Try This Healthier Ven Pongal Recipe

The Pongal harvest festival is around the corner and you may be getting ready to cook your favourite rice ven pongal dish. For those with diabetes, the carbohydrate level in rice may cause blood glucose (sugar) levels to rise. So we experimented with a healthier alternative for rice in the traditional pongal dish.

The Oats Ven Pongal Recipe is a simple, wholesome and flavourful dish that is very quick and easy to prepare. The dish is prepared in a very similar to the traditional Rice Ven Pongal, except that the cooking time is reduced.The addition of oats doesn't change the taste of the Pongal- it remains  creamy and full of flavors from the oil, ginger and black pepper.

Oats contain beta glucan which does not allow blood sugars to peak after you have eaten.

Read More: Diabetes and Carbohydrates

Ingredients

• Oats - 1/2 cup
• Split yellow moong (dal/pasi paruppu) - 1/4 cup
• Cashew nuts - 3 (break into 2-3 pieces)
• Salt as needed
• Olive Oil for frying cashew nuts and oats -1/2 tsp

Seasoning

• Olive Oil - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger finely chopped - 1 tsp
• Whole black pepper -1 tsp
• Cumins seeds (jeera) -1 tsp
• Curry leaves -a few

Method

1. Soak moong dal (split green gram dal) in hot water for 10 minutes and cook until soft.
2. Fry cashew nuts in 1/4 tsp of oil until golden brown.
3. Fry oats in 1/4 tsp of oil for 2 minutes in low flame.
4. Cook oats in half a cup of water adding salt.
5. Then add cooked moong dal to oats and cook for some more time until well blended. Check for salt.
6. Heat 1 tsp of oil, add pepper and cumins seeds, when cumins seeds sizzles, add ginger, curry leaves, saute for a second and pour it over the cooked ‘oats+dal’ mix. Mix well.
7. Garnish with cashew nuts and serve hot.  Serve with sambar.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 55.7 gm
• Calories : 195 kcal
• Carbohydrate : 36.8 gm
• Protein: 10 gm
• Fat : 1.3 gm

Download the recipe