Sweet Pongal Recipe
Are you craving something sweet and festive? Try Sweet Pongal. It is a tasty South Indian festive meal cooked with rice, lentils, ghee or clarified butter, jaggery or sugar, cardamom, and nuts. Also called Chakkara Pongali in Telugu and Sakkarai Pongali in Tamil, Sweet Pongal is a traditional dish made to offer Gods on special occasions and festivals. Many South Indian households prepare the dish on Makara Sankranthi. The addition of jaggery gives a molasses-like flavour and taste. So, you can imagine what this finger-licking dish tastes like.
There is something magical about the fragrance of ghee, jaggery and roasted nuts that fills the entire kitchen. With its richness and golden goodness, the sweet pongal recipe brings families together. So, are you ready to stir up some joy? Here’s a step-by-step guide for you.
Sweet Pongal Recipe: Ingredients
The following are the ingredients you will need to cook the heartwarming and mouthwatering recipe:
- ½ cup of any short to medium-grained Keshar Kali rice
- ⅓ cup of moong dal
- 3 cups water
For Jaggery Syrup
- ½ cup jaggery, chopped or grated or ½ cup of jaggery powder
- ½ cup water
- 1 pinch edible camphor – optional
- 5 green cardamoms or ½ teaspoon of green cardamom powder
- 1 clove – optional
- 2 tablespoons of coconut pieces or powder, optional
For Frying
- 4 to 5 tablespoons of ghee, or clarified butter
- 15 to 18 cashews
- 1 tablespoon of raisins
Sweet Pongal Recipe: Step-by-Step Guide
Now you know what ingredients you will need to cook sweet Pongal. Start preparing. After gathering the ingredients, it’s time to cook the lip-smacking dish. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can cook the delicious sweet pongal recipe:
Step 1: Roasting Rice and Moong Dal
- In a deep-bottomed pan or pressure cooker, add 1/3rd cup of moong dal and ½ a cup of any Keshar Kali rice. Dry roast them on a medium flame for about 5 to 7 minutes till they turn aromatic.
- Transfer the roasted rice and dal to a bowl and wash the roasted grains with water.
Step 2: Cooking Rice and Moong Dal
- In a pressure cooker, add the washed grains and pour 3 cups of water.
- Pressure rice and moong dal on a medium heat for 8 to 10 whistles.
- After cooking the grains, let them settle down naturally by themselves. Then, uncover the pressure cooker and check the consistency.
- The grains must be mushy and properly cooked. Using a spoon, slightly mash the cooked grains and keep them aside.
Step 3: Preparing the Jaggery Syrup
- While rice and dal are in the cooking process, crush 5 cardamoms and 1 clove in a mortar pestle. If you use cardamom powder, you will need only half a teaspoon.
- Chop and grate jaggery pieces if you are using jaggery chunks or cubes.
- Pour half a cup of water into a pan and add ½ a cup of grated or chopped jaggery.
- Heat this solution on a low to medium flame till the jagger melts. If you have used jaggery cubes without grating or chopping them, break the pieces using a spatula.
- You will get a dark or a light-coloured syrup based on the type of jaggery you have used.
Step 4: Making Sweet Pongal
- With the help of a strainer, strain the jaggery syrup and pour it into the cooked grains. If you use jaggery powder, you can add it directly without making the syrup.
- Toss in the crushed cardamom + clove powder with a pinch of edible camphor. Adding camphor is optional. If you want, you can skip this ingredient.
- Mix all the ingredients properly and turn off the stove.
- Place another pan on your stove and heat it. When heated, pour 4 to 5 tablespoons of ghee or clarified butter.
- Once the ghee is heated, add 2 tablespoons of coconut pieces and fry them till they change their colour and become aromatic. Keep the fried coconuts aside.
- Now, add 15 to 18 cashews to the remaining ghee. Fry the cashews till they change to a light golden colour.
- Add a teaspoon of raisins. Fry them till they swell and come plump.
- Toss in the fried cashews and raisins into the sweetened rice and moong dal. Your Sweet Pongal dish is ready to be served!
Instant Pot Sweet Pongal
The following steps show how you can cook the sweet pongal recipe in an Instant Pot:
- Wash rice and moong dal and keep the rinsed grains aside.
- Click Saute on your Instant Pot and pour a tablespoon of ghee.
- When the ghee becomes slightly hot, fry the cashews. Select Cancel and add raisins. When the latter turns plump, shift them to a small bowl.
- Select saute again and transfer the washed grains and stir to get a nice smell.
- Add 4 cups of water or a cup of milk, mix well, and cover the Instant Pot. Click the pressure cook option, and set the timer to 10 minutes.
- When the grains are properly cooked, allow the pressure to release itself on its own and add fine jaggery powder or the jaggery powder you have prepared above.
- Add cardamom and coconut powder. Stir gently and click the Saute option. Cook for a few minutes till all ingredients mix well. This only takes a couple of minutes.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee and select the Cancel button. Garnish it with a handful of cashews and raisins and your delicious Sweet Pongal is ready!
Conclusion:
Sweet Pongal is more than a dessert; it helps make memories. From the first spoon of spongy rice and dal to the crunchiness of nuts roasted in ghee, each bite celebrates tradition. It is a dish that makes you smile and feel the warmth of the festival. Whether you cook the dish for the festive season or are just craving something warm and cosy, the sweet pongal recipe brings joy to your kitchen space and sweetness to your day. Therefore, don’t wait, go ahead, cook the dish, serve it proudly, and allow the flavours to roam around happily.
Now that you have the recipe, it’s your turn. Bring the sweetness of the dish home with Keshar Kali! We have different varieties. Buy your favourite rice type, gather the necessary ingredients, light your stove, and bring Sweet Pongal to life in your kitchen. Go to our website and shop now!
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