        March 02, 2014 at 9:09 am

        Sandhya, Shubha says we can store it for more than 6 months in the refrigerator. I just realized I forgot to link back to Shubha's post.

        Reply
    3. themadscientistskitchen says

      February 23, 2014 at 8:26 am

      Love the pics and the presentation.

      Reply
    4. sreevalli says

      February 11, 2014 at 6:35 pm

      Very instant dish... Pictures are inviting..

      Reply
    5. pradnya says

      February 09, 2014 at 9:12 am

      what a lovely recipe...loved the way you have presnted it

      Reply
    6. Pavani says

      February 07, 2014 at 6:23 pm

      That is such a great idea.. As Harini, this will be perfect to take along for long trips.
      Same pinch about idlis & even dosas. I'm too lazy to soak & grind the batter and keep postponing to make them 🙂

      Reply
    7. Suma Gandlur says

      February 07, 2014 at 5:11 pm

      Love both the recipe and presentation.

      Reply
    8. harini says

      February 07, 2014 at 6:43 am

      Lovely pictures! These mixes come in handy in summers when we go for long drives 🙂

      Reply
    9. Srivalli says

      February 06, 2014 at 3:12 am

      Usha, your pictures are stunning...love them!..and these instant mixes is what I had as theme a while ago. Suma had shared some interesting ones..I love such instant mixes and podis..saves so much time right..

      Reply
    10. Mireille says

      February 06, 2014 at 12:31 am

      what a time saver!

      Reply
    11. Varada says

      February 05, 2014 at 7:57 pm

      Tried and tested recipes from friends are the best. I would never have expected the rice to be part of the mix. This is like homemade instant food.

      Reply
    12. sailaja says

      February 05, 2014 at 4:13 pm

      Love the pot & clicks
      http://www.sailajakitchen.org

      Reply
    13. PJ says

      February 04, 2014 at 11:31 pm

      That is such a handy mix!Lovely pics Usha 🙂

      Reply

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    Hi, I am Usha! Welcome to my space. I am the content creator and photographer here. I love cooking and all the recipes on the site are tried and tested in my kitchen.

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