By Aditi Saraswat
January 14, 2026
Sweet Pongal is a South Indian dish that is cooked to celebrate the harvest festival. Prepared with rice, moong dal, jaggery, and ghee, it is rich and fragrant.
½ cup raw rice ¼ cup yellow moong dal ¾ cup jaggery, grated 3 tbsp ghee 2 tbsp cashews 1 tbsp raisins ½ tsp cardamom powder 2½ cups water ¼ cup milk (optional) A pinch of edible camphor (optional)
In a pan, dry-roast the moong dal until it turns fragrant, then wash with rice and cook together in water until soft and have a porridge-like consistency.
In another pan, melt jaggery with a little water and cook until the syrup gets a thick yet pourable texture.
Add the cooked rice-dal mixture to the jaggery syrup, and mix it gently so that the sweetness covers the grains evenly without breaking.
Pour in the milk and add cardamom powder. Simmer it for a short while until the pongal turns glossy, creamy, and gently bubbling.
Heat ghee separately and fry cashews till golden and raisins till they plump and release a nutty aroma.
Mix the fried nuts and ghee into the prepared pongal, add a pinch of edible camphor if preferred, and serve hot.