Sakkarai Pongal

Sakkarai Pongal

Sakkarai Pongal

Veg

Sweet rice-and-dal porridge made by cooking raw rice and moong dal together with jaggery and coconut milk, perfumed with cardamom and dotted with raisins and cashews fried in ghee. The festival food of Tamil Nadu, prepared in enormous clay pots outdoors for Pongal (the harvest festival) — overflowing symbolises abundance.

Cuisines

Chettinad Tamil Brahmin Kongunadu Madras Udupi Andhra

Best for

Breakfast Dessert

Recipe

Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min Total: 60 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

Rice 1/2 cup Rice , raw
Moong Dal 1/4 cup Moong Dal
jaggery 1 cup Jaggery
ghee 1/4 cup Ghee
Cashew 2 tablespoons Cashew , nuts
Raisin 2 tablespoons Raisin
cardamom 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom , powder
nutmeg powder 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg powder
Saffron 1 pinch Saffron , strands
Edible Camphor 1/4 teaspoon Edible Camphor , optional
water 4 cups Water
salt 1 pinch Salt

Instructions

  1. 1 Wash the rice and moong dal together and soak them for 15 minutes.
  2. 2 In a pressure cooker, add the soaked rice and moong dal with 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt.
  3. 3 Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles until soft and mushy.
  4. 4 In a separate pan, melt the jaggery with a little water until it dissolves completely. Strain to remove impurities.
  5. 5 Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked rice and dal mixture. Mix well and cook on low heat.
  6. 6 In another pan, heat ghee and fry the cashew nuts until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
  7. 7 In the same ghee, fry the raisins until they puff up. Remove and set aside.
  8. 8 Add the cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, saffron, and edible camphor (if using) to the pongal. Mix well.
  9. 9 Add the fried cashews and raisins to the pongal. Stir everything together and cook for a few more minutes.
  10. 10 Serve hot with a drizzle of ghee on top.

Tips

For a richer taste, use a mix of milk and water to cook the rice and dal.