Pongal

Accompaniments:
1) Eggplant in tamarind sauce (Kathrikkai Puli Gothsu)
2) Sambar/Kozhambu/Menthiya Kozhambu/Vathhakozhambu/Mor Kozhambu/Kootu
4) Chutney/Pickle/Thogayal
5) Aviyal

Ingredients:
Raw Rice - 1 cup (Sona Masoori or Ponni)
Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Water - 4 to 5 cups
Salt to taste
Asafetida(Hing) - 1/4 teaspoon
Ginger - about half an inch, grated [Do not peel, as long as its cleaned well]
Jeera Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Peppercorn - 10 to 12 seeds
Curry leaves - 7 to 10
Cashews - 7 to 10 (optional)
Ghee/Clarified Butter - As needed

Step 1: Prep
Pressure Cook:
In a vessel add rice, moong dal, asafoetida and water and pressure cook it. This needs to be over cooked and not cooked to the consistency of rice. Once pressure valve is released, take the vessel out and mash the mixture well. I use a pav bhaji masher for this.

Step 2: Cooking
In a pan take a teaspoon of ghee. Roast the cashews and set aside.
To the leftover ghee in the pan add jeera seeds, peppercorn, finely chopped curry leaves, grated ginger. Toss it well and then add the mashed rice, moong dal mixture and salt to taste and mix well. Once required consistency is achieved, add 1-2 teaspoons of ghee and mix well. Hot Pongal is ready to eat.

Note to Self:
1) If you need it to be healthier, feel free to reduce the rice to 3/4 cup and add 1/2 cup Moong Dal
2) Substitute pepper corn with finely chopped green chilies for a completely different flavor

Correction Notes: Everyone makes a cooking blunder!!

Incase you do not cook the rice enough and the consistency is not mushy, do not fear!! Add a little more hot water and close your pan and cook a little more and mash it as needed.
Alternately, if you added too much water and its more soupy than mushy, the best way to remedy teh situation is to microwave the contents till the required consistency is achieved. Microwaving dries the food and you will be able to get the required consistency faster.