A big bowl of quinoa pongal is pure comfort food. This South Indian breakfast dish has quinoa, ginger, black peppercorns, and moong dal. You can make it using a pressure cooker, stovetop, or Instant Pot.
Quinoa Pongal is comforting and filling. It is also so much easier to prepare and cook. There are no fussy methods or long-listed ingredients(like this potato curry). The recipe is simple, and the taste is more enjoyable than you think.
Why You'll Love This Quinoa Pongal Recipe?
- Easy to make, with simple ingredients and a delightful taste.
- It's a quick, satisfying meal for busy mornings, perfect for packing lunch.
- It maintains its texture even at room temperature(unlike the classic version).
What is Quinoa Pongal?
First, these two words are two separate terms.
Let us start with the word 'quinoa,' a popular grain(check this popped quinoa). And 'Pongal' is a South Indian delicacy, a hot, spicy rice dish with black peppercorns, cumin seeds, and ginger.
Quinoa Pongal is a modern twist on the traditional South Indian Pongal, substituting quinoa for rice. This fusion was successful, and I pat myself on the back.
The Ingredients
All the ingredients in this quinoa Pongal recipe are inseparable, balanced, and blend well. So, each is a must, and I do not find a close substitution.
- Quinoa: Check whether the quinoa package says 'it's washed' or 'rinsed'; if not, wash 4-5 times or until the water is clear, as unrinsed quinoa can taste slightly bitter.
- Moong dal: Also called petite yellow lentils or 'pasiparuppu' in Tamil. Which is responsible for the creamy texture and the rich flavor. I prefer ⅓ quantity of quinoa for its luscious and silky character. But ¼th proportional will also be correspondingly good.
- Black peppercorns and cumin seeds: A teaspoon of these spices will do wonders.
- Ghee: I combined cooking oil and ghee, but you can use all ghee for a richer flavor.
- Ginger: I strongly suggest using it without skipping.
- Asafoetida: A unique ingredient found only in Indian stores in solid and powder form. You can skip it if it's not available.
- Green chili: You may deseed them before lowering the heat. Thai chilies work well, too.
- Curry Leaves: This quinoa pongal recipe calls for a sprig of 8-10 leaves, which would be perfect.
How To Make Quinoa Pongal?
Once all the ingredients are ready, we will make it in Instant Pot.
I have shown the Instant Pot option inside the video. The pressure cooker method is also the same except for setting the timer. We will correspondingly see the settings for the Instant Pot and the pressure cooker.
A soft consistency is excellent for quinoa Khara Pongal. So, we are cooking slightly longer than the regular quinoa cooking time.
The Basic setting. Wash and rinse quinoa and moong dal.
Instant Pot. Set the Instant Pot to saute mode.
Pressure Cooker. Place the pressure cooker pan over the stove.
Seasoning. Add cooking oil and ghee. Next, stir in black peppercorns, cumin seeds, gently crushed ginger, slit green chili, asafoetida, and curry leaves. Let them sizzle in the oil until the cumin seeds splutter.
Combining the main ingredients. Pour water, quinoa, moong dal, and salt.
Cooking. Close the lid. And seal the vent.
Instant Pot. Set the timer manually for 12 minutes. And cook.
Pressure Cooker. Cook for one whistle on the high flame. Then, immediately simmer the flame and cook for 12 minutes.
Release the pressure. Wait for 10 minutes to allow the pressure to release naturally. Open the lid.
Prepare for serging. Using the back of the spoon, gently mash the Pongal until all the ingredients combine well.
Serve. Serve quinoa Pongal hot with Sambar or chutney.
How To Store The Leftovers?
- Refrigerator: Transfer the leftover quinoa pongal to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: If you plan to use it beyond two days, you can freeze it in freezer-safe containers for about three months.
- To defrost: Place them in the refrigerator for about eight hours or overnight. Alternatively, you can quickly defrost them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring in between.
- To Reheat: I find reheating over the microwave preserves the freshness and flavors of quinoa Pongal. Transfer the chilled quinoa pongal to the microwave bowl and cover it with a damp kitchen cloth. Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until heated thoroughly, stirring in between.
What To Serve With?
- Quinoa Pongal is creamy and hot. Therefore, the best companion would be other spicy side dishes.
- Traditionally, the best pairs are Sambar and coconut chutney.
- Pickles(like this lemon pickle) and raita are great condiments to serve with.
Frequently Asked Questions
It tastes creamy and mildly spiced, with a comforting savory flavor. The combination of quinoa and lentils gives it a smooth texture, while the black peppercorns, ginger, and green chili add a subtle, rich kick—loved by everyone!
Ghee is the one ingredient in this recipe that makes it non-vegan. You can swap ghee for any neutral-flavored cooking oil to make it vegan.
Traditionally, vegetables are not added to this Pongal; however, you can customize it by adding diced carrots, peas, potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, and more.
Yes, absolutely! You can follow all the recipes, but instead of using the InstantPot, use a pan over medium heat. Make the seasoning, add quinoa, dal, and salt with a quarter cup of extra water, and bring to a boil. Then cover with a lid, and cook for 20-25 minutes in low heat. Mash gently before serving hot.
Printable Recipe Card
Quinoa Pongal
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- ⅓ cup moong dal
- 1 inch ginger
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 tablespoon whole black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
- 8 curry leaves
- 3 green chili silted
- 2.5 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt or as required
Instructions
For prepping
- Wash and rinse quinoa and moong dal multiple times until clear water is seen.
- Peel the ginger and crush gently.
For cooking
- Set the Instant pot to saute mode.
- Stir in cooking oil, ghee, black peppercorn, cumin seeds, asafoetida, crushed ginger, curry leaves, green chili.
- Stir continuously until the cumin seeds splutter.
- Combine water, quinoa, moong dal, and salt.
- Cook by setting the timer for 12 minutes.
- Leave for another 10 minutes until the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid, and gently mash until all the ingredients merge together.
- And serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Quinoa naturally comes with slight bitterness because of its husk. Washing and rinsing multiple times removes this bitterness.
- Store leftover quinoa pongal in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- For longer storage, freeze it in freezer-safe containers for up to three months.
- Thaw in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight, or microwave for 2-3 minutes.
- Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, covering with a damp cloth and stirring halfway through.
Arch says
Followed the recipe to the tee and was rewarded with creamy healthy delicious Pongal. Family absolutely loved it. I finally finished a bag of quinoa that was sitting in my pantry forever. We are getting more now. Thank you for including salt quantity.
Sujatha Muralidhar says
Thank you! So glad your family loved the Pongal! Happy to hear the quinoa was put to good use.
Beth says
Creamy deliciousness. It turned out perfectly. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Anjali says
This was such a warming and comforting meal! My kids gobbled it up too!