Sakkarai Pongal or Chakkara Pongali is a tasty, cardamom-scented rice and lentil pudding studded with cashews and raisins. It’s historically made to rejoice the south Indian harvest pageant, Pongal, however you do not want any specific purpose to eat this dairy-free model — aside from the truth that it is uncommonly scrumptious!
Desk of Contents
What’s pongal?
The passing of the winter solstice kicks off India’s legendary love for celebrations. Farmers, and everybody else, give their thanks for the tip of the harvest with festivals that go by completely different names throughout completely different states: makar sankranti, lohri, ugadi and bihu, amongst others.
The state of Tamil Nadu, in south India, celebrates the tip of the harvest with a pageant named pongal. And to provide thanks, they prepare dinner up two very particular dishes with lentils and the newly harvested rice: ven pongal, or savory pongal, and sakkarai pongal, or candy pongal.
“Ponga,” in Tamil, means to overflow, and cooking pongal after the harvest signifies prosperity and abundance. In south Indian houses, cooks warmth milk and rice for pongal in a clay pot and let it boil over in symbolic celebration as cries of “Pongalo, pongal!” ring out.
My husband, Desi, is Tamil and though he could not be bothered with symbolisms and celebrating something, we do rejoice nice meals. And pongal actually is that.
To make sakkarai pongal you want just some substances, with the chief ones being rice, moong dal (yellow mung lentils) and jaggery, an unrefined sugar made with palm sap or sugarcane juice. There may be another ingredient that’s at all times touted as a should for pongal as a result of it would not simply act as a cooking medium, however as a robust flavoring agent: ghee.
Most cooks use as a lot as a cup of ghee in a sakkarai pongal recipe, turning what could possibly be a healthy-ish deal with into an unhealthy indulgence.
On Holy Cow Vegan we do not use ghee as a result of we love cows. Within the early years of this weblog I got here up with a ghee-free vegan candy pongal that tastes wonderful. I’ve since made fairly just a few modifications to that recipe to make it even yummier and extra authentic-tasting, whereas nonetheless protecting it freed from any dairy merchandise. Strive it, and I’m certain you may agree!
Why you’ll love this sakkarai pongal recipe
- Dairy-free however scrumptious. There is no such thing as a milk nor ghee on this recipe, however our cruelty-free pongal is simply as yummy as the opposite model.
- Easy, with only a handful of pantry substances wanted. In case you are an Indian prepare dinner or have a well-stocked pantry of Indian substances, you possibly can seemingly make this candy pongal with what you have already got readily available. Or you possibly can simply purchase them on-line or at an Indian grocery retailer.
- Everybody-friendly. The candy pongal is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. In case you are nut-free, simply pass over the cashews and garnish as an alternative with pumpkin seeds.
Skilled ideas
Making the most effective sakkarai pongal is a course of involving just a few steps nevertheless it actually is not troublesome and you may make a tremendous, genuine pongal in about an hour. Be sure you comply with the following tips for fulfillment:
- Use the proper proportions of substances. Use a dal to rice ratio of 1:4 and a rice to jaggery ratio of 1:2 by quantity. On this recipe we’ll use one-fourth of a cup of moong dal, one cup of rice and two cups of jaggery.
- Use a short-grain rice or medium-grain rice. The consistency of the proper candy pongal needs to be runny and glutinous and you need to hardly have the ability to discern the rice and lentils. Assume risotto, not biryani.
- Cook dinner the rice and lentils in milk. I take advantage of cashew milk or oat milk. When the rice and lentils prepare dinner in milk they turn out to be silkier and extra flavorful.
- Cook dinner the rice and lentils till actually, actually mushy. You may pressure-cook the rice and moong dal in a range prime stress cooker or an Immediate Pot or a rice cooker. Or, if you have no of those, use a heavy saucepan with a good lid. The rice and lentils ought to actually be melting within the milk while you flip off the warmth.
- Cook dinner the jaggery totally. As a result of jaggery is an unrefined sugar it has a uncooked taste. Earlier than including it to candy dishes it’s best to prepare dinner the jaggery totally. I will present you ways, however do not be tempted to chop the method quick in order for you the most effective taste.
- Take your time. As soon as you place the lentils and rice along with the jaggery, take 10-Quarter-hour to prepare dinner them collectively to permit the flavors to meld.
Elements
Skip over to the recipe card for actual portions of every ingredient.
- Rice. Ponni uncooked rice, often out there at Indian grocery shops right here in the US, is the proper rice for pongal. You may also use sona masoori or, in case you have arborio rice readily available, use that (that is what I typically use and it really works completely).
- Moong dal. These tiny yellow lentils are simply out there on-line or at Indian shops.
