Sweet Pongal / Sakkarai Pongal Recipe

Sakkarai Pongal Recipe

AuthorAnkita
RatingDifficultyIntermediate

An Outlook On Sakkarai Pongal Recipe

Sakkarai Pongal is an authentic dish from Tamil Nadu, which has occupied an important place in the gastronomic history of the country. Just experience the taste of Sakkarai Pongal which is garnished with a dollop of ghee and roasted dry fruits.

Sakkarai Pongal is a quintessential dish that originated from the Indian subcontinent which is named after the festival Pongal or Sankaranthi.  Indian cuisine is famous for rice and lentil based dishes, and this sakkarai Pongal is one such exotic dish that allures you with its taste and richness.

Sakkarai pongal is a nectarous dish made of simple ingredients like rice, moong dal, milk, jaggery and ghee. Apart from being prepared for Makara sankaranti, it is also prepared for other festivals like Mahashivarathri, Ganesh chaturthi, Navratri, Adi Pooram and other festivals. Sakkarai pongal is made with an exclusive type of raw rice which is generally called as pudu pacharisi in Tamil. As it gives a soft and mushy texture to the pongal it is preferred to make sakkarai pongal even though you can make it with other varieties of raw rice. There are quite a few versions of making the Sakkarai Pongal and it varies according to the region and the cooking method too differs from place to place. For example, in some interior villages or towns in India, still they make pongal in earthen pots and yet is some other regions, pongal is made in stainless steel or copper pots. But the most popular and easiest way is to prepare the pongal in Pressure pan or Cooker.

Milk adds richness to the dish, but certain versions do not add milk at all. Similarly, adding of edible camphor and nutmeg comes from the ancient version of sakkarai pongal. In those days, they added these unique ingredients for their therapeutic purposes and in course of time, this practice slowly got diminished and nowadays pongal is made either with or without these aromatic condiments. Similarly, in some States, they add a few strands of saffron towards the end to make it all the more delectable. Here, I have given you the basic traditional version of Sakkarai Pongal prepared for sankaranti.

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sakkarai pongal recipe
Yields1 Serving
Prep Time10 minsCook Time20 minsTotal Time30 mins

Ingredients Required To Make Sakkarai Pongal Recipe

Key Ingredients
 1 Cup Of Raw Rice
 ½ Cup Of Yellow Moong Dal
 2 cups Milk
 1 ½ cups Jaggery
 3 cups Water
For Tempering
 6 tbsp Ghee
 5 Nos cashews
 10 Nos Raisins
 1 Bit Of Nutmeg
 ½ tsp Cardamom Powder
 1 Pinch Of Edible Camphor

How To Make Sakkarai Pongal Recipe

Dry Roast The Rice And Lentil
1

To make sakkarai pongal recipe, heat a skillet and add in half a cup of moong dhal to it and stir.

2

Roast it in medium flame for two to three minutes approximately.

3

When it becomes aromatic, just turn off the stove.

4

Take a cup of rice in a bowl and add the roasted moong dhal to it.

5

Wash it well twice and keep aside.

Boil The Rice And Lentil
6

Add three cups of water to the rice bowl and place it inside a pressure pan.

7

Let it cook for four or five whistles until it becomes soft and mushy.

8

Turn off the stove and let it cool for a while.

Do The Tempering
9

Heat the skillet again and tip in three to four tablespoons of ghee to it.

10

When it starts to melt, just throw in ten cashews and stir in.

11

When they turn golden brown, just toss over some raisins and when they pop up, drop in a tiny bit of nutmeg to it.

12

When they get roasted just transfer these ingredients to a plate and keep it.

Make The Sakkarai Pongal
13

Heat the skillet again and pour in two cups of milk along with a little water.

14

When it comes to a boil, just add the cooked rice and lentil to the skillet and stir well.

15

Let it cook for five minutes approximately, and when the milk gets absorbed up completely, just tip in the measured quantity of jaggery with a nice stir.

