Chakkarai Pongal Recipe (Sweet Pongal) - Girijapaati Style

A favourite for the harvest festival of Sankranti or Pongal in Tamilnadu, Chakkarai Pongal or Sweet Pongal is a delicious and nourishing dish.

Combining, rice, lentils and jaggery, Chakkarai Pongal can be a mini meal on it's own.

Serves 4

Ingredients 

• Raw Rice - 1 cup / 250 gms
• Moong Dhal / Paasi Paruppu - 1/2 cup - 125 gms
• Salt - a pinch
• Jaggery (broken into pieces) - 300 - 315 gms 
• Cardamom (deshelled and powdered) - 4-5 gms
• Water - as required

Seasoning / Tadka (all to taste)

• Ghee - 50 - 55 gms
• Raisins - 30 gms
• Cashew - 30 gms
• Green Camphor (powdered) - a pinch (optional)

Method:

1. Combine the dhal and rice, wash well. Add a pinch of salt.
2. Cover with 3.5 cups of water and pressure cook for about 6 whistles. (Should be mashable)
3. Heat about half a cup water in a kadai, add in the piece of jaggery and cooked till well combined into a thin syrup.
4. Add the cooked rice dhal to the jaggery syrup and mix well. Turn off the flame and set aside.
5. Fry cashew and raisins in ghee till golden brown and plump.
6. Add the tadka to the cooked rice dhal, top with the green camphor & powdered cardamom. Mix all of it.
7. Serve hot, serve with love.