Pongal

Pongal is a very popular dish in South India. This is similar to the kichhdi from North India. It is served as prasad in many temples. It is a wholesome food, rich in protein and low in fat and easy to prepare too !

Category : South Indian dish

Ingredients:

Rice (brown or polished) : 1/4 measure or ~60 gms (1 cup)

Green gram/moong dal: equal amount or slightly more, dry roasted

Copra : 1-2 tbsp, grated (optional)

For Seasoning:

Oil : 5-6 tbsp + 1 tbsp ghee

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Cashews: as needed, whole or pieces

Green chillies: 3-4 or to taste, slit

Ginger : 1 inch, preferably grated/ sliced

Curry leaves: few

Coriander leaves: handful, diced

Pepper corn/ powder : a dash

Turmeric/saffron : dash, optional

Method :

Wash and cook rice and dal in a pressure cooker to just one whistle. While it cools, prepare the seasoning with all the ingredients. Add saffron, turmeric and pepper powder after it is done. Now adjust the cooked rice/dal to required consistency with water, add salt and let it come to boil. Turn of the heat and add seasoning, copra and mix well and serve hot with chutney, raita or papad.

Preparation time : ~40 min Servings : 2-3

Tip : If you dry roast moong dal before storing, it will increase its storage life and saves time while cooking.

INFORMATION

Vegan - YES

Gluten Free - YES

Glycemic Index (GI) is the rate of release of glucose in to blood stream, GI of glucose equal to 100 Beans (Mung bean) : 24-28 GI ; Brown rice: 68 ; White rice : 73

Glycemic Load (calculated based on GI and carbohydrates in a serving size. 1-10 low GL; 11-19 med; 20 & above high GL food):

Lentils 5 GL (for 150 g serving); Brown rice: 20 ; White rice : 35

CALORIES : 1 Bowl pongal (233 g ) = 240 Cal

NUTRITIVE VALUE :

Moong dal : 100 g of boiled mung beans contain: 7.02 g of protein, 19.15 g carbohydrate, including 2 g sugar, 7.60 g dietary fiber and Vit B9 or folate. In addition it contains many vitamins and minerals.

Rice : Cooked, unenriched, white rice is composed of 68% water, 28% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and negligible fat. In a 100 gram serving, it provides 130 calories. Cooked, white, short-grained rice also contains moderate amounts of B vitamins (including thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin), iron, magnesium and manganese (10–17% DV) per 100 gram amount. Brown rice has more dietary fiber which is lost during polishing of white rice

HEALTH BENEFITS :

Mung bean is known to have many health benefits including antioxidant/ anti inflammatory/ anti fungal properties, in reducing diabetes and hyper tension and anti-tumor properties.

Rice is rich in carbohydrates and mostly provides the energy requirement. It is gliten free and hence useful to people with celiac disease.

ORIGIN :

Mung bean (Vigna radiata) belongs to the bean family, Fabaceae. Carbonized mung beans have been discovered in many archeological sites in India. Areas with early finds include the eastern zone of the Harappan Civilisation in modern-day Pakistan and western- and northwestern India, where finds date back about 4,500 years, and South India in the modern state of Karnataka where finds date back more than 4,000 years. Some scholars, therefore, infer two separate domestications in the northwest and south of India.

Rice, Oryza sativa (Asian rice) belongs to the grass family, Poaceae. Asian rice, Oryza sativa, is one of oldest crop species. It has tens of thousands of varieties and two major subspecies, japonica and indica. Some Archeologists argue that rice farming began in south-central China along the Yangzte River and spread to Korea and Japan from there south and northeast. While other Archaeologists argue that rice cultivation started in the valley of the Ganges River and Indus valley

WATER FOOTPRINT (is litres of water needed to produce the food) :

Moong dal (Beans) : 2018 L/Kg; Brown Rice : 2172 L/Kg; White Rice : 2497 L/Kg;

DID YOU KNOW :

Cellophane or glass noodles, also known as bean thread, harusame, are fine, dry transparent noodles made from green mung beans paste (starch). They are used in Chinese, Thai and other Asian cuisines.

Rice is one of the oldest cereal grains in the world, and people have grown it for at least 5,000 years. Brown rice is a whole grain that contains the bran and germ. These provide fiber and several vitamins and minerals. White rice is a refined grain that has had these nutritious parts removed.

REFERENCES :

https://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Report47-WaterFootprintCrops-Vol1.pdf https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/1/glycemicindex.pdf https://www.healthline.com

Wikipedia