
This is almost an awesome vacation for me. After a long time, I am spending a couple of weeks in my favorite Athai's home. It is in Tenkasi. The most beautiful place I would call as. Me and my kiddo spent a nice time at the Peria Kovil, Coutralam Park and some awesome hotels. Now back to the Varagarisi Pongal.
Most of us like pongal. It will be tasty and a complete breakfast during weekends. It is also simple to make pongal. If it comes to a weight loss diet or diabetic diet, we feel pongal little heavy. My Athai, who has diabetes and managing it for a long time only gave me the recipes for millet pongals. She introduced me this Varagarisi Pongal this time. I just wanted to make a note of it and hence, marking the recipe here. It is very simple to make. I loved the taste. I considered it little sticky than the usual pongal. But other than that there is no much difference.

Varagarisi Pongal | Kodo Millet Pongal
Prep Time : |
Cooking Time: | |
Yield: 2 cup |
Serving Size: 3/4 cup | Calories per Serving: 250 |
Ingredients
Quick Procedure
for cooking
- Varagarisi or Kodo Millet - 1 cup
- Moong Dhal or Siruparuppu - 1/4 cup
- pepper - 1/4 tsp
- cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
- asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
- curry leaves - a lavish sprinkle
- coconut oil - 1 tsp
- ghee - 1 tsp
- cashews - 5 (optional)
Quick Procedure
- Heat a pan. Add moong dhal and roast it till a nice aroma comes. The raw smell should go off completely. Wash the moong dhal and rice together.
- Heat 4 cups of water in a vessel. Add the moong dhal and rice together. Cook them till they become soft. Cover them partially. Keep stirring often to avoid it getting burnt at the bottom. If you are one interested in pressure cooking, take them in a pressure cooker. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
- Heat a pan. Add coconut oil. Add crushed pepper and cumin seeds. Add curry leaves. Switch off the flame and add asafoetida.
- Add this tempering to cooked varagarisi and moong dhal.
- Add salt and mix well. Add ghee. Add fried cashews also. (optional)
Step-wise Pictures
Heat a pan. Add moong dhal and roast it till a nice aroma comes. The raw smell should go off completely. Wash the moong dhal and rice together. |
![]() |
Heat 4 cups of water in a vessel. Add the moong dhal and rice together. Cook them till they become soft. If you are one interested in pressure cooking, take them in a pressure cooker. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. |
![]() |
Cover them partially. Keep stirring often to avoid it getting burnt at the bottom. |
![]() |
Heat a pan. Add coconut oil. Add crushed pepper and cumin seeds. Add curry leaves. Switch off the flame and add asafoetida. |
![]() |
Add this tempering to cooked varagarisi and moong dhal. Add salt and mix well. Add ghee. Add fried cashews also. |
![]() |
Tasty millet pongal to serve with light sambar. it is diet friendly and diabetic friendly.
