Sakkarai Pongal Recipe | Chakkara Pongal

This Sakkarai Pongal Recipe / Chakkara Pongal is mainly prepared on the day of pongal also called ‘Thai Pongal’ in Tamilnadu. This is a Tamil harvest festival where the first harvested rice (new rice) is boiled with lentils, milk and sweetened with jaggery. The cooking is traditionally done in a clay pot with two variants as a sweet and savoury version. This day coincides with Makara Sankranthi, a winter harvest festival celebrated throughout India. I have already shared similar recipe ‘Kovil Sakkarai Pongal’ in my space which was my first post also. Ok, let’s go the recipe…I have updated the recipe with a short YouTube video, do watch it for more details, if you like it, share it and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel.

Chakkara Pongal

Sakkarai Pongal Recipe | Chakkara Pongal

Priya Santhamohan

Sakkarai pongal recipe / Chakkara pongal is mainly prepared on pongal where the first harvested rice is boiled with lentils, milk & sweetened with jaggery.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Festival Recipes, Pongal Recipes, Sweet

Cuisine Tamilnadu, South Indian

Servings 4 People

Calories

Ingredients

  

• 1 Cup Raw Rice
• 1/4 Cup Moong Dal
• 4 Cup Water
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1/4 Cup Milk
• Few Strands Saffron
• 2 Cup Jaggery
• 4 tbsp Ghee Link for homemade ghee
• 10 Cashewnuts, Raisins
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 2 Pinch Nutmeg Powder (Optional)
• Edible Camphor / Pacha Karpooram A Tiny Piece (Optional)
• 1 Pinch Salt

Instructions

 

• Soak saffron in boiled milk. In a pan roast moong dal with 1 tsp of ghee, until golden brown and nice aroma arises.
• Rinse the rice well. Soak rice and dal in water for 30 minutes, this step is optional, but helps in easy cooking. Add salt, pressure cook rice and dal with 4 cups of water for 5 to 6 whistles. Once the pressure releases by itself, mash the rice slightly. Transfer the cooked rice to a pan.
• In a pan pour water and add powdered jaggery, heat and melt it. Strain through a metal filter and pour over the mashed rice. Now pour the milk and cook in very low flame for about 5 minutes.
• Add ghee at regular intervals. Then add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Fry cashews and raisins in ghee until golden brown.
• Now add the fried cashews, raisins, edible camphor and mix everything well. Switch off flame when the pongal is in slight flowing consistency itself, as it thickens with time.

  Delicious chakkara pongal is ready.

Video

Notes

Tips for Chakkara Pongal

1. Roasting moong dal is optional, but it lends a nice aroma to the Sakkarai Pongal recipe.
2. New rice requires less water, old rice requires more water. So add water accordingly.
3. An equal proportion of water and milk can also be used.
4. If the Pongal is watery after cooking, then pressure cook for another 2 whistles.
5. Mashing the rice is important else the Pongal turns hard after cooling.
6. If the Pongal turns dry, then add 1 tbsp of ghee or 2 tbsp of milk.
7. Always melt and filter the jaggery as it has impurities.
8. Rice and dal should be properly cooked before adding jaggery, as it cannot be cooked after that and it ends in a mess.
9. 'Paagu Vellam' gives a nice golden colour to the Chakkara Pongal. But I used normal jaggery only.
10. Don't add edible camphor more than mentioned or else it gives bitterness to the Pongal.
11. Use good quality ghee and add it generously which gives softness and flavour to the dish.
12. Addition of salt while pressure cooking rice, enhances the sweetness.
13. 2 cloves and 2 cardamoms can also be fried with cashews and added to the Pongal, which lends nice aroma.

Keyword Chakkara Pongal Recipe, Sakkarai Pongal Recipe

Chakkara Pongal

Method for Sakkarai Pongal Recipe

1. Soak saffron in boiled milk. In a pan roast moong dal with 1 tsp of ghee, until golden brown and nice aroma arises.

2. Rinse the rice well. Soak rice and dal in water for 30 minutes, this step is optional but helps in easy cooking. Add salt, pressure cook rice and dal with 4 cups of water for 5 to 6 whistles. Once the pressure releases by itself, mash the rice slightly. Transfer the cooked rice to a pan.

3. In a pan pour water and add powdered jaggery, heat and melt it. Strain through a metal filter and pour over the mashed rice. Now pour the milk and cook in very low flame for about 5 minutes.

4. Add ghee at regular intervals. Then add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Fry cashews and raisins in ghee until golden brown.

5. Now add the fried cashews, raisins, edible camphor and mix everything well. Switch off the flame when the Pongal is in slight flowing consistency itself, as it thickens with time.

Delicious Chakkara Pongal is ready.

Sakkarai Pongal Recipe