16

Add a little more ghee and mix everything well and let it boil for some more time.

17

Sprinkle in a few pinches of cardamom powder and add in the roasted dry fruits to it except the nutmeg.

18

Crush the nutmeg using a mortar and pestle and add it to the mixture.

19

At last, tip in a small pinch of edible camphor and stir in.

20

Let the entire process be done in low or medium flame.

21

When the whole mixture reaches the desired consistency and turn fragrant, just turn off the stove and drop in the remaining ghee.

22

Now the lip-smacking sakkarai pongal is ready.

23

Relish it hot as such or with some vegetable kootu or curry.

Tips and Tricks To Make Sakkarai Pongal Recipe :

  • Use pudu pacharisi (fresh raw rice) for making any type of pongal  as it gives the desired mushy texture for the pongal and it is available in all Indian Stores.
  • In case if you are not sure about the purity of jaggery, just boil it with a little water for two to three minutes and use it after filtering.
  • If you keep it in pressure cooker or pressure pan just let it cook for two or three more whistles from your regular cooking as the rice and lentil should be squishy enough to mash.
  • Use the same pressure pan to make the pongal as it will be firm and sturdy in the stove.
  • Be liberal about the usage of ghee as it blends the entire mixture to a whole mass and gives an alluring aroma.
  • Edible camphor and nutmeg are available in all Indian stores and it is better to have a small pack in your pantry as you can add it to many Indian sweet dishes.
  • You can refrigerate the pongal and use it for a day or two and just reheat it in oven or induction stove for two to three minutes just before serving.

Ingredients

Key Ingredients
 1 Cup Of Raw Rice
 ½ Cup Of Yellow Moong Dal
 2 cups Milk
 1 ½ cups Jaggery
 3 cups Water
For Tempering
 6 tbsp Ghee
 5 Nos cashews
 10 Nos Raisins
 1 Bit Of Nutmeg
 ½ tsp Cardamom Powder
 1 Pinch Of Edible Camphor

Directions

Dry Roast The Rice And Lentil
1

To make sakkarai pongal recipe, heat a skillet and add in half a cup of moong dhal to it and stir.

2

Roast it in medium flame for two to three minutes approximately.

3

When it becomes aromatic, just turn off the stove.

4

Take a cup of rice in a bowl and add the roasted moong dhal to it.

5

Wash it well twice and keep aside.

Boil The Rice And Lentil
6

Add three cups of water to the rice bowl and place it inside a pressure pan.

7

Let it cook for four or five whistles until it becomes soft and mushy.

8

Turn off the stove and let it cool for a while.

Do The Tempering
9

Heat the skillet again and tip in three to four tablespoons of ghee to it.

10

When it starts to melt, just throw in ten cashews and stir in.

11

When they turn golden brown, just toss over some raisins and when they pop up, drop in a tiny bit of nutmeg to it.

12

When they get roasted just transfer these ingredients to a plate and keep it.

Make The Sakkarai Pongal
13

Heat the skillet again and pour in two cups of milk along with a little water.

14

When it comes to a boil, just add the cooked rice and lentil to the skillet and stir well.

15

Let it cook for five minutes approximately, and when the milk gets absorbed up completely, just tip in the measured quantity of jaggery with a nice stir.

16

Add a little more ghee and mix everything well and let it boil for some more time.

17

Sprinkle in a few pinches of cardamom powder and add in the roasted dry fruits to it except the nutmeg.

18

Crush the nutmeg using a mortar and pestle and add it to the mixture.

19

At last, tip in a small pinch of edible camphor and stir in.

20

Let the entire process be done in low or medium flame.

21

When the whole mixture reaches the desired consistency and turn fragrant, just turn off the stove and drop in the remaining ghee.

22

Now the lip-smacking sakkarai pongal is ready.

23

Relish it hot as such or with some vegetable kootu or curry.

Sweet Pongal / Sakkarai Pongal Recipe

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