Venn Pongal a popular savoury dish served in Tamil Nadu and the other South Indian states as a special breakfast dish.
Venn Pongal is generally made from Moong Dal or Split Green Gram and served with Sambhar and Coconut Chutney.

Porso Millet Venn Pongal
14th January when the rest of India celebrates Makar Sankranti or Harvest Festival, in Tamil Nadu too celebrates the harvest festival, they call it Thai Pongal.
The happy farmers thank the Sun God and Lord Indra for helping farmers in getting better-yielding crops. On this day the Tamilians make Sakkarai Pongal. Pongal means to “boil over” or “spillover” the rice and dal are made to spill over from the clay pot, a sign of abundance!
Pongal originated in Tamil Nadu and the types of Pongal made are
- Sakkarai Pongal also Sweet Pongal is made for Pongal Festival in Tamil Nadu and is generally prepared in temples as a prasadam or an offering made to a deity.
- Venn Pongal or Khara Pongal is a popular savoury dish and is called Venn in Tamil means White.
- Melagu Pongal the Spicy Pongal is made with pepper or melagu, rice and moong daal.
- Puli Pongal is one Pongal that is made from tamarind and cooked rice. Puli Pongal is not associated with any festival but is popularly eaten for dinner.
Those of you who have been reading about my journey in the world of cooking you will realise that I have started following a healthier diet. I have started using more of millets and quinoa, lentils, less of sugar and more of unrefined sugars. Accepting that it is us who need the Simple and Healthy Diet in Old Age, age is number but still, a healthy diet helps all ages.
Porso Millet Pongal
This month in for Recipe Swap Challenge I have been paired with Preethi Prasad who blogs at Preethi Cuisine. Preethi she is from a Tamil Iyer family but she has travelled extensively in the North. She was however keen that I feature a Tamil Recipe so what better in than Sakkarai Pongal. But then I did not want to move away from the diet we need to follow so I asked Preethi for the link for Venn Pongal. I have bookmarked some of her recipes to try but let me not bore you with my time management issues and give you the links to just check her site out.

recipe-swap-logo
When I started making it I realised that I did not have quinoa so the substitution queen that I am I used porso millets to make it.

porso millet
Porso Millet looks like this
Sometime back I have posted a table about the different millets. I am posting it here yet again and add this Porso millet to it.
English | Hindi | Kannada | Marathi | Konkani |
Foxtail Millet | Kangni, | Navane | Kang, | – |
Kakum, | Rala | |||
Rala | ||||
Finger Millet | Nachani, Mundua, Mandika, Marwah | Ragi | Nagli, | Nachni |
Nachni | ||||
Pearl Millet | Bajra | Sajje | Bajri | Bajri |
Little Millet | Kutki, | Saame, | Sava, | Vari |
Shavan | Save | Halvi, | ||
Vari | ||||
Kodo Millet | Koden, | Harka | Kodra | – |
Kodra | ||||
Barnyard Millet | Jhangora, | Oodalu | – | – |
Sanwa | ||||
Sorghum | Jowar | Jola | Jowari, | Jowari |
Jondhala | ||||
Porso Millet | Chena, Barri | Baragu | vari | – |
In the meanwhile do have a look at the recipe.

Porso Millet Venn Pongal

Porso Millet Ven Pongal| Porso Millet Pongal
Ingredients
- 1 cup porso millet
- 1 cup moong dal
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds / jeera
- pinch of hing / asafoetida
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon pepper coarsely crushed
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 12 cashews
Instructions
- Dry roast moong dal till you can smell the roasted dal.
- Wash and rinse the porso millet till the water runs clean.
- Wash the dal too then cook the dal and porso millet in 3.5 cups water.
- Add salt and Pressure Cooker for 3 whistles. Let the pressure drop naturally.
- Once you remove the cooked mixture from the cooker mash it lightly. Set aside.
- In a kadhai/wok heat the ghee, fry cashews till golden. Add cumin and the coarsely crushed pepper.
- Let them splutter add hing and the spring of curry leaf.
- Add the millets and dal mixture simmers for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Switch off the stove.
- Serve with chutney or sambar.

Porso Millet Venn Pongal
Did you like this recipe? Have you tried it? If you do try it please tag me my FaceBook Handle.
Are there any new recipes, any new ingredients or diets you want me to try? Do leave a comment in the comments section.
Do check out the other millet recipes I have tried in the past
The Girl Next Door says
I love Venn Pongal! Interesting that you have chosen to make it with proso millet instead of the regularly used rice. It looks perfectly made, tasty and inviting!
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Love your detailed explanation about the millets. I have started using them quite a bit and this seems like a great recipe to make in regular basis.
ArchanaPotdar says
Do try Sandhya.
Jolly says
Venn Pongal looks super yummy. A healthy and tasty recipe. Never tried this, but beautifully explained recipe...will try for sure!!
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Jolly.
Sasmita says
Love the healthy version here........ Use of millet is an awesome idea
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks.
Swati says
Though I never had this dish, I liked how you have replaced rice with millet. Loved this easy and simple recipe!!
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Swati.
Preethi Prasad says
Thank you Archana for trying this recipe from my blog. I hope you liked it. Venn pongal is an all time favorite at my place.Love the way you have used millets to make this delicious and healthy preparation.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Preethi. We really enjoyed this pongal. It was a pleasure being paired with you.
Sujata Roy says
Thanks for the detailed chart on millet. Porso millet pongal sounds super healthy and delicious. Lovely share.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Sujata.
Shobha Keshwani says
I love pongal. This option is nice and healthy . I also made some with steel cut oats yesterday
ArchanaPotdar says
😀
Mayuri Patel says
So many different millets and one can always find a recipe to make something delicious out of it. I don't think I've used proso millet. However, when I do find some, I know the first thing I will make with it is this delicious and healthy pongal.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Mayuri.
kalyani says
proso millet pongal looks fab! hot, gooey, soft and delicious with some coconut chutney will make the day for me 🙂
ArchanaPotdar says
😀 thank you.