Sakkarai Pongal (Chakkara Pongal) is a sweet South Indian style traditional sweet porridge-like dish made using rice, lentils, and jaggery. Make it in a stovetop pressure or in an instant pot using my easy recipe (vegetarian, gluten-free).
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About Sakkarai Pongal
Sakkarai Pongal (Chakkara Pongal, Sweet Pongal) is a sweet dish made using rice, lentils, and jaggery. It is a South Indian (Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) specialty and made for auspicious occasions to serve as an offering to the god.
In South India, sweet pongal is a must-make dish for the festival of Makar Sankranti (Pongal) to celebrate the abundance and prosperity after the harvest.
Temples all over South India also serve sakkarai pongal as naivedhyam (prashad). They add a pinch of edible camphor to it, which gives it a unique taste.
Each household has its own recipe to make this dish. In this post, I am sharing the sweet pongal recipe I learned from a neighbor of mine during my stay in Bangalore. You can make it in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or in an instant pot.
This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. You can easily double or triple it as per your requirement.
I made it in my 6-quart instant pot (or 3-liter pressure cooker). If you want to double or triple the recipe, then use a bigger instant pot or pressure cooker. The time of cooking will remain the same.
If you like pongal, then you can try these recipes too – Rava Pongal, Ven Pongal, and Thinai Pongal.
Ingredients
Rice & Lentils – Sakkarai pongal is prepared with a combination of short grain rice and yellow moong dal (split and skinned petite yellow lentils).
I use Sona Masuri rice to make this dish. You can use any short-grain rice that is easily available. Seeraga Samba, Indrayani, Ambemohar, etc. are some examples.
Jaggery – Jaggery is melted in water and the syrup is added to add sweetness to pongal.
Try to use organic jaggery. It is dark brown in color and is free of chemicals. The jaggery that is light in color has chemicals added to it to lighten its color.
Ghee – Ghee is used to temper the pongal. It adds a rich taste and makes this dish even more flavorful.
Nuts – For the tempering, I have added cashew nuts and raisins. But if you like, you can add some almonds and pistachios too.
Whole Spices – Whole spices add a nice aroma and flavor, so do not miss them. I have used green cardamoms (hari elaichi) and cloves (laung) in this recipe.
Edible Camphor – To give sakkarai pongal a temple prasadam like taste, you can add a pinch of edible camphor to it once the dish is cooked.
How To Make Sakkarai Pongal
Cook The Rice And Lentils
In An Instant Pot
Wash ½ cup short grain rice 2-3 times with water. Drain and set aside.
Wash 3 tablespoon yellow moong dal and 1 teaspoon chana dal a few times with water. Drain the water as much as you can.
Tip – You can spread the lentils on a kitchen cloth for 10-15 minutes to get rid of the excess water.
Press the SAUTE button on the instant pot.
Transfer the lentils to the instant pot and roast until they are 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 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 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 1 and ½ cups of crushed jaggery and 1 cup of water to a saucepan.
Cook on medium heat until jaggery is dissolved 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 jaggery mixture, 2 crushed cardamoms, 2 crushed cloves, and ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder to the cooker and mix well.
Add a pinch of edible camphor if you wish to.
Temper The Sweet Pongal
Heat 4 tablespoon ghee in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
Once the ghee is hot, add 8-10 whole cashew nuts and fry until they are slightly browned (1-2 minutes).
Add 12-15 raisins and fry until they plump up (5-6 seconds).
Pour the tempering over the pongal. Mix well and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make it vegan, replace ghee with coconut oil.
Yes, you can replace rice with millet like finger millet, little millet, or barnyard millet.
You can also use quinoa in place of rice.
Add grated fresh coconut to the ready pongal and mix well. You can also add coconut in the tempering and fry until lightly browned and then add it to the pongal.
Variations
There are many versions of this sweet pongal, as every home their own way of making it.
Some South Indian homes add saffron mixed with milk to their preparation, which gives it a delectable flavor.
You can replace half of the water with milk. Cook the rice and lentils in half the quantity of water as mentioned in the recipe. Once they are cooked, add milk and mix well. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
You can also experiment with adding grated carrots or pumpkin for a twist in flavor and texture.
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.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Sakkarai Pongal hot in traditional South Indian banana leaves or on plates. You can shape it into small mounds or simply scoop it onto the plate. Garnish with a drizzle of ghee, roasted cashews, and raisins for an authentic touch.
Storage Suggestions
Allow the hot pongal to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Make sure the container is clean and dry. Press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the Pongal to prevent skin from forming, and then seal the container with its lid. This helps maintain its moisture and prevents it from drying out. Properly stored, Sakkarai Pongal can last in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
You can also freeze the Chakkara Pongal in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months
When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen Sakkarai Pongal, transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
Reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a bit of milk or water to restore its creamy consistency if needed. Stir it well to ensure even heating.
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Recipe Card
Traditional Sakkarai Pongal Recipe (Chakkara Pongal, Sweet Pongal)
Ingredients
To Cook Rice And Lentils
- ½ cup short grain 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 whole green cardamoms (crushed)
- 2 cloves (crushed)
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder
For The Tempering
- 4 tablespoons ghee
- 8-10 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.
- Tip – You can spread the lentils on a kitchen cloth for 10-15 minutes to get rid of the excess water.
- Press the SAUTE button on the instant pot.
- Transfer the lentils to the instant pot and roast until they are 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 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 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 on medium heat until jaggery is dissolved 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 jaggery mixture, cardamoms, cloves, and nutmeg powder to the cooker and mix well.
- Add a pinch of edible camphor if you wish to.
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 they are slightly browned (1-2 minutes).
- Add raisins and fry until they plump up (5-6 seconds).
- Pour the tempering over the pongal. Mix well and serve hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!