Wish you all a very Happy Pongal

Kalkandu pongal / sugar candy pongal is a sweet prepared with rice and sugar candy/ kalkandu. Here comes the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup - Raw rice
• 1 tbsp - Split green gram / moong dhal / paasi paruppu
• 3/4 cup - Sugar candy / kalkandu
• 1/2 cup - Milk (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup - Ghee (or add as needed)
• 1/8 tsp - Cardamom powder
• 10 nos - Cashew nuts
• 10 nos - Raisin
• 1 1/2 to 2 cup - Water

Preparation method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan, fry cashew nuts and raisins to a golden brown color, set aside.
2. Grind sugar candy / kalkandu in a mixer grinder to a smooth powder, set it aside.
3. Take a pressure cooker, add 1/4 tsp ghee and roast the a split green gram/moong dal. Then soak raw rice and roasted moong dhal in enough water for 30 mins. Pressure cook rice and dhal until well cooked.
4. Once rice and dhal mixtures is cooked, mash it nicely. Now add milk and once again mash it.
5. Add ground sugar candy / kalkandu and stir it continuously over medium heat.
6. Add cardamom powder along with ghee and cook for 5 minutes. Finally add fried cashew nuts and raisin along with ghee, mix well. Serve hot with ghee on top.

Notes:

• Adding milk in this recipe helps the pongal to stay soft for long time.
• Soaking rice and dhal in this recipe is completely optional.