Sakkarai Pongal – Sweet Pongal – Chakkara Pongal

Sakkarai Pongal / Sweet Pongal is an authentic sweet recipe that is made for different festivals to offer as prasadham. As it is Aadi month thought of posting this easy Sakkarai Pongal recipe. Traditionally it is made in a pot for Pongal festival, but here I have used the pressure cooker method for convenience. The best combo for Sakkarai Pongal is Medhu Vadai. Recipe updated with new pics and video 🙂

Here is the video..

[Preparation Time-10 mins : Cooking Time- 20 mins]

Sakkarai Pongal Ingredients:

• Raw Rice – 1 cup
• Moong Dal – 2 tbsp
• Jaggery – 2 cups
• Ghee – 4 to 5 tbsp
• Cashews – 10 to 12
• Raisins – few (optional)
• Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp

Method:

• Dry roast moong dal for a few seconds until a nice aroma comes from it. To this add washed rice, 4 cups of water and presure cook for 3-4 whistles. Once the pressure releases, mash it well and add a tbsp of ghee and mix well.

• Meanwhile powder jaggery and heat it up in a pan with water just upto immersing level and bring it to a boil. No consistency is required, the jaggery has to dissolve well to form a syrup.That’s it. Strain it with a filter to remove impurities and add it to the mashed rice & moong dal mixture.

• Cook this in low-medium flame for a few mins. Finally add cardamom powder, mix & switch off the flame. In a pan heat ghee and fry cashews. Once cashews become golden brown, add the raisins. Raisins will puff up very quickly. Switch off the flame and add this to the sakkarai pongal and mix.

Deliciou Sakkarai Pongal is ready.

Serve warm with a dollop of ghee.

Tips:

1. While cooking rice add enough water to get a mushy texture. New rice requires less water & old rice will require more water. So cook accordingly.
2. Sakkarai Pongal will get thicker once it cools down. So switch off the flame accordingly.
3. U can add cloves & a very tiny piece of edible camphor if u prefer. I prefer a mild flavour so have added only cardamom powder.
4. The colour of sakkarai pongal depends upon your jaggery.
5. Increase or decrease the amount of jaggery according to your taste buds.

– By Sundari Nathan