Sarkarai pongal or Sweet pongal is a dish made for the most popular Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu. It is celebrated each year in January after the harvest is over. It is celebration of a successful harvest and thanks giving to Sun god. Generally people cook sarkarai pongal either in earthern pot or bronze vessel(vengala paanai).It is decorated with flowers,small sugar cane piece and fresh turmeric piece by tying around the neck of the vessel using a thread.Rice is mixed with milk and water and boiled. When it starts overflowing from the vessel, it is symbolic of happy motions. People shout” pongalo pongal” out of joy and pray to Sun God.

In this video, I show how to cook sarkarai pongal briefly with Vengala paanai but show in great details as to how to prepare pongal using a pressure cooker for the benefit of those who do not have the vengala paanai. It is easy to prepare this dish which is essentially mix of cooked rice and dhal with jaggery syrup and garnished with cashew nuts and raisins. It is also offered as a prasadam item in temples.

INGREDIENTS

Raw rice – 1/2 cup

Moong dhal – 2 tbsp

Jaggery – 1/2 cup heaped

Milk – 1/2 cup

Ghee – 1/4 cup+ 1 tsp

Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp

Clove – 3 nos.

Nutmeg – small piece

Cashew nuts -2 tbsp.

Raisins – 2 tbsp

Cooking time : 45 min

Makes : 3 cups

Procedure

Video

Text Procedure

Step 1
Take raw rice and moong dhal in a pan.Gently roast.
Wash the ingredients and add milk and 2 cups water.Then pressure cook for 5 whistles.

Step 2
Dissolve jaggery in water and strain for removing sediments.Boil for few minutes. It is not necessary to bring it to any consistency.

Step 3
Add jaggery syrup in cooked rice and mix well.Turn off stove

Step 4
Heat 1 tsp ghee.Roast nutmeg and cloves and dry grind.

Step 5
Heat 1/4 cup ghee .Roast cashew nuts and raisins

Step 6
Add ground roasted nutmeg and clove powder,cardamom powder and roasted cashew nuts and raisins.Mix well.
Step 7
Tasty SARKARAI PONGAL(சர்க்கரை பொங்கல்) IS READY