Thinai Ven Pongal | Foxtail Millet Savory Pongal

Ven Pongal and Gothsu are one of my favorite comfort meals! It is sort of a regular at our house and lucky for me that my boys love it as well. It is one of the easiest one pot meals and since my them for this week is One pot Meal, I thought I will try a different version of Ven pongal using millet. Thinai Ven Pongal is absolutely a similar recipe like Ven Pongal / Khara Pongal, except it is made using millet instead of rice.

Pongal is a very popular South Indian Breakfast recipe, that is typically made using Rice and Dal (lentil). It has the essential protein and the carbohydrate required to keep one full until lunch. It is typically a one pot meal made in pressure cooker. I used Instant Pot to make this pongal and it pretty much does the whole thing without me having to baby sit it. This makes it a quick recipe to make in the mornings. 

The first time I tried using Thinai / foxtail millet was, when making Thinai Sweet Paniyaram. It was absolutely loved by all in our house especially my paniyaram loving son. Millet is a wonderful sneaky ingredient that can be swapped for rice without much change in the flavor. The Ven pongal especially had no difference in flavor and we loved the smooth texture of the millet.

If you are looking to make a sweet version of pongal, then definitely check out the Chakkara Pongal / Sweet Pongal recipe and also Quinoa Chakkara Pongal if you are looking to use whole grains. 

After the 2 rice recipes, Cabbage biriyani and Sambhar Sadham that I made for this week’s One Pot Meal theme, my third recipe is with millet. If you are someone who is hesitant to try millet, then I would highly suggest that you try this recipe.

Preparation time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 15 minutes
Difficulty level – Easy

Ingredients to make Thinai Ven Pongal Recipe – Serves 4

• Thinai / Foxtail Millet – 1 cup
• Payatham paruppu / Moong Dal – 1/2 cup
• Coconut oil – 2 TBSP
• Peppercorn – 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
• Curry leaves – few
• Ginger – 1 inch piece (finely grated)
• Asafetida – 1/4 tsp
• Salt – to taste

Procedure to make Thinai Ven Pongal Recipe – 

• Leaving about 1/2 tsp of black pepper and cumin seeds aside, combine the rest and grind it into a smooth powder.
• Dry roast the moong dal until lightly golden brown and aromatic, about 5 to 7 minutes in low-medium flame. Add the measured millet into the same pan and give a quick stir. Turn off the heat.

• Transfer this into the instant pot container or a container that goes inside the pressure cooker. I made mine in the Instant pot.
• Rinse it well and add about 5 cups of water to the pot.
• Set the IP on manual mode and set the cook time to 12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally after done.
• When the millet/moong dal mixture is done cooking, heat a small pan and add coconut oil to it. If you are not looking for a vegan version, then you can use ghee.

• Add the reserved 1/2 tsp of pepper corn and cumin along with asafteida, salt, curry leaves, ginger and the powdered pepper/cumin mixture. Fry them well until aromatic (about 1 to 2 minutes).
• Slightly mash the cooked millet/lentil mixture and add the fried seasonings. Mix well to combine and adjust the consistency. Add a splash of water if the Pongal appears too thick.

• Check for salt and adjust if needed. Serve hot with Coconut chutney, Sambhar or Gothsu.

5 from 8 votes

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Thinai Ven Pongal Recipe | Foxtail Millet Savory Pongal

Course Breakfast, Festival Recipes, Lunch Recipes, Main Course, One Pot Meal

Cuisine Indian, South Indian, Tamil Nadu

Keyword Foxtail Millet, Lunch Recipe, Millet Pongal, Millet Recipes, One Pot Meal, Ven Pongal

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• Thinai / Foxtail Millet - 1 cup
• Payatham paruppu / Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
• Coconut oil - 2 TBSP
• Peppercorn - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Ginger - 1 inch piece finely grated
• Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Instructions

1. Leaving about 1/2 tsp of black pepper and cumin seeds aside, combine the rest and grind it into a smooth powder.
2. Fry the moong dal until lightly golden brown and aromatic, about 5 to 7 minutes in low-medium flame. Add the measured millet into the same pan and give a quick stir. Turn off the heat.
3. Transfer this into the instant pot container or a container that goes inside the pressure cooker. I made mine in the Instant pot.
4. Rinse it well and add about 5 cups of water to the pot.
5. Set the IP on manual mode and set the cook time to 12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally after done.
6. When the millet/moong dal mixture is done cooking, heat a small pan and add coconut oil to it. If you are not looking for a vegan version, then you can use ghee.
7. Add the reserved 1/2 tsp of pepper corn and cumin along with asafteida, salt, curry leaves, ginger and the powdered pepper/cumin mixture. Fry them well until aromatic (about 1 to 2 minutes).
8. Slightly mash the cooked millet/lentil mixture and add the fried seasonings. Mix well to combine and adjust the consistency. Add a splash of water if the Pongal appears too thick.
9. Check for salt and adjust if needed. Serve hot with chutney, Sambhar or Gothsu.