Come January, we start preparing for Makara Sankranti/Pongal. In various parts of India this is a special festival and is celebrated with much fervour all around. Traditional recipes such as this sweet version sakkare pongal and a spicy version like ven pongal are the main staples of this festival.
Sakkare pongal a.k.a sakkarai pongal, has its origins in Tamil Nadu and is a must for the festival. It has rice and mung dal cooked until soft and creamy in a jaggery syrup and milk. It is flavoured with fragrant spices like laung, cardamom and topped with ghee.
Along with sakkare pongal a spicy version ven pongal is also prepared which I have already posted. They make a great combo and both are such delicacies. Prepare sakkare pongal first thing and you will be all set for Sankranti/Pongal.
More Sankranti/Pongal recipes:
- ½ Cup rice
- 2 Tbsp mung dal
- ½ cup jaggery
- 2 Cups + ½ Cup water
- ½ Cup milk
- 2 laung/cloves
- 4-5 powdered elaichi
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg/jaakayi
- ¼ Cup desi ghee
- Take mung dal and rice in a bowl
- Wash them together in water twice
- Cook mung dal and rice with milk and 2 Cups water till soft
- In a small pan, saute cashews till golden
- Add in raisins and saute till they puff up
- Next throw in a couple of laung/cloves and fry for a few seconds, keep this aside
- In another pan, melt jaggery with ½ Cup water
- Strain this jaggery water to remove any impurities and keep aside
- Keep checking rice and dal while it is cooking, the grains should turn soft
- Pour melted jaggery and mix well with rice and dal mixture
- Keep adding little ghee at a time till pongal looks nice and shiny
- Add powdered elaichi and nutmeg, finish with remaining ghee
- Lastly add the fried laung, cashews and raisins in ghee
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Do not add less ghee as the pongal gets the flavour and shine from the ghee
Add less nuts if you wish to, try not to skip them, they add texture and defines the pongal
Sakkare Pongal Stepwise:
Take mung dal and rice in a bowl
Wash them together in water twice
Cook mung dal and rice with milk and 2 Cups water till soft
In a small pan, saute cashews till golden
Add in raisins and saute till they puff up
Next throw in a couple of laung/cloves and fry for a few seconds, keep this aside
In another pan, melt jaggery with 1/2 Cup water
Strain this jaggery water to remove any impurities and keep aside
Keep checking rice and dal while it is cooking, the grains should turn soft
Pour melted jaggery and mix well with rice and dal mixture
Keep adding little ghee at a time till pongal looks nice and shiny
Add powdered elaichi and nutmeg, finish with remaining ghee
Lastly add the fried laung, cashews and raisins in ghee
Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
