Sakkara Pongal & Pongal to try on Varalakshmi Puja

Sakkara Pongal...a Very traditional south indian sweet. the speciality of this sweet is..it just slides into your throat...ahhh..tempting right... give a try for this Varalakshmi Puja on coming Friday.. iam sure you will enjoy it..i also assure you if you follow my instructions it wont let you down...

To Know about Varalakshmi puja click Here.
To listen to a Audio by gurukkal for performing puja(in Tamil) Here.



Ingredients:

1. Rice-1 cup
2. Pasi paruppu/Moong dal- 1/4 cup [fry the dal for 2-3 minutes till you get a nice aroma]
3. Ghee-1/4 cup..its upto you.
5. Jaggery/Bellam-1 cup
6. Cashews-8
7. Dry grapes-10
8. Milk-2 cups
9. Water-2 cups
10. Cardoman-2
11. Saffron- few strands

Method:
Process 1:
Soak the rice and dall for 10-15 minutes. now pressure cook it by adding milk+water.(it will be more tasty when you add more milk). rice+dall=1 cup in sense water/milk should be 4 cups. 1:4 ratio. now pressure cook it for upto 4 whistles. then mash it finely.
Process 2:
by the same time put the jaggery in a kadai and add water till it covers up. melt the jaggery and filter it. now you make jaggery syrup...it should boil atleast for 10 minutes.(depends upon how much amount of syrup you are making). when the syrup dropped on a plate it should look like a dot. now add crushed cardomans and saffron.
Process 3:[Make sure that you add pressure cooked rice and dal hot to this hot syrup]
and add mashed rice+moong dall. keep stirring it. allow them to boil. now add ghee to it.let them boil and comes togeather(surundu varanum). add ghee roasted cashews and dry grapes and serve..

i learned this method after a several trial versions..thanks to my Husband for risking at many festival lunches. now he is very happy on my learning. more ghee you add..it will taste like temple prasadham..

some points:
1. Rice and moong dal should be mashed and it should not be very tight..if it is tight add milk.

2. The jaggery syrup should not be very thick...keep standing till it reaches correct stage.

3. Add rice and dall to the syrup and keep stirring it in low flame. it will atleast take 5 minutes.

4. Chana dall can also be added.

5. When you make this just take little mashed rice and dall and season it with ghee,cumin, seeds,ginger,curry leaves,pepper,salt and add it.. your pongal is ready.

Have a Great Puja Time and Nice Week end!!