Sarkarai Pongal
Making this Sarkarai Pongal every year brings back fond memories of how I celebrated Pongal in my village near Vellore during my childhood days. My grandpa would bring the newly harvested rice and jaggery from our farm. Cooking this pongal would be a family event. My grandma would set the stove with bricks and firewood and decorate a new pot to make pongal. She would light the stove and every family member would add an ingredient to the pongal pot. When the rice boiled forth, we all rejoiced, saying “Pongalo Pongal!”. The taste of that pongal was out of the world. Although I can never go back and relive those moments in my life, using Desika Products, I have been able to achieve a taste similar to what my grandmother made. I hope you will try this simple recipe and enjoy! Happy Pongal!
Desika Products:
Seeraga Samba Rice, Cashews, Cardamom, Jaggery Powder
RECIPE FOR SARKARAI PONGAL
Ingredients:
Raw Seeraga Samba Rice- 1 cup
Cane SugarJaggery Powder - 1.5-2 cups
Khalkand - 1 tblsp
Cardamom - 2-3
Cashews - 15-20
Raisins - 1-2 tblsp
Salt - few pinches
Ghee - 4 tblsp
Peanut Oil
Instructions:
Wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes
Add 3-3.5 cups of water to the rice and pressure cook it for 4 to 4 whistles
Dillute the cane sugar in 2 tblsp of water and drain the impurities. Set the liquid aside.
Remove the cardamom shells and crush the black seeds with a pestel and keep it aside.
When the pressure in the rice is released, transfer the rice to a thick bottom pan and mash it while it is still warm.
Add the liquid sugar cane and the crushed cardamom and mix thoroughly in low flame.
Mix until the sugar cane liquid and the rice begins to thicken a little. You should be able to see small bubble on the top.
Add a pinch of salt at this stage and keep on low flame.
Add 2 tblsp of ghee to the simmering rice and mix well.
In an seperate pan, heat up the 1 tblsp of oil and roast the cashews until golden brown. Finally add the raisins.
Turn off the flame and add the remaining 2 tblsp of ghee to the small pan. Let the ghee melt and pour the ingredients on top of the simmering pongal.
Switch off the flame and add the khalkand ensuring you mix it well so as to let it melt in the heat. Clost the lid for 5 minutes.
Sarkarai Pongal is ready to eat! Serve warm.
Tips & Tricks
Don’t let the rice cool down. As soon as the pressure is released, while the rice is still hot transfer it to a kadai and start making the sarkarai pongal. Waiting too long makes the rice sticky and it is difficult to mix with the other ingredients.
Do not skip the cardamom or khalkand as it gives an essential taste to the pongal.