- Jaggery (vellam/gur). Jaggery, an unrefined Indian sugar, is critical for the correct taste and texture in a pongal. Once more, you possibly can simply discover it on-line or at an Indian retailer. Jaggery is bought as lumps or in powder type. I purchase the powder as a result of it is a lot simpler to make use of.
- Inexperienced cardamom powder (elakkai/elaichi). Whenever you see “floor cardamom” in an Indian recipe, it nearly at all times refers to floor inexperienced cardamom seeds, not black or brown cardamom, that are used complete in savory dishes. You should purchase floor cardamom, however I desire shopping for inexperienced cardamom pods, peeling and crushing the seeds in a mortar and pestle proper earlier than I add them to a recipe for the most effective taste.
- Nutmeg (jathika/jaifal). Nutmeg is one other essential “candy” spice for pongal. You want just a bit nevertheless it provides nice taste. Once more, it is best to purchase complete nutmeg as an alternative of nutmeg powder and grate a little bit of it earlier than use. Some cooks add cloves and edible camphor (pachchai karpooram), an extract from the camphor tree that has a really distinctive aroma, to pongal. Desi hates it so I go away it out.
- Pure vanilla extract. This isn’t a conventional ingredient, nevertheless it’s one among my secret substances for Indian recipes the place I’m changing ghee (you already know that if you happen to’ve made my vegan kheer). A tiny splash of vanilla added to candy pongal on the finish of cooking makes all of the distinction.
- Uncooked cashews. Use complete cashew nuts or cashew items. I desire the latter.
- Raisins. Raisins are a should in chakkara pongal for an genuine taste. Golden raisins are conventional, however I take advantage of no matter sort I’ve readily available.
Variations for particular diets
- Nut-free: Use pumpkin seeds as an alternative of cashews, and oat milk or soy milk as an alternative of cashew milk.
- Low-oil: There are simply two tablespoons and a teaspoon of oil on this recipe, which is de facto not a lot for a dish like this. However if you wish to minimize down on the oil additional use a teaspoon of oil every to fry the moong dal and rice in step 1 and to roast the cashews in step 5, reducing the oil down to simply three teaspoons whole. I might not suggest making this dish oil-free.
How you can make candy pongal
1. Warmth a tablespoon of oil in a stress cooker or a heavy-bottomed saucepan or within the liner of the Immediate Pot set to the saute mode. Add the moong dal and saute till very fragrant and a few shades darker. Add the rice and saute for a few minutes till the grains flip opaque.
2. Add 4 cups dairy-free milk to the rice and lentils. Combine and prepare dinner till the rice and lentils are very, very mushy. If doing this in a saucepan you will want about half-hour. Cowl the pot and stir often throughout cooking. Add extra water or milk if the combination dries up earlier than it has cooked. In a stress cooker that whistles, prepare dinner for 4 whistles. Within the Immediate Pot prepare dinner for Quarter-hour on guide stress.
3. Add 1 / 4 cup water to a saucepan, convey to a boil, then add the jaggery. Let the jaggery combination come to a boil.
4. As soon as the jaggery boils, let it proceed cooking for six extra minutes over medium-low warmth. That is actually key since you need the jaggery to lose its uncooked style. Do not let the jaggery syrup settle down as soon as it is executed as a result of it’ll harden up because it stands.
5. About 5 minutes earlier than the jaggery is cooked, warmth a tablespoon of oil in a big wok or kadhai or skillet. Add the cashews and stir-fry for a few minutes over medium warmth till the cashews are a light-weight golden-brown.
6. Add the cooked rice and dal combination to the wok with a cup of milk or water. Combine totally and produce to a boil over medium excessive warmth.
7. Pour within the melted jaggery and blend it into the rice-dal combination. Carry the pongal to a boil. If the combination appears dry add some extra water or milk.
8. As soon as the pongal has been cooking for about 5 minutes, stir within the floor nutmeg and floor cardamom.
9. Proceed cooking the pongal a pair extra minutes, stirring continuously, till the combination has thickened and has the consistency of a thick pudding. At this level you possibly can add a pinch of salt to assist intensify the sweetness of the pongal. Flip off the warmth and stir within the pure vanilla extract.
10. Warmth a small skillet and add a teaspoon of oil. Roast the raisins within the oil for only a minute till puffy however not burnt. Add them to the pongal and stir in. Serve the pongal heat or at room temperature.
