• Source:JND

Traditional Sweet Pongal Recipe: Pongal 2026 will be celebrated from January 14 to January 17. This year, Pongal, the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu, will be celebrated along with Makar Sankranti 2026. In this festival, people show their gratitude to the sun god and the bounty of crops with joyful rituals and delicious sweets. Among them, the traditional sweet Sakkarai Pongal is prepared during the Pongal festival, which finds its resemblance in temple prasadams from South India.

Sakkarai Pongal is a creamy dessert which is mainly prepared with raw rice, moong dal, jaggery and ample amounts of ghee. Make sweet Sakkarai Pongal at home that blends simplicity with authenticity.

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Traditional Sweet Sakkarai Pongal Recipe: Step-By-Step Guide

Ingredients

1 cup rice
1/2 cup moong dal
11/½ cups jaggery
1 cup milk
3 cups water
2 tablespoons ghee
1/2 cup chopped cashew nuts
1/2 cup raisins
3-4 cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon dry ginger powder
A pinch of nutmeg powder

Method

Step 1: Prep And Pressure Cook Rice And Dal
Begin the preparation of Sakkarai Pongal by washing the raw rice and yellow moong dal. Soak them for 15-20 minutes before being pressure-cooked with water to make them mashy.

Step 2: Fry Cashews And Raisins In Ghee

Add 2 tablespoons of ghee to a pan and roast cashew nuts, turning them brown. Add raisins, tossing them till they puff up. Keep them aside.

Step 3: Sauté Spices For Aroma

In the same ghee, quickly sauté ½ tsp cardamom powder, ¼ tsp dry ginger powder, and a pinch of nutmeg powder. This adds flavour to the sweet Sakkarai Ponga

Step 4: Combine Dal Rice With Jaggery Syrup

Add the cooked rice and dal mash to the spiced ghee. Grate 1 cup of jaggery and add the syrup to the rice and stir well. Cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes, and let it simmer till it attains the perfect consistency.

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Step 5: Finish With Milk And Garnish

Add 1 cup of warm milk to it. This adds a thick and creamy texture to Sakkarai Pongal. Add cashew nuts and raisins to it. Serve it as prasad during Pongal 2026.

The traditional sweet Sakkarai Pongal can be prepared at home during the Pongal 2026 celebration in just minutes. You can relish it with your dear ones and make the day memorable.


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