Sakkarai Pongal Recipe (Chakkara Pongal, Sweet Pongal)
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Picture a bowl of golden, sweet rice so fragrant with cardamom, cloves, and ghee that your kitchen smells like a South Indian temple – that is sakkarai pongal (sweet pongal, chakkara pongal). My recipe gives you the real deal: soft texture, deeply caramelized jaggery flavor, and crisp golden cashews in every single bite.
Table of Contents
Quick Look: Sakkarai Pongal
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, gluten-free
Flavor/Texture: Rich, sweet, and aromatic with soft, melt-in-the-mouth rice, nutty lentils, and warm cardamom-ghee flavor
I first tasted this dish in Bangalore. For 12 years after I got married, Bangalore was our base. Due to Mohit’s job, we would travel to a new country, spend some time there, return to Bangalore, stay for 2-3 months, and then relocate to another country.
We had a full setup at home in Bangalore, and Bhavye and I would often come in between. We had also made many friends during this time. Many of them were South Indian.
I once was in Bangalore during Sankranti (harvest festival), and one of our neighbors called us home. They had made a huge spread for the festival. There was ven pongal, curd rice, vada, sambar, tomato rasam, coconut chutney, potato roast, and many other items. For the sweet, they made this sakkarai pongal.
It was a delicious treat and different from the North Indian sweets I was used to having.
I was told that each household has its own recipe for this dish. The base ingredients remain the same, but the ratios change here and there. In this post, I am sharing the recipe I learned from my neighbor.
What Is Sakkarai Pongal?
Sakkarai pongal is a traditional South Indian sweet dish made by simmering raw rice and split moong dal in water, sweetening the mixture with jaggery, and finishing it with ghee-fried cashews, raisins, and cardamom powder. It is also called chakkara pongal or simply sweet pongal.
This dish holds a prominent place in Tamil culture. Families cook it on the first day of the thai pongal harvest festival, a four-day celebration in January when Tamils give thanks to the Sun God (Surya) for a bountiful harvest.
The name “pongal” literally means “to boil over,” symbolizing abundance and prosperity. Beyond the festival, sakkarai pongal serves as prasadam (sacred food offering) at Tamil Nadu temples, including the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai.
You can make it in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. I made it in my 3-quart Instant Pot (or 3-liter pressure cooker). If you want to double or triple the recipe, use a bigger Instant Pot or pressure cooker. The cooking time will remain the same.
Ingredients
All the ingredients for this recipe are easily available at Indian grocery stores. Some of them can also be sourced from online portals like Amazon.
- Rice – Sakkarai pongal is prepared with short-grain white raw rice. Traditionally, new rice is used to make sakkarai pongal as it melts in your mouth. I use sona masuri rice to make this dish. You can use any short-grain white rice that is readily available. Common South Indian short-grain varieties such as seeraga samba, ponni, Indrayani, and Ambemohar are among the choices.
- Lentils – You will need yellow moong dal (split and skinned petite yellow lentils). I like to add a little bit of chana dal to make it extra creamy.
- Jaggery is melted in water, and the syrup is added to sweeten the pongal. Try to use organic jaggery. It is dark brown and is free of chemicals. The light-colored jaggery has chemicals added to lighten its color.
- Ghee is used to temper this sweet rice with jaggery. It adds a rich taste and makes this dish even more flavorful.
- Nuts – I have added cashew nuts and raisins. But if you like, you can also add almonds and pistachios.
- Whole Spices add a nice aroma and flavor, so do not miss them. I have used nutmeg powder (jaiphal powder), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), and cloves (laung) in this recipe.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Making Sweet Pongal
It took me a few attempts to perfect this recipe. The ratio of rice to dal, the perfect amount of water and ghee, and the cooking techniques made a huge difference in the final outcome. I am listing the common mistakes you should avoid when making this sweet pongal.
| Mistake | Why It’s a Problem | How to Fix It |
| Using basmati rice | Grains stay separate, and pongal tastes like sweet pulao | Use short grain rice (Sona Masuri or Ponni), preferably new rice not aged |
| Undercooking rice & dal | Grainy, dry texture | Cook till very soft and mushy |
| Adding jaggery directly | Jaggery has impurities, which can make the pongal gritty | Melt jaggery with water and strain |
| Overcooking jaggery syrup | Syrup thickens too much, and pongal hardens on cooling | Cook only till the jaggery melts fully |
| Making pongal thick while cooking | Pongal thickens as it cools and becomes a hard, sticky mass | Keep it slightly loose when hot |
| Skipping or reducing ghee | Ghee builds flavor and texture. If not used adequately, the pongal will have a flat taste and a dry mouthfeel | Add ghee generously, as mentioned in the recipe |
How To Make Sweet Pongal
Cook The Rice And Lentils
In An Instant Pot
Step 1: Wash ยฝ cup short-grain rice 2-3 times with water. Drain and set aside. Wash 3 tablespoons of yellow moong dal and 1 teaspoon of chana dal a few times with water. Drain as much water as possible.
To remove excess water, spread the lentils on a kitchen towel and let them drain for 10-15 minutes.
Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot. Transfer the lentils to the Instant Pot and dry-roast until lightly browned (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.
This step is quick but non-negotiable. It eliminates any raw smell and adds a toasty undertone to the finished pongal.
Step 2: Now, add the rinsed rice to the cooker. Add 3 cups of water and stir until well combined.
Step 3: Close the cooker’s lid and set the valve to the sealing position.
Step 4: Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 15 minutes. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually.
Open the lid and mash the cooked rice and lentils using a ladle or a wire whisk until creamy.
