Sweet Pongal | Sakkarai Pongal is a special recipe prepared for the pongal festival, apart from pongal festival sweet pongal is prepared for special occasions like marriage, baby shower, house warming, etc. There are two different Pongal, Sakkarai Pongal (sweet pongal), and Ven Pongal. On Pongal celebration Tamil people used to prepare, both sweet pongal and ven pongal (Made with raw rice, moong dal, pepper, and cumin seeds).
Pongal festival is a popular festival of Tamil Nadu, Srilanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius. Even it is celebrated by Tamil people in Canada, America, and the United Kingdom. which is celebrated on January 13-16, Pongal is prepared from the new harvest of rice, the previous day is celebrated as Bhogi, and the next day of pongal is mattu pongal, thanksgiving for cattle and Sankranthi celebrated on January 14-16th in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Sweet pongal is a traditional dish, which is prepared in a clay pot (man panai) on olden days, nowadays people used to prepare it in a stainless steel pot, and other metal pots and even in a pressure cooker, you can prepare it in pot or cooker the taste remains same. For sakkarai pongal use pongal raw rice ( pudhu pacharisi, pongal pacharisi), or you can also use ponni raw rice. Use good quality golden color jaggery, otherwise, the pongal will not be tasty. Use pacha karpooram for a traditional taste. You can also add 1/4 tsp of Nutmeg powder along with cardamom powder. After adding the fried cashew nuts and raisins you can also add, 1/4 cup of crystal sugar ( karkandu ).
Other varieties – Sago Kesari, Pasiparuppu urundai, badam kheer, rava Kesari, badusha, mango Kesari, carrot halwa, wheat halwa, motichoor ladoo, Asoka halwa, sweet pongal, milk peda, sweet bonda, millet payasam,sakkarai pongal, nei appam, pidi kozhukattai, badam halwa, moongdal laddu, halwa, boondi laddu.
Pongal festival special pongal
- 1 cup Raw rice
- 1/4 cup Moong dal
- 1.5 cups Jaggery
- 1 cup Milk
- 3 crushed Cardamom
- 1 pinch Pacha karpooram
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 Small banana
- 2 tsp Ghee
- 10 Cashew nuts
- 2 tsp Raisins
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Rinse and soak 1 cup of raw rice for 30 minutes.
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In a pressure cooker heat 1 tsp of ghee.
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Add 1/4 cup of moong dal and roast for 2-3 minutes.
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Add 4 cups of water and 1 cup of milk, bring it to boil.
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Drain excess water from the rice, add it in the cooker.
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Add 1 pinch of pacha karpooram, 3 crushed cardamoms, 1 pinch of salt, 1 small banana, and mix well.
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Close and pressure cook for 4 whistles or cook covered for 15-20 minutes.
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Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan, add 1.5 cups jaggery, cook till it dissolves.
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Once done, Drain/filter jaggery to avoid dirt and mud.
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Boil jaggery syrup again till it becomes thick, keep it aside.
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Once the rice and dal cooked well, mash it completely.
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Add thick jaggery syrup and combine well.
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Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of ghee in a small pan, add cashew nuts (10-15) and 2 tsp of raisins, cook till golden brown.
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Add cashew nuts and raisins with pongal. Mix well.
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Sakkarai pongal is ready to serve.
- Use raw rice for making pongal, if raw rice is not available you can use regular rice.
- You can adjust jaggery according to your taste.
- While serving pongal, add 1 tsp of hot ghee on top of it, it will give nice aroma and taste.
- You can also add 1/4 cup of kalkandu/crystal sugar, after adding roasted cashew nuts and raisins to enhance the taste.
Method
Step by Step Pictures
-
Rinse and soak 1 cup of raw rice for 30 minutes.
-
In a pressure cooker heat 1 tsp of ghee.
-
Add 1/4 cup of moong dal and roast for 2-3 minutes.
-
Add 4 cups of water and 1 cup of milk, bring it to boil.
-
Drain excess water from the rice, add it in the cooker.
-
Add 1 pinch of pacha karpooram, 3 crushed cardamoms, 1 pinch of salt, 1 small banana, and mix well.
-
Close and pressure cook for 4 whistles or cook covered for 15-20 minutes.
-
Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan, add 1.5 cups jaggery, cook till it dissolves.
-
Once done, Drain/filter jaggery to avoid dirt and mud.
-
Boil jaggery syrup again till it becomes thick, keep it aside.
-
Once the rice and dal cooked well, mash it completely.
-
Add thick jaggery syrup and combine well.
-
Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of ghee in a small pan, add cashew nuts (10-15) and 2 tsp of raisins, cook till golden brown.
-
Add cashew nuts and raisins with pongal. Mix well.
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Sakkarai pongal is ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
- Use raw rice for making pongal, if raw rice is not available you can use regular rice.
- You can adjust jaggery according to your taste.
- While serving pongal, add 1 tsp of hot ghee on top of it, it will give nice aroma and taste.
- You can also add 1/4 cup of kalkandu/crystal sugar, after adding roasted cashew nuts to enhance the taste.
