Sakkarai Pongal or sweet pongal is a very fulfilling and hearty dessert. This is made on the most important day in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, which is the Thai Pongal / Makara Sankranthi festival. Having spent most of my vacations in my grandparent’s village, this festival is very close to my heart and so is this dessert. Nothing can compensate for the freshly harvested rice, the fresh milk, and tons and tons of Grandmother’s love. Every time I make this, it takes me to the childhood that I cherish every day.
Why make this recipe?
My mother’s sweet Pongal is very famous among our family and friends. When she comes to the US, my friends always request her to make Sakkarai Pongal. I follow her recipe exactly and mine turns out almost as good as hers. The rice and the green gram dhal are traditionally cooked in water and a little bit of milk, but I make it a little more creamy and rich by using more milk and very little water. Again it calls for a good quantity of ghee, but if you are watching your calories, don’t hesitate to cut down on it. It works very well as a healthy evening snack for kids if they have a sweet tooth as my son has. The color of the jaggery plays a very important role in the color of the Chakkara Pongal. It is very hard to get dark-colored jaggery in the US, but lately I have been very lucky to consistently find them. If you are looking to make sweet pongal with whole grain, then definitely try my Quinoa Chakkara Pongal recipe. If you are looking to make the Savory version of the pongal, then check out the Ven Pongal and the Thinai Ven Pongal (millet) recipes. Also, check out my complete list of Makara Sankranthi festival recipes list here.
Ingredients to make Chakkara Pongal
Rice – 1 cup (I use regular short-grain cooking rice like Sona masoori) Green gram dhal (Payatham paruppu) – 3 tblsp Channa dal (Kadalai paruppu) - 1 tsp Jaggery – 2 ½ cups (crushed) Sugar – 2 tbsp Ghee – ½ cup Milk – 1 ½ cups Cashew nuts and raisins – fried in ghee Nutmeg powder – 1 tsp Pachai Karpooram / Edible camphor - a pinch
Procedure to make Sweet pongal
Fry the dhal in a heavy bottom pan, until it slightly changes color. Then add the rice and fry it for a few more seconds, until the heat spreads evenly, and then take it off the flame.
Wash the rice and dhal mixture and then cook it in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, adding enough milk and water. Make sure that the rice is cooked to a mushy consistency.
Make syrup out of the Jaggery and sugar adding very little water (About ½ a cup). Let the jaggery syrup boil well and then add a couple of teaspoons of ghee.
Once the rice is cooked, mash it well with a masher or the back of a wooden ladle.
Add this mashed rice, and dhal mixture to the boiling syrup and add the rest of the ghee. Let it combine well and come to a semi-solid stage.
Fry some cashew, raisins, nutmeg and pachai karpooram in ghee and add this to the Chakkara pongal. Enjoy it warm or at room temperature!!
If you are looking to make sweet pongal with whole grain, then definitely try my Quinoa Chakkara Pongal recipe. If you are looking to make the Savory version of the pongal, then check out the Ven Pongal and the Thinai Ven Pongal (millet) recipes. Also check out my complete list of Makara Sankranthi festival recipes list here.
Other Pongal Recipes
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