Sakkarai Pongal

Today (12th January 2008) is 27^th day of the month of Margazhi, the Tamil month and the favourite month of Lord Shri Krishna. Andal, daughter of Periazhwar, along with her friends, finishes the rigidities of her Paavai Nombu, and begins celebrating the entry to HIS Presence and praising HIM in her Hymn ‘Koodarai, vellum seer govinda’. She describes the dishes they will eat in the Paasuram (verse). Vaishnavites, in Tamil Nadu prepare Sakkaraipongal on this day as a must. This is how I prepare it as taught by my amma.

Ingredients:

1. Rice one cup.
2. Greengram dhal one tablespoonful
3. Powdered jaggery two and a half to three cups
4. Cashewnuts about five to six
5. Raisins few (one spoon app)
6. Cardamom (one spoon powdered )
7. Ghee one third of a cup (to be restricted according to one’s diet consciousness)
8. Milk one cup

Preparation:

1. Wash the rice in water, drain and keep aside.
2. Dry fry the dhal till golden brown, wash and add to the rice.
3. Boil the milk (diluted with two cups of water), add the rice and dhal mixture to it and cook in a pressure cooker.
4. Heat water and dissolve the powdered jaggery, filter the solution and make it into thick syrup in a thick bottomed vessel .
5. Add the cooked rice and dhal mixture to it, pour about a table spoon of ghee into it and keep stirring till they blend together nicely.
6. Fry the cashews and raisins in one tablespoon ghee, pour into pongal mixture along with the powdered cardamom.
7. Remove from heat, add the remaining ghee (or more according to ones taste) when it is still very hot.

Note: On Pongal day, which is falling on 15^th January this year, Sakkarai Pongal is usually prepared in a traditional vessel called paanai (pot) instead of a pressure cooker. In this method, one would pour the syrup of jaggery into the pot containing the cooked mixture of rice and dhal (cooked in diluted milk). This is then cooked till done. Care should be taken not to burn it. You can add water as required and ghee if needed.

HAPPY PONGAL!