Kalkandu pongal is a south Indian sweet prepared with rice, dal and sugar candy and ghee as main ingredients.
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Kalkandu pongal (sugar candy pongal) is one of my hubby’s favorite sweet, I make this now and then. So thought of posting here.
My mom make sakkarai pongal often, but MIL makes this often. Sometimes for special occasions, sometimes, in ordinary days too!
I have added half kalkandu and half sugar as they say too much of kalkandu may not suit some people.
How to make kalkandu pongal step by step method
- Powder the kalkandu and sugar and keep aside. This is totally an optional step, as I don't like the sound of kalkandu while stirring in it, I follow this step 😉
- Fry paasi paruppu with a drizzle of ghee till nice aroma comes,in a pressure cooker directly. (You can skip this step as well) Wash rice and add it along with water,use 1:4 ratio(so I added 2 cups here).
- Pressure cook for 4 whistles and after done, mash it by adding milk.
- Keep again the cooker, over heat and add the powdered kalkandu & sugar. Add saffron and edible camphor at this stage, if adding.
- Soak saffron in milk before adding. Keep stirring adding ghee in between,for 5-8 minutes in medium low heat.
- Add Cardamom lastly and fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and mix in to the pongal .
My hubby never likes elachi, cashew nuts or raisins in any of the sweets, so I never add too. Just garnished for photo sake 😉
I have not added saffron and edible camphor too, but it adds a real nice flavour. You can use milk in place of water too for richness.
Check out my video
Recipe card
Kalkandu pongal recipe
Kalkandu pongal is a south Indian sweet prepared with rice, dal and sugar candy and ghee as main ingredients.
Servings 4 people
Cup measurements
Ingredients
- ½ cup Raw rice
- 1 tablespoon Moong dal Paasi paruppu
- ¾ cup Sugar + sugar candy kalkandu (together in equal ratio)
- ¼ cup Ghee You can half the ghee if you want
- ¼ cup Milk
- 1 Cardamom powdered
- 1 tablespoon Raisins optional
- 5 Cashew nuts
- 1 Edible camphor Mustard size, optional
- 5 Saffron strands Optional
- Salt a generous pinch
Instructions
- Powder the kalkandu and sugar and keep aside. This is totally an optional step, as I don't like the sound of kalkandu while stirring in it, I follow this step.
- Fry paasi paruppu with a drizzle of ghee till nice aroma comes, in a pressure cooker directly. (You can skip this step as well)
- Wash rice and add it along with water, use 1:4 ratio(so I added 2 cups here).
- Pressure cook for 4 whistles and after done, mash it by adding milk.
- Keep again the cooker, over heat and add the powdered kalkandu & sugar.
- Add saffron and edible camphor at this stage, if adding. Soak saffron in milk before adding.
- Keep stirring adding ghee in between,for 5-8 minutes in medium low heat.
- Add cardamom lastly. Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and mix in to the pongal.
Notes
- You can increase dal quantity, but you need to add more water or milk to prevent it from getting thick and dry.
- Amount of ghee is purely your choice.
- Kalkandu sadam version without any extra ingredients can also be made. Only rice, kalkandu.
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LG
ahaaa...delicious! it looks. Shall I come over?
lata raja
You don't even need to powder the kalkandu RAKS adhuvae karainjudum!! Delicious and with such an inviting click, who wouldn't ask for another helping???
Sushma Mallya
wow what a beautiful click raks...supberb and delicious pongal..its like ages i havent prepared it...urs is looking so tempting that i got to try out this one soon
Divya Vikram
I make kalkandu saatham almost the same way! Sinfully yummy!
jayasri
well, reminds me of old times, my sis-in-law taught me this, looks so delicious, I used to do it as lata said, I used collect lot of kalkandu going to shardamba temple, and Of course no need to say, beautiful click, so inviting..
Nags
if rightly made, pongal can be the best food on earth! i am not very good at it, my two attempts were just mediocre..
