Jan 29, 2012

Sakkara Pongal / Sweet Pongal

Pongal one the major harvest festival of south India. Especially in tamilnadu farmers celebrate it with great joy as its their earning which comes out of an year hard work. They make dishes out of new harvested rice.
One such dish is SAKKARA PONGAL or Sweet Pongal.
As a tradition at villages they make in MANN PANNAI (mud pot) tieng  yellow banana, turmeric leaves, flowers, sugarcane around pot. At my home we have tradition to tie the same thread with all the materials above around a VENGALLAI PANNAI (Bronze Pot).

Well there is no occasion needed to make this Pongal!!!

Ingredients:
Raw White Rice - 1 cup
Split yellow moong dhal/ Paytham parupu/ Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Channa dhal/ Split gram dhal/Kadalai Parupu - 100gms
Gudd/Jaggery/Vellam - 1cup
Ghee/Clarified butter/Nei - 1/4cup
Kaju/Cashewnuts/Mundhiri parupu - 20gms
Kanja drakshai/Kismis - 10gms
Elaichi powder/Elakai powder - 1tsp
Milk - 1cup
Water - 3cup (for boiling)

Mehtod/Vidhiee:
1. Soak dhals & rice for 1/2hr in water.
2. Take a heavy bottom vessel/pressure cooker.
3. Add water and then milk. Bring them to boil.
4. During Pongal days when the milk boils and the froth falls out of the pot people say PONGAL O PONGAL (PONGAL name generally is derived from this froth which falls out of pot).
5. Once the froth falls add the rice and the dhals.
6. Keep stirring till the rice and lentils cook.
7. Keep adding water as and when required sot that the rice & lentils cook.
8. Once they are cooked (means you get to smash them well) time to add powdered jaggery.
9. Stir them well. Let the jaggery melt.
10. Add ghee to the rice mixture and keep stirring without taking out the hand.
11. Meanwhile in another small pan fry the cashewnut,coconut pcs and kismis in ghee.
12. Once the rice, lentils and jaggery becomes like a poridge add the cashew and kismis.
13. Keep a note the Pongal has to be semi solid as when they cool it would become thick and hard.
14. So its ok if the pongal is bit watery.
15. Add elaichi powder and stir well.
Serve hot or cold. Enjoy it!!


Note: You can make the same in pressure cooker. Add 1 portion of water and 3 portions of water to 1 cup rice and 1 cup lentils. Bring them to pressure cook (4 Whistles). Once the pressure is released add jaggery mash and mix well. Add ghee, nuts, kismis, coconut pcs, elaichi powder.