Chakkarapongal

Background

This is the traditional neivedhyam on the Pongal day. But also prepared on many festive occasions.

Ingredients and Proportions

White Rice (Non-Basmati) – 1 part

Moong Dal – ½ part

Jaggery – 1 ½ parts

Ghee – I tablespoon

Cardamom, cashew nuts, raisins

Method

1)      Roast Moong Dal till golden. Avoid browning by constant stirring to ensure uniform heating. Don’t miss the aroma during the roasting process. (See Notes below)

2)      Cook Rice and roasted Moong Dal together. I cooked in an open pot. Can be also pressure cooked. Add water liberally, 5 parts or more, so that the rice and dal soften up. They should yield to the pressure of the spoon.

3)      Boil 1 part water in a pan. Add jaggery to the boiling water. Mix well to dissolve the jaggery and form a syrup. If katti vellam is used, the syrup will have to be strained. I used powdered organic jaggery and hence did not need to strain.

4)      Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked rice and dal. The cooked rice and dal can also be directly added to the pan in which the jaggery syrup is prepared, which is what I did. Keep heating on a low flame, while adding and mixing. This should not take more than a couple of minutes. Switch off heating.

5)      Sprinkle powdered cardamom and mix well.

6)      Top the Pongal with cashew nuts and raisins fried in the ghee.

Notes

1)      I have a wicked theory on why every recipe calls for roasting of Moong Dal. The aroma released during the roasting process is heavenly. Since the Gods cannot taste our preparation, it is this aroma going directly to heaven that send them into raptures.