Kanne Ki Chaawal. Karumbu Saaru Pongal. Sugar Cane Pongal.

This is once again my friend Kranthi’s Mother’s recipe. She made this on a Pongal(Sankranthi)day. Sure…it got into my mind, as it tasted much like fresh cane. I liked the idea about fresh cane juice in cooking rather then using crude jaggery or anything. It brings up all the flavour and earthy-ness. Wow….its a harvest festival and let us use all the fresh produce(raw rice, fresh cane…..)what not!

Ingredients:

Raw-Half broken rice 1/2 cup
Split moong dal 1/4 cup (pasi paruppu/pesaru pappu)
Sugar Cane juice (freshly squeezed 2 cups)
Cardamon seeds powder 1-2 spoons
Pachai Karpooram/raw camphor 1-2 pinches(optional)
Ghee/clarified butter 1+1 cup
Cashewnuts 1/2 cup (halved)
Dry grapes/raisins/kismiss – 1/2 cup
.
Method:

Wash rice and dal seperately….for several times. Maybe till the water runs clear. Then soak them togather for 20 minutes.

In a pressure cooker, add few spoons of ghee. Add 2 cups of cane sugar juice and bring this to boil.

Now add soaked rice and dal to this boiling cane sugar water.(discard the soaked water) Pressure cook them over medium heat till they are soft or for 3 whistles.

Then using a wooden laddle mix the well-cooked rice and dal.It should come to ‘Pongal’ consistency. Add raw camphor to this now and remove from stove.

In a seperate pan, heat ghee. Fry halved cashewnuts till they are golden-reddish color. Set them aside.

In the same ghee, fry dry grapes…till they pop and bulge.

To the above pongal…add fried cashewnuts, fried grapes and 1 cup of ghee. Stir them well.

Serve warm as a main-sweet dish or dessert. Or serve chilled as dessert.