Sarkkarai pongal ( sweet pongal)

Nov.1 was our first wedding anniversary!!!!. I have decided few weeks ago, to make sarkkari pongal and distribute it to the devotees visiting meenakshi temple. We went to our friends place for dinner the previous day. Anusha is great cook, she made Idli, Methu vadai, poondu kozhumbu, chicken kurma, chilli chicken and curd rice. So much to eat and chat!!! we had a great time.

Next morning, I started looking for sakkarai pongal recipes in the internet. I had a vague idea how to make pongal and gathered few more info from the website. It tasted very good!!!. We went to the temple, gurukkul did pooja adn neivediyam. My hubby distributed pongal to every one and we had great time on our wedding anniversary!!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups ponni rice
2 cups jaggery ( smashed into small pieces)

1 cup moong dhal

6 cardamom ( elachi)

20 cashew nuts

10 dry grapes

5 tbsp ghee

1/4 tsp salt

6 cups water

Preparation:

In a pressure cooker, add rice, moong dhal and water (1:3). Cover and leave for 2 whitsles. Remove from heat, allow it to cool down. The rice and dhal should be in mushy texture.

Transfer this mixture to a non- stick pan, add jaggery and little bit of salt. Mix thoroughly, the jaggery will ooze out water into the mixture. Keep stirring in medium heat.Mean while heat ghee in a frying pan, add cashew nut, dry grapes and cardamom. Saute in low heat until the cashew nut changes to light brown. Remove from heat.

Once the water fully absorbed by the rice,( it might take up to 20 mts) add the cashew and ghee to this mixture. Mix thoroughly, now the aroma of ghee and flavour of jaggery would be amazing!!!! Leave for 10 mts in medium heat..... Sarkkarai pongal is ready!!!!

Note: U can increase qty of jaggery accordingto ur taste