Recipe FAQ
Pongal is a pageant of well-being and abundance and the liberal use of ghee on this dish is supposed to indicate that abundance. However ghee in India immediately signifies one thing utterly completely different: it’s the product of horrible cruelty and the struggling of Indian cows. Most Indian milk comes from tabelas — Indian dairy manufacturing unit farms that deal with the cows as instruments for revenue and abuse them in unthinkable methods. Sadly, those that worship cows as holy and search to “shield” them from religions which have historically eaten beef in India additionally enthusiastically endorse the liberal use of milk merchandise in Hindu households and festivals. It is time to finish this hypocrisy. Milk and beef each harm cows, and consuming one isn’t any higher than consuming the opposite. A pageant — a time of celebration — is a superb time to say “no” to the cruelty and “sure” to small changes in our diets that may influence animals, the setting, and our well being in optimistic methods.
This vegan sakkarai pongal is certainly more healthy than the normal pongal made with tons of ghee and, generally, milk. That stated, though there are wholesome rice and lentils on this dish, and there may be an unrefined sugar, sugar remains to be sugar, so eat this dish carefully. Take pleasure in each chunk, however do not overindulge.
In my previous model of sakkarai pongal I used coconut milk and coconut oil. Whereas coconut is nice in south Indian meals, I used to be not utterly proud of the outcome as a result of coconut tends so as to add a pleasant however overwhelming taste that takes away from the genuine style of pongal. So I do not suggest it anymore, though if that is your solely choice you need to use it. You may also use coconut oil as an alternative of a impartial oil, which I like to recommend.
Common granulated sugar merely will not provide the similar taste as jaggery. If you have no jaggery or cannot supply it, you need to use coconut sugar, which is able to style fairly good. Cook dinner the coconut sugar precisely as you’ll use the jaggery. Or, in case you have entry to a Mexican grocery retailer, use piloncillo, which could be very very similar to jaggery.
Storage directions
- Refrigerate: Retailer sakkarai pongal within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze the pongal in an hermetic container or freezer-safe container for as much as 4 months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat the pongal in a saucepan or within the microwave. If wanted add a little bit of milk or water to return it to a pudding-like consistency.
Extra scrumptious Tamil recipes
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Candy Pongal (Sakkarai Pongal)
Sakkarai Pongal or Chakkara Pongal is a tasty, cardamom-scented rice and lentil pudding studded with cashews and raisins. It’s historically made to rejoice the south Indian harvest pageant, Pongal, however you do not want any specific purpose to eat this dairy-free model — aside from the truth that it is uncommonly scrumptious!
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Evaluation Recipe
Servings: 12 servings
Energy: 343kcal
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Directions
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Warmth a tablespoon of oil in a stress cooker or a heavy-bottomed saucepan or within the liner of the Immediate Pot set to the “saute” perform. Add the moong dal and saute till very fragrant and a few shades darker. Add the rice and saute for a few minutes till the grains flip opaque.
-
Add 4 cups dairy-free milk to the rice and lentils. Combine and prepare dinner till the rice and lentils are very, very mushy. If doing this in a saucepan you will want about half-hour. Cowl the pot and stir often throughout cooking. Add extra water or milk if the combination dries up earlier than it has cooked. In a stress cooker that whistles, prepare dinner for 4 whistles. Within the Immediate Pot prepare dinner for Quarter-hour on guide stress.
-
Add 1 / 4 cup water to a saucepan, convey to a boil, then add the jaggery. Let the jaggery combination come to a boil.
-
As soon as the jaggery boils, let it proceed cooking for six extra minutes over medium-low warmth. That is actually key since you need the jaggery to lose its uncooked style. Do not let the jaggery settle down as soon as it is executed as a result of it’ll harden up because it stands.
-
About 5 minutes earlier than the jaggery has cooked, warmth a tablespoon of oil in a big wok or kadhai or skillet. Add the cashews and stir-fry for a few minutes over medium warmth till the cashews are a light-weight golden-brown.
-
Add the cooked rice and dal combination to the wok with a cup of milk or water. Combine totally and produce to a boil over medium excessive warmth.
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Pour within the melted jaggery and blend it into the rice and dal combination. Carry the pongal again to a boil. If the combination appears dry add some extra water or milk.
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As soon as the pongal has been cooking for about 5 minutes, stir within the floor nutmeg and floor cardamom.
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Proceed cooking the pongal a pair extra minutes, stirring continuously, till the combination has thickened and has the consistency of a thick pudding. Add a really tiny pinch of salt at this level, to intensify the sweetness of the pongal. Flip off the warmth and stir within the pure vanilla extract.
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Warmth a small skillet and add a teaspoon of oil. Roast the raisins within the oil for only a minute till puffy however not burnt. Add them to the pongal and stir in.
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Serve the candy pongal heat or at room temperature.
Vitamin
Energy: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 5g | Fats: 7g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 3g | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 2mg
