Classic South Indian sweet pongal made with raw rice, roasted moong dal, jaggery syrup, and ghee-roasted cashews using an easy pressure cooker method.
- ½ cup Raw Rice Sona Masoori or Raw Ponni, ~100g
- 3 tbsp Yellow Moong Dal ~35g
- 2¼ cups Water for cooking rice
- ¼ cup Milk boiled, or substitute with water
- ¾ cup Jaggery grated or powdered, dark variety, ~150g
- ½ cup Water for dissolving jaggery
- 3 to 4 tbsp Pure Desi Ghee
- 12 Cashews halved
- 1 tbsp Golden Raisins
- ½ tsp Green Cardamom Powder
- 1 whole Clove
- 1 pinhead-sized speck Edible Camphor pachai karpooram, optional
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Roast Dal: Dry-roast yellow moong dal in a heavy pan on medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Transfer to a plate.
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Wash Grains: Combine the roasted dal with raw rice, rinse twice with water, and drain completely.
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Pressure Cook: Place rinsed rice and dal into a pressure cooker with 2¼ cups water, ¼ cup milk, and 1 tsp ghee. Cook for 4 to 5 whistles on medium flame until thoroughly soft. Allow pressure to drop naturally, then mash gently with a ladle.
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Dissolve Jaggery: In a separate pan, melt jaggery in ½ cup water over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute (no string consistency needed). Strain through a sieve directly into the mashed rice.
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Simmer: Stir the strained jaggery and mashed rice over low flame for 3–4 minutes until blended, glossy, and slightly thick yet pourable. Stir in 1 tbsp ghee. Turn off flame.
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Temper Aromatics: Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a small pan. Fry 1 clove and cashews until golden. Add raisins and let them puff up. Remove from heat, stir in cardamom powder and a microscopic speck of crushed edible camphor, then pour over the pongal.
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Rest and Serve: Mix gently, let it rest covered for 5 minutes, and serve warm.
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Doneness Check: The rice-dal base must be completely mushy before adding the jaggery. If the grains are still firm, pressure cook with an extra ¼ cup of water for 2 more whistles.
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Consistency: Take the pongal off the fire while it is still loose; it solidifies naturally as the starches cool.
Storage
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Keeps well at room temperature for 12 hours, or refrigerated up to 4 days. Reheat with 2 tablespoons of hot water or milk to restore its velvety consistency.