Sakkarai Pongal Recipe (Sweetened Rice And Jaggery Pudding Recipe)

Sakkarai Pongal Recipe is a traditional South Indian pudding made of rice sweetened with jaggery. It has a porridge-like consistency, mildly flavored with cardamom. Sakkarai Pongal is most often made along with Ven Pongal for the festival of Pongal, celebrated to mark the beginning of the harvest season in India. Pongal in Tamil means something that is “overflowing” and the festival is celebrated in honor of abundance and prosperity, over four days. The ritual of boiling over of milk in a clay pot is usually done to ensure prosperity for the family. Course : South Indian Breakfast Ingridients : 3/4 cup Rice , washed 1/2 cup Yellow Moong Dal (Split) , washed 1 cup Jaggery 1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder (Elaichi) 1/4 cup Ghee Ingredients for Seasoning 2 tablespoons Cashew nuts , halved 1 tablespoon Ghee Instructions To begin making the Sakkarai Pongal Recipe, heat a pan on medium heat and roast the yellow moong dal until a lightly roasted aroma is released. Don’t allow the moong dal to turn brown.Place the roasted moong dal and the washed rice into the pressure cooker. Add 2-1/2 cups of water, cover the pan, place the weight on and pressure cook until you heat one whistle. After the first whistle, turn the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. After 3 to 4 minutes, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally. Keep this aside.In a saucepan, add 1/4 cup of water and melt the jaggery on medium heat. Allow the jaggery to come to a boil. Stir in the cardamom powder to the jaggery mixture and turn off the heat. Keep this aside.Now heat a tablespoon of ghee in a small pan and roast the cashew nuts until golden and crisp. Turn off the heat and keep aside.In the final steps to make Sakkarai Pongal; add the melted jaggery mixture and the roasted cashew nuts along with the 1/4 cup of ghee into the cooked rice and dal.Stir well on medium heat for about 5 minutes until the jaggery has got well blended with the rice and dal mixture. The Sakkarai Pongal is now ready. Turn off the heat and transfer the Pongal to a serving bowl.The Sakkarai Pongal is traditionally offered on a fresh banana leaf along with Ven Pongal, Vada Sambar and Kathirikai Gothsu - Eggplant in a Tangy Gravy. Do make this recipe for the Pongal Festival or even for a delicious breakfast with family and friends.