Chakkarai Pongal

Ingredients:

Rice – 1/2 cup (Sona Masoori or Ponni Raw Rice)

Green gram dhal (Payatham paruppu) – 1 tbspn

Channa dal (Kadalai paruppu) - 1 tsp

Jaggery – 1 1/4 cups (crushed)

Sugar – 2 tbspns

Ghee – 1/2 cup

Milk – 1 1/2 cups

Cashews and raisins – fried in ghee
Elaichi - a pinch(optional)

Nutmeg powder – 1/2 tsp

Method:

Fry the dhals in a heavy bottom pan, until they slightly changes color. Then add the rice and fry it for few more seconds, until the heat spreads evenly and then switch off the stove. Wash the rice and dhal mixture with water. Pressure cook the rice dhal mixture with 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/2 cup water.  Make sure that the rice is cooked to a mushy consistency.

Make syrup out of the Jaggery and sugar adding very little water (just to immerse the jaggery). Let the syrup boil well and then add couple of teaspoons of ghee.

Once the rice is cooked, mash it well with a masher or back of a wooden ladle. Add this mashed rice, dhal mixture to the boiling syrup and add the rest of the ghee. Let it combine well and come to a semi solid stage.

Fry some cashew, raisins, elaichi and nutmeg in ghee and add this to the Chakkarai pongal.  

Tip: If the rice dhal mixture is in the liquid consistency after mixing with the syrup, heat them for a while till you get the desired consistency (keep stirring with the spoon and make sure that it doesnt get burnt).

Recipe Courtesy: Sandhya Ramakrishnan's "My Cooking Journey"