classyrecipes
Regular Member
Sweet Pongal, (also known as Sakkarai Pongal or Chakkara Pongal) is a sweetened porridge like dish made with Rice, Moong lentils, Coconut milk, Jaggery, cardamoms and nuts. It is made in many south Indian homes on the day of Pongal festival or Makara Sankranti (January 14th) with freshly harvested grains.
Ingredients:
1. Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 100 ml
2. Raw Rice - 1 Cup
3. Moong Lentils or Moong Dal - 1/2 Cup
4. Chana Dal or Chana Lentils - 2 tbsp
5. Jaggery - 100 to 150 gms
6. Thick Coconut Milk - 1 & 1/2 Cup
7. Water (for Cooking lentils & Rice) - 4 & 1/2 Cup
8. Cashews - 1/4 Cup
9. Raisins - 2 tbsp (Optional)
10. A pinch of Cardamom Powder (Optional)
Method:
Step 1: Dry Roast 1/2 Cup moong lentils, until they become aromatic.
Step 2: Transfer the roasted lentils into another bowl, add 1 Cup Raw Rice, 2 tablespoons chana Dal and water.
Step 3: Wash & Soak the lentil mixture for 15 minutes.
Step 4: To Prepare Jaggery Syrup : Meanwhile, add 100 to 150 gms chopped jaggery into a cooking pot & add water. On a low to medium flame, heat this jaggery solution until the jaggery melts completely. Stir and break the jaggery chunks with spoon so that they melt quickly. Let the syrup bubble up a bit. if you have used dark jaggery, you will get an amber colored syrup. If you have light colored jaggery, then the color will be pale yellow to yellow. Jaggery Syrup is Ready.
Step 5: To Cook Lentil Mixture: Drain the soaked mixture and add it in pressure cooker. Pour 4 & 1/2 cups water.
Step 6: Pressure cook on medium heat for 5 whistles.
Step 7: When the pressure settle down on its own in the cooker, remove the lid. Check to see if the rice and lentils have softened nicely and look mushy. Both the rice and the moong dal should be cooked very well and mushy. Add 1 & 1/2 Cup Thick Coconut Milk at this stage. Slightly mash the cooked rice & moong lentils and Mix well with the spoon.
Step 9: Strain the jaggery syrup through a sieve, directly add it in the cooked rice-lentils mixture.
Step 10: Now add a pinch of Cardamom powder (Optional). I did not add as I do not like cardamom flavor.
Step 11: Mix everything very well. Sweet pongal will thicken as it cools. So if the mixture looks thick, then you can add 1/4 cup of hot water.
Step 12: Roasting Dry Fruits : Heat 100 ml Ghee (Clarified Butter).
Step 13: Add 1/4 Cup cashews. You can keep the cashews whole or half or chop them.
Step 14: Fry the cashews until they become light golden color.
Step 15: Add 2 tablespoons raisins (Optional). I did not add.
Step 16: Begin to stir and fry. Stir until the raisins swell and become plump.
Step 17: Immediately remove the pan from the stove top and add the fried cashews, raisins and ghee to the cooked rice-lentils Mixture.
Step 18: Mix very well. Sweet Pongal is Ready.
Serve this sweet pongal hot or warm. Because it becomes thick when it gets colder. You can also garnish Sweet pongal with some of the fried cashews while serving.
Tip : You can also add Edible Camphor or cloves along with Cardamom powder as it will enhance the flavor of Sweet Pongal and give you divine aroma.
Recipe Video Link - Sweet Pongal Video Link
Ingredients:
1. Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 100 ml
2. Raw Rice - 1 Cup
3. Moong Lentils or Moong Dal - 1/2 Cup
4. Chana Dal or Chana Lentils - 2 tbsp
5. Jaggery - 100 to 150 gms
6. Thick Coconut Milk - 1 & 1/2 Cup
7. Water (for Cooking lentils & Rice) - 4 & 1/2 Cup
8. Cashews - 1/4 Cup
9. Raisins - 2 tbsp (Optional)
10. A pinch of Cardamom Powder (Optional)
Method:
Step 1: Dry Roast 1/2 Cup moong lentils, until they become aromatic.
Step 2: Transfer the roasted lentils into another bowl, add 1 Cup Raw Rice, 2 tablespoons chana Dal and water.
Step 3: Wash & Soak the lentil mixture for 15 minutes.
Step 4: To Prepare Jaggery Syrup : Meanwhile, add 100 to 150 gms chopped jaggery into a cooking pot & add water. On a low to medium flame, heat this jaggery solution until the jaggery melts completely. Stir and break the jaggery chunks with spoon so that they melt quickly. Let the syrup bubble up a bit. if you have used dark jaggery, you will get an amber colored syrup. If you have light colored jaggery, then the color will be pale yellow to yellow. Jaggery Syrup is Ready.
Step 5: To Cook Lentil Mixture: Drain the soaked mixture and add it in pressure cooker. Pour 4 & 1/2 cups water.
Step 6: Pressure cook on medium heat for 5 whistles.
Step 7: When the pressure settle down on its own in the cooker, remove the lid. Check to see if the rice and lentils have softened nicely and look mushy. Both the rice and the moong dal should be cooked very well and mushy. Add 1 & 1/2 Cup Thick Coconut Milk at this stage. Slightly mash the cooked rice & moong lentils and Mix well with the spoon.
Step 9: Strain the jaggery syrup through a sieve, directly add it in the cooked rice-lentils mixture.
Step 10: Now add a pinch of Cardamom powder (Optional). I did not add as I do not like cardamom flavor.
Step 11: Mix everything very well. Sweet pongal will thicken as it cools. So if the mixture looks thick, then you can add 1/4 cup of hot water.
Step 12: Roasting Dry Fruits : Heat 100 ml Ghee (Clarified Butter).
Step 13: Add 1/4 Cup cashews. You can keep the cashews whole or half or chop them.
Step 14: Fry the cashews until they become light golden color.
Step 15: Add 2 tablespoons raisins (Optional). I did not add.
Step 16: Begin to stir and fry. Stir until the raisins swell and become plump.
Step 17: Immediately remove the pan from the stove top and add the fried cashews, raisins and ghee to the cooked rice-lentils Mixture.
Step 18: Mix very well. Sweet Pongal is Ready.
Serve this sweet pongal hot or warm. Because it becomes thick when it gets colder. You can also garnish Sweet pongal with some of the fried cashews while serving.
Tip : You can also add Edible Camphor or cloves along with Cardamom powder as it will enhance the flavor of Sweet Pongal and give you divine aroma.
Recipe Video Link - Sweet Pongal Video Link
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