Ingredients

• ½ cup raw rice
• ¼ cup moong dal (split yellow lentils)
• ¾ to 1 cup nattusakkarai (country jaggery), grated or crushed
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 2 cups water
• ¼ cup milk (optional, for creaminess)
• 1 tbsp cashew nuts
• 1 tbsp raisins

Spices & Flavors

• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 small pinch of edible camphor (optional)
• Few strands of saffron (optional, soaked in warm milk)

Instructions

1. Dry roast dal:
   In a pan, dry roast the moong dal until golden and aromatic. Rinse the rice and mix with roasted dal.
2. Pressure cook:
   Add 2 cups water and pressure cook the rice-dal mixture for 3–4 whistles until soft and mushy.
3. Melt jaggery:
   In another pan, add grated nattusakkarai with ¼ cup water. Heat until it melts. Strain if it has impurities.
4. Combine and cook:
   Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked rice-dal mixture. Mix well and cook on low flame for 5–7 minutes. Add milk if using.
5. Flavoring:
   Add cardamom powder, edible camphor, and saffron milk. Stir and cook until slightly thick.
6. Ghee tempering:
   In a small pan, heat ghee and roast cashews until golden. Add raisins and fry until they puff up. Add grated coconut and fry lightly (optional).
7. Final mix:
   Pour the ghee with fried nuts into the pongal. Mix well and serve warm.
   

Tips

• Adjust jaggery according to sweetness preference.
• You can skip milk for a vegan version.
• Add more ghee for a richer, temple-style flavor.