Sakarai Pongal / Sweet Pongal

Pongal (Tamil: பொங்கல்,Telugu: పొంగలి) is a popular rice dish based in South India. Pongal is unique to Tamil cuisine, but related toKhichdi.

There are two varieties of pongal, namely, sakarai pongal (sweet pongal) and ven pongal (spicy pongal). The unqualified word pongalusually refers to spicy pongal, and is a common breakfast food in several parts of India. The rice boiled with milk and jaggery during thePongal festival is also called pongal - this is sweet pongal made specially in earthenware pots with a wood fire.

Sakarai Pongal

Sakarai pongal (sweet) is generally prepared in temples as a prasad, i.e., offering to God. This type of pongal is also prepared during the Pongal festival (similar to Thai Pongal) in Tamil Nadu,South India.
Sakarai means sugar in the Tamil language. It tastes sweet and contains ingredients like rice, sugar/jaggery, coconut pieces or moong daal. The sweetening agent in sakarai is traditionally jaggery, but sometimes candy sugar can be added. This makes a white looking pongal, but adding jaggery makes a darker brown coloured pongal.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Raw Rice
• 1/2 cup Green Gram Dal
• 1 cup Milk
• 3 cups Jaggery (powdered)
• 4 tbsp Ghee
• 2 tbsp Cashewnuts
• 2 tbsp Raisins
• 5 no Cardamoms (powdered)
• 2 no Cloves (powdered)
• 1 small piece Nutmeg (grated or powdered)
• A pinch of Saffron
• 2 1/2 cups Water

Method

• Roast dry the green gram dal for a couple of minutes.
• Cook the rice and green gram dhal with 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 cup milk in the microwave and set aside.
• Dissolve the jaggery in 3/4 cup water and cook on a low heat till the jaggery melts.
• Strain the jaggery to remove the dirt.
• Put the syrup once more on the heat and stir till it becomes slightly sticky.
• Add the cooked rice and dhal.
• Heat the 4 tbsp ghee.
• Fry the cashewnuts and raisins and add to the pongal.
• Add the powdered cardamoms, cloves nutmeg and saffron.
• Mix well and serve hot.