Thinai Sakkarai Pongal with step wise pictures. This Foxtail Millet Sweet pongal recipe is highly nutritious and gluten free that’s made during Pongal Festival. Usually for pongal festival, we make pongal with newly harvested rice from the fields which is cooked along with paasi paruppu (yellow moong dal) and achu vellam and a liberal dose of fresh ghee. Here I have made the same sakkarai pongal using Thinai.
Instead of this Thinai Sakkarai pongal you can also make sweet pongal using other types of millet varieties. But I prefer using thinai arisi (Foxtail Millet) for making anything sweet out of millets as it has a nutty taste to it unlike the other millets.
The color of any sakkarai pongal will depend on the quality and color of the jaggery that you use in the recipe. Usually Achchu vellam or Manda vellam is used for pongal. I don’t use both as it gives a light color and also the salt content in them is a bit high which I do not like.
I always use Paagu vellam for any sweets that calls for jaggery in the recipe. It not only gives a rich dark brown color but it also quickly caramelizes soon giving this sakkarai pongal a sticky, gooey consistency.
The sweet pongal generally has to be loose in consistency after you finish cooking as it keeps thickening upon cooling.
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Let’s check the step wise pictures of Thinai Sakkarai Pongal Recipe (Foxtail Millet Sweet Pongal) Recipe:
1. Wash Thinai and soak for 15 mins. Heat a pan and dry roast moong dal till the aroma arises without changing its color.
2. Pressure cook both thinai, moongdal, milk, water in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles. Grate the jaggery and measure it.
3. In a vessel take the jaggery, add 2 tbsp water and heat till the jaggery melts completely and filter any impurities by passing the syrup through a colander.
4. Open the pressure cooker once the pressure is released and add the jaggery syrup to the cooked thinai and moongdal. Return the cooker to the stove and cook the pongal for 7-10 mins over low flame mixing well.
5. Heat a pan with ghee and add broken cashew nuts and roast till it becomes golden in color. Transfer this to the cooking thinai sakkarai pongal. Add cardamom powder, sukku powder, pachcha karpooram and mix well. Take off fire and serve hot.
You can check out the sakkarai pongal that’s traditionally made for the pongal festival, Kalkandu Pongal and also this Varagu Ven Pongal (Kodo millet savory pongal).
Thinai Sakkarai Pongal - Foxtail Millet Sweet Pongal Recipe
Ingredients
- Thinai or Foxtail millet - 1/2 cup
- Moong dal - 2 tbsp
- Jaggery - 1 cup grated
- Water - 1 cup
- Milk - 1 cup
- Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
- Sukku thool or Dry ginger powder - 2 pinch
- Pachcha Karpooram or edible camphor - 1 pinch
- Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp broken
- Ghee - 4 tbsp
Instructions
- Wash thinai and soak for 15 mins.
- Heat a pan and dry roast moong dal over low fkame till the aroma arises taking care not to burn it.
- Drain thinai and transfer it to a pressure cooker. Add roasted moong dal, water, milk and cook for 3-4 whistles.
- Meanwhile measure the jaggery into a bowl. Add 2 tbsp water and cook over low flame till the jaggery completely dissolves. No need for any string consistency.
- Pass the syrup through a strainer to remove of any impurities.
- Open the pressure cooker, add the jaggery syrup and cook over low flame 7-10 mins till the raw smell of the jaggery disappears.
- Heat a pan with ghee. Add broken cashew nut pieces and roast till golden brown.
- Transfer the roasted cashews along with ghee, cardamom powder, dry ginger powder, pachcha karpooram and mix well.
- Serve hot with more ghee drizzled on top.
Yumm Yumm pongal recipe. Loved it. Awesome one.