Candy Pongal | Sakkarai Pongal

Candy Pongal is a creamy, candy porridge made with rice, mung lentils and flavored with cardamoms, dry fruits. Candy Pongal is often known as sakkarai pongal and chakkara pongal in South Indian languages is a festive dish historically made through the Pongal Pageant in South India.

About this recipe

There are some South Indian recipes provided in temples which might be a favourite with us – Ven Pongal, Curd Rice, Tamarind Rice, Paal Payasam and this candy Pongal. I’ve had these recipes as prashad (naivdeyam) in lots of South Indian temples and liked their style.

Candy pongal is made with cooked rice and yellow moong lentils to which jaggery is added. Jaggery is Indian unrefined cane sugar and has a molasses-like taste and style. So you may think about what this candy pongal tastes like.

The flavorings added in sakkarai pongal are in fact cardamom powder coupled with some cashews and raisins.

Throughout pooja or on auspicious days, I make sweets and supply them to the Mom Goddess. At any time when I supply something to the deities, I all the time add a pinch of edible camphor in these delicacies.

Although do observe that including edible camphor in your candy pongal is totally elective.

I additionally add clove powder or clove to any savory or candy dish that I supply to the Devi. That is one thing which I comply with in our household, as my mom and mother-in-law do the identical.

So on this chakkara pongal, I’ve powdered one clove and added it. Although including clove is elective.

Step-by-Step Information

Learn how to make Candy Pongal

On your ease of understanding and studying, I’ve divided all the step-by-step recipe of candy pongal into 6 steps. In order that it’s simple for you.

1. Roasting rice and moong dal
2. Cooking rice & moong lentils
3. Getting ready jaggery syrup
4. Sweetening rice and lentils
5. Frying dry fruits
6. Making candy pongal

Step 1: roasting rice and moong dal

1. Choose ½ cup rice and ⅓ cup moong dal first to do away with stones if any. Then warmth a small pan or a small kadai and add each the rice and moong lentils.

2. On a low flame stirring typically roast each the rice and moong lentils, till they develop into fragrant.

3. You solely must roast, till the moong lentils develop into fragrant. You don’t require to brown them.

4. Now take the roasted rice and lentils in one other bowl or a strainer.

5. Rinse each the roasted rice and moong dal a few instances with water.

Step 2: cooking rice and moong lentils

6. Drain nicely after which add each rice and lentils in a Three litre stress cooker. Pour Three cups water. The quantity of water can add is dependent upon the consistency you like and the standard of moong dal.

Largely I cook dinner the moong lentils for Eight to 9 whistles. Thus I add Three or 3.25 cups water. For faster cooker number of moong lentils, add 2.5 cups water and stress cook dinner for two to three whistles.

7. Stress cook dinner on medium warmth for 11 to 12 minutes or for Eight to 9 whistles.

8. When the stress calm down by itself within the cooker, take away the lid. Test to see if the rice and lentils have softened properly and look mushy.

TIP: Add ½ to 1 cup sizzling water and blend totally, should you get a separate texture of rice and lentils much like that of a Pulao.

9. Each the rice and the moong dal ought to be cooked very nicely and mushy. With a spoon barely mash the cooked rice and moong lentils. If cooked nicely, then cowl with the lid and put aside. The consistency of the cooked rice and lentils is like that of a khichdi.

10. In the meantime when the rice is cooking, crush seeds of 5 inexperienced cardamoms + 1 clove in a mortar-pestle. If utilizing cardamom powder alone, then you may add ½ teaspoon of it.

Step 3 – making ready jaggery syrup

11. Chop 115 to 120 grams jaggery. You need to get about ½ cup tightly packed chopped or grated jaggery.

This a lot quantity of jaggery makes the sakkarai pongal simply candy. For extra sweetness, you may add ¼ cup extra.

On events I additionally use natural jaggery powder and add it on to the cooked rice+moong lentils.

TIP: In case you are utilizing jaggery or jaggery powder with out impurities, then you may add it on to the cooked rice+lentils combination.

12. Now take ½ cup water in a pan. Add the chopped jaggery.

13. On a low to medium flame, warmth this jaggery answer till the jaggery melts utterly.

14. Do stir and break the jaggery chunks or items with a spatula or spoon in order that they soften simply.

15. Let the syrup bubble up a bit. You will get an amber coloured syrup when all of the jaggery is melted, when you have used darkish jaggery.

In case you have mild coloured jaggery, then the colour will likely be pale yellow to yellow. In order for you you may thicken the syrup extra.

