A traditional sweet dish made from rice, moong dal, jaggery, and flavored with cardamom and ghee.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Serves: 20 people
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How to Prepare
Rinse 5 cups of raw rice and 1.25 cups of moong dal separately until the water runs clear.
In a pressure cooker, add the rinsed rice and moong dal with 15 cups of water. Cook for 3 whistles on medium heat.
Once the pressure releases, mash the cooked rice and dal mixture lightly with a wooden spoon.
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat 5 tablespoons of ghee on low heat. Add 100 grams of cashew nuts and fry until golden brown, then add 5 tablespoons of raisins and fry for a minute. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the mashed rice-dal mixture and 5 cups of jaggery syrup (prepared by dissolving jaggery in water and filtering). Mix well on low heat.
Add 1.25 teaspoons of cardamom powder and a pinch of edible camphor (optional) for flavor. Stir continuously to avoid lumps.
Add the fried cashews and raisins along with the remaining ghee. Mix well until the pongal reaches a semi-thick consistency.
Serve hot or warm as a breakfast sweet or dessert.