Andhra Khichdi - Pulagam - Lentil-Rice Medley
Prepared almost on the same lines as Khichdi, Pulagam is Andhra Khichdi, made with rice and split moong dal. Very simple to prepare and is often made when one is sick or feeling tired.
It is also prepared as Naivedyam (prasadam/offering to God) during festivals like Sankranti where fresh or new rice from the harvest is used along with pesara pappu(split yellow moong dal) to prepare it. Quite a few temples, here in Vizag, offer pulagam as Naivedhayam to the presiding deity and distribute to the devotees visiting the temple for darshan.
The flavor and aroma of the naivedyam prepared in the temples is simply irresistable and cannot be compared to the one made at home and I always look forward to eating pulagam during my visit to the temple 
Pulagam Recipe
Recipe source: Amma
Prep & Cooking: 30 mts including soaking time of rice
Serves 4-5 persons
Cuisine: Andhra
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1 1/2 cups old basmati rice (any variety of rice can be used like sunnalu or sona masuri)
1/2 cup split yellow moong dal (pesara pappu)
1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
10-12 fresh curry leaves
1/4 tsp whole black pepper (optional)
salt to taste
3 ½ cups of water
10-12 cashewnuts lightly fried in ghee till golden brown
1 Wash the rice and dal and soak them together in water for 15-20 mts.
2 Meanwhile in a heavy bottomed vessel or pot, heat ghee. Add the cumin seeds, let them splutter and turn slightly brown. Add the curry leaves and black pepper corns and fry for a few seconds.
3 Add the drained rice and dal and combine with spices and fry for a few seconds.
4 Add water and salt and pressure cook till the rice and dal are cooked and soft.
5 Garnish with fried cashwenuts and serve with tomato chutney or avakai.
Note:
You can slightly dry roast the split moong dal before soaking in water along with rice. You can also add an extra glass of water if you want a more gooey texture of the lentil-rice medley.
By sailu • Jun 27th, 2006 • Category: All Recipes, Andhra Recipes, Dals & Legumes, Indian Lentil Recipes, Naivedyam (Prasadam), Rice recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
Your pongal looks perfect. I like the idea of adding whole peppercorns as opposed to coarsely powdered. We add grated ginger too, Sailu. Pics are great as usual.
Yes, Krithika, I rather add the whole ones than coarsely ground ones. I add grated ginger too at times.
Pongal looks great sailu..and the way it is presented to the god is simply superb..wish i could have some pongal
Wish I could send some over to you, Sudha..:(
Great pictures Sailaja!
Thank you, Arjuna.
One of my friend from Andhra used to make this often. She served this with some tamarind gravy. Unfortunately I had not taken the recipe from her :(.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Shilpa, can you describe this tamarind based gravy?
Bavundi, both recipe and photos!
Kalyan
Thank you, Kalyan.
I remember eating this in AP temples…Isn’t it almost the same as Tamil pongal?
Yes, Shynee, its almost the same as Pongal.
Sailu,
These photos are just fantastic, so vivid, you have captured the soul of this dish in these photos. Thank you for the recipe, sounds similar to Pongal.
Yes, Archana, its very similar to Pongal.
Great photos..Reminds me of Sankaranthi festival. Thanks.
Your welcome, Madhu.
Loved the way the pics are taken. Cool one Sailu - suddenly after you started ur own site your fotos are all great and everything is more and more beautiful.. Your dedication for the site is showing thro. Good job girl.
Thank you, Revathi, for your encouraging and kind words..:)
Hi Sailu,
My mom also adds some ginger and thin slices of coconut to it.
memu ee recipe ni pongal antamu..and it pairs superbly with tomato thokku. My mom also does a tamarind + green chilli + ginger chutney for this. Thats my No.1 combo
Sailu I have also added the Jihva icon for related recipes in my blog, I might also do another one for Jihva..how do I send them to u. Should I pick just one of all the recipes..? and when is the last day to post..?
Priya, you should blog amma’s chutney one of these days. Its a request..:). I also add ginger and grated coconut sometimes. I blogged the basic pulagam recipe. There are many variations to it.
Priya, you can blog as many recipes as you want for Jihva event. Basically you have to post your recipe on July 1st, that would be the first best option. Otherwise you can blog your recipes for JFI - Dal and link to those posts on July 1st.
This looks lovely and delicious — I especially love the bowl it is presented in. This looks like a special bowl — perhaps you’d tell a little about it? It looks like a type of leaf layered inside.
Thanks for sharing!
I am so glad you asked me about these low- cost, traditional, disposable, natural, eco-friendly, bio-degradable, pollution-free bowls.
The leawf plates and bowls are made from leaves which are collected from the forest/hilly areas by local farmers. Two or three leaves are stitched together by hand with thin neem or bamboo sticks to form into a bowl or plate.
Beautiful photos Sailu, truly represents the spirit of food in India.
Thank you, Sumitha.
Sailu, the gravy had notmal tadka(seasoning with mustard, urad daal etc), then tamarind water. To thicken, my friend used besan water(thats a guess). She served the gravy with khichadi(pulagam).
Sailu,
I don’t usually make a dish include lentils/beans… just influenced by my family. But after seeing so many great dishes of yours, I can’t resist! Your lentil rice medley looks absolutely yummy!
Gattina, I am so glad I could inspire you to try cooking lentils/beans..:):)
About those fascinating bowls/plates… perhaps your camera will find one empty sometime?
Thanks for telling about them.
Hope so, Linda..:):)
When I was traveling in Bangalore, Hampi etc I ate this for breakfast at small restaurants. It was just delicious.
Whenever I see these leaf bowls or plates I am reminded of how simple and eco friendly life was before. I especially hate the abundance of plastic
Totally agree with you, Ashwini. Its sad that we are indifferent to our environment and I just hope we learn our lessons and work towards using more of eco friendly products.
This is something new to me. It looks excellent.
You should try it sometime, Pushpa.
Your site always reminds me of motherland. Leaf plates,bowls and ganapathy statue..simply superb.
I love the donnai in which you have served the pongal. It looks perfect! Good one, Sailaja
Hi Sailu,
This recipe tastes even better when done with nookalu instead of basmathi rice or sona massori!
hi i already know this recipie but to clarify my doubts i visit ur site.thanku
Sailu,
Your website is great! I am so proud of you for highlighting the virtues of our Andhra cuisine in this public forum. Your photographs and narratives are lovely, and your recipes are right on. Way to go!!
Mouth watering photos.16 ways to cook the Rice, I will try some of your receipies. thanks
Hi Sailu!
I downloaded this recipe yesterday and cooked it today for 20 people(10 cups) in my yoga group. They loved it thanks a lot for the recipe and pictures(which were the real motivating factor).
Preeti
Hi Sailu,
Your site is wonderful. I love the photos. It really helps a non-Indian to know just how to make the dish. I have no young memory of these dishes, and so I have to make it from the point of having never seen it made before.
I have three Indian children (two of them from Kerala, and one from Calcutta) and we absolutely LOVE Andhra foods!
I spent some time in Vijayawada, and have not been able to replicate the food to my satisfaction. There is something else, something very special that I leave out. Wish I knew what it was!
Bavundi!!
Jyotsna
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