Chakkera Pongali/Sweet Rice

Chakkera Pongali is a naivedyam offered during festivals like Vijayadasami, Varalakshmi puja and Sankranti.

The rice is cooked with both water and milk. Moong dal/Pesarapappu is added to rice while cooking.

Adding all the ghee is a must to get the real taste of the sweet. 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes 

Cook Time: 20 minutes 

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

Rice: 1 cup 

Moong dal/ Pesarapappu: 1/4 cup

Water : 3/4 cup

Milk : 2.5 cups

Ghee: 4 tablespoons melted + 1 tablespoon to fry cashews and coconut 

Jaggery: 1 1/2 cups
Cashews: 2 tablespoons 

Dry coconut pieces: 1 tablespoon 

Sugar candy: 2 tablespoons (optional)

Method:

Dry roast the moong dal for 3 minutes until they turn golden. Turn the stove off and soak the dal in 1/2 cup water.

Wash and soak rice for 15 minutes. 

Heat water in a vessel and add milk and bring them to a boil. Add drained rice, mix well and cook for 5 minutes. Add drained moong dal, mix well and cook for 10 minutes until both rice and dal are almost done. Rice should not be really soft. Add 1/2 of the ghee, mix well, add jaggery, Elachi powder and cook for 5 minutes. Add rest of the ghee mix well and cook for 3 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally in between. Chakkera Pongali should be done by now. 

Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashews first and then coconut pieces. 

Garnish both on Chakkera Pongali. Garnish sugar candy before serving. Serve hot or warm.