Sarkarai Pongal / Sakkarai Pongal / Chakkara Pongal / Jaggery Rice, a sweet dish

• Take a pressure cooker.
• Add 2 cups of washed raw rice, ½ cup of slightly roasted split green gram and 4 cups of water.
• Pressure cook till the contents become soft.
• Remove the lid.
• Add ½ cup of ghee, 5 cups of grated jaggery and 100 ml of milk.
• Stir and cook under low flame so as to get the contents thick.
• Add a tsp of cardamom powder, 10 each of fried cashew nuts and fried raisins.
• Mix well and serve hot or cold.

Glossary:
Raw rice – Colam rice / Pacharisi / Kachcha chaval
Split green gram – Pasipparuppu / Moong dal wash
Jaggery – Vellam / Gud
Cardamom – Elakkai / Elaichi
Cashew nut / Mundhiri paruppu / Khaju
Raisin - Kismis / Ular dhrakshai

Kesari (A type of halwa like dessert: Kulipirai, Sivagangai, Devakottai special)

Ingredients:

• Rava (Sooji) - 1 cup
• Ghee - 4 tbsp
• Sugar - 2 cups
• Saffron or Kesari powder – 1 pinch
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Cashew nuts - 5
• Raisins (Kismis) - 5
• Water - 2 cups
  

Method of preparation:

• Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan.
• Fry cashew nuts.
• Remove the fried cashew nuts and keep separately.
• Now in the same pan roast rava, till golden brown.
• Add boiling water.
• Keep the flame low till the rava is cooked.
• Add 2 tbsp of ghee, sugar and stir it continuously till it becomes thick.
• Add saffron or kesari powder, cardamom powder, raisins and fried cashew nuts.
• Stir a little.
• Serve hot.