Sakkarai Pongal - Chakkarai Pongal - Sweet Pongal (Using Pressure Cooker)

Making Sakkarai Pongal the modern way, using the Pressure Cooker. This delicacy is not only made on the Pongal festival, it is also made throughout the year for different festivals to offer to God as Prasadam This time I had prepared it for the Chithra Pournami platter. As I had to prepare the other variety rices too I had opted for the easiest method of preparation using the Pressure Cooker. There are always N number of ways of preparing this sweet dish, like making it in a pot which is the traditional way, or by adding milk or pacha karpooram(edible camphor) etc. This version of mine is the simplest I would feel. This is how my mom and sis prepares sakkarai pongal on a regular day. I had to adapt this today as it is a great time saver.

Ingredients

Raw rice - 1/2 cup
Moong dal - 3 tbsp or little lesser than that
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 to 2 1/2 cups, as per the quality of your rice
Ghee - 3-4 tbsp
Salt - a pinch (for enhancing the taste)
Cashews - 10
Raisins - 10-15
Elaichi - 1

Method

1. Wash the rice and set aside. In a pressure cooker, add 1/2 tsp of ghee and roast the moong dal until it turns golden brown and nice aroma rises.
2. To the roasted moong dal add rice, salt and water and pressure cook for 3 whistles and simmer for 3-5 mins and turn off the stove. (The cooking time depends on the rice and the individual pressure cooker, so adjust accordingly)
3. Once the pressure is released, mash the rice and moong dal well with the back of the ladle.
4. Powder jaggery and heat it with water just to immerse it and bring to boil. Let the jaggery completely dissolve and  filter it and add to the  mashed rice in the cooker.  Otherwise, you can also powder the jaggery well and add it to the steaming hot rice and mix well so the the jaggery melts and mixes along well. The stove should be turned on and simmered for this process. Add couple of tsps of ghee and mix well. Ensure that the jaggery is dissovled fully.  
5. In a separate pan, heat a tsp of ghee and roast cashews to golden and add raisins and elaichi to it. Saute for few seconds and turn off the stove and add this to the pongal. Mix well, add few more tsps of ghee. If the pongal is too thick, add some boiled milk (warm/medium hot) little by little. If the mixture becomes too loose, keep on a low fire and continue stirring until desired consistency.