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Brown Rice Chakkara Pongal is a delicious Brown Rice - Jaggery pudding made in Southern India for festivals and special ocassions. Served as an offering to the Gods.

Brown Rice Chakkara Pongal | கைக்குத்தல் அரிசி சர்க்கரை பொங்கல்

Kalyani
Brown Rice Chakkara Pongal is a delicious Brown Rice - Jaggery pudding made in Southern India for festivals and special ocassions. Served as an offering to the Gods.
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Soaking time 30 minutes
Course Festival Recipes
Cuisine Iyengar Cuisine, South Indian, Tamilnadu Cusine
Servings 4 servings
Calories 649 kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • Pots and Pans
  • Thick Bottomed Pan
  • Ladle
  • Wooden Masher

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Brown Rice here 1 cup = 40 grams
  • 2 TBSP Split Green gram Moong dal
  • 1.5 cups Jaggery Grated - I used Paagu Vellam
  • 3 TBSP Clarified butter Ghee, split use
  • 1/2 cup Milk Low fat
  • 1/16 tsp Edible Camphor Pachaikarpooram
  • 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
  • 3 Saffron Strands
  • 1/8 tsp Nutmeg powder Opt. but recommended
  • 1 tsp Cashews halved, skip for nut allergy
  • 1 tsp Almonds sliced thin or halved, skip for nut allergy
  • 1 tsp Golden Raisins

Instructions
 

Prep

  • Wash brown rice well and soak for at least 30 mins. In the meanwhile, roast the moong dal till fragrant.
  • Also, powder cardamom, slice the almonds and fry raisins and almonds in 1 tsp ghee for 30-45 seconds till golden and crunchy and keep aside.

How to make Brown Rice Chakkarai Pongal

  • In a deep bottomed vessel, add the soaked and drained rice, roasted moong dal, half of the saffron strands, Milk, and 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.
  • Once the pressure comes down, mash up the mixture and keep aside.
  • In a thick bottomed pan / non stick, melt the jaggery with little water. If the jaggery is of high quality, no need to strain. Else strain and return to the non stick pan.
  • Now add the cooked rice-dal-milk mixture and slowly mix on low flame for 10-15 mins till it mixes well and comes together as a mass.
  • Add the remaining ghee now along with the edible camphor and cardamom powder.
  • If using nutmeg, add at the very end.
  • Serve warm topped with the fried nuts.

Notes

Pro Tips to make Perfect Temple Style Chakkara Pongal
  1. Soak Rice for at least 30-45 mins, If using hot water, wash and soak for at least 20 mins
  2. Addition of moong dal is optional, although we love the creaminess it provides
  3. Add low fat milk to achieve the creamy consistency- this also cuts down the amount of fat / ghee this dish needs
  4. Roasting of moong dal adds an aroma that is classic to Chakkara Pongal.
  5. Do not add all the ghee at one go, let it simmer and add it in stages as per recipe given
  6. Use dark coloured jaggery for best results. The jaggery simply needs to melt as a sauce, no thread syrup consistency needed
  7. Make sure the syrup and cooked rice-dal mixture are both warm when mixed, else it coagulates unevenly and you may need more jaggery which becomes unsavoury
  8. Be sure to cook the rice-dal mixture in the pressure cooker / Instant Pot for atleast 5-6 whisles (or about 10-12 minutes in the Instant Pot). Let the pressure drop completely in either method.
  9. Once the pressure drops, mash it well for about 4-5 with a heavy ladle or a wooden masher as shown in the picture - this also helps to achieve the gooey consistency
  10. After adding the jaggery syrup, cardamom powder and remaining ghee, do not simmer too much - the pongal thickens considerably after cooling
  

Nutrition

Calories: 649kcalCarbohydrates: 120gProtein: 7gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 16mgPotassium: 201mgFiber: 3gSugar: 79gVitamin A: 64IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Brown Rice, Brown RIce Pongal, Chakkara Pongal, Festival Recipes, Pongal, Pongal Varieties, Pongali, Sakkarai Pongal
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