My latest quest is to replace as much of white rice with brown rice in my cooking as I possibly can, given the health benefits. This is relatively easier with mushy dishes like pongal. When I first prepared it, I was expecting the pongal to have a brownish tint, but the color was almost exactly the same as that of the regular savory pongal. And it is the same every time I make it. This recipe goes to Kurinji's Pongal Feast.

mung beans - 3/4 cup
clarified butter (ghee) - 2 tbsp
ginger paste - 1/2 tsp (or ginger - 1 inch piece - peeled and grated)
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
pepper corns - a few
broken cashews - a few
curry leaves - 1 stalk
salt - 3/4 tsp (adjust according to taste)
asafoetida - a pinch
green chillies - 2 or ground pepper - 1/2 tsp (adjust according to taste)

Method:

Soak brown rice in 6 cups of water for 15 minutes. Do not drain. Add mung beans and pressure cook with salt. Heat ghee in a frying pan. Add cashews, cumin seeds, pepper corns, green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry till cashews become golden brown. Add the cooked rice and beans. Mix in the ginger paste and give a dash of fresh ground pepper if required. Serve hot with chutney.

Notes:
Brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice (almost twice the time).