Chakkara Pongal is a sweet dish prepared in Tamil Nadu especially during the Pongal Festival.
It is also prepared during other festive days and during celebration times. Its a traditional Tamil Nadu cuisine. And is simple and delicious at the same time.

Pongal is a Tamil harvest festival. It is same as Thanksgiving Day. In an agriculture based civilization, harvest plays an important role. The farmer cultivating the land depends on his cattle, timely rain and the Sun. Once a year, he expresses his gratitude to everything which symbolizes the harvest celebration. With the end of the wet month of Margazhi (mid December to mid January) the new Tamil month of Thai heralds a series of festivals. The first day of this month is a festival day known as "Pongal Day". Pongal means the "boiling over" of milk and rice during the month of Thai.

As one stand on the threshold of the harvest season, everyone exchange Pongal wishes, hoping that it brings the harbinger of good luck, good fortune and good cheer. People wish each other good times, happiness, peace and prosperity. They also greet each other saying "Pongalo Pongal" and "Pongum Mangalam Engum Thanguga" in Tamil. Tamils wish each other to start the New Year with mutual respect, understanding, trust and sincere cooperation.




Ingredients:
2 cups rice (small variety - cleaned & washed)
1/2 cup moong dal (lightly roasted)
3 to 4 cups jaggery (powdered)
1/2 cup ghee
10 pods cardamom (powdered)
8 cashewnuts (broken & fried)
20 raisins (fried) .



Method:

1. Pressure cook rice and dal together till soft.
2. In a heavy pan, add ghee, cooked rice and dal and stir.
3. Fry on a low flame for a few minutes.
4. Add jaggery and cook till the mixture is thick and the jaggery gets dissolved.
5. Add cardamom, cashewnuts and raisins.
6. Mix well and serve.

Another method of preparing pongal:

Ingredients:
Long Grain Rice 1 cup
Moong Dhal 1/8 cup
Milk 1 cup
Melted Butter (Ghee) 1/2 to 1 cup
Powdered Jaggery (Gur) or Brown Sugar 1 3/4 cup
Cardamom Powder 1/2 tsp
Raisins 10 no
Cashew Nuts (whole) 6 to 8 no


Method:

1. Cook rice and moong dal with milk and water until well done.
   
2. Fry cashews and raisins in ghee until golden brown and keep aside.
3. Take water and add gur (or brown sugar) and boil it until it dissolves and becomes thick.
   
4. Add cooked rice and dal to gur and keep stirring on low heat until well mixed.
5. Add remaining ghee in spoonfuls and continue stirring.
   
6. Add powdered cardamom and mix well.
   
7. Decorate with fried raisins and cashews.
   
8. Serve with a Smile !

Making Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 5 persons.

Shelflife: 1 day(best fresh).

Note: The method of preparation does differ from community and families. But these are the basic ingredients and i have presented it in simple yet traditional way.

Click here to know all about Tamil Nadu cuisines- Introduction To Tamil Nadu Cuisines And Recipes.

Click here to know more about of Indian Sweets and Desserts- An Introduction To Indian Sweets And Desserts.