Sweet Pongal

Sweet Pongal aka Chakkera Pongali(Telugu) is a sweet porridge like dish prepared in Andhra on the occasion of Sankranthi festival. Jaggery (unrefined cane sugar available in Asia)is the main ingredient in this recipe, which is a sweetner, acts as a digestive agent and ability to clense your body.

Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Cuisine: Andhra
Source: Ammamma(grand mother)
Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1/2 cup moong dal(yellow gram)
1 1/2 cup jaggery, crushed
4-5 tsp cashews
3 tsp raisins
5-6 cardamon pods crushed
2-3 tsp raw coconut diced
1 crystal of eating camphor, powdered
10 tsp of ghee(butter) melted
2 cups water
2 cups milk


1. Heat 3 tsp of butter/ghee in a skillet, fry cashew nuts and raisins, coconut one after the other, keep them aside.
2. In the same skillet, fry moong dal until the colour changes to golden brown, let it cool.
3. Heat water and milk in a pressure cooker/ rice cooker,  then add washed rice and moong dal to it, cook it like regular plain rice(this will be tender soft).
4. While rice is cooking, In a add cup of water to another vassal add jaggery to it. Stirring occasionally gives a jaggery syrup, turn off the heat, let it cool down.
5. This time add jaggery syrup to cooked rice on a low heat, mash it with a ladle a bit(not too much), then add rest of the ghee, cashews, raisins, coconut, camphor and mix well.
6. On simmer, keep the lid on for 7-8 min and turn off the heat.
7. Let it come down to room temperature and enjoy the delicious dessert.