Foxtail Millet Pongal (Thinai Pongal)
Foxtail Millet or Thinai Pongal is an easy and healthy South Indian recipe made with millets & yellow moong lentils in ghee tempered with few spices in a Instant Pot Pressure Cooker or stovetop.
Servings 4
Calories 276kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup foxtail millet
- ½ cup yellow moong dal
- 4 cups water + 1 cup extra to adjust consistency
- 2 tablespoon ghee (vegans can replace ghee with oil)
- 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
- ½ teaspoon whole black pepper
- 2-3 green chilies
- 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- 8-10 cashew nuts
- a big pinch hing (asafoetida)
- salt to taste
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Firstly, Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Next, add ghee or oil to the POT. Note: Tastes better with ghee.
- Once hot, add in the jeera, black pepper. Saute for a few seconds.
- Next, add the green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, cashew nuts, and asafetida. Saute for another minute or two till cashews turn light golden brown.
- Next, add the rinsed moong dal and saute well for 1-2 minutes until the dal turns light brown or aromatic.
- Then add the millets, water, and salt to taste. Mix well. Ensure that you deglaze the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck bits to avoid BURN notice.
- Seal the lid securely and set the vent to "SEALING". Then, choose the "PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL" setting on high pressure and adjust the cooking time to 8 minutes.
- When the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure before removing the lid.
- Open the lid and mix everything well.Note: If the Pongal is not mushy, select the sauté mode, add 1 cup of water, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture boils.
- Serve Foxtail Millet Pongal with yogurt, raita, or coconut chutney.
Traditional Stovetop Method
- Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a pressure cooker and add the washed dal, Saute well 1-2 minutes till dal turns light brown or till aromatic. Then add millets.
- Add 4 cups of water, mix well. Close the lid and put the whistle weight on. Cook for 3-4 whistles on medium flame and turn off the gas.
- Once the pressure has released, open the lid and Mix the mixture well.
- Meanwhile in a pan add remaining ghee, once its hot add jeera, black pepper and saute for few seconds.
- Next add the green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, cashew nuts and asafetida. Saute for another minute or two till cashews turn light golden brown.
- Add this tempered mixture into the pongal and boil. Note: If pongal is not mushy then add 1 cup of water and adjust consistency.
- Millet Pongal is ready, serve with yogurt, raita or coconut chutney.
Notes
I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT
Tips
- Thoroughly wash the millet and moong dal to remove any dirt and excess starch.
- Pongal tastes best when made fresh and eaten hot.
- Pongal thickens slightly upon cooling. You can save leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat them in a microwave or on the stovetop (adding water if necessary to adjust the consistency) just before serving.
- You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Variations
- Ratio: The ratio of dal to millet is a personal preference. I have used equal amounts of dal and millet to include more protein in the diet. But you can reduce the dal as well.
- Vegetables: You can also add vegetables like carrots, green peas, beans, and spinach to make this Thinai Pongal recipe healthy.
- Millets: You can also use any millet variety like Little millet, Kodo Millet, or Proso.
- Other Grains: You can substitute millets with other grains like quinoa, rice, sorghum, buckwheat, and broken wheat.
- Lentils: Split moong dal with husk (skin) also works well with this recipe.
- Vegan: Adding homemade ghee enriches the taste of Pongal, but vegans can skip ghee and replace it with any cooking oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2.8mg