Receta Sakkarai Pongal | Sweet Pongal
Sakkarai Pongal (pronounced as chakkarai pongal) is one of the basic and most traditional sweet of South India. Mainly prepared during the Pongal festival, this dish is very close to my heart. Combining rice and dal is not only common in the South but almost the entire Indian cuisine enjoys this combination - Kichdi, bisibelebath and pongal to name a few. This dish is the counterpart of its savoury version - Ven Pongal, which is normally enjoyed as a holiday brunch or as breakfast.
In earlier days, this dish was made in a heavy bottomed bronze vessel called "uruli or vengala panai". This is the period in which our all-in-all pressure cooker or a gas stove were not yet discovered. In those days, rice was cooked in this bronze vessel. As you keep stirring, the starch from the rice will rise and might boil over. In tamil, "Ponga" means to boil over. The pongal is also done in a similar way and hence the name. But at present, making this luscious rice dish is very simple. Cook rice and dal in a pressure cooker and add this to the jaggery syrup. It is as simple as that.
Even though I said that it is very simple, there are factors to keep in mind while preparing this dish. First and foremost, the rice and dal should be smashed completely and its almost like a porridge. So add extra water while cooking rice and if using a pressure cooker (most certainly) keep it for a couple of more extra whistles than you would keep for the regular rice. Also add this cooked mixture after the raw smell from the jaggery syrup is gone. So let the syrup boil for sometime in med-low flame. Rest all are adjusted according to one's sweet preference.
Sakkarai Pongal | Sweet Pongal
Cooked and smashed Rice and Moong dal in a jaggery syrup. A festive treat during Pongal festival.
Prep Time: 10 Mins | Cook Time: 20 Mins | Total Time: 30 Mins | Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rice
- 1/4 Cup Pasi Parupu | Moong Dal
- 1.25 to 1.5 Cups Powdered Jaggery
- 1 cup milk
- 3-4 Tbsp Ghee
10-12 Cashew nuts, coarsely pieced.
Instructions
Roast the Moong dal on medium flame. As it turns golden brown and when you can smell the wonderful aroma of the dal; turn off the stove.
Cook the dal and rice, separately in the pressure cooker in one cup milk and enough water to cook it well. (1) The rice should be mushy and smashed very well. So add more water than usual and extra whistles. Smash the cooked rice and you can add warm milk to it if it becomes very dry. (2) Keep it aside.
Heat the pan and add jaggery and 1/4 cup water. Do not add much water. Once the jaggery is dissolved turn off the stove.
Filter it using a filter and once again pour it in the same pan and heat it again and bring it to a boil in a medium flame.
Keep stirring it till the jaggery mixture sticks to the finger when you touch it and becomes a little thick. At that time, add the cooked rice and stir it.
Keep stirring it until the pongal gets thicker. Add ghee and the roasted cashews and turn off the stove.
Notes
The rice and dal should be smashed very well. If it is not cooked well and mixed; when you add it to the jaggery, it will not blend with it properly and the rice grains will stick out. Also when you cook both the dal and rice together, the dal might not get fully cooked. This might be okay while making ven pongal but for this, dal and rice grains will not be seen separately.
The cooked rice and dal should be warm. If it becomes cold it will not blend properly with the jaggery. So either add warm water or warm milk to it.
The consistency for jaggery syrup is also important. No string consistency is required, but it should be sticky and thick when you touch with your hands. Only then it will bind properly with the cooked rice. Otherwise it may become watery.