Chakkara Pongal or Sakkarai Pongal is the most important recipe made on Sankrathi / Pongal day. This sweet pongal recipe is not just made on that day but also for many festivals and special occasions throughout the year.
Sakkarai Pongal or sweet pongal is a very fulfilling and hearty dessert. This is made on the most important day in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, which is the Thai Pongal / Makara Sankranthi festival.
Having spent most of my vacations in my grandparent’s village, this festival is very close to my heart and so is this dessert. Nothing can compensate for the freshly harvested rice, the fresh milk, and tons and tons of Grandmother’s love. Every time I make this, it takes me to the childhood that I cherish every day.
Why make this recipe?
My mother's sweet Pongal is very famous among our family and friends. When she comes to the US, my friends always request her to make Sakkarai Pongal. I follow her recipe exactly and mine turns out almost as good as hers.
The rice and the green gram dhal are traditionally cooked in water and a little bit of milk, but I make it a little more creamy and rich by using more milk and very little water.
Again it calls for a good quantity of ghee, but if you are watching your calories, don’t hesitate to cut down on it. It works very well as a healthy evening snack for kids if they have a sweet tooth as my son has.
The color of the jaggery plays a very important role in the color of the Chakkara Pongal. It is very hard to get dark-colored jaggery in the US, but lately I have been very lucky to consistently find them.
If you are looking to make sweet pongal with whole grain, then definitely try my Quinoa Chakkara Pongal recipe.
If you are looking to make the Savory version of the pongal, then check out the Ven Pongal and the Thinai Ven Pongal (millet) recipes. Also, check out my complete list of Makara Sankranthi festival recipes list here.
Ingredients to make Chakkara Pongal
- Rice – 1 cup (I use regular short-grain cooking rice like Sona masoori)
- Green gram dhal (Payatham paruppu) – 3 tblsp
- Channa dal (Kadalai paruppu) - 1 tsp
- Jaggery – 2 ½ cups (crushed)
- Sugar – 2 tbsp
- Ghee – ½ cup
- Milk – 1 ½ cups
- Cashew nuts and raisins – fried in ghee
- Nutmeg powder – 1 tsp
- Pachai Karpooram / Edible camphor - a pinch
Procedure to make Sweet pongal
- Fry the dhal in a heavy bottom pan, until it slightly changes color. Then add the rice and fry it for a few more seconds, until the heat spreads evenly, and then take it off the flame.
- Wash the rice and dhal mixture and then cook it in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, adding enough milk and water. Make sure that the rice is cooked to a mushy consistency.
- Make syrup out of the Jaggery and sugar adding very little water (About ½ a cup). Let the jaggery syrup boil well and then add a couple of teaspoons of ghee.
- Once the rice is cooked, mash it well with a masher or the back of a wooden ladle.
- Add this mashed rice, and 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, nutmeg and pachai karpooram in ghee and add this to the Chakkara pongal. Enjoy it warm or at room temperature!!
If you are looking to make sweet pongal with whole grain, then definitely try my Quinoa Chakkara Pongal recipe.
If you are looking to make the Savory version of the pongal, then check out the Ven Pongal and the Thinai Ven Pongal (millet) recipes. Also check out my complete list of Makara Sankranthi festival recipes list here.
Other Pongal Recipes
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Recipe
Chakkara Pongal | Sakkarai Pongal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice I use regular short grain cooking rice like Sona masoori
- 3 tablespoon Green gram dhal Payatham paruppu
- 1 teaspoon Channa dal Kadalai paruppu
- 2 ½ cups Jaggery crushed
- 2 tablespoon Sugar
- ½ cup Ghee
- 1 ½ cups Milk
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoon Cashews nut
- 2 tablespoon raisin
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg powder
- a pinch Pachai Karpooram / Edible camphor
Instructions
- Fry the dhal in a heavy bottom pan, until it slightly changes color. Then add the rice and fry it for few more seconds, until the heat spreads evenly and then take it off the flame.
- Wash the rice and dhal mixture and then pressure cook it adding enough milk and water. Make sure that the rice is cooked to a mushy consistency.
- Make syrup out of the Jaggery and sugar adding very little water (About ½ a cup). 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, nutmeg and pachai karpooram in ghee and add this to the Chakkara pongal. Enjoy it warm or at room temperature!!
Notes
- You can reduce the amount of ghee as per your taste, but ½ cup yields perfectly tasting chakkara pongal.
- Nutmeg and Edible camphor is something that can be considered optional, but for me those are the 2 ingredients that incorporate the maximum flavor to the chakkara pongal.
Liz says
I have never tried this dish before, but your photos look delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you Liz!
Sree says
Sandhya, what wonderful recipe. I love sakkara pongal and this looks fabulous. Thank you for sharing.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks a lot Sreelatha! Chakkara pongal happens to be my favorite as well and make it several times 🙂
Mayuri Patel says
Correct colour and consistency of Jaggery is so important when we need to use it to make Indian Sweet dishes. I must admit haven't tasted chakkara pongal but would love to try this dish out.
Renu says
Though not a fan of sweet pongal, your pics are so tempting, that I wish to try this now. You are right, getting the right Jaggery is the key to such dishes and specially the dark colour Jaggery.
Shobha Keshwani says
I love sakkarai pongal. Taking me back to my Chennai days. I learnt a new step today. Usually I never stir fry the rice and dal before soaking.
Suja Ram says
Beautiful pics Sandhya, too tempting! Very well plated and presented!
Sapana Behl says
I am also started loving pongal recipes thanks to blogging. This sweet pongal looks very delicious.
Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says
I have never had Sakkarai pongal but it sounds like a version of our kichari we make, just that we add sugar instead of jaggery and cook our rice and moong dal in coconut milk or a mix of this with milk... the pictures looks so good, that I wish I could take it from the screen and enjoy a couple of spoonfuls...
Pavani says
I Love the chakkara pongal my mom makes. I don't think I can ever make it as tasty as her -- it might be me being too stingy with jaggery and ghee 🙂 Lovely clicks.
Priya Suresh says
Your props rocks Sandhya, thats brings the festive mood to the click. Always love this sort of sakkarai pongal, this is how my grandma's sakkarai pongal looks. Makes me nostalgic.
Priya Kumar says
Looks delicious. Must be yummy in taste, I cooked savory pongal on makar sankranti. lovedd it
Priya Kumar says
Looks delicious. Must be yummy in taste, I cooked savory pongal on makar sankranti
harini says
Love the props specially the leaf shaped platter. The pongal looks beautiful and love the deep caramel color. Any recipe which has some memories attached to it is the best!
Usha says
Lucky you found jaggery that is darker in color. My Pongal looks more like pigskin made with sugar 😂.
Usha says
Gosh, the auto correct on the phone! It is Pongal not pigskin. Glad I came to check if the comment was posted.