Sakkarai Pongal | Sweet Pongal | Pongal & Sankranthi special

Pongal or Sankranthi is the harvest festival of India celebrated at the end of harvest season .The significance of the festival is to thank God Sun who helped us with his shine to achieve good harvest and also the arrival of spring season.We make sakkarai pongal ,vadai, payasam and also some exotic dishes for lunch.But the main dish is sakkarai pongal.

Ingredients

Raw rice ............................. 1/2 cup
Split moong dal  ..................  2 tbsp ( you can add 3 tbsp too )
jaggery .............................. 3/4 cup ( add exctra if you like more sweet)
Ghee .................................. 3tbsp
Cashews ............................. few
raisin .................................. few
Green Cardamom ................ 3
Edible camphor .................... a pinch (pacha karpooram)
Nutmeg ............................... a pinch (powder)
Salt ..................................... a pinch
Water .................................. 2
Milk .................................... 1/2 cup (optional , add 1/2 cup extra water in case of not using this )


Method

1. Add a little ghee to a pressure cooker and roast the moong dal until fragrant.
2. Now add the washed rice to the cooker and add water and milk .
3. Cover the cooker and cook till 4 to 5 whistles.
4. Once the pressure settles down, open the cooker and mash the rice and dal.
5. Mean while heat another pan and add tsp of ghee and fry the raisins and cashews and set aside.
6. Now add the jaggery and 1/4 cup water to the pan.
7. Once the jaggery melts , strain the jaggery syrup and add it to the same pan .
8. Add the mashed rice dal mixture and stir well.
9. Slowly start adding the ghee  and stir well.
10. Continue to cook for another 5 to 7 minutes and add the crushed cardamom seeds, edible camphor,salt and nutmeg powder to this.
11. Turn off the heat and stir in the cashews and raisins.