Step 4 – sweetening the rice and lentils

16. Straining the jaggery syrup by way of a sieve, instantly add it within the cooked rice+lentils combination. If utilizing natural jaggery powder, you may add it instantly.

17. Now add the crushed cardamom+clove powder and a pinch of edible camphor.

18. Combine all the things very nicely. The chakkara pongal will thicken because it cools. So if the combination appears thick, then you may add ¼ to ⅓ cup sizzling water.

Step 5 – frying dry fruits

19. Warmth Four to five tablespoons ghee. You’ll be able to add a bit much less ghee should you want.

20. Add 12 to 15 cashews. You’ll be able to maintain the cashews complete or halve or chop them.

21. Fry the cashews till they develop into mild golden.

22. Then add 1 tablespoons raisins.

23. Start to stir and fry.

24. Stirring typically fry till the raisins swell and develop into plump.

Step 6 – making candy pongal

25. Then instantly take away the pan from the range high and add the fried cashews, raisins and ghee to the cooked rice and lentils.

26. Combine very nicely.

27. Supply to the Goddess or you may serve candy pongal sizzling or heat to your loved ones members. You’ll be able to garnish sakkarai pongal with a few of the fried cashews and raisins whereas serving.

Variations

• With milk: Some model of candy pongal are made with milk. So you may undoubtedly add milk instead of water on this recipe. Milk will make the chakkara pongal barely richer and creamier.
• With sugar: Although jaggery is historically utilized in making sakkarai pongal, however you may exchange it with uncooked sugar or white sugar. Sweeteners like coconut sugar or palm sugar additionally make wonderful substitutes.
• Wholesome substances: Rice and moong lentils are once more the norm in a candy pongal. Although in fact you may deviate and make sakkarai pongal with cracked wheat (dalia), millets or oats.

Learn how to make Candy Pongal in Instantaneous Pot

Comply with these steps to make candy pongal in your IP:

1. First roast the rice and lentils individually in a frying pan. Then rinse and add these to the metal insert of your IP.
2. Pour 3.5 cups water. Stress cook dinner on excessive stress for six to 7 minutes. Do a fast stress launch after 10 to 12 minutes.
3. If you happen to see that the consistency is thick or with separate grains, then pour some water. Combine and press the sauté button to simmer the combination for a few minutes.
4. Add the bottom cardamom and clove powder. Make the jaggery syrup and add it. Later fry the cashews, raisins individually and blend it with the cooked rice and lentils. Serve chakkara pongal sizzling or heat.

Ideas

Professional Ideas

Ingredient notes

• Sweeteners: Jaggery imparts a beautiful earthy molasses-like style in sakkarai pongal. If you happen to would not have jaggery, then add uncooked sugar or white sugar in the identical quantity. Palm sugar and coconut sugar additionally work splendidly in a candy pongal. For extra sweetness, you may add ¼ cup extra jaggery. On events, I additionally use natural jaggery powder and add it on to the cooked rice+moong lentils. Jaggery could be simply bought on-line or on amazon.
• Ghee: You’ll be able to add a bit much less ghee should you want that. Extra ghee will certainly make the chakkara pongal wealthy and extra flavorful.
• Rice: Any medium or short-grained non-sticky rice can be utilized. Usually, through the pongal pageant, freshly harvested rice is used. If you may get freshly harvested rice, then do make the candy pongal recipe with it.
• Spices: Cardamom is a necessary spice. However you may omit clove and edible camphor.

Recipe notes

• Cooking lentils: Relying on the standard of moong dal you regulate the quantity of water and stress cook dinner for much less or extra time. I stress cook dinner the lentils for Eight to 10 whistles and add Three or 3.25 cups water. In case your moong lentils cook dinner quicker, then add 2.5 cups water and stress cook dinner them for two to three whistles on medium warmth.
• Cooking in a pan: You’ll be able to simply make candy pongal on the stove-top in a pot or pan. Dry roast the rice and lentils first. Add them in a pan with Four to 4.5 cups water and cook dinner till softened. Do add extra water if required.
• Proportion of rice and lentils: In my recipe, the proportion of rice is barely extra. Equal proportions of moong lentils and rice additionally work nicely.
• Scaling: You’ll be able to simply double or triple this recipe of chakkara pongal to make a big batch.
• Storage: In case you have any leftovers then retailer within the fridge for 1 to 2 days. I might not advocate freezing because the style is not going to be the identical and it’s all the time higher to eat rice and lentils freshly cooked. After refrigeration, if the consistency appears very thick or lumpy, then add some sizzling water or milk to skinny it barely.

Extra South Indian Sweets!

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This candy pongal recipe from the archives (July 2016) has been republished and up to date on 12 January 2020