Pongal is a popular rice dish in Tamil Cuisine. In Tamil, the word pong or pongu means to ” boil over” or “spill over”. There are two varieties of pongal, Sakkarai Pongal which is a sweet, and Ven Pongal which is savoury. The rice boiled with milk and jaggery during the Pongal festival is also called pongal – this is made specially in earthenware pots with a wood fire with the first harvest and offered to Sun God. My kids love Sweet Pongal . I usually make it whenever they want to have Sweet Pongal.
Recipe for Sweet Pongal:
Rice 1 Glass
Moong dal roasted 1/2 Glass
Jaggery 1 .5 to 2 Glasses
Milk 1 Glass,
Ghee 4Tsp.
Cashews and Raisins Roasted(Handful) Grated Coconut 1 Tbsp
Method:
Roast cashews and raisins in a tsp of ghee and keep it aside.
Boil rice and dal together in a pressure cooker. Grate jaggery.
In a wok add the jaggery and a some water and keep stirring till the jaggery dissolves.Once done stain the syrup.
In another wok add 3 tsp ghee and milk.After 5 mins add the boiled dal and rice and a little grated coconut.Add the syrup and mix well.Once it starts boiling switch off the stove and garnish with cashews and raisins.Serve hot.