Sweet Pongal

We haven’t tempted those tastebuds in a long time on Silvertalkies. Here’s a recipe sent to us by Vijaya Sambath K from Bangalore for Sweet Pongal. Relish…

Sweet Pongal is a dish typically made during Makar Sankranthi. Here’s a recipe for Sweet Pongal sent to Silvertalkies by Vijaya Sambath K. According to Mrs Sambath, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Pongal, a harvest festival. This recipe for Sweet Pongal goes back to the days of the Andal Goddess, a famous South Indian goddess. Andal is known for her unwavering devotion to the god Vishnu, the patron deity of the Vaishnavas.

Ingredients 

Rice – 1 cup

Green Gram Dal – 1/4 cup

Jaggery – 1/2 cup

Water to boil – 3 cups

Cashew Nuts, raisins

Milk – 2 tablespoons

Ghee, to taste ( Your Pongal will taste delicious with more ghee of course!)

Method 

Wash and soak the rice and green dal for an hour, then pressure cook both, adding three cups of water and very little milk. Cook till it is nicely mixed together to form a smooth paste. Now separately boil jaggery in water and keep stirring till it achieves a honey like consistency. Mix the rice and dal paste with the jaggery sauce, ghee and nuts fried in ghee. Serve hot.

Sweet Pongal tastes even better if eaten the next day.

Enjoy!