Last month during Thai Pongal festival I made this Millet Ven Pongal / Thinai Venn Pongal / Savory foxtail millet Khichdi. Foxtail Millet/Thinai is the only millet we usually get in Asian store nearby. Today is
Thaipusam, a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon day in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February). History speaks this festival is mainly related to Tamil God Muruga who destroyed the evils using Vel/Spear given by Goddess Parvathi on that day. I am glad to share one such healthy millet recipe during this special occasion…
Pongal Recipe Collections
- Foxtail Millet Sweet Pongal
- Clay Pot Sakkarai Pongal (Sweet Pongal)
- Brown Rice Sakkarai Pongal
- Stove top Sweet Pongal/ Karupatti Pongal
- Proso Millet Savory Pongal/Pani Varagu Savory Pongal
- Brown Rice Oats Khara (Savory) Pongal
- Pongal Gravy / Mochai Kottai Puli Kuzhambu
- Pachai Mochai Kottai Poriyal
- Pachai Mochai Pidukku Kuzhambu
Maual Pressure Cooker Millet Ven Pongal
- Wash and soak the millet (Pic 1) for at least 30 minutes.
- Wash and soak the moong dal separately for 10 minutes not more than that.
- Meanwhile keep the other stuffs ready.
- In a kadai/pan add oil or ghee temper mustard seeds followed by cumin seeds.
- When mustard and cumin crackles add whole pepper, chopped green chilis and curry leaves (or you can coarsely grind all as shown in the video tutorial).
- Saute everything for a minute or 2 , add chopped cashews now or later after the pongal got cooked.
- Add the soaked moong dal (Pic 2), fry it for 2-3 minutes in medium flame till nice aroma attains (Pic 3).
- Now add soaked thinai/foxtail millet (Pic 3), turmeric powder (Pic 4) mix everything well, add salt.
- In a pressure cooker pour 3 and 1/2 cups of water to the prepared millet mixture.
- Adjust salt , give a nice stir and allow 3 hisses, when pressure goes off completely (Pic 5), open the lid and mix pongal from top to bottom (Pic 6).
- “For tempering”, this is optional. In the same kadai/pan add ghee followed by mustard seeds, cashew nuts (sauté until golden brown) and add this thalipu/sizzling mixture over the cooked pongal.
- Serve the hot millet pongal with Coconut Chutney , Sambar and Vada.
Millet Ven Pongal Ingredients
Thinai/Foxtail Millet – 1 Cup
Yellow Split Moong Dal/Pasi Paruppu – 1/3 Cup
Cumin Seeds – 1.25tsp
Green Chili – 3-4 Numbers (Small)
Whole Black Peppercorns – 3/4tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4tsp
Salt and Oil or Ghee – As Needed
Ginger – 2 inches
Whole or Chopped Curry Leaves – Few
Hing/Asafoetida – A Pinch (Optional)
Cashew Nuts – 2-3 Tbsp (finely chopped)
Mustard Seeds – 1 /4tsp
Quick Video Demo Explanation
I have made both sweet and savory millet Pongal in one pot, one shot. The video at the end of the post clearly explains the procedure I did
- Soaked millets separately for both dishes.
- Added ghee, First sautéed Fruit, nuts for sweet Pongal, kept aside.
- Later added few drops of ghee, sautéed ingredients for savory millet pongal
- Aldo sautéed dal in IP , added soaked millets and necessary water to cook in Instant pot inner pot.
- Can use trivet and it’s optional, Now I placed the millet soaked separately for sweet Pongal with necessary water over it and covered it properly with a plate (otherwise savory stuff get into it).
- Pressure cooked and once done, mashed the plain cooked millet, added sugar syrup, fried nuts, Cardamom powder etc and sweet pongal is ready.
- By that time savory Foxtail Millet Pongal is also ready , mash and serve hot.
Instant Pot Millet Ven Pongal
- Rinse and soak millet (Pic 1 & 3) for at least 30 minutes ahead of preparation.
- Measure dal/lentil, rinse and keep aside(Pic 2& 3).
- Coarsely grind pepper, cumin, ginger, green chili (pic 4) and keep aside (Pic 5).
- Set Instant pot to medium sauté mode.
- Add ghee or oil to the instant pot inner pot.
- You can fry cashews to golden brown and add to Pongal while serving for crunchy effect but I added while sautéing other ingredients.
- Add mustard seeds when it crackles add curry leaves.
- Now add ground spices , turmeric powder and sauté till nice aroma attains.
- Add moong dal and do fry for a minute (Pic 6).
- Cancel the sauté mode, add soaked millets (Pic 7) and for 1 cup (including dal/lentil) add 3 cups of water for grainy texture and 3.5cups to 4 cups for gooey Pongal.
