Sakkarai pongal aka sweet rice pongal

Here is one more makar sankranthi prasadam for you - the sakkarai pongal aka sweet rice pongal.

Bringing the ingredients together...

Ven pongal aka hot rice pongal recipe

Serves – 4
Preparation time – 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Raw rice – 2 cups, wash and soak the rice for 45 minutes
Green-gram dal – 1 cup, fry it lightly in a hot frying pan till lightly browned
Cashewnuts – 10
Raisins – 15
Jaggery – 1 cup, crushed
Cardamom – 6 pods, powdered
Ghee – 2 tablespoon
Salt – 1/8 teaspoon

Method: Put the fried dal in 4 big cupfuls of boiling water along with half teaspoon ghee. Cover with a lid to boil. When the dal is three-fourth cooked, add the wet and soaked rice. When the rice is well boiled and its water all absorbed, add the jaggery powder and salt and stir well. The mixture will turn watery with the addition of jaggery. Let it cook over low heat till the mixture becomes thick and mushy again. Heat a vessel over moderate heat and pour in the ghee. When very hot, fry the cashew nuts to a light brown color and fry the raisins till they swell out. Add the boiled rice and dal to the ghee and sprinkle in the cardamom powder. Stir thoroughly once and allow to remain on low heat for 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

PS chef notes:

- If there is too much water, drain off it before adding the jaggery powder.
- If the water is all absorbed before the rice is cooked completely, sprinkle a cupful of hot water around the edges and surface of the rice and cook for some more time.
- You may also use equal amount of sugar and jaggery if you prefer it that way.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Sakkarai pongal aka sweet rice pongal