The harvest festival across the country, though named differently, Makar Sankranti in North India, Lohri in Punjab and Pongal in Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Sun of God. Touted as one of the most important festivals for the people of Tamil Nadu, the delicacies prepared during the week-long festival, however, are the best to try for everyone across India and abroad. One of the famouse dish from their illustrious menu is Sweet Pongal. This wholesome and healthy recipe by Chef Sarvanan Chidambaram, Regional Chef, The Vitskamats Group is a delight and you can easily make it at home.
Ingredients:
½ cup Raw rice
2 tablespoon Moong dal/ pasi paruppu
¾ cup Jaggery
2 & ½ cups Water
3 tablespoon Ghee
1 pinch Salt
6 Cashews
2 tablespoon Raisin
1 Elachi
1 Clove
1 fenugreek sized Edible camphor
Method
Take a pressure cooker/ pan, add ¼ teaspoon of ghee and roast the moong dal.
Add water, washed rice, and salt. Pressure cook for 4 whistles. Mash it once done.
Powder jaggery and heat it with water just to immerse it and bring it to a boil. Let the jaggery completely dissolve and filter it and add to the mashed rice in the cooker.
In a separate pan, heat a teaspoon of ghee and roast cashews to golden and add raisins to it.
Once it fluffs up, transfer it and keep it aside.
In the same pan, add cloves, elachi and switch off the stove.
Add nutmeg powder, and give a quick stir.
Take out elachi and powder it, add the powdered elachi, edible camphor, cloves along with nutmeg powder to the Pongal.
Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes.
Add ¼ cup water or milk if it gets dry while cooking.
Add ghee little by little while cooking.
- garnish with grated coconut
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