SWEET PONGAL / SARKARAI PONGAL
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 tsp Ghee / Clarified Butter
- 1/2 cup Raw Rice
- 1/2 cup Moong Dal
- 1/2 cup Jaggery
- 3 cup Water
- 1 cup Milk
- 10 -12 Cashew nuts
- 2 tbsp Raisins
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder
- 1 small pinch edible Camphor (Optional)
- 1 -2 Cloves crushed with mortar-pestle (Optional)
- 1-2 tbsp Coconut pieces sliced or chopped (Optional)
METHOD:
1. Dry roast rice and dal over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Dal should not change its color. The moong dal only need to be roasted till they become aromatic. Now turn off the heat and rinse it in water for a couple of times.
2. Melt Ghee in a cooker and add the rice and dal. Mix it well with the ghee and then add water. Cover and let it cook for 5 whistles on a medium heat. Both the rice and moong dal should be cooked until turns soft and mushy, that is the reason more water is needed.
3. Meanwhile take ½ cup of water and jagerry in another pan. On a low flame stir and melt it. Boil until slightly thick and sticky. Now strain the jagerry syrup for any impurities and set aside.
4. Add this jagerry syrup to the cooked rice and dal and add the milk. Now add the cardamom powder, crushed clove and a pinch of edible camphor. Mix everything very well. Pongal will thicken as it cools down.
5. Melt ghee in another pan and add cashews, fry till they turns light golden. Add raisins and coconut pieces to it and fry till the raisins swell and become plump and coconut turn aromatic.
6. Then immediately remove the pan from the stove top and add to the pongal mixture. Mix everything very well. That's it our delicious sweet pongal / sakkarai pongal is ready to be enjoyed hot or warm.
7. There are many possible variations of sweet Pongal. For healthier options, raw rice can be substituted with brown rice, millets, oats or quinoa. The jagerry can be substituted with plain sugar (Chakkara pongal) or rock sugar / mishri (Kalkandu pongal), but it lacks the taste & flavor of the pongal made with jagerry.
8. Good quality cow’s ghee is the key to the unique aroma. Use generous amount of ghee. Cardamom powder, cloves and camphor are used for flavour, which can be skipped. Milk provides richness to the recipe which can be replaced with water.
