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