Sakkarai Pongal Recipe (Sweet Pongal Recipe)

Sakkarai pongal / Sweet pongal is a classic sweet loved by one and all. It tops among the Neivedhyams (prasadam) offered to God.

This traditional recipe is generally made for the harvest festival, Thai Pongal, which falls in January month, dedicating it to the sun. Sakkarai pongal is made in a new clay/ brass/ earthenware pot in wood fire in the courtyard. Nowadays, this kind of making pongal is disappearing little by little even in villages, making its way for the pressure cooker version.

Samba Pacharisi is a key ingredient used for making this sweet pongal. The other ingredients like jaggery, cardamom and moong dal give extra flavour and tastes heavenly.

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Author: Nathiya Adiseshan

Preparation Time : 5 mins

Cooking Time : 30 mins

Serves : 3 to 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup Raw Rice / Pacharisi / பச்சரிசி
• 1/4 cup Moong Dal / Pasi Paruppu / பாசிப்பருப்பு
• 2 cups Jaggery / Sarkarai / சர்க்கரை
• 3 tablespoon Cashews 
• 3 tablespoon Sultana Raisins / Kismis
• 4 pods Cardamom / Elaichi / ஏலக்காய்
• 1/4 cup Ghee
• Salt, a pinch
• Edible Camphor/ பச்சைகற்பூரம் (Mustard size) optional

Here we go!!!

1. Heat a small pressure cooker with a tablespoon of ghee and roast the moong dal for 3 minutes.
2. In a bowl, add washed rice and roasted moong dal together. Soak in water for 20 minutes. This will help the rice and dal cook fast.
3. Then transfer it to the cooker. Add a pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil and pressure cook it for 4 whistles in medium flame.
4. Meanwhile, heat jaggery in a sauce pan with ½ cup of water until it dissolves completely. Strain it to remove impurities.
5. Once pressure releases, open the lid and mash the contents well with a laddle.
6. Pour the melted jaggery and cook everything in a medium flame for 5 minutes.
7. Add in the cardamom powder. If the mixture is getting dry, add milk/warm water and give a stir.
8. Pour ghee little by little and keep on stirring till pongal leaves the sides.
9. Heat a tadka pan with ghee and add cashews and raisins. Fry the cashews until golden brown and raisins fluff up.
10. Pour it to the pongal along with the ghee.
11. Mix well and put off the flame.
12. Serve it!

    

    A sweet delicacy made from newly harvested rice and jaggery

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    Special Note:

• Use edible camphor very little, if you add more, it may spoil the whole taste with it’s overpowering flavour.
• After opening the cooker, if the rice is too dry, add 1/4 cup water or milk while mashing.
• The colour of pongal differs with the colour of jaggery.
• Drizzle few drops of ghee above pongal while serving.