OATS PONGAL

OATS PONGAL
The inspiration for this dish was my previous experimentation of oats in bisibelebath. Again since the rice is completely mashed up in this dish, oats makes a good substitution for rice. Pongal is my favorite weekend breakfast. This time I made it on a weekday and the whole cooking time was only 5 minutes since I had already cooked the moong dhal the previous day. I did not add ghee this time and it tasted pretty good even without ghee. If needed, a dollop of ghee can also be added to this before serving. If anyone has tried making pongal with oats, please do pass on your suggestions.

INGREDIENTS:
Quick cooking or regular oats, 1 cup.
Moong dhal, 1/2 cup.
Peppercorns, 1 tablespoon.
Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon.
Curry leaves, a handful.
Ginger, 1 small piece.
Green chili, 1 (optional).
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Wash dhal well and cook it in a pressure cooker for up to 3 whistles until the lentils are all mushed up. Meanwhile, chop the ginger into fine pieces and slit the chili into 2 and keep aside. Heat a small pan with a teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the peppercorns, cumin seeds and fry then for a minute until good smell comes from the peppers and cumin. Then add the chopped ginger, curry leaves, and chili and fry everything for another minute. Now add 1-1/2 cup of water, the cooked dhal, and oats along with salt and mix everything well. Cook under medium flame for a few minutes until the oats is cooked and the dish turns into a pongal consistency. Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar.

NOTE: I have used quick-cooking oats, so I have used 1-1/2 cups of water for 1 cups of oats. If regular oats is used, another ¼ to ½ cup of water can be added while cooking.