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Sweet Pongal | Sakkarai Pongal

Sweet Pongal is a delicious dish made by cooking rice, moong dal in jaggery syrup, milk, and then flavored with cardamom and garnished with ghee fried cashews and raisins. Sweet Pongal is also called Sakkarai Pongal commonly made during Pongal Festival. Learn to make Sweet Pongal Recipe with step by step pictures and video.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings3 people
AuthorSharmilee J

Ingredients

SWEET PONGAL

  • 1/2 cup raw rice
  • 1/4 cup moong dal
  • 3 cups water
  • 10 nos whole cashews broken
  • 2 nos cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon raisins
  • 3/4 heaped cup jaggery
  • 1/3 cup water for jaggery syrup
  • 1 tiny pinch edible camphor
  • 2 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon ghee

With milk version:

  • 1/2 cup raw rice
  • 3 tablespoon moong dal
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup jaggery
  • 1/4 cup water for jaggery syrup
  • a small pinch cardamom powder
  • 5 strands saffron
  • 2 to 3 tablespoon ghee
  • 1 tablespoon cashews broken
  • 1 tablespoon raisins

TRADITIONAL POT METHOD

  • 1 cup raw rice
  • 1/4 cup moong dal
  • 7 cups water
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoon cashews
  • 1 tablespoon raisins
  • 2 small cardamom
  • 4 tablespoon ghee

For jaggery syrup

  • 1 heaped cup jaggery
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions

SWEET PONGAL METHOD

  • Crush cardamom and edible camphor together and set aside. Dry roast moong dal until nice aroma comes.
  • Add water to jaggery and heat it up for few mins until jaggery melts completely.
  • Rinse rice and dal well and add it to pressure cooker.
  • Measure and add water to it.
  • Pressure cook for 5 whistles in low medium flame. Let the pressure release by itself.
  • Once pressure releases, open and mash it well.
  • Strain and add jaggery syrup to it.
  • The syrup should be slightly thick but no consistency needs to be checked.
  • Mix well and let it boil in sim to thicken.
  • Add ghee. Mix well and cook in low flame.
  • Add cardamom powder and edible camphor.
  • Heat ghee in a pan - add cashews first fry until golden then add raisins and let it bubble up. Fry until golden brown.
  • Add it to pongal, mix well. Switch off. Sweet pongal ready!

TRADITIONAL POT SAKKARAI PONGAL METHOD

  • Add water to jaggery.
  • Let it dissolve completely then set aside.
  • Add milk to a traditional bronze pot.
  • Add water to it.
  • Let it boil.
  • Keep in medium high. Let it overflow.
  • Stir well.
  • Rinse rice, dal and add it to the pot.
  • Cook in medium high until rice is 3/4th cooked and water is almost absorbed.
  • Now strain and add jaggery syrup.
  • Mix well and cook until it becomes thick. Now add ghee fried cashews,raisins.
  • Heat ghee in tadka pan - fry cashews then add raisins fry until golden.
  • Add ghee fried nuts, raisins, remaining 3 tablespoon ghee and cardamom powder. Mix well , cook for a minute then switch off. When it cools down it gets thick so switch off when it is still goey.

Video

Notes

  • I used paagu velam to get the dark brown color. You can use normal jaggery too.
  • Roasting dal gives good flavour so don't skip this step.
  • Add good quality aromatic ghee for best flavour and taste.
  • Pressure cooking time of rice depends on the variety of rice so adjust accordingly. New rice needs little lesser water whereas old rice requires more.
  • Pongal gets thicker in consistency after cooling down so switch off accordingly. If it gets dry, while serving add little ghee and milk.
  • If the pongal is thick while switching off then it will become very dry after cooling down therefore switch off when it is little goey itself.
  • Edible camphor is the main ingredient which gives it a temple taste so don't skip it.
Nutrition Facts
Sweet Pongal | Sakkarai Pongal
Amount Per Serving (125 g)
Calories 365 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 26mg9%
Sodium 21mg1%
Potassium 118mg3%
Carbohydrates 57g19%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 18g20%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 36IU1%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 33mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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