Sakkarai Pongal Recipe (Sweet Chakkara Pongal)
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Sakkarai pongal is a traditional South Indian sweet made with rice, moong dal, jaggery, ghee, and cardamom. This creamy, comforting dish is especially popular during the Pongal festival. Make it using my recipe.
Quick Look: Sakkarai Pongal
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: Approx. 300 per serving
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, gluten-free
Skill Level: Easy
Tools Needed: Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker; small saucepan for jaggery syrup; small pan for tempering; fine-mesh strainer.
Table of Contents
I first tasted sakkarai pongal 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 was in Bangalore during Pongal (a 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 dessert, they made sakkarai pongal.
It was a delicious treat, different from the North Indian sweets I was used to.
I was told that each household has its own recipe for this dish. The base ingredients remain the same, but the ratios vary from home to home. 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 cooking raw rice, chana dal, and split moong dal in water; sweetening the mixture with jaggery; spicing it with cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom; and finishing it with ghee-fried cashews and raisins. It is also called chakkara pongal or simply sweet pongal.
This dish holds a prominent place in Karnataka and Tamil culture. Families cook it on the second day of the Thai Pongal harvest festival, a four-day celebration in January when people thank 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
See the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
All the ingredients for this recipe are easily available at Indian grocery stores. Some of them can also be sourced from online platforms such as Amazon.
- Rice – Sakkarai pongal is prepared with short-grain white raw rice. Traditionally, new rice is used to make sakkarai pongal because it melts in your mouth due to its high water content. I use sona masuri rice to make this dish. You can use any readily available short-grain white rice. Other common South Indian varieties include seeraga samba and ponni. You can also use Maharashtrian indrayani and ambemohar rice to make this recipe.
- 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 – Melt it in water, then add the syrup to sweeten the pongal. Try to use organic jaggery. It is dark brown and chemical-free. Light-colored jaggery often has chemicals added to lighten its color.
- Ghee is used to temper this sweet rice with jaggery. It adds richness and makes the dish even more flavorful.
- Dried Nuts & Fruits – I added cashews 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 cardamom (hari elaichi), and cloves (laung) in this recipe.
How To Make Sakkarai Pongal
Cook The Rice And Lentils
In An Instant Pot
Step 1: Wash ½ 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 2 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 ½ cup of water and pressure cook for 2-3 more minutes.
In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Wash the rice and lentils 2-3 times, then drain well. Transfer them to a stovetop pressure cooker and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned (5-6 minutes).
- Now, add the rinsed rice to the cooker.
- Add 3 ½ cups water (compared to the 2 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 pressure is releasing from the Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker, make jaggery syrup. Add 1 ½ cups crushed jaggery and 1 cup 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. Do not overcook the jaggery syrup; otherwise, it may harden the pongal.
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
- â…› teaspoon nutmeg powder
Make sure the jaggery syrup is warm. 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 cashews 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 cashews; otherwise, the raisins will burn before the cashews 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 add ½ cup grated carrots or pumpkin along with rice and lentils for a twist in flavor and texture.
You can make this recipe with coconut. Add ½ cup of 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 recipe. If using, then add ½ cup of thick coconut milk to the ready pongal and simmer until hot.
You can replace jaggery with granulated white sugar, brown sugar, palm sugar, or coconut sugar. The color of the pongal depends on the color of the jaggery or sweetener used.
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 remaining ingredients are naturally vegan.
Yes, you can replace rice with millet, such as finger millet, little millet, or barnyard millet. You can also use quinoa as a rice substitute.
I don’t recommend it, as the grains stay separate and pongal tastes like sweet pulao.
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 warm ghee on top, right before serving, makes it spectacular.
Storage Suggestions
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 don’t recommend freezing it, as the texture will not be great once thawed.
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Sakkarai Pongal Recipe (Sweet Chakkara 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 cardamoms (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 2 cups of water and stir to combine.
- Close the cooker’s lid 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 cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned (5-6 minutes).
- Now, add the rinsed rice to the cooker.
- Add 3 ½ cups of water (compared to the 2 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 pressure is releasing from the Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker, make jaggery syrup. Add jaggery and 1 cup of 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. Do not overcook the jaggery syrup otherwise it may harden the pongal.
- 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 pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add cashews and fry until golden brown and crisp (1-2 minutes).
- Add raisins and fry until they plump up (5-6 seconds). Do not add raisins with the cashews; otherwise, the raisins will burn before the cashews turn brown.
- Pour the tempering over the pongal. Mix well and serve hot or at room temperature.
