Sweet Pongal(sakkarai pongal)

Wishing everyone a very happy Makar Sankranti and Thai Pongal.

Makar Sankranti, Thai Pongal is a thanksgiving or harvest festival celebrated in South India at the end harvest season. Pongal means boiling over or spilling over. Pongal, ritually consumed on this day is an combination o fRice and lentil cooked along with the milk, jaggery, nuts and ghee in the new clay pots at sun rise. Here is the recipe for sweet pongal.

Ingredients: 3cups rice
                  1cup moong dal
                  2cups milk
                  2cups powdered jaggery
                  1/2cup cashew and raisin
                  1/4cup grated dry coconut
                  1/4cup banana chopped into small pieces
                  1/2cup ghee
                  1tsp cardamom powder

Method: 1)Roast cashew and raisins in ghee and keep aside.
              2)In a cooker add 1tbsp of ghee, moong dal and roast the moong dal till it turns slightly red.
              3)add rice, water(1:2 proportion) to the cooker and cook for 3whistels.
              4)after it gets cooled smash the rice and moong dal mixture.
              5)add jaggery, milk, coconut, banana, cardamom powder, cashew, raisins, remaining ghee and
                 cook till the ghee separates.
              6)serve hot or chilled.