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Sweet Pongal

Revathi Palani
Sakkarai Pongal is a traditional South Indian dessert made on the day of Pongal to celebrate the Sun god for providing bountiful harvest and prosperity.
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4

Youtube Video

Ingredients
  

  • ½ Cup Raw rice
  • 2 Tbsp Yellow moong dal
  • ½ Cup Jaggery
  • 2 Cups Water
  • 2 Tbsp Ghee
  • 10 Cashews
  • 10 Raisins
  • ½ tsp Cardamom Powder
  • 1 tiny pinch Edible Camphor

Instructions
 

  • First, wash the rice and moong dal. Then add them to the pressure cooker, along with 2 cups of water and cook for 3 whistle. Turn off the flame.
  • While the pressure from the cooker subsides, heat a pan with about ½ cup of water and melt the jaggery. Bring to a boil and turn off the flame. In case of using coarsely ground cardamon powder, you can add it to this jaggery syrup.
  • Once the pressure totally subsides from the cooker, remove the whistle and open the lid. Turn on the flame set it in low. Add the edible camphor, jaggery syrup to the cooked rice and mix thoroughly. Keep stirring until you get the correct consistency. Turn off the flame. Use a fine mesh filter when adding the jaggery syrup to the cooked rice.
  • Now heat a separate pan with ghee, add the cashews. Fry until the cashews start to change color. Add the raisins and wait until they puff up.
  • Transfer the cashews, raisins along with the ghee to the pongal. Mix well.
  • Enjoy hot.

Notes | FAQ

- Filtering jaggery syrup before adding to rice is must. Jaggery may contain dirt.
- If adding very fine cardamon powder, you can directly add to the pongal.
- Very small pinch of edible camphor is for flavor. Do not add more. Also, buy edible camphor, it is different from the other camphor you use for lighting deepam.
- Use a darker color jaggery for the best appearance. Since it is difficult to get it in US, my step wise photos uses a lesser color jaggery
sakkarai pongal