PONGAL

Very recently on the 1st day of Thai month, on Pongal day I prepared sweet pongal and Ven pongal.  It just came out so well that the proportion of ingredients, colour, aroma and ofcourse the taste too was irresistable.  Thought of sharing it here...............


SARKARAI PONGAL

Rice                                      2  cups

Moong dal                            1 cup
Powdered Jaggery                2  cups  (Preferably the darker one)
Ghee                                    3 tablespoons
Elaichi                                  8 pods
Cashew nuts and raisins        one handful


Roast moong dal till you get nice aroma.  Let it cool.  Take a reasonably bigger vessel.  Add  rice and moong dal together in it.  Wash.  Add 10 cups of water and 5 cups of milk to it.   Keep it in the cooker.  Allow 5/6 whistles to come.  In the meantime, keep the powdered jaggery in a thick bottomed vessel.   Pour quarter cup of water.  Keep it on the stove. Keep the flame to its minimum.  Let the jaggery melt.  Stir it off-and-on.  Let it boil and once the consistency becomes thick (not very thich) put the stove off.

Remove  rice-moong mixture from the cooker.  Pour the jaggery on it.  Mix well.  Fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee each separately and add to the pongal. Add the remaining ghee to the pongal.   Take care while frying cashew nuts when it turn to very light brown remove from fire and add to the pongal.  This will bring out the real aroma of cashew nuts.


Offer it to God and enjoy consuming ...........