Sweet Pongal for Makara Shankranthi

Sweet Pongal is one of the signature dishes made on Makara Shankranthi or Pongal festival. I got to spend this Pongal with my parents after a few years and it was lovely to have hot sweet pongal served on a banana leaf. Heavenly!

Pongal is the Hindu festival that follows a solar calendar and is celebrated on the fourteenth of January every year. Pongal has astronomical significance: it marks the beginning of Uttarayana, the Sun’s movement northward for a six month period. In Hinduism, Uttarayana is considered auspicious, as opposed to Dakshinaayana, or the southern movement of the sun. All important events are scheduled during this period. Makara Sankranthi refers to the event of the Sun entering the zodiac sign of Makara or Capricorn.

Here is how you can make it too..

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice:  1cup
• Moong dal: 1/2 cup
• Jaggery: 2cup(powdered)
• cardamom: 2-3
• cashew: 7-8
• Salt: a pinch
• Dry Grapes: 7-8(opt)
• Ghee: 4 tbsp

Method of Preparation:

1. Heat a pan with a tbsp of ghee or oil  and roast moong dal in a low flame. Dont over roast it or don’t let it turn brown.
2. Soak rice and moong dal together for 15 minutes.
3. Pressure cook or electric cook rice and moong dal  with 4 cups of water. If you are pressure cooking it leave the mixture for 2-3 whistles.
4. While the rice is cooking, Boil a cup of water with the  powdered jaggery. Cook the jaggery till it melts. Bring it into full boil and let it cook in medium heat for another 3-4 minutes ( make sure the jaggery syrup is little thick and sticky).
5. Now strain the jaggery and don’t let it to cool.
6. Add the jaggery syrup into the cooked rice and dal mixture mix it all together evenly. ( make sure the rice dal mixture and jaggery  syrup both should be hot)
7. Roast the cashews and raisins(dry grapes) in a tbsp of ghee.
8. Finally add the roasted cashews, raisins and pressed cardamoms into sweet pongal.
9. Serve hot.