Sweet Pongal

Sweet Pongal is a creamy and tasty festive dish traditionally made during the Pongal festival in South India. It is made with raw rice, moong daal, dry fruits, cardamoms. We used to have this recipe as a prasadam in many South Indian temples. The amount of Ghee you add gives great taste to the Pongal.

During auspicious days, in our home we often make this sweet Pongal and offer to God.

We celebrate this festival very traditionally by doing the Pongal in earthen pot decorated with paints on it. We used to wake up early and put Kolam and Rangoli. My Amma always makes sweet Pongal, Ven Pongal, vadai and mixed vegetable curry.

Let’s start with the recipe with no more delays. Here goes with the recipe which I made it today.

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Sweet Pongal

"This South Indian classic is a divine blend of creamy rice, jaggery, and ghee, garnished with aromatic cashews and cardamom. Every spoonful is a celebration of tradition, a taste of warmth, and a delightful journey into the heart of India's culinary heritage."

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine South Indian

Keyword Jaggery Pongal, Pongal, Sweet Pongal

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Dhivya Krishna Kumar

Equipment

• 1 Pressure Cokker
• 1 Grater
• 1 Pan (For melting jaggery)
• 1 Pan (For tempering)
• 1 Spatula

Ingredients

• Raw rice – ½ cup
• To fry moong daal and rice 1 tbsp. ghee
• To fry cashews and raisin – ½ tbsp. ghee
• cashews/kaju/halves – 10-15 nos
• raisins/dry grapes/kishmish – 6-10 nos
• Jaggery – 1½ cup
• water – 4 cup
• cardamom powder/ elachi powder – ¼ tsp
• Salt – 1 pinch
• Ghee topping at end – 100 grams

Instructions

• First, heat the pressure cooker at low flame and add 1 tbsp of ghee.
• Roast the moong daal till nice aroma comes from it.
• Then, add raw rice to it and mix well along with moong dal for few seconds.
• Now pour 4 cup of water and let it boil.
• Now close the lid and cook for 4 to 5 whistle or for 15 to 20 min in low flame.
• Mean time add ½  tbsp of ghee in the pan and roast the cashew and raisin on low flame
• Once the cashew turns into golden brown, take it and keep aside on a plate.
• Next, add grated jaggery in a separate pan.
• Now pour 1 cup of water in the pan and boil it.
• Now add a pinch of salt in it and also add ¼ tsp of cardamom powder to it and again mix well
• Note: salt is used to only enhance and show the sweetness.
• Once the water is completely boiled and jaggery gets dissolved, turn off the flame and keep it aside.
• Wait until pressure releases from cooker.
• Now open the cooker and mush it with spatula.
• Now add melted jaggery with cooked rice and stir well.
• On top of it add 100 grams of ghee and mix it well.
• Now finally add roasted cashews and raisin on top of it.
• Delicious “Sweet Pongal” is ready to serve.

Notes

Pictorial Guidance:

First, heat the pressure cooker at low flame.

Add 1 tbsp of ghee.

Add moong dal and fry till aroma comes.

Then, add raw rice to it and mix well along with moong dal for few seconds.

Now pour 4 cup of water and let it boil.

Now add a pinch of salt in it. Note: salt is used to only enhance and show the sweetness.

Wait until the water boils.

Now close the lid and cook for 4 to 5 whistle or for 15 to 20 min in low flame.

Mean time, add grated jaggery in a separate pan.

Add 1 cup water. Once the water is completely boiled and jaggery gets dissolved, turn off the flame and keep it aside.

Now add cardamom powder and keep it aside.

Take a seperate pan.

Meanwhile add ½ tbsp of ghee in the pan.

Roast the cashew and raisin on low flame .

Open the cooker when pressure releases completely.

Now mush it with spatula.

Filter the boiled jaggery before adding into the rice.

Add jaggery mixture on to it.

Stir well until it mixes well.

On top of it add 100 grams of ghee and mix it well.

Now finally add roasted cashews and raisin on top of it.

Delicious “Sweet Pongal” is ready to serve.