(A healthy South-Indian dessert made using rice and moong dal).

January is the season of harvest festivals in India. People celebrate a variety of harvest festivals across different regions, each reflecting the country’s rich agricultural heritage and cultural diversity

In Tamil Nadu, January marks the celebration of Pongal, a major harvest festival honouring the Sun God, nature, and farm animals. This festival is celebrated for four days. Thai Pongal is the main day when families cook Sweet Pongal and offer prayers for a bountiful harvest.

Sweet Pongal is a popular South Indian dessert made with rice, moong dal (yellow lentils), jaggery, and ghee. It is flavoured with cardamom, nuts, and raisins. I first tried this recipe two years ago and have made it once every 4-5 months since. Kids love it, so this is also a healthy tiffin option. So, if you are looking for a festive- yet super simple treat- try this recipe!

RECIPE VIDEO

Ingredients

For making pongal -

• 1 cup short-grain raw rice (छोटे दानेवाले चावल)

• 1/4 cup yellow lentils (पीली मूँग दाल)

• 5 cups water (पानी )

• 1.5 tbsp clarified butter (शुद्ध देसी घी )

• 4 tbsp cashew nuts and raisins (काजू और किशमिश)

• 3 tbsp freshly grated coconut (ताज़ा कसा हुआ नारियल )

• 1 cup full cream milk (दूध) optional

• pinch of salt (चुटकी भर नमक)

• 1 tsp cardamom powder (इलायची पाउडर)

• pinch of edible camphor (खाने वाला कपूर) optional

For the jaggery syrup-

• 1.5 cups organic jaggery (गुड़)

• 1/4 cup water (पानी )

Method

• Dry roast the yellow lentils on a low flame for 1-2 minutes. However, their colour should not change.

• Transfer these lentils to a sieve. Add rice and wash the rice and lentils with water several times. Washing helps to remove chemicals and dirt from the grains.

• Transfer them to a pressure cooker and add 4 cups of water. Pressure cook for three whistles. Wait for the pressure to release naturally before opening the lid.

• Meanwhile, heat clarified butter (ghee) in a pan. Add cashews, raisins, and freshly grated coconut to it. Fry the nuts and coconut in the ghee on low flame for 1-2 minutes. Set this aside.

• Open the lid of the pressure cooker. Add 1 cup water and 1 cup milk to the cooked rice-lentil mixture.

• Mash the cooked rice and lentils with a spoon/spatula (as shown in the video).

• We then proceed to make the jaggery syrup. Add jaggery and water to a small vessel and start heating it. The heat will cause the jaggery to melt. Boil the solution for 4-5 minutes. While heating, the jaggery will lose its raw smell. The syrup is ready when the jaggery has completely melted.

• Immediately add the syrup to the rice-lentil mixture.

• Add the nuts-coconut mixture, a pinch of salt and cardamom powder to this mixture. Give it a stir.

• Cook for another 4-5 minutes. The excess water will evaporate, and the pongal will get a proper consistency.

  SWEET PONGAL IS READY TO BE SERVED!!

Notes -

• We must use short-grain rice for this recipe. Many short-grain rice varieties are available in the market, like Kolam, Sona Masuri, Ponni, or Indrayani rice. I used Ambemohar rice to make this sweet Pongal. Some people also use the traditional Kerala Matta Rice for this recipe. It takes longer to cook this rice though.

• If vegan, skip adding the clarified butter(ghee) and milk. Add the cashews, raisins and coconut directly into the rice-lentil mixture. Add water instead of milk.

• I have used high-quality organic jaggery for this recipe. This jaggery had no impurities in it. However, if you find some impurities in the jaggery, it’s best to filter them from the syrup before using it.

• If the Pongal has a thinner consistency than expected, heat it on a low flame. The Pongal will thicken as water evaporates. If you find your Pongal too thick, add some spoons of water/milk to adjust the consistency. The Pongal thickens as it cools down, so adjust the consistency accordingly.

• Sweet Pongal can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can consume it again after reheating. I like it cold from the fridge, too!

Did you make this recipe?
Kindly let me know in the comments section below and tag @bitesandbokeh on INSTAGRAM.