Chakkara Pongal / Sweet Pongal is a delicious South Indian sweet made especially to celebrate Pongal – the Harvest Festival of Tamil Nadu. Traditionally, Sweet Pongal is made using rice, moong dal, jaggery, ghee, dry fruits and flavoured with cardamom powder. However, in this recipe, we will see how to make this delicacy using Little Millet in an Instant Pot Pressure & Stovetop Pressure Cooker.
What is Pongal Festival
India is a land of festivals. Pongal is a four-day-long harvest festival celebrated in South India, in the month of “Thai”(January-February). This season is when crops like rice, sugarcane, turmeric etc. are harvested. In Tamil Language, Pongal means “to boil”, and this festival is celebrated as a thanksgiving to the Sun God for the year’s harvest. Pongal is the name of the dish consumed during this festive time. This three-day harvest festival is one of the most popular festivals in Tamil Nadu. It typically falls on the 14th or 15th of January.
Hailing from Tamil Nadu, this is one festival that I always look forward to. Mainly for food. Pongal, Vada, Gothsu and Sweet Pongal are the specialties for this day. Of course, also the Sugarcane! Though I am not a fan of sugarcane anymore, I used to love it back then. Traditionally, Pongal is cooked in an earthen pot or a brass pot. My mom, to date, prefers to make Pongal in the Brass Pot. Sometimes, making Pongal this way is impractical for many of us. Why worry when we have a Pressure Cooker? Prepare this rich and delicious sweet with your Instant Pot or Stovetop Pressure Cooker.
What is Chakkara Pongal
I am a dessert lover and always look forward to Festivals to eat various sweets. As you all know, no Festival in India is complete without a sweet. Pongal Festival is not an exception to this. Sweet Pongal/Chakkarai Pongal is made on this day to make this festival special. Traditionally, freshly harvested rice is cooked in milk in a clay or brass pot. The pot is beautifully decorated with sandal, kumkum, and turmeric. Once the milk boils over, the Pongal is sweetened by adding jaggery. The main flavouring comes from cardamom powder and ghee. Cashews & Raisins are fried in ghee and added to the Pongal as a finishing touch.
Sweet Pongal is not only prepared during this festival, but we also make it for many other festivals as an offering to God. I often make this Pongal when I feel like eating something sweet. This Chakkara Pongal recipe is very simple to prepare, and the ingredients required are minimal.
Ingredients needed to make Chakkara Pongal
Millet / Rice -Use any variety of millet or raw rice. I have used Little Millet (Saamai in Tamil) in this recipe
Yellow moong Dal
Jaggery – This is the hero of this dish. Ensure you use good quality jaggery with enough sweetness and a nice dark colour.
Ghee – Makes this dish more rich and special.
Milk & Water – Omit milk and use just water too!
Cardamom Powder – For a nice flavour and aroma.
Cashews & Raisins – I literally wait to eat this one!
About Instant Pot Sweet Pongal
Using the Instant Pot to make Pongal is very easy and convenient. We can finish the entire process, from roasting the nuts and dal to cooking the Pongal in the same Pot. Instant Pot also reduces our kitchen time for this recipe. Every time I tried this recipe in Instant Pot, the result has been delicious and consistent. It tastes just the same as the stovetop version but a lot easier.
How to make Sweet Pongal in Instant Pot
Wash the millet in enough water a couple of times. Drain the water and keep the millet ready.
In an Instant Pot, press the SAUTE button. Add a tablespoon of ghee to the pot. Add cashew nuts and roast once the pot gets hot until they turn golden brown. Then add raisins and fry them till plump. Remove and keep aside.
Add moong dal and roast for less than a minute until the dal turns light brown. Also, a nice aroma would come. Make sure you don’t roast till dal turns brown.
Next, add the millet. Add milk & water. Give a good mix.
Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Meanwhile, add a cup of boiling water to the jaggery. Make sure the jaggery is completely melted.
Now, open the lid and mash the millet dal mixture. It should be mushy in texture.
On Saute mode, Strain the melted jaggery into the millet dal mixture.
