Sweet Pongal - சக்கரை பொங்கல்

Wish you all a Happy new year. Though this pongal is called sakkara pongal, there will be no sugar. Instead jaggery is used.

Ingredients:

Sona masoori rice - 1 cup (பச்சரிசி)

Moong dal - 1/4 cup (பாசி பருப்பு)

Jaggery (powdered) - 2 cups (உருண்டை வெல்லம் - தூள் ஆக்க வேண்டும்)

Ghee - 2 1/2 tablespoon

Cashew nuts (whole)- 10

Golden raisins- 6 to 8

Milk - 1/2 cup

Water- 2 1/2 cups

Cardamom powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Cooking (or) edible camphor - 1 pinch

Saffron threads - 1 pinch (குங்கும பூ)

Method:

Slightly dry roast the moong dal till the raw smell fades off.

Mix the moong dal and rice together and wash.

Pressure cook both dal and rice by adding 2 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of milk.

Split the whole cashew nuts into two and roast them in 1 teaspoon of ghee. Remove the cashews when it reached golden color.

Roast the raisins in kadai with 1/2 teaspoon of ghee. When the raisins starts to puff remove from fire.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan add 2 cups of jaggery and 1/2 cup of water in medium heat.

Let the jaggery melt and when it starts to boil remove from fire and filter out the dirt.

Again bring the melted jaggery to boil in between low and medium flame. When the consistency reaches to soft ball (in a cup of cold water let one drop of syrup and the drop should form small ball, we call this பாகு பதம்)

Immediately pour the syrup in the boiled rice and dal and mix.

Now keep the pressure cooker in low heat and add 1 tablespoon of ghee and mix.

Add roasted cashew nuts, raisins, cardamom powder ,one pinch of edible camphor, one pinch of saffron and mix.

Add remaining ghee and mix.

Remove from fire.

Posted in: Breakfast, Rice