Sarkarai Pongal - Sweet Rice Pudding

I did my graduate studies in Madurai – away from home. I shared a dorm with 6 other girls, and we all had loads of fun.  I did miss home food and every now and again when one of the day scholars invited me home, I would gladly take up the offer.

One of these dear friends is Prema and it is at her home that I first got introduced to the sarkarai pongal – sweet rice pudding.  I remember Susila aunty smiling and bringing a bowlful of steaming fragrant brown pudding and me asking her what it was.

Susila aunty left for her heavenly abode in 2017 – but she lives on in my heart – and this post is dedicated to her.

Thank you also to Hebbar’s Kitchen for the recipe.  This recipe makes enough pongal to serve 6 -8 people.  And it is not excessively sweet.  I remember what I ate in Susila aunty’s home was sweet and rich and just perfect. 

Ingredients:

½ cup rice (I used basmati rice)

1/4 cup mung dal

¾ cup jaggery (more if you want rice to be sweeter)

1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

10-12 cashew nuts

1 handful of sultanas

2 tablespoons ghee

2 and 1/4 cups water to cook rice

2 teaspoons of ghee to fry cashews and sultanas

Method:

Roast mung dal till it turns gold and you can smell the aroma.  Mix it with the rice and soak it with water for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, clean and drain rice and dal and add cook with 2 ¼ cups of water. The rice and dal should be well cooked, and you should be able to mash it with the back of a spoon.  If needed, add ¼ cup of water at a time if the water is not enough. 

While the rice is cooking, scrape ¾ cups of jaggery and mix it with ¼ cup water and dissolve it.

Once the rice is cooked, strain the jaggery water into the rice.  The rice will not cook once you have added the jaggery water.  So, ensure that rice and dal is well cooked before you add the jaggery water.  Turn off the stove.

Add 2 tablespoons of ghee and mix well with the rice / jaggery mixture.  Add the cardamom powder and mix well.  

In a smaller saucepan, heat the two teaspoons of ghee and roast the cashew nuts till they are golden.  Next add the sultanas and roast them till they plump up.

Add cashew nuts and sultanas to the rice.  Mix well.  Serve warm.