Pulagam | Chilkewali Moong Dal Khichdi from Andhra Pradesh

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Pulagam is a must have dish for Sankranti and many other festivities. It is a khichdi made with rice and split moong dal with skin (Chilkewali Moon Dal). It is very nutritious and once again celebrates freshly harvested winter produce.

Pulagam is a very very simple dish made in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for festivals. Because it is made with rice and split green gram that still has the skin (chilkewali moong), it is high-fibre and high-protein. It is traditionally served with Peanut Chutney (Palli Pachadi) and ghee, making it even more nutritious.

• Do serve this dish while it is piping hot and freshly made. It is rather unappetizing when cold.
• Pulagam is to be made with split green gram that still has the skin (Pottu Pesara Pappu or Chilkewali Moong Dal). Using whole green moong or then yellow moong dal will make it a different dish. 🙂

How is Pulagam Different From Katte Pongali (Ven Pongal)? 

In Andhra, Ven Pongal is called Katte Pongali. Pulagam and Katte Pongali are similar yet different in many ways.

Pulagam	Katte Pongali (Ven Pongal)
Made with rice and split green moong (Chilkewali Moong Dal)	Made with rice and Moong Dal
Traditionally, only salt is added and there is no tempering. However, some people do temper Pulagam with cumin and pepper fried in ghee so that it is not so bland.	Tempered with pepper, cumin, ginger, green chillies, and curry leaves fried in ghee.
Consistency is more like that of steamed rice. The dal and rice are not so well-mashed	Consistency is very gooey and the rice and moong dal are well-mashed

With Sankranti round the corner, I decided to update this recipe for Pulagam. I had first posted it in 2016.

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Other Khichdi Recipes

Khichdi is the ultimate comfort food and there are so many variations across India. Here are a few you can try:

• Moong Dal Khichdi Cooked in Buttermilk
• Balaee, a Himachali Kala Chana Khichdi
• Ven Pongal | Khara Pongal | Katte Pongali (Savoury Pongal)

Other Sankranti Recipes

• Bhogichi Bhaji
• Tilgul | Til ke Laddu
• Shengdana Chikki | Moongfali Chikki | Peanut Brittle with Jaggery
• Til Poli | Til Gul Poli

How to Make Pulagam: The Vegan, Gluten-free, High-fibre Khichdi

1. Wash 1/2 cup split green moong dal and 1/2 cup rice well under running water.
2. Add 2.5 cups water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. 
3. Let the cooker de-pressurize naturally before taking out the rice-dal mix.
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4. Add some salt and mix well.
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5. Serve hot Pulagam immediately with Palli Pachadi (Peanut Chutney for Rice). 

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Recipe for Pulagam | Chilkewali Moong Dal Khichdi from Andhra Pradesh