About Sweet Pongal

In Tamil culture, Pongal refers to the process of boiling and bubbling up, while Sakkarai or Chakkara represent jaggery or country sugar. A traditional dish called Sakkarai Pongal is made by boiling water and milk, then adding raw rice, jaggery, dal, dry fruits, and ghee.

Sakkarai Pongal is a traditional dish typically prepared during the Pongal festival or Makar Sankaranti, using the first harvested rice of the year. The dish is cooked facing east towards the sun, representing gratitude and offering the first meal of the harvest to the Sun God for a prosperous yield.

The reason for using uncooked rice instead of cooked rice in the preparation of Pongal is to honor and offer the first harvest to the Sun God.

VIDEO

Sweet Pongal in cooker

Pot-cooked Sweet Pongal – Conventional Technique

Sakkarai Pongal Ingredients

• Use uncooked rice to prepare Pongal. It can be found at stores labeled as Pongal Raw Rice or Pongal Pacharisi.

• To prepare, mix half the amount of moong dal with rice.

• If possible, obtain paaguvellam or achuvellam jaggery, which is slightly darker. If not, mold jaggery can be used as a substitute.

• The traditional sweet pongal recipe does not include milk, but we add it for a more luxurious flavor. If available, use full-fat milk, otherwise regular low-fat milk can be used.

• Ingredients: For Pongal, add generous amounts of cashews, raisins, cardamom powder and ghee for added flavor.

Sweet Pongal – 2 methods

Typically, Pongal is prepared by slow cooking in pots over firewood. However, as times have changed, we now commonly use pressure cookers. In this post, I have demonstrated how to make Sweet Pongal using both of these methods.

Making sweet pongal using a pressure cooker is a simple, efficient, and quick method.

2. Traditional Method for Making Sakkarai Pongal in a Pot: In the traditional method, Sakkarai Pongal is prepared in a bronze pot as demonstrated in the shared recipe.

Additional options for Pongal dishes

Expert Tips

• Reduce the amount of water when making jaggery syrup, using only half the amount of jaggery is ideal.

• For optimal results, utilize paagu vellam or jaggery with a dark hue to enhance the flavor and appearance of the pongal.

• Be sure to turn it off while it is still runny as it will become thicker over time.

• Serve hot at all times with a spoonful of clarified butter.

• If you don’t have edible camphor, you can skip it, but it adds a divine flavor similar to that found in temples.

Variations

• Include milk as well to enhance the flavor.

• To incorporate the taste of saffron, soak it in milk and include it in your recipe.

• You may also incorporate powdered jaggery instead of making it into a syrup. Just be sure to use a pure form without any impurities.

• Instead of jaggery, you can use alternatives such as sugar, sugar candy (kalkandu), brown sugar, karupatti, or sugar cane juice.

• You may also include finely shredded coconut.

• To enhance the taste, incorporate clove powder into the mixture.

• You have the option to use Quinoa, Sooji / Rava, Millet, Poha, or Wheat Rava as substitutes when making sweet pongal and wanting to try different ingredients.

Serving & Storage

When eaten hot, Pongal is delicious! However, it can become solid if the starch is not removed. To prevent this, add a small amount of water or milk and heat it on the stovetop or in the microwave before consuming it after 3-4 hours.

Sweet pongal can typically be stored at room temperature for 2 days. If refrigerated, it can be consumed the following day.

FAQS

What does Sakkarai Pongal refer to?

Sweet Pongal is a delicious, yummy rice meal made by cooking rice &moong dal in jaggery syrup, milk, water and then flavoured with ghee and cashews.

What is the process for preparing Sweet Pongal?

• Combine jaggery and water in a pan and heat until the jaggery is fully dissolved.

• Toast uncooked moong beans and mix them into cooked rice.

• Add water to the pot and cook under low to medium heat for 5 whistles. Allow the pressure to release naturally.

• Add the jaggery syrup to the strained mixture. Stir well and allow it to simmer until it thickens.

• Combine ghee-sauteed dry fruits with cardamom powder.

• Drizzle with ghee and serve while hot.

Is it possible for me to prepare jaggery syrup the night before and keep it in the refrigerator?

That’s great – it will save a lot of time during the festival!

Can I use cooked or brown rice instead of raw rice for cooking?

It is recommended to use uncooked rice for Neivaidhyam. However, Sweet Pongal can be prepared with any type of rice, though the flavor may differ depending on the type. For Brown rice, cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.

When should I add the milk and will it curdle?

In the conventional approach, water and milk are combined and boiled before incorporating rice, dal, and other components. When using a pressure cooker, the boiled milk should be added before the jaggery syrup is incorporated.

Can coconut and edible camphor be added to Pongal?

Add grated coconut, edible camphor, and other flavors, as well as dry fruits.

7.What is the ratio of rice to dal? Can I use toor dal?

Use half as much moong dal as rice! Don’t use toor dal and if you don’t have moong dal, you can leave it out.

Why does rice stick to the pot?

To avoid rice sticking to the pot, it is important to stir it thoroughly and frequently.

If you have additional inquiries regarding this recipe for Sweet Pongal, please contact me at [email protected]. Additionally, you can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, and Twitter.

Have you attempted making this Sweet Pongal dish? Please share your thoughts on it. Don’t forget to mention us on Instagram @sharmispassions and use the hashtag #sharmispassions.