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Bowl of rich brown rice pudding topped with cashews and raisins
Sweet rice pudding with ghee and nuts

Sweet Ghee & Jaggery Rice Pudding (Chakkara Pongal)

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes Cakes and Desserts
Chakkara Pongal is the iconic sweet of the South Indian harvest festival. Traditionally cooked in clay pots, it symbolizes abundance. Newly harvested rice and lentils are cooked to a creamy mush, then enriched with mineral-rich jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) and copious amounts of Ghee. It's a luxurious, caramel-flavored comfort food.
🕒 Prep Time 10 mins
🍳 Cook Time 35 mins
⌛ Total Time 45 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 580 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Indian (South)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Heavy pot: prevents burning.
  • Small pan: for frying nuts.

Allergen Information

⚠️ Milk
⚠️ Tree Nuts

Instructions

1 ✓

Dry roast moong dal in a pan until fragrant. Rinse with rice.

Tip: Roasting enhances the nutty flavor.
2 ✓

Cook rice and lentils with water and milk until very soft and mushy (approx 20-25 mins).

Tip: The texture should be porridge-like.
3 ✓

Fry nuts in 2 tbsp ghee until golden. Add raisins and coconut. Remove from heat.

Tip: Raisins burn fast, add them last.
4 ✓

Stir jaggery and spices into the cooked rice. Add water if too thick.

Tip: Jaggery melts into a syrup.
5 ✓

Stir in the fried nuts and remaining ghee. Cook 2-3 mins.

Tip: Ghee gives the dish its glossy finish.
6 ✓

Serve warm.

Recipe FAQ

Why are the lentils hard?
You added the sugar (jaggery) too early. Sugar stops legumes from softening. Cook them fully before sweetening!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Short grain rice
  • 1/4 cup Moong dal (yellow lentils)
  • 4 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
  • 3/4 cup Jaggery or dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups Milk
  • 2 cups Water
  • 1 stick Cinnamon
  • 2 count Cloves
  • 4 pods Green cardamom (crushed)
  • 2 tbsp Shredded coconut
  • 2 tbsp Almonds or Cashews
  • 2 tbsp Raisins