Instant Pot Sweet Pongal Sakkarai Pongal

This Sweet Pongal recipe is a popular dish in South India, especially Tamil Nadu. Sweet Pongal is made during the festival of Pongal (Makara Sankranti) or special occasions and is generally offered to god as prasadam in temples. Pongal is a multi-day harvest festival of South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, that marks the first day of the sun’s return journey to the northern hemisphere, widely known as Makar Sankranti in India. Typically celebrated on January 14, people prepare Ven Pongal and Sweet Pongal on this auspicious day. If you want to make the Savory version of the Pongal, check out the Instant pot Ven Pongal and the Thinai Ven Pongal (millet) recipes. You can prepare this simple and tasty sweet dish with a few ingredients like rice, moong dal, jaggery, milk, ghee, nuts, cardamom, cloves, or nutmeg. Traditionally a pinch of edible camphor is added for additional flavor. Today I am sharing the One-pot Sweet/Sakkarai Pongal recipe, prepared in Instant Pot and stovetop pressure cooker. Interestingly, I never got to taste Sakkare Pongal at home, as my Mother mostly made Khara Pongal with coconut chutney during the festival. But my Aunt religiously made super tasty Pongal on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. I never missed a chance to grab more & eat it.

Ingredients

Yellow Moong Dal - Use skinless split yellow moong dal. Rice - Traditionally, raw rice is used to make this dessert. I have used medium-grain Sona Masoori raw rice. Milk - I have used full-fat dairy milk. You can also make it with coconut milk, or almond milk, if you are a vegan, or replace milk with water. It tastes equally good. Jaggery (or Sugar) - The quality of the jaggery is an important factor in making a delicious sakkarai pongal. Some jaggery will give light color to the Pongal. Always use dark jaggery to get a nice brown color. I have used powdered organic jaggery. However, if you do not have organic jaggery then take a small pot, add ½ cup water, and the grated jaggery. Let the jaggery melt over low flame and use it for the recipe. If you do not have jaggery, replace it with brown or regular sugar. Nuts - Use roasted cashews & raisins for this sweet dessert. You can also use almonds. Cardamom Powder - I have used freshly ground cardamom from 3 whole green cardamom pods. Ghee - Adding a good quantity of homemade ghee, enhances the taste and texture of the Pongal. I highly recommend not cutting down the quantity of ghee for this recipe. Edible Camphor (optional) - a pinch of edible camphor (pacha karpoora) is added to get Temple-style chakkara/sweet pongal taste. Spices - cloves and ground nutmeg powder are added to enhance the taste. But it’s optional.

How to Make Sweet Pongal in Instant Pot?

Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Heat one tablespoon of ghee. Then add cashew nuts, and saute them until they turn light golden. Then, add raisins and fry until they swell and become plump. Remove and keep aside. Next, add rinsed & drained moong dal and roast for 30-45 seconds until the dal turns light brown or aromatic. Don’t brown it. Then add the rinsed rice, cloves, 1 cup of milk, and 2 cups of water. Mix well and deglaze the pot. Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to the Sealing position. Cook on High Pressure for 9 minutes. Once the pressure has released naturally, open the lid and mash the rice and dal mixture well. Note: Be sure that the rice and dal are cooked entirely before adding jaggery because the rice won’t cook after adding jaggery. Turn on the SAUTE again, and add the powdered organic jaggery with ½ cup of water. Mix until it blends well with the rice dal mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until it bubbles up. Alternately, If the jaggery has impurities, take a small pot, add ½ cup of water, and add the grated jaggery. Let the jaggery melt over a low flame. Then, strain the melted jaggery syrup into the boiled dal and rice. (You do not have to boil the jaggery water until it reaches a sticky or string consistency). Lastly, add roasted nuts, ghee, freshly ground cardamom, nutmeg powder, and edible camphor (if using). Mix well and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Turn off. It will thicken and reach the right consistency as it cools down. Note: If the sweet pongal is thick, add hot water, and simmer for 1-2 minutes or till you get your desired consistency. Serve Instant Pot Sweet or Sakkarai/Chakkarai Pongal recipe hot.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Instructions

Heat one teaspoon of ghee in a pressure cooker. Roast the rinsed & drained moong dal for a few minutes till the dal turns light brown or aromatic. Don’t brown it. Then, add the rinsed rice, cloves, milk, and water. Mix well. Close the lid and put the whistle weight on. Cook for 3-4 whistles on medium flame and turn off the gas. Once the pressure has been released, open the lid and mash the rice and dal mixture well. Meanwhile, Take a small pot, and add ½ cup of water to the jaggery. Let the jaggery melt over a low flame completely (Note: No string consistency is required). Then, strain the melted jaggery syrup into the boiled rice and dal mixture. Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-low flame until it starts to bubble up. In another pan, fry cashews and raisins in 1 tablespoon of ghee, and keep aside. Lastly, add roasted nuts, 4 tablespoons of ghee, freshly ground cardamom, nutmeg powder, and edible camphor (if using). Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn Off the gas. It will thicken and reach the right consistency as it cools down. Note: If the sweet pongal is thick, add hot water, and simmer for 1-2 minutes or till you get your desired consistency. Sweet Pongal is ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions

Sweet Pongal tastes great when served hot. Serve Sakkarai Pongal with Ven Pongal as a prasadam or dessert during the Pongal festival.

Storage Suggestions

Fridge: Sweet Pongal tastes best when made fresh. However, leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 1-2 days when stored in an airtight container. Reheat: When you are ready to serve, add a few tablespoons of water (or milk) to thin it and reheat it in the microwave or stovetop until warm. Freezer: I do not recommend freezing it as the taste, and the texture will not be the same.