Today is the pongal festival. This festival is celebrated as a thanksgiving ceremony for the year’s harvest. Pongal, one of the important Hindu festivals, falls around the same time as Lohri every year. Sarkkarai pongal is also known as sweet pongal which is made as prasadam in most of the south indian temples.

On pongal day we are making this sweet pongal in the morning as prasad.

Let us see how to make this yummy sweet pongal or sarkkarai pongal.

Preparation time approx 30 minutes.

Ingredients.

• 1 cup raw rice
• 1 heaped cup powdered jaggery. (I have added  little more because i like more sweet)
• 2 tbsp broken moong dal.
• 1/4 cup of ghee
• 1cup milk
• cashew nuts for garnishing.
• 1/2 tsp cardomom powder
• pepper corn size edible camphor( optional. I have not added.)

Method.

Wash both rice and dhal together. Add milk and 2 more cups of water. Pressure cook. It shold be little mushy. Keep aside.

Melt jaggery in 1/4 cup of water. Strain and remove impurities. Keep aside.

Now in a pan add the rice mix and melted jaggery. On medium heat cook. Add little ghee. Mix well. Let the pongal become thick.

In the mean time heat 1tbsp ghee and add broken cashew nuts. Fry till it turns golden colour. Remove and keep aside.

Add the balance ghee to pongal and mix well. Now add cardomom powder and edible camphor if you are using . Mix well and garnish with fried cashews.

Serve hot