Chakkera Pongali / Sweetened Rice

Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena

PrepTime:15 mins   CookTime:10 mins   Cuisine:Indian

Chakkera Pongali / Sweetened rice, is a traditional recipes generally offered in South India Temples. Where, Chakkera means Sugar. Its mainly, by default, prepared / preferred during a festival called Makara Sankranthi during January, especially in South Indian states. Its not said this dish cannot be made any other time of the year/occasion.

I prepare this sweet dish every year compulsorily for Sankranthi and even for major festivals. It takes just exactly 5 to 10 mins to prepare this Pongali, if you have cooked rice & dal ready with you. 

It can be a categorised as a dairy free dish, if you can eliminate the ghee/butter part. But, I must say, whole of the flavour of this platter reveals only after adding the ghee/butter.

This is a Gluten free, lentil based, protein rich, Indian sweet dish! Go for it then! 🙂

Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips  mentioned at the end.

My other dessert/sweet recipes here⇒ Desserts / Mithayi

Indian festival recipes collection⇒  Traditional Indian Recipes for Festivals / Panduga Nayivedyalu

Festive platter collections here⇒  Vindhu Bhojanam / Festive Lunch

Related Posts: 

1. Kobbari Annam / Coconut Rice  
2. Chinthapandu Pulihora / Tamarind Rice
3. Rava Kesari / Kesari Bath/ Semolina Pudding (without milk)

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Ingredients:

• Cooked Rice – 1½ cups (for METHOD-1 in procedure)
• (or)  Uncooked Rice grains – 1 cup (for METHOD-2 in procedure)
• Chana Dal / Split Yellow Lentils / Senagapappu – ¼ to ½ cup
• Sugar – ½ cup to ¾ cup
• Water – for washing & cooking
• Dry Fruits & Nuts – one fistful
• Ghee / Butter – 6 to 8 tablespoons
• Cardamom / Elaichi – 4
• Saffron – 7 to 8 strands

Special Ingredients:

• Chana Dal / Split Yellow Lentils / Senagapappu 
• Ghee / Butter

Procedure for Chakkera pongali / Sweetened rice:

• METHOD-1: If left-over rice / already cooked rice is used
• Keep the rice aside.
• Wash the chana dal/ senagapappu/ split lentils twice.
• Take into a pressure cooker, add water just to soak the dal and cook it up to 3 whistles. Put it aside.

Cup of split Chickpeas/Chana dal

Lentils washed and ready to cook

• METHOD-2: If uncooked rice grains are used 
• Take both the rice grains and dal / split lentils / senagapappu, together into a vessel / pressure cooker, wash them thoroughly 2 to 3 times.
• Add 2 cups of water, pressure cook for 3 whistles. Let the pressure release. Set aside.
• COMMON STEPS FOR BOTH METHODS
• Now, chop the nuts keep aside.
• Take a pan , (big enough to fit in the entire dish) put it on stove top under medium flame.
• Add a tablespoon of ghee / butter into the pan, let it heat.
• Next, add the dry fruits, nuts and fry them until they turn golden brown.

• Transfer all the cooked rice and dal, sugar, elaichi powder and saffron strands.
  

  Adding rice,dal,elaichi powder and saffron strands into the pan

  

  Adding sugar to the recipe
• Mix up everything thoroughly from all sides, such that the rice, dal and sugar are coated over each other. 
• Let the pan sit on the stove with flame for up to 3-4 mins, for the sugar to melt up completely.
• Keep mixing in between, gently mash the rice using the ladle to make it mushy. (if you prefer)
• Add all the remaining ghee / butter to the pan.

Mixing up everything, except ghee/butter

Adding ghee/butter to the pan.

• Mix up the the butter / ghee . Add more ghee if needed.
• At a stage the ghee releases from the sides of the pan, this takes 3-4 mins. 
• Then, remove the the pan from stove top and transfer to serving bowl. Done!!

  

  

Tips:

• Vegans, can substitute the ghee/butter with coconut oil .
• You can use already cooked rice or get the rice – dal cooked together.
• Be generous while adding the ghee/butter, this itself enhances the taste of the entire dish.
• I use only unrefined raw cane sugar rather than the refined white sugar. But you can use any.
• I added the saffron strands as it is. You can put them in hot water, for a while and then add to the pan along with the water.
• You can add small pieces of dry coconut while frying the dry fruits. I did not have them while I was making the Pongali, hence I could not.
• This stays fresh up to 1 day at room temperature and 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Result:

• Of course, Chakkera pongali / sweetened rice, would be sweet in taste and the flavour of ghee/butter dominates even before you start eating it.
• The chana dal / split lentils, fill its part in every spoon, which adds the extra relish.
• This sweet dish has rice and dal/pulses in it, and hence it is protein rich, nicely fills in the gap of carbs and makes it easily digestible by the body.

  

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