Black Rice Sweet Pongal
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Black Rice Sweet Pongal

Black Rice (Kavuni Arisi) Sweet Pongal is a healthy twist to the popular South Indian white rice sweet pongal and is cooked with the healthier black rice (kavuni arisi), jaggery and garnished with ghee roasted cashews and golden raisins and flavored with crushed cardamom.

Course Snack
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Black Rice, Dessert, Kavuni Arisi, Pongal, Sweet Pongal
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Senthil Sadasivam

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Black Rice (Kavuni Arisi) soaked
  • 2 cups Jaggery powdered
  • 1/4 cup Ghee
  • 1/4 cup Cashews
  • 1/4 cup Raisins
  • 1/4 cup Coconut grated optional
  • 4 Cardamom (Elaichi) crushed
  • Salt to taste optional

Instructions

  1. If possible, wash and soak black rice in water for at least 4 hours.

  2. Cook soaked black rice with 2 times water (3 times if not soaked) in electric rice cooker or a pressure cooker. We like our black rice pongal a little dry and chewy, but if you prefer it to a porridge consistency, add 4 times water.

  3. Boil powdered jaggery with 1 cups water for a few mins until the jaggery powder is fully dissolved (stir to accelerate this process). Filter using a colander to remove any residue. If you already have powdered jaggery that is free of residue, you can skip this step and directly add the jaggery powder to the boiled rice.

  4. Mix this jaggery syrup (paagu) with cooked rice and continue cooking on a pot in medium heat until you get the desired consistency.

  5. Heat ghee on a pan, fry cashews and raisins (and optional grated coconut) and add to the Pongal.

  6. Top off with more ghee, crushed cardamom (elaichi), mix well and serve.

Recipe Notes

There are many other popular variations to making this Black Rice Sweet Pongal - you can add moong dal, chana dal, white/ rock sugar, milk, etc.