Sihi Pongal

Karnataka sweet pongal — rice and moong dal pressure-cooked together with water and jaggery until both dissolve into a thick, golden, glossy porridge, then coconut milk and cardamom added and the whole simmered briefly. Finished with a generous tempering of cashews, raisins, and dried coconut pieces fried in ghee until golden. The sihi (sweet) pongal differs from the Tamil chakarai pongal in its use of coconut milk alongside jaggery; the coconut milk gives the Karnataka version a more tropical, lightly floral sweetness. Served as the temple prasadam (specifically as an offering during Sankranti and other festivals) and as a breakfast sweet; eaten warm before the main meal on auspicious days. The most important sweet rice offering at Udupi's Sri Krishna Math temple.