Finally, add the roasted nuts, ghee and cardamom powder. Give a good mix until everything is combined together.
If you feel the texture is too loose, don’t worry. Sweet Pongal thickens as it cools. If the texture is already thick, add some hot water and make it a little loose. Serve hot.
How to make Chakkara Pongal in Stovetop Pressure Cooker
Wash the millet/raw rice in enough water a couple of times. Drain the water and keep the millet / raw rice ready.
Dry roast the moong dal over medium heat for a few minutes. Make sure the colour of the dal doesn’t change. Once you get the nice aroma of the dal, add the rice.
Now, add water & milk. Cover and let it cook for 5 whistles on medium heat.
In another pan, add ghee. Once it melts, add cashews and roast till golden brown. Now, add the raisins and fry till it becomes plump. Remove and keep aside. Now, in the same pan, add powdered jaggery, enough water to cover it and melt the jaggery. Strain the jaggery syrup to collect any impurities.
Open the cooker once the pressure is released. Mash the millet dal mixture till it’s mushy. Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked millet and dal and mix well. Finally, mix well with cardamom powder, roasted nuts, and enough ghee. Cook for just a few minutes and turn off the heat. Serve hot.
Notes
Use any millet of your choice or Rice to make the traditional Sweet Pongal.
The amount of jaggery used varies on the type of jaggery. Each jaggery has its level of sweetness. So, taste your jaggery and add accordingly. Also, the Colour of the Pongal depends on the colour of the jaggery.
Though roasting the moong dal is optional, it is highly recommended. It gives a nice flavour to the Pongal. Make sure the colour of the dal doesn’t turn brown.
Make sure the rice and dal are cooked well. The consistency should be mushy.
Temple-style Pongal uses a bit of edible camphor while tempering in ghee. If available, do use it.
Pongal thickens as it cools. So, add some hot water to it and adjust the consistency.
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Chakkara Pongal | Sweet Pongal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Millet / Raw Rice Use any millet variety or rice
- 1/4 cup Yellow Moong Dal
- 2 cups Jaggery
- 3 cups Water
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 tsp Cardamom Powder
- 4 tbsp Ghee
- 15 Cashewnuts
- 2 tbsp Raisins Optional
Instructions
To make Sweet Pongal in Instant Pot
- Wash the millet in enough water a couple of times. Drain the water and keep the millet ready.
- In an Instant Pot, press the SAUTE button. Add a tablespoon of ghee to the pot. Add cashew nuts and roast once the pot gets hot until they turn golden brown. Then add raisins and fry them till plump. Remove and keep aside.
- Add moong dal and roast for less than a minute until the dal turns light brown. Also, a nice aroma would come. Make sure you don't roast till dal turns brown.
- Next, add the millet to the Instant Pot. Add milk & water. Give a good mix.
- Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Meanwhile, add a cup of boiling water to the jaggery. Make sure the jaggery is completely melted.
- Now, open the lid and mash the millet dal mixture. It should be mushy in texture. On Saute mode, Strain the melted jaggery into the millet dal mixture.
- Finally, add the roasted nuts ,ghee and cardamom powder. Give a good mix until everything is combined together.
To make Sweet Pongal In Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Wash the millet/raw rice in enough water.
- Dry roast the moong dal over medium heat for a few minutes. Make sure the colour of the dal doesn't change. Once you get the nice aroma of the dal, drain the soaked water and add the millet.
- Now, add water & milk. Cover and let it cook for 5 whistles on medium heat.
- In another pan, add ghee. Once it melts, add cashews and roast till golden brown. Now, add the raisins and fry till it becomes plump. Remove and keep aside.
- Now, in the same pan, add powdered jaggery, enough water to cover it and melt the jaggery. Strain the jaggery syrup to collect any impurities.
- Open the cooker once the pressure is released. Mash the millet dal mixture till it's mushy. Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked millet and dal and mix well. Finally, mix well with cardamom powder, roasted nuts, and enough ghee. Cook for just a few minutes and turn off the heat. Serve hot.
Wow. You have written so well and easy to understand. So happy
Thanks mommy 😀