TEMPLE STYLE SWEET JAGGERY PONGAL

Jun 14, 2022
By Mary Anthony
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SAKKARAI PONGAL RECIPE / TEMPLE STYLE CHAKKARA PONGAL /PRASHADAM

BY DISHA LAHORI

Sakkarai pongal is traditionally made from freshly harvested rice, fresh ghee and jaggery. It is flavoured with spices like nutmeg, saffron and cardamom. This is traditionally served as ‘naivedhyam’ or offering to Lord Vishnu in Hindu temples, and then distributed as ‘prasadham’ to the devotees.

INGREDIENTS

Moong dal – 2 or 3 tbsp
Raw rice (not basmati) – ½ cup
Jaggery – 1 cup or as per taste
Ghee – 4 tbsp
Nutmeg – a pinch
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
Fried Cashewnuts – 15
Fried Raisins – 15
Edible camphor – a pinch
Saffron – few strands soaked in 2 tbsp water

PREPARATION

Take a pan with jaggery and ½ cup water to cover the jaggery.

Stir and cook till the jaggery melts.

Cook on medium flame till it froths and boils .

Cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, till the syrup deepens in colour and caramelises abit.

Don’t overcook else it will harden.

Strain this syrup to remove all impurities and keep aside

METHOD

Wash the rice and keep aside .

Heat a tsp of ghee in a cooker , add the moong dal and stir fry for 1 min on low flame till aromatic .

Now add 2 ½ cup water + washed rice . Pressure cook for 5 whistles.

Off the flame and let the pressure release .

Open the cooker and give a nice mix .Mash it .

Pour the jaggery syrup + saffron into the cooked rice and dal mixture.

Simmer on low flame for a min .

Add the edible camphor + cardamom pwdr + roasted cashewnuts and raisins + ghee, mix well and switch off the stove.

Pongal is ready to serve .

MORE PONGAL RECIPES – You searched for PONGAL – Mary’s Kitchen (maryzkitchen.com)

NOTE

Add very little camphor else it will overpower the dish.
Edible camphor is the main ingredient which gives it a temple taste so don’t skip it.
Coconut milk adds more flavour.
The colour of the Pongal depends upon the jaggery.
Be generous with the saffron and ghee , it will add a lovely fragrance and colour!
Adding the milk as it gives a creamy finish to the pongal.You can add ¼ cup warm milk .
Similarly addition of milk reduces the brown shade of jaggery making it light brown Pongal than the pongal without milk.
While adding milk makes the dish taste richer . At temples, they make without milk and add more ghee.
Add good quality aromatic ghee for best flavour and taste.
Pressure cooking time of rice depends on the variety of rice so adjust accordingly. New rice needs little lesser water whereas old rice requires more.
Pongal gets thicker in consistency after cooling down so switch off accordingly. If it gets dry, while serving add little ghee and milk.