- If you soaked the millet for more than an hour do reduce water quantity.
- Add salt, stir it, close the lid and make sure the lid is in sealing position to cook.
- Either you can cook directly in the inner pot or use Pot In Pot method.
- In Picture 8 , I cooked savory pongal in the IP inner pot, and used PIP to cook millets for sweet pongal.
- Set the IP in high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally or depressurize after 15 minutes.
- Open the lid by pressing the valve in vent mode/ by releasing pressure if any.
- Once the millet is perfectly cooked (Pic 9), Mash them well.
- If the Pongal consistency looks grainy add optional milk or few tbsps of hot water and simmer for couple of minutes.
- Or simmer over stove for few mins with necessary water.
- Once its cooked well (Pic 10), can decorate with fried nuts and serve Pongal hot ☺️ with chutney , sambar and brinjal goshtu.
Millet Ven Pongal Video Recipe
Millet Ven Pongal Recipe Card
- Thinai/Foxtail Millet – 1 Cup
- Yellow Split Moong Dal/Pasi Paruppu – 1/3 Cup
- Cumin Seeds – 1.25tsp
- Green Chili – 3-4 Numbers Small
- Whole Black Peppercorns – 3/4tsp
- Turmeric Powder – 1/4tsp
- Salt and Oil or Ghee – As Needed
- Ginger – 2 inches
- Whole or Chopped Curry Leaves – Few
- Hing/Asafoetida – A Pinch Optional
- Cashew Nuts – 2-3 Tbsp finely chopped
- Mustard Seeds – 1 /4tsp
-
Rinse and soak millet for at least 30 minutes ahead of preparation.
-
Measure dal/lentil, rinse and keep aside.
-
Coarsely grind pepper, cumin, ginger, green chili and keep aside.
-
Set Instant pot to medium sauté mode.
-
Add ghee or oil to the instant pot inner pot.
-
You can fry cashews to golden brown and add to Pongal while serving for crunchy effect but I added while sautéing other ingredients.
-
Add mustard seeds when it crackles add curry leaves.
-
Now add ground spices , turmeric powder and sauté till nice aroma attains.
-
Add moong dal and do fry for a minute.
-
Cancel the sauté mode, add soaked millets and for 1 cup (including dal/lentil) add 3 cups of water for grainy texture and 3.5cups to 4 cups for gooey Pongal.
-
If you soaked the millet for more than an hour do reduce water quantity.
-
Add salt, stir it, close the lid and make sure the lid is in sealing position to cook.
-
Either you can cook directly in the inner pot or use Pot In Pot method.
-
Set the IP in high pressure for 8 minutes.
-
Let the pressure release naturally or depressurize after 15 minutes.
-
Open the lid by pressing the valve in vent mode/ by releasing pressure if any.
-
Once the millet is perfectly cooked, Mash them well.
-
If the Pongal consistency looks grainy add optional milk or few tbsps of hot water and simmer for couple of minutes.
-
Or simmer over stove for few mins with necessary water.
-
Once its cooked well , can decorate with fried nuts and serve Pongal hot ☺️ with chutney , sambar and brinjal gojju.
-
Wash and soak the millet for at least 30 minutes.
-
Wash and soak the moong dal separately for 10 minutes not more than that.
-
Meanwhile keep the other stuffs ready.
-
In a kadai/pan add oil or ghee temper mustard seeds followed by cumin seeds.
-
When mustard and cumin crackles add whole pepper, chopped green chilis and curry leaves (or you can coarsely grind all as shown in the video tutorial).
-
Saute everything for a minute or 2 , add chopped cashews now or later after the pongal got cooked.
-
Add the soaked moong dal, fry it for 2-3 minutes in medium flame till nice aroma attains (Pic 3).
-
Now add soaked thinai/foxtail millet , turmeric powder mix everything well, add salt.
-
In a pressure cooker pour 3 and 1/2 cups of water to the prepared millet mixture.
-
Adjust salt , give a nice stir and allow 3 hisses, when pressure goes off completely, open the lid and mix pongal from top to bottom.
-
“For tempering”, this is optional. In the same kadai/pan add ghee followed by mustard seeds, cashew nuts (sauté until golden brown) and add this thalipu/sizzling mixture over the cooked pongal.
-
Serve the hot millet pongal with Coconut Chutney , Sambar and Vada.
Meena Kumar
Yuuummmy spread pongal with thinai never tried that ..
mullaimadavan
Thinai pongal looks tempting, wish I was there to eat it all!
Linsy Patel
the whole platter looks inviting. pass me please