3 Sweet Pongal Recipes for Sankranthi

Sankranti / Pongal is round the corner (Jan 14th) and it’s time for a new harvest season all over India.In South India, Pongal signifies planting of new crops and thanking the gods for all the prosperity last year. Another festival celebrated with similar vigour is Ugadi.

The main dish during Sankaranti is the Sweet Pongal or Sakkarai Pongal (in Tamil) or Sakkare Pongal (in Kannada) or ChakraPongali (in Telugu).

Sprinkled generously with cashew nuts and a mixed with Ghee, it makes for a delicious start to the New Year.

3 variations of Sweet Pongal are described below. The first one is the common variety using Jaggery, the second one uses Milk and the third recipe is a rava variation of Pongal. Take your pick among these recipes and enjoy this festival.

Note: Some or all Sweet Recipes require Sugar Syrup at a particular consistency. Method to make Sugar Syrup is here. Some recipes also include sprinkle powdered camphor over hot Pongal to give it a different flavor. Jaggery can be substituted for Sugar, but sugar must be melted until it achieves three string consistency (method given in the sugar syrup preparation page)

1. Sweet Pongal

Ingredients

• Raw Rice – 2 cups
• Jaggery – 2 cups
• Ghee (Clarified Butter) – 1 1/2 cups
• Elaichi (Cardamom) – 6 (powdered)
• Cashewnuts – 12 (fried in ghee) and cut into small pieces
• Kishmish – (12-15 (fried in ghee)

Method:

1. Clean and wash the rice well, add 5 cups of water and pressure cook. Keep Jaggery in a medium frying pan, add 1 cup of water and boil. When it melts, strain through a strainer to remove the dirt.
2. Replace and boil again. When it becomes slightly thick, add the cooked rice and stir continuously till it becomes thick. Start adding Ghee now and then, stirring continuously.
3. When it starts leaving the sides of the pan and the ghee starts oozing out, put powdered cardamom and stir well. Add Cashewnuts and Kishmish fried in ghee. Coconut scrapings can be added at the end before serving.

2. Sakkarai Pongal with Milk

This uses Milk as one of the main ingredients along with Rice.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Raw Rice
• 3 cups Milk
• 1/4 cup Moong Dal
• 12 Cashewnuts
• 15 Kishmish pieces
• 1 cup Jaggery (grated)
• 1/4 teaspoon Saffron (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
• 4 tablespoons ghee or more
• 2 teaspoons of grated Coconut pieces

Method:

1. Wash the rice and dal several times. Add Milk and pressure cook.As soon as the rice and dal are cooked to softness, add jaggery and ghee. Please cook on medium fire for some time.
2. In the meantime you can fry Cashew nuts and coconut grated in one teaspoon ghee and keep them ready.
3. Kishmish also can be fried little . Now add cashew, Kishmish coconut (all fried in ghee) and saffron, and cardamom powder. Bring to one or two good boils Stir well. Add more ghee and serve.

3. Sweet Rava Pongal with Sugar

Jaggery is generally recommended as it gives that authentic taste. Wherever Jaggery is not available sugar can be used but the taste may vary. This one is a Rava variation; it can be prepared along with the regular Pongal to add variety during the festival

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chana dhal
• 1 1/2 cup raw rice
• 4 cardamoms powdered
• 5 tablespoons ghee
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut grated
• 15 raisins (Kishmish)
• 15 Cashewnuts

Method

• Roast chana dal till light brown and wash and drain. Heat ghee and fry rava till light brown. Cook chana dal with 2 glass water in pressure cooker for a couple of whistles. Heat pan and add the cooked chana dal with water to it.Keep the flame low.
• Add the fried rava to it. After rava is cooked add sugar and raisins to it and stir continuously till sugar melts and 1 boil comes.
• Add coconut grated and mix nicely.When it comes to thick consistency add the remaining ghee and cardamom powdered. Can be served hot or refrigerate and serve cool. Serve with a dollop of ghee.

Useful links for Sweet Pongal Recipes:

1. From the Indian Food Kitchen Website:

Another Sweet Pongal Recipe (from Indian Food Kitchen website)

Milk Pongal

Milk Pongal with Raisins

2. Other Links

KalKandu Pongal (from the Yum Blog)

Ven Pongal and Sweet Pongal (from Veetu Samayal Blog)

Sarkarai Pongal (from Devi’s Kitchen)

Photo Credits:

Potluck

Kamala L