Oats pongal is a delicious protein packed South Indian dish made with rolled oats, moong dal, spices and curry leaves. It makes for a great breakfast or a light dinner. Serve it with chutney or pickle.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup moong dal ((skinned split mung lentils))
  • 2 to 2½ cups water ((4 cups for instant pot))
  • 8 to 10 cashews
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper corn ((crushed, adjust to taste))
  • ½ teaspoon salt ((more to adjust))
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (grated or fine minced)
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 tablespoon ghee (or as needed)
  • ⅛ teaspoon hing ((asafoetida))
  • 1 green chilli (slit (optional))

Method

Stovetop

  1. Dry roast oats in a pot or pressure cooker for 3 to 4 minutes and remove them to a bowl. This step helps to make less sticky oats pongal.
  2. To the same pot or cooker, add moong dal and dry roast for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium heat until aromatic. This makes your oats pongal aromatic.
  3. Pour water and rinse the dal well at least thrice. Pour 1½ cups water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. If cooking in a pot, cook until moong dal becomes soft and mushy. If needed add more water while you cook.
  4. Once the pressure releases, open the lid and check. Dal has to be soft cooked. Pour ¾ to 1 cup hot water and add roasted oats.
  5. Cover and cook on a low to medium heat until oats are softened. Rolled oats do not take too long to cook as they are pre-steamed.
  6. Add salt as required and taste test it to adjust.
  7. Heat a pan with ghee. Add ginger and green chilli (optional). Saute for 30 to 40 seconds, then add cumin seeds, cashew nuts, curry leaves and black pepper.
  8. Fry until the cashews become light golden. Then add hing and turmeric. Turn off the stove.
  9. Pour the tempering to the cooked oats and moong dal. Stir and cover for 5 minutes before serving.

Instant Pot Oats Pongal

  1. Press the saute button and add ghee to the steel insert. Fry the cashews until golden and remove them to a bowl for garnishing later.
  2. Add ginger, green chilies (optional), cumin seeds, black pepper and curry leaves. Saute until you begin to smell the curry leaves good.
  3. Then add hing and oats. Roast for 2 to 3 mins. If the IP becomes too hot, press cancel in between and continue.
  4. Add rinsed moong dal, turmeric and salt. Continue to sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. I found this step makes the dish aromatic and less sticky.
  5. Press cancel. Pour 4 cups water and deglaze the pot.
  6. Secure the instant pot with the lid. Press pressure cook and set the timer to 8 minutes.
  7. After the IP beeps, wait for natural pressure release for 8 minutes. Release the rest of the pressure manually.
  8. Stir oats pongal. I prefer to top with little ghee. Serve with papads, pickle or chutney.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.