Sakarai pongal

Simple but yummy South Indian dish, made during Indian festivals. Yummy and very tasty dish loved by kids is Sakari pongal. My mom used to make sakarai pongal very tasty as such like kovil / Temple prasadam.

Sakarai pongal is also made on Thai Pongal festival. It usually falls on 14th / 15th January. Pongal is an important festival in Tamil Nadu. It is a harvest festival dedicated to Sun God. Usually Sakari pongal is made using pot on the day of Pongal. It is also called Maha Sankaranthi festival at Northern India.

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: less than 30 mins
Serves - 4 nos

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1 to 2 tablespoon
Ghee - 3 teaspoon
Cashew nut - 5 to 7 nos
Jaggery - 1 1/2 cup
Water - 3 cup (for pongal)
Water - 1/4 cup (for jaggery syrup)
Milk - 1 cup
Cardamom / Elachi powder - 1 teaspoon
Raw camphor (Pachakarpooram) - 1 pinch
Salt - 1 pinch

Preparation method:

1. Heat a teaspoon of ghee in pressure cooker pan and roast moong dal.
2. Add washed rice, water and milk to the pan and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.



3. Mash it well once pressure goes off.



4. In a separate pan add jaggery powder and 1/4 cup water. Wait until jaggery dissolves completely in water. Add it to the mashed rice (or) add powdered jaggery to the smashed rice if the jaggery powder is refined.




5. In a medium - low flame, cook the mashed rice mixture in jaggery syrup.



6. Add Cardamom powder, Raw camphor and a pinch of salt.
7. Finally roast cashewnut in ghee and add it to sakari pongal along with excess ghee.
8. Switch off the flame when Pongal is in semi solid consistency. As time goes off, it will be in right consistency.

Tips:

1. Adding cardamom and raw camphor will add nice flavor and taste to sakari pongal.