Coconut milk sweet pongal in instant pot. Can easily made in pressure cooker too. Quick video step by step photos.

I wanted to try this variation for a long time. That is, something like a mango sticky rice but our pongal version.
Thought I will reserve the mango pongal idea or even the original Thai mango sticky rice for mango season. But then changed mind of giving a try a coconut milk version for this pongal festival.
This year, I went to shopping very early and came back without any of sugarcane, fresh turmeric or ginger.
Again, hoping to do a shopping tomorrow. Wanted to try another version with sugar cane juice.
Let me atleast share this variation as of now. Check out my detailed post about Pongal, how I celebrate at our home and shopping list.
Coconut milk sweet pongal preparation:
Rice & dal is first cooked in a little of 2nd coconut milk. Later, thick coconut milk is added along with sweetener (I used sugar). Garnish with your favorite pongal ingredients - cardamom, nutmeg and cashews, raisins.
Are Videos more your thing?
Here's a quick video on this recipe for you
Variations
- I used store bought coconut milk, but felt fresh ones could have added more natural flavour to the dish.
- Use Kalkandu (sugar candy) or jaggery in place of sugar.
- Used seeraga samba rice, you can swap with raw rice (sona masuri) or even basmati rice too.
- Shelf life is very less, consume with in half day (room temperature) as we are adding coconut milk.
- Add Pachai karpooram in fenugreek seeds size.
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Wishing all of you a Very Happy Pongal! (Happy Sankrati / Lohri/ Harvest festival)
Stepwise images
- Heat Instant pot in Saute mode, Normal heat for 5 mins.
- Add ghee, roast cashews until pale golden in colour. Tip in raisins and saute until it bloats.
- Tansfer and set this aside in a small bowl.
- Wipe or wash the pot if there are black residues from the roasted items.
- By now, 5 mins timer will be over. Again Press Saute in Normal heat for 5 mins.
- Dry roast moong dal until golden. Add water, coconut milk to it.
- In goes washed rice, salt. Cancel saute mode. Press Rice mode, choose High pressure. (15 mins)
- Once done, Quick release the steam.
- Mash well. Add thick coconut milk, sugar and mix it.
- Start the Instant pot again in Saute mode, Normal heat for 5 mins.
- Add powdered cardamom, nutmeg.
- Keep mixing as now the pongal might easily get stuck at the bottom.
- Once pongal bubbles, cancel Saute mode, garnish with the nuts & raisin with ghee.
Notes
- I pressure cooked for 15 mins just to make sure it is cooked properly after quick release. You can do the same in Normal heat too in 12 mins.
- After mashing the rice, please be careful as it might get easily stuck.
- I used ready made coconut milk, for ½ cup light coconut milk, I took just 3 tablespoon of coconut milk and diluted with water.
- Depending on the rice quality (nature) the pongal texture might vary. If you want a loose texture, add hot water after mashing the rice as needed. This given ratio becomes thicker as it gets cooled.
- To extract coconut, milk, place 1 cup fresh grated coconut in a mixie. Add 2 tablespoon of warm water. Grind and squeeze the milk. Reserve this as thick milk. For thin milk, add ¼ cup warm water, grind once again to collect the milk. Top with water to dilute to make ½ cup.
Enjoy hot. Happy Pongal once again!
Recipe card
Coconut milk sweet pongal
Ingredients
- ½ cup Jeeraga samba rice or any raw rice
- 2 tablespoon moong dal paasi paruppu
- ½ cup Sugar or ¾ cup jaggery powder
- ½ cup light Coconut milk 2nd milk
- ¼ cup Thick coconut milk 1st milk
- 1 & ½ cup Water
- 1 tablespoon ghee or more as needed
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 Cardamom powdered
- 1 pinch Nutmeg powder optional
Instructions
- Heat Instant pot in Saute mode, Normal heat for 5 mins.
- Add ghee, roast cashews until pale golden in colour. Tip in raisins and saute until it bloats.
- Tansfer and set this aside in a small bowl.
- Wipe or wash the pot if there are black residues from the roasted items.
- By now, 5 mins timer will be over. Again Press Saute in Normal heat for 5 mins.
- Dry roast moong dal until golden.
- Add water, coconut milk to it.
- In goes washed rice. Add salt.
- Cancel saute mode. Press Rice mode, choose High pressure. (15 mins)Once done, Quick release the steam.
- Mash well. Add thick coconut milk, sugar and mix it.
- Start the Instant pot again in Saute mode, Normal heat for 5 mins.
- Add powdered cardamom, nutmeg. Keep mixing as now the pongal might easily get stuck at the bottom.
- Once pongal bubbles, cancel Saute mode, garnish with the nuts & raisin with ghee.
Video
Notes
- I pressure cooked for 15 mins just to make sure it is cooked properly after quick release. You can do the same in Normal heat too in 12 mins.
- After mashing the rice, please be careful as it might get easily stuck.
- I used ready made coconut milk, for ½ cup light coconut milk, I took just 3 tablespoon of coconut milk and diluted with water.
- Depending on the rice quality (nature) the pongal texture might vary. If you want a loose texture, add hot water after mashing the rice as needed.
- This given ratio becomes thicker as it gets cooled.
- To extract coconut, milk, place 1 cup fresh grated coconut in a mixie. Add 2 tablespoon of warm water. Grind and squeeze the milk. Reserve this as thick milk. For thin milk, add ¼ cup warm water, grind once again to collect the milk. Top with water to dilute to make ½ cup.
Anitha
What is the measurement of water used here? While using sonamasoori rice, what would be the water rice ratio?
Raks Anand
1 : 3 is the water quantity I used here plus the 1/2 cup coconut milk while cooking...It's in video but forgot to mention in post. Will update.
For sona masuri also you can use the same. If you want the pongal to be on loose side, you can later add 1/2 cup more water while adding sugar/ jaggery and adjust.