Sweet Pongal, also called Sakkarai or Chakkara Pongal, is a popular traditional sweet dish from South India. Made with rice, moong dal, milk and jaggery, it is a delicious sweet pudding made during festivals.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: South Indian
Keyword: chakkara pongal, instant pot sweet pongal, sakkarai pongal
Start the instant pot in saute mode and add the moong dal to it. Roast it for 2-3 minutes until it is fragrat. Don't brown too much.
Remove the roasted moong dal to a bowl. Add rice to the same bowl and wash them well.
Add ghee in the instant pot, add cashews, and saute for 30 seconds, then add raisins. Saute till cashews turn golden and take out.
Now add the washed rice, dal to the instant pot. Saute for 2 minutes.
Then add water and milk. Cook in pressure cook (manual) mode on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Open lid, and add powdered jaggery and cardamom. If using edible camphor, add it here. Mix well and cook on saute mode for 2-3 minutes.
Add the reserved cashews and raisins. Pongal thickens as it cools. If needed, add some hot water and adjust the consistency.
Serve topped with the roasted cashews and raisins. Add more ghee to taste.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
Follow the same steps to roast the dal and cashews/raisins. Then cook the dal and rice in the pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles. Then follow the steps to add the jaggery, cardamom and edible camphor. Cook for 2-3 minutes and serve topped with roasted cashews and raisins.
Video
Notes
Vegan Pongal: To make this pongal vegan, use coconut oil in place of ghee. Skip milk and add more water or you can add almond milk. Pongal without milk: To make this pongal without milk, replace the milk with water. It will work just as well.Consistency: Adjust the consistency of the ponagl by adding hot water to it as needed. The pongal will thicken as it cools.Edible camphor: This adds the authentic taste and fragrance to the pongal. You just need a pinch. Add it along with the cardamom powder. Jaggery: I used powdered jaggery to make this an easier one-pot recipe. If you have a block of jaggery, you can either grate it or boil a cup of water in a saucepan on the stovetop and add the jaggery to it. Stir until the jaggery melts, then add to the cooked dal and rice.