Sakkarai pongal / Sweet Rice pongal without Moong Dhal

                    
                      A divine rice recipe which becomes even more heavenly with the taste and aroma of the ghee and jaggery added to it. The flavor of this pongal will smoothen off your resistivity (even if you are calorie conscious). My amma makes it so perfect that even kiddos running away from food even loves it.

                    We have a practice of celebrating the first birthday of any kid (in our family) in Perumal Kovil (temple) only. The sakkarai pongal served there will be of such a great and unique taste. So I will always be waiting to celebrate the first birthday of any kid in my family. 

                     Usually sakkarai pongal is made during the harvesting festivals (celebrated in month of January) in Tamil nadu, from the just harvested new rice. For any offering or any festival this sakkarai pongal is always present.

Now, even i do make a perfect sakkarai pongal so sharing with u all....

Prep time 10 mins

Cooking time 20-30 mins

Ingredients 

1 cup  Rice (Raw or Boiled rice)

2 1/2 cups  of water for raw rice,  3 cups  of water for boiled rice

1 cup Jaggery

1/4 cup Coconut cut into small slices

8-10 tbsp Ghee  

2tsp Cardamom powder

1pinch edible camphor ( optional)

Procedure

    The procedure for making this recipe is very simple as we are using pressure cooker method here.

• First take a cup of rice , wash thoroughly.
• If you are using raw rice take 2 1/2 cups of water. I used raw rice. this rice is more tastier than the boiled rice. Then pressure cook the rice.

  
Cooking the rice: 

                In cooker put the measured volume of rice and water. Then close the lid and put it in the stove with high flame. Wait for the steam to come, when the steam comes out put the cooker weight and reduce the flame to sim position. Wait for 10 minutes. After that your rice is done.

• In a thick bottomed vessel put the jaggery and add little water. After the syrup is done ( no need of any consistencies) strain the syrup and pour it along with the rice and stir well.
• Keep on stirring with ghee added in the intermediates., Stirring should be done till the semi solid consistency is reached.
•  Finally roast cashews, raisins and chopped coconut pieces in ghee and add it along with the cooked rice. 

                   Having this pongal in mid of your palm and tasting gives an immense pleasure to me. You all too try it.

Sweet Crunchy Poha Recipe

               If you are running out of time, but have to do something special and tasty, then your partner would be poha in your hands... Recipes made with aval will not consume much of your time, but ends up with a tasty result as well.

               

             This Sweet poha is usually made during Janmashtami and Tamizh New year in down south of Tamilnadu. Storage time for this is 4-5 days even without refrigeration.

Serves  3-4

Prep time   5 mins

Cooking time 15 mins

Ingredients 

1cup  Aval/ Poha

3/4 -1 cup Jaggery

1/4 cup Fried gram

5-6 tbsp Till seeds black

5-6 tbsp Moong dhal

1/4 cup Coconut cut into small slices

2tsp  Ghee  

2tsp  cardamom powder

            Note: if the poha is thick you need to soak for 2-3 minutes and not more than that because the poha will turn soggy. Either poha is thin then need not soak. I used the thin one.


Procedure
      
       First slightly dry roast moong dhal and fried gram and keep aside. Then again dry roast till seeds black until it splutters. Now add 1 tsp of ghee and roast the sliced coconut.
       Make the jaggery syrup by adding 1/4 cup of water. Boil till it turns thick, the happiest part is no need of any string consistencies. Strain and keep aside.

Now transfer all the ingredients except the jaggery syrup into a wide opened vessel.

Then add the jaggery syrup, cardamom powder and mix well.

Now the yummy poha sweet is ready. 

Usually we make this for tamizh new year. Can be made for neivedyam too.

Try out this simple recipe, everybody will love this.....