Sweet Pongal | Sakkarai Pongal

About Sweet Pongal Recipe

Pongal means overflowing or bubbling up by boiling and Sakkarai or Chakkara means jaggery / country sugar in Tamil. Water and milk is boiledand then raw rice, jaggery, dal, dry fruits, ghee are added to make Sakkarai Pongal.

Sweet Pongal is easier to cook when compared to most of the sweet recipes. Sakkarai Pongal is very nutritious and it is rich in iron as well.

I have tried this sweet pongal recipe many times now thought to share the recipe here. I made only a small quantity so made it in pressure cooker. 

Sweet Pongal – when to make?

Apart from Pongal festival, Sweet Pongal is made for occasions like

• house warming
• baby shower
• anniversary, birthday
• prasad in temples
• annadhanam
• aadi month, auspicious Fridays
• sweet craving

Sakkarai Pongal Ingredients

• Rice : Use raw rice for making Pongal. At stores it is available as Pongal Raw Rice / PongalPacharisi. 
• Dal : Use moong dal half the quantity as that of rice.
• Jaggery: If you have access get paaguvellam or achuvellam which is slightly darker, else you can use regular rectangular mold jaggery.
• Milk : The temple style sweet pongal doesn’t use milk however we add milk to give it a rich taste. Use full cream milk if possible else you can use regular toned milk.
• Flavours : Use bountiful cashews, raisins, cardamom powder and ghee for Pongal.

Sweet Pongal – 2 methods

Traditionally Pongal is slow cooked in pots with firewood and as times changed we are cooking in pressure cooker nowadays. I have presented the cooking of Sweet Pongal here in both these methods.

1. Sweet pongal – Pressure cooker method: Cooking Pongal in pressure cooker is easy, convenient and less time consuming.

2. Sakkarai pongal – Traditional pot method: Traditionally sakkarai pongal is made in bronze pot as shared here.

Sweet Pongal – Which method to choose?

While the ingredients are same and the method is different the taste is more or less the same. If you are making on Pongal on the Pongal festival day and if you have access to pot celebrate Pongal with Traditional Pot method. If you are making Pongal on any other days or occasions I suggest Pressure cooker method.

Sweet Pongal  – How do you like it – Light Brown or Dark Brown?

Jaggery & milk determines it.

PaaguVellam or AchuVellam is more dark and tastes better than solid processed rectangle shaped Jaggery. The pongal gets dark brown shades when we use Paagu or Achuvellam and a lighter shade when we used molded rectangle jaggery. The difference in taste is almost not noticeable and can be matched with ghee & cardamom powder!

Similarly addition of milk reduces the brown shade of jaggery making it light brown Pongal than the pongal without milk. While adding milk makes the dish taste richer, the one without milk can match the taste by adding more ghee. At temples, they make without milk and add more ghee.

Expert Tips

• Always use less water for making jaggery syrup, just half the measure of jaggery would be just right.
• Use paagu vellam or dark colored jaggery for best results, it enahnces the taste and color of the pongal.
• Make sure to switch it off when it is still goey as it thickens with time.
• Always serve hot with a dollop of ghee.
• Edible camphor can be skipped if you don’t have it but it gives a divine taste just like in temples.

Sakkarai Pongal – Serving & Storage Variations

Tastes great when consumed hot! Pongal tends to become solid as the starch is not drained. So add little water or milk and heat it in stovetop or microwave when you are consuming after say 3-4 Hrs.

Generally sweet pongal keeps well for 2 days in room temperature. However if refrigerated you can consume next day.

Sweet Pongal Variations

• Add milk too for a richer taste.
• If you like saffron flavour soak saffron in milk and add it.
• You can add jaggery as such too in powdered form (without making it as syrup). Make sure it is free from impurities.
• You can replace jaggery with sugar or sugar candy (kalkandu) or brown sugar or karupatti or sugar cane juice.
• You can add little grated coconut too.
• You can add clove powder for more flavour.
• You can use, Quinoa, Sooji / Rava, Millet, Poha, Wheat Ravaas an alternative or when you want to experiment sweet pongal with different ingredients.

Sakkarai Pongal FAQs

1.What is Sakkarai Pongal?

Sweet Pongal is a delicious, yummy rice meal made by cooking rice &moong dal in jaggery syrup, milk, water and then flavoured with ghee and cashews.

2.How to make Sweet Pongal?

• Add jaggery and water to a pan, boil till jaggery is dissolved completely.
• Dry roast moong dal and add it to rice.
• Add water and pressure cook for 5 whistles in low medium flame.Let the pressure release by itself.
• Strain and add jaggery syrup. Mix well and let it boil in sim to thicken.
• Add cardamom powder and dry fruits sauteed in ghee.
• Serve hot with ghee drizzled.

3.Can I make jaggery syrup the previous night and store in fridge?

Yes very well – That saves quite some time on the festival day!

4.I do not have raw rice – Can I cook with boiled rice or brown rice?

Raw rice is preferred when it is offered as Neivaidhyam. However you can cook Sweet Pongal with all types of rice given that taste may slightly vary based on the type of rice. For Brown rice cook extra for 20-30 minutes. 

5.At what step I need to add milk and will milk get curdled?

In traditional method, milk is boiled with water and then rice, dal & other ingredients are added. In the pressure cook method, add boiled milk before jaggery syrup is added.

6.Can I add coconut to Pongal, edible camphor?

Yes very much – Add grated coconuts, edible camphor and other flavours along with dry fruits.

7.What is the ratio of rice to dal? Can I use toor dal?

Use half the quantity of moong dal to the amount of rice! Do not use toor dal and if you do not have mong dal, you can skip it.

8.Why does rice gets stuck to pot?

You have to stir well and quite often to prevent a layer of rice getting stuck to pot.