Sreelekha Sumesh
Yummmyyy..so beautiful pics and delicious!
Pari
The click invites me to try this right now.
Sharmilee! :)
Wow looks great,kalkandu in pongal is a great idea am sure it wud taste great!
Priya
Wow Raks mouthwatering dish, i never grounded kalkandu, my mom used to add them directly..tempting click dear..
jayasree
Mouthwatering pics...
shaliniv
sinfully yummmmmmm......
a few strands of saffron and it would make the dish look ROYAL!!!
Chitra
Very nice..Looks yummy !
Aruna Manikandan
Love this Pongsl.
Going to give a try soon...
Tina
Soooo tempting dear..Never tried this..Looks yummyyy.
Kitchen Flavours
Wow...that looks extremely yum....
Sarah Naveen
Beautiful pic..Looks like its right in front of me...yummy yummmm
Shri
Gorgeous click(1st one).Mouthwatering!
A 2 Z Vegetarian Cuisine
Absolutely delicious, beautiful click.
Happy cook
I remember eating those suagar just like thatwhen i was at home.
Looks yumm.
Preeti Kashyap
very nice recipe....shd try out...looks yum!
Pavithra
Mmmmmmmmm lovely click and I love it so much. I guess Even god love this fantastic mouthwatering prasadam.
Cham
That is a pure bliss if we have hot! Pretty much like kalkandu sadam, beautiful ....
Priya Narasimhan
lovely photos..this used to be my fav too though the recipe is a bit different..will try to veganise it.
Priya
luks perfect...I luv the way u add milk and dal..i m gonna try this
Sailaja Damodaran
Congrats once again & thanks for the feast......visualy taken a cup not a spoon......yummy
kothiyavunu
Looks so yummy, its been a while anybody mentioned kalkandu pongal to me...lovely sweet.
Uma
omg, what a tempting pongal! Beautiful click!!
Sumathi
Looks delicious and tempting.. Great clicking..
Shobana senthilkumar
Raks...pongal super....really tempts me a lot:)
Anu
Very nice recipe.. Nice click..
Dershana
very nice!
Prathibha
loooks sinfully delicious dear..never knew that kalakand can be addded to this sweet...
SE(Denufood)
very tempting.. i must say...gr8 click
my kitchen
Pongal rommba nalla vanthirukku
vidhas
Yummy kalkandu pongal!!!
Asusual great click.
Malar Gandhi
I love kalkandu pongal...they are delicious.
Such a wonderful click, looks so yummm:)
Dolly
Delicious Pongal. Beautiful Click.
Ammu
Nice click. Delicious & yum 🙂
Mythreyi Dilip
Oh, i wanted to try this pongal for very long time. Looks so pure and rich, thanks for the recipe. Drool worthy one:)
Cilantro
Amma made this often. It tastes different when made with plain sugar, I have kalkandu with me and should try soon. Amma added the whole kalkandu and never powdered them.
Gita
Pongal looks so yummy Raks...wonderful presentation 🙂
Mahimaa's kitchen
absolutely delicious.. looks soooo good raks. its my fav too.
Bharathy
Comment podaleye Ozhiye annikke pannitten...Book Mark! 🙂
Bharathy
Choc cookie romba easy..nane first time attempt..in fact sis got me the chip from Singapore only...:)
Soma
Raks
Happy Holidays & Happy New year to you and your loved ones.
Soma(www.ecurry.com)
Anupama
Raks, the pongal looks too good.. I've only had this at temples so far
Mangala Bhat
Ahaaa! Love it ..pics r mindblowing amazingly fantastic...bookmarked !
Silpa
wow11 yummy. i love this dish my mom used to do this on every Friday.
Recipe world
Wow, super delicious pongal to celebrate the festival! Wish you Happy Pongal dear..
Cheers!
Vani
Preeti Kashyap
This is the first time i have heard of it...yummm