Sweet pongal recipe | Chakkara pongali | Sakkarai pongal
Sakkarai Pongal is a traditional South Indian sweet dish made with rice, moong dal, jaggery, ghee, and cardamom. Creamy, aromatic, and lightly sweet, this festive dessert is perfect for Pongal, Navratri, or temple offerings. Enhanced with roasted cashews and raisins, it’s soft, melt-in-your-mouth, and easy to make at home with this foolproof recipe.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 220kcal
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Heavy Bottomed Pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup Raw Rice 1 cup = 250 ml
- ¼ cup Moong dal
- 2½ cups Grated Jaggery
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- 1 tablespoon Cashews
- 1 pinch Pachai Karpooram Optional
- 1 tablespoon Raisins Optional
- 3 teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter)
- 2 teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter) for tempering
- 4½ cups Water
- ½ cup Milk (optional)
Instructions
Roasting and Cooking the Dal + Rice
- Heat a pan and dry roast ¼ cup of moong dal until it turns golden and releases a fragrant aroma. Set aside.¼ cup Moong dal
- In a strainer, take 1 cup of rice and the roasted moong dal. Rinse 2–3 times until the water runs clear.1 cup Raw Rice
- Add 4.5 cups of water and mix well.4½ cups Water
- Pressure cook the rice and dal mixture for 5–6 whistles until soft and mashable. Traditionally, in temples and at weddings, this mixture is slow-cooked on the stove to impart a smoky aroma, but for home cooking, a pressure cooker works perfectly. Once cooked, mash the rice and dal thoroughly and set aside.
Preparing the Jaggery Syrup
- In a saucepan, combine 2.5 cups of grated jaggery with ¼ cup of water. Heat gently until the jaggery melts completely and dissolves. Set aside.2½ cups Grated Jaggery
- Heat 3 teaspoon of ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Strain the melted jaggery and add it to the pan.3 teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter)
- When the jaggery syrup comes to a rolling boil, add the mashed rice and dal mixture.
- Keep the flame very low and stir in ½ cup of milk (optional). Milk adds richness, but if used, the shelf life of the dish is limited to 1 day. Never add milk directly to the jaggery syrup, as it may curdle — always add it after the rice-dal mixture. Also add the Pacha Karpooram and mix well.½ cup Milk, 1 pinch Pachai Karpooram
Finishing Pongal
- Stir the mixture well to incorporate the rice and dal with the jaggery syrup. Add the remaining ghee and ¼ teaspoon of cardamom powder, and continue stirring on low flame until the pongal thickens slightly.¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- In a separate pan, heat 2 teaspoon of ghee and roast cashews and raisins until golden brown. Add them to the pongal and give a final gentle stir.1 tablespoon Cashews, 1 tablespoon Raisins, 2 teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter)
- The scrumptious Sakarai Pongal is ready for neivedhyam or to serve!
Video
Notes
???? Tips for Perfect Sakkarai Pongal
- Jaggery Ratio: Use a rice + dal to jaggery ratio of 1.25:2.5. For 1 cup rice and ¼ cup moong dal, add 2.5 cups grated jaggery. This ensures the sweetness is balanced — not too bland, not too overpowering.
- Jaggery Quality Matters: The color and aroma of your pongal depends on the type of jaggery. Paagu vellamgives a darker, richer brown consistency than regular jaggery.
- Cooking Rice & Dal: Add an extra ½ cup of water and allow additional whistles in the pressure cooker to ensure the rice and dal are completely soft and mushy.
- Milk is Optional: Adding milk while cooking makes the pongal creamier and richer in flavor, but it’s not necessary.
- Strain Jaggery Syrup: Jaggery can contain impurities like sand. Always dissolve and strain the jaggery syrupbefore adding it to the rice-dal mixture.
- Ghee in Syrup: Adding a bit of ghee to the jaggery syrup is optional, but it enhances the richness and aroma of the pongal.
- Consistency Tips: Milk can be used to adjust consistency. Once milk is added, keep the flame low to avoid curdling or breaking the pudding.
Nutrition
Serving: 150g | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 850mg | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 6mg