Sweet Pongal

Sweet Pongal is a festive south Indian sweet recipe made with rice, cardamom powder and jaggery or sugar. Sweet Pongal is known as Chakkara Pongali in Telugu and Sakkarai Pongal in Tamil. Follow this step by step recipe with pictures to make creamy and delicious sweet pongal at home anytime.

No celebration is complete by preparing this indigenous Pongal by my dear friend Lavanya. As today being festive day at her home, she made this delicious Sweet Pongal for us all in the apartment. Sweet Pongal is latest addition to my sweet cravings list. Soon in a month time, she is moving for good and she insisted me to note down the recipe as I have become fan of her chakkara pongali recipe. I need no more invitation to capture this delicious goodness through my lens to treasure for lifetime.

About Perfico, 

Just when I was getting ready to capture the most wonderful moments of making this sweet Pongal, my doorbell rang brining a sweet surprise from Perfico. Perfico is an online store which is one hot destination for beautiful personalised gifts. A day or two back they sent me mail to review their personalised kitchen apron.

Perfico’s personalized aprons are designed and created to be both practical and functional. Made from high quality material, these aprons are comfortable, beautiful and customized according to your preference. Perfico’s site is user friendly. You can easily choose from wide range of affordable and personalised gifts for your loved and dear ones. Did I tell you…? ’Shipping is Free’….Do check out the Perfico today.

How to serve sweet pongal?

Sweet Pongal is always served warm. In Andhra, chakkara pongali is often served with mudda pappu. My friend Lavanya and Aparna, always insist me to eat pongali with pappu. Do trust me and give this combination of pongali and mudda pappu a try. I am 100% sure that you people will love this combo.

Ingredients needed to make sweet pongal,

That’s my mom, being my model today wearing Perfico’s kitchen apron. Sweet isn’t it?? Coming back to the recipe, Sweet Pongal has got many variations and the one which my dear friend Lavanya prepares includes,

• rice
• jaggery
• sugar
• sago
• cardamom powder
• ghee
• milk

How to make Chakkara Pongali Step by Step Recipe

• Wash and soak rice in enough drinking water for 30 minutes or more if time permits. In another bowl wash and soak sago in enough drinking water for 15-20 minutes.

• Using a wooden smasher or grater, coarsely powder the jaggery and set aside.

• In a heavy bottom large vessel combine milk and water. Bring this to boil. When the milk starts to boil, reduce the flame and let it boil for 3-4 minutes.

• Now drain water from rice and add to boiling milk. Place the lid and cook till rice is half done. Stir in salt and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Now add soaked sago by draining water.
• Cook on low flame till rice and sago are almost cooked. (Don’t get panic, if this turns thick, by adding jaggery, this Pongal mixture will again liquefies)

• Now slowly add in jaggery. Stir till jaggery melts. Let this cook for 5-6 minutes and add sugar. Adding sugar imparts nice color to the Pongal.

• Add coarsely ground cardamom powder. Now the Pongal will start to stick to the bottom and sides
• Cook on low flame by stirring continuously for 5-6 minutes.
• In another pan, add ghee and fry cashew nuts until nice golden. Pour this over Pongal and serve hot.

NOTE:

If you feel this sweet Pongal has turned hard, then you can add ½ -1 cup of warm milk. Sweet Pongal tastes best when relished hot.

Yield: 6

Sweet Pongal | Chakkara Pongali

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Sweet Pongal is a gluten-free festive south Indian sweet recipe made with rice, cardamom powder and jaggery or sugar.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rice
• ½ lit. Milk
• 2 cups Water
• ½ cup Sago
• 200 gms. Jaggery
• ½ cup Sugar
• 3 Cardamom pods, crushed coarsely
• ¾ tbsp. Salt
• 2 tbsp. Ghee
• 10-12 Cashew Nuts

Instructions

How to make Sweet Pongal Recipe

1. Wash and soak rice in enough drinking water for 30 minutes or more if time permits.
2. In another bowl thoroughly wash and soak sago in enough drinking water for 15-20 minutes.
3. Using a wooden smasher or grater, coarsely powder the jaggery and set aside.
4. In a heavy bottom large vessel combine milk and water. Bring this to boil. When the milk starts to boil, reduce the flame and let it boil for 3-4 minutes.
5. Now drain water from rice and add to boiling milk. Place the lid and cook till rice is half done. 
6. Stir in salt and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Now drain the water from sago and add it
7. Cook on low flame till rice and sago are almost cooked. (Don’t get panic, if the mixture turns thick, by adding jaggery, this Pongal mixture will again liquefies)
8. Now slowly add in powdered jaggery. Stir till jaggery melts. Let this cook for 5-6 minutes and add sugar.
9. Adding sugar imparts nice color to the Pongal. Stir in coarsely ground cardamom. Stir continuously as now the Pongal will start to stick to the bottom and sides of the vessel.
10. Continue to cook on low flame for 5-6 minutes or till you get desired consistency of Pongal.
11. In another pan, add ghee and fry cashew nuts until nice golden. Pour this over Pongal and serve hot.
12. Add love to make this Sweet Pongal taste ‘Yummy’.

Notes

Organic jaggery is used in making this recipe. Organic jaggery is usually pure and free of dust particles. If you are using normal jaggery or jaggery powder, I recommend you first melt the jaggery by following these steps,

Take a heavy bottom pan and add 200 grams of jaggery and 1 cup of water. Slowly bring this to boil. Keep stirring. When the jaggery is dissolved and the mixture comes to rolling boil. Turn off the flame and leave for 2-3 minutes. Carefully, strain the mixture and add this to rice when required in the recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 292Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 916mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 0gSugar: 49gProtein: 2g

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