Sweet Pongal

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup raw rice
1/2 cup green gram dhal
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups water
3 cups jaggery powdered
4 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp cashewnuts
2 tbsp raisins
5 cardamoms powdered
2 cloves powdered
1 small piece nutmeg grated or powdered
A pinch of saffron

METHOD:
- Roast dry the green gram dhal for a couple of minutes.
- Cook the rice and green gram dhal with 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 cup milk in the microwave and set aside.
- Dissolve the jaggery in 3/4 cup water and cook on a low heat till the jaggery melts.
- Strain the jaggery to remove the dirt.
- Put the syrup once more on the heat and stir till it becomes slightly sticky.
- Add the cooked rice and dhal.
- Heat the 4 tbsp ghee.
- Fry the cashewnuts and raisins and add to the pongal.
- Add the powdered cardamoms,cloves nutmeg and saffron.
- Mix well.
- Serve hot.

Sweet Pongal

INGREDIENTS: (for two people):
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup.
Rice - 1/2 cup.
Milk
Coconut
cashew
jaggery
raisins (khish-mish - dry grapes)
cardamom
ghee.

METHOD:
- Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it will start smelling).
- Then soak rice and dhal separately for 10 minutes.
- Thoroughly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water (lesser is okay) and cook it separately (in two different containers).
- Meanwhile cut coconut in very small pieces and fry in ghee.
- Fry cashew and raisins also separately.
- Break the jagerry and put in water (very little) and make a syrup. This is done because sometimes jagerry has mud and stones.
- After we make the syrup strain it through tea strainer.
- Put the rice and dhal in a big vessel and add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed.
- Add jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed.
- Add three big table spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while.
- Add fried coconut, cashews and raisins.
- Serve hot in two cups with a spoon of ghee.