The mixture should look very soft and overcooked, almost porridge-like. If not, add more water and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Transfer the rinsed lentils to a stovetop pressure cooker and cook over medium heat until lightly browned (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Now, add the rinsed rice to the cooker.
- Add 3 and ยฝ cups of water, compared to the 3 cups used in the Instant Pot, and stir to combine.
- Cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and mash the cooked rice and lentils using a ladle or a wire whisk until creamy.
Make Jaggery Syrup
Step 5: While the rice and lentils are cooking, make jaggery syrup. Add 1 and ยฝ cups of crushed jaggery and 1 cup of water to a saucepan.
Step 6: Cook over medium heat just until the jaggery dissolves and the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Stir frequently while cooking.
Step 7: Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer.
This is the step most home cooks skip and then wonder why their pongal has a gritty texture.
Make The Sakkarai Pongal
Step 8: Add the following ingredients to the cooker.
- warm jaggery syrup
- 2-4 crushed green cardamom pods
- 2 crushed cloves
- โ teaspoon nutmeg powder
Add warm jaggery syrup to the rice. Adding cold jaggery syrup to hot rice creates lumps.
Step 9: Mix well.
Temper The Sweet Pongal
Step 10: Heat 4 tablespoons of ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat. Once the ghee is hot, add 12-15 whole cashew nuts and fry until golden brown and crisp (1-2 minutes).
Step 11: Add 12-15 raisins and fry until they plump up (5-6 seconds). Do not add raisins with the cashew nuts; otherwise, the raisins will burn before the cashew nuts turn brown.
Step 12: Pour the tempering over the pongal.
Step 13: Mix well and serve hot or at room temperature.
Variations
Some South Indian homes add saffron-infused milk to their preparation, which gives it a delectable flavor. To make this version, soak 10-12 strands of saffron in 2 tablespoons of milk for 2-3 hours. Add the saffron-infused milk to the ready pongal and mix well.
You can also experiment with adding ยฝ cup of grated carrots or pumpkin for a flavor and texture twist.
You can make this recipe with coconut. Add grated fresh coconut to the ready pongal and mix well. You can also add coconut to the tempering and fry until lightly browned. Then, add it to the pongal. Some people also add coconut milk to their recipes.
Jaggery can be replaced with granulated white sugar, brown sugar, palm sugar, or coconut sugar. The color of the pongal will depend on the color of the jaggery or the sweetener added.
Add 1 pinch (no more) of edible camphor to the ready pongal for a temple-like taste. Edible camphor has a very potent taste, and adding more will make the pongal taste weird.
Sakkarai Pongal FAQs
To make it vegan, replace ghee with an equal amount of coconut oil. The rest of the ingredients used in the recipe are naturally gluten-free.
Yes, you can replace rice with millet, such as finger millet, little millet, or barnyard millet.
You can also use quinoa as a substitute for rice.
This dish tastes best when served immediately, as it thickens with time. However, if you have leftover sweet pongal, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in a pan or microwave until hot, then serve. If the pongal has thickened significantly, add some hot water and stir continuously until it returns to serving consistency.
I do not recommend freezing it, as its texture will not be great once thawed.
Serving Suggestions
Serve in a traditional bronze (kansa) bowl alongside ven pongal, sambar, and coconut chutney as part of the full festival spread. A drizzle of extra-warm ghee on top, right before serving, makes it spectacular.
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Sakkarai Pongal Recipe (Chakkara Pongal, Sweet Pongal)
Ingredients
To Cook Rice And Lentils
- ½ cup short grain white rice (I used Sona Masuri )
- 3 tablespoons yellow moong dal (skinned petite yellow lentils)
- 1 teaspoon chana dal
For The Jaggery Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 and ½ cups crushed jaggery
For The Pongal
- 2-4 green cardamom pods (crushed)
- 2 cloves (crushed)
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder
For The Tempering
- 4 tablespoons ghee
- 12-15 whole cashew nuts
- 12-15 raisins
Instructions
Cook The Rice And Lentils
In An Instant Pot
- Wash rice 2-3 times with water. Drain and set aside.
- Wash yellow moong dal and chana dal a few times with water. Drain the water as much as you can.
- Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot.
- Transfer the lentils to the Instant Pot and dry-roast until lightly browned (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Now, add the rinsed rice to the cooker.
- Add 3 cups of water and stir to combine.
- Close the lid of the cooker and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 15 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually.
- Open the lid and mash the cooked rice and lentils using a ladle or a wire whisk until creamy.
In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Transfer the rinsed lentils to a stovetop pressure cooker and roast on medium heat until they are lightly browned (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Now, add the rinsed rice to the cooker.
- Add 3 and ½ cups of water, compared to the 3 cups used in the Instant Pot, and stir to combine.
- Cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and mash the cooked rice and lentils using a ladle or a wire whisk until creamy.
Make Jaggery Syrup
- While the rice and lentils are cooking, make jaggery syrup. Add jaggery and water to a saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat just until the jaggery dissolves and the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Stir frequently while cooking.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer.
Make The Pongal
- Add the warm jaggery mixture, cardamoms, cloves, and nutmeg powder to the cooker and mix well.
Temper The Sweet Pongal
- Heat ghee in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add 8-10 whole cashew nuts and fry until slightly browned and crisp (1-2 minutes).
- Add raisins and fry until they plump up (5-6 seconds). Do not add raisins along with cashew nuts; otherwise, they will burn before the cashew nuts turn brown.
- Pour the tempering over the pongal. Mix well and serve hot or at room temperature.
