Leaving about ½ teaspoon of black pepper and cumin seeds aside, combine the rest and grind it into a smooth powder.

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.

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 ½ teaspoon 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 chutney, Sambhar or Gothsu.