Sweet Pongal, Sakkarai Pongal, Chakkarai
by Tarla Dalal
God’s favourite offering, and man’s favourite prasad! Yes, the Sweet Pongal has won this contest hands-down.
For generations, South Indians have believed the Sweet Pongal or Sakkarai Pongal to be one of the best offerings to God, as it combines rice and dal with jaggery and spices, all being auspicious ingredients with a positive connotation.
The taste, understandably, is divine! The rich flavour and aroma of jaggery, together with the magical tinge of spices makes this a droolworthy delicacy.
Dry roasting the dal before cooking also boosts its aroma, making the flavour of the dish richer too. As a variant of this Sweet Pongal, sometimes the rice and dal are cooked in a mixture of milk and water. This gives the sweet dish a milky taste and luscious mouth-feel.
Sweet Pongal is compulsorily made for the Pongal festival. Freshly-harvested rice, if available, is used to make the Sweet Pongal, in new earthen pots!
Imagine the heady aroma that emanates from the streets of South Indian villages as every household makes this heavenly dish in their courtyard on Pongal day!
Also do try other South Indian sweets like Imarti , Churna and Mysore Pak .
Sweet Pongal, Sakkarai Pongal, Chakkarai recipe - How to make Sweet Pongal, Sakkarai Pongal, Chakkarai
Preparation Time: Cooking Time: Total Time:
Makes 5 servings
1/2 cup rice (chawal)
1/4 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow gram)
1 cup chopped jaggery (gur)
2 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
a pinch of nutmeg (jaiphal) powder
2 tbsp broken cashewnuts (kaju)
2 tbsp raisins (kismis)
- Method
- Heat a small non-stick pan, add the rice and yellow moong dal and dry roast on a medium flame for 4 minutes.
- Wash the dry roasted rice and yellow moong dal mixture and strain it.
- Combine the strained rice and yellow moong dal mixture and 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 6 whistles.
- Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.
- Mash it well using a back of a spoon. Keep aside.
- Heat ¼ cup of water in a deep non-stick pan, add the jaggery and 1 tbsp of ghee, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring continuously.
- Add the rice-yellow moong dal mixture, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring continuously. Keep aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of ghee in a small non-stick pan, add the cashews and raisins and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
- Add this to the prepared pongal and mix well.
- Serve hot.
| Energy | 272 cal |
| Protein | 3.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48.7 g |
| Fiber | 1.4 g |
| Fat | 6.9 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Vitamin A | 52.5 mcg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.1 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0 mg |
| Vitamin B3 | 0.5 mg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
| Folic Acid | 14.3 mcg |
| Calcium | 35.7 mg |
| Iron | 1.6 mg |
| Magnesium | 0 mg |
| Phosphorus | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 2.1 mg |
| Potassium | 107.2 mg |
| Zinc | 0.6 mg |
Sweet Pongal made this way will be so bad. Pathetic. First, roast dhal and rice separately. If mixed and roasted, rice will get burnt and dhal will not even be roasted. It will still have kuchcha smell. Next, this should be cooked in a mix of milk and water. And the flavour is from cardamom and cooking camphor, a very tiny pinch of edible camphor. It should be added along with a tbsp of ghee to the jaggery syrup, after the syrup is done boiling. Finally, add at least 4 - 5 tbsp.of ghee that has been heated until fragrant.
Behaad khubsoorat recipe from
Delicious!!!!!!!
Rich in ghee, this rice of the festivities os loaded with flavour and fat! Great stuff!