Sweet Pongal / புக்கை / சர்க்கரை பொங்கல்
What is Pongal?
Pongal is sweet rice dish typically made on Thai Pongal, Tamil New Year, and Charthuthi. Thai Pongal is a holiday in January (Thai) that celebrates the start of January (according to the Tamil calendar), and shows gratitude to the sun for the crops harvested. Tamil New Year takes place in April to celebrate the start of the year according to the Tamil calendar. Not all families make pongal to celebrate, but this was common in mine. Vinayaka Charthuthi falls in August to celebrate Pillaiyar’s (Ganesh) birthday.
Variations in Pongal
Pongal can be made sweet or savory. While sweet pongal is used for celebrations, savory pongal is typically enjoyed with curries for breakfast.
There are many types of sweet pongal that differ by region and preference. Some are dry, while others are more runny. This recipe is how it is typically made in northern Sri Lanka.
How to Make Pongal
Prepare the mung beans and red rice
First, fill a pot with water to boil. While the water is starting to boil, rinse the mung beans and red rice a few times. This will remove any dirt that might be present. I usually rinse until I see a change in the color of the water.
Once the water boils, add the washed mung beans and red rice to the pot. Once the water begins to boil again, lower the stove to medium heat. At this point, we want the mung beans and red rice to cook. This can take about 25 minutes. Occasionally stir to avoid burning the mixture.
The mung beans will cook first, while the red rice will take a bit longer. You can confirm the mung beans are cooked by pressing a single bean – it should be soft. Once the mung beans are cooked, use a spoon to evenly flatten the entire mixture and then lower to low heat. We do this to let the mixture cook more evenly. Cook the mixture on low heat for about 5 minutes and then confirm the red rice has cooked using the same method – press a single rice to confirm it has softened.
Steps to add sweetness and flavor
After the mung beans and rice have cooked, we’ve entered the fun part! Add jaggery to your desired sweetness level. You’ll see the color change beautifully. Add coconut milk and stir the mixture frequently on low heat.
After about 8 minutes, most of the liquid will have evaporated. At this point, add raisins and cashews. I like cutting the cashews into smaller pieces before adding them. Stir the mixture to confirm you have a uniform distribution of raisins and cashews – you can add more of one or both if you would like.
For the final step, add cardamom powder. Mix again for even distribution. Serve and enjoy!
Check out a pongal reel here to see the consistency I aim for!
Sweet Pongal
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Red Rice (சிவப்பு அரிசி)
- ½ cup Roasted Split Mung Beans (வறுத்த பயறு)
- 1 cup Thick Coconut Milk (தேங்காய்ப்பால்)
- 1½-2 cups Jaggery (வெல்லம்)
- ¼ cup Raisins (முந்திரி வத்தல்)
- ¼ cup Cashews (முந்திரிப்பருப்பு)
- ½ tsp Cardamom Powder (ஏலக்காய்த்தூள்)
- 3 cups Water (தண்ணீர்)
Instructions
- Boil the water in a pot.
- Wash the rice and the mung beans a few times.
- Once the water boils, add the rice and mung beans to the pot. Let it come to a boil again and then lower to medium heat.
- Stir every now and then to avoid burning at the bottom. Add water if too much has evaporated.
- After about 25 minutes, the mung beans should be cooked and the rice almost there. At this point, flatten the mixture with your spoon and lower the heat to low. Let it cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add jaggery and mix well. You can add more jaggery to increase the sweetness.
- Add the coconut milk and mix well. Cook for about 8 minutes on low heat and stir frequently.
- Once the liquid has been cooked off, mix in raisins, cashews, and cardamom powder.
- Enjoy and serve!