Sakkarai Pongal

Sakkarai pongal is the dish that gives the Pongal festival its name. Rice and a little moong dal are cooked until soft and creamy, then stirred into melted jaggery with plenty of ghee, cardamom, cashews and raisins. It is rich, fragrant and a lovely golden brown. Every family has its own way of making it; this version is simple enough for a first attempt and tastes like the one you remember from home.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup raw rice (pachai arisi, such as raw ponni or sona masuri)
• ¼ cup split yellow moong dal (paasi paruppu)
• 3 cups water
• ½ cup milk (optional, for a creamier pongal)
• 1¼ cups powdered or grated jaggery (about 250 g)
• ¼ cup water, for melting the jaggery
• 4 tablespoons ghee, divided
• 12 cashews, halved
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (from about 5 pods)
• A tiny pinch of edible camphor (pachai karpooram), optional
• A pinch of salt

Method

1. Roast the dal. Warm a heavy pan over medium heat and dry-roast the moong dal for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until it smells nutty and turns a shade darker. Do not let it brown.
2. Wash. Tip the dal into a bowl with the rice and rinse two or three times until the water runs mostly clear.
3. Cook the rice and dal. Put the rice and dal in a pressure cooker with the 3 cups of water and the milk, if using. Cook for 5 to 6 whistles on medium heat, then let the pressure release on its own. To cook in a pot instead, simmer everything covered on low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often and adding a splash of hot water if it catches, until the rice is completely soft.
4. Mash. Open the cooker and mash the rice and dal lightly with the back of a ladle so it becomes soft and creamy.
5. Melt the jaggery. In a separate pan, heat the jaggery with ¼ cup water, stirring until it dissolves completely. Pour it through a fine sieve to catch any grit, then return the syrup to the pan and let it bubble for 2 minutes.
6. Combine. Pour the jaggery syrup into the mashed rice. Cook on low heat, stirring all the time, for 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture thickens and comes together. Stir in 2 tablespoons of ghee, the cardamom powder, the pinch of salt and the edible camphor, if using.
7. Fry the nuts. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee in a small pan. Fry the cashews until golden, then add the raisins and stir until they puff up. Pour the ghee, cashews and raisins over the pongal and mix gently.
8. Serve. Serve warm. The pongal thickens as it cools, so loosen it with a little warm milk if needed.

Tips

• Jaggery varies. Some jaggery is much sweeter than others. Start with 1 cup, taste after mixing, and add more if you like it sweeter.
• Always strain the jaggery. Even good jaggery often has bits of sand or fibre in it.
• Edible camphor only. Use food-grade pachai karpooram from an Indian grocer, never the camphor tablets used for aarti. Just a few grains are enough; too much tastes bitter.
• Be generous with ghee. Sakkarai pongal is meant to be rich. Ghee gives the gloss and aroma, so do not skimp.
• Keep it soft. The pongal should be loose enough to spoon, not set firm. Stop cooking when it still looks a little softer than you want.
• Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 days. Warm them with a splash of milk.

When it's made

Sakkarai pongal is cooked on the first day of Thai, the Pongal festival, when families boil fresh rice with milk and jaggery in a new pot and call out "Pongalo pongal!" as it bubbles over, a sign of plenty for the year ahead. It is also a favourite offering for many festivals and temple days. Read more about the festival on our Pongal page.