Moogadali Khichidi (Rice- Lentil Pudding with Jaggery/ Sweet Pongal)

Moogadali Khichidi is a delicious South Indian dessert. This is also popular as Sweet Pongal. In this dessert, Jaggery is the sweetening agent. No special skills are required to make this dessert. A very simple and healthy dessert. Sometimes this is served as a side dish to Panpolo. 

Ingredients:

• Raw rice- 1/2 cup
• Split Green gram lentil/Moong dal- 1/4 cup
• Jaggery- 3/4 to 1 cup (adjust accordingly)
• Grated Coconut- 1/2 cup
• Ghee/ Clarified butter- 2-3 Tbsp
• Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
• Cashew nut and raisins- 2 Tbsp each

Procedure:

Fry moong dal in a pan for few minutes, until there is a slight change in its color and a nice aroma is got.

Now mix this with washed rice and cook in a pressure cooker for two whistles, by adding required amount of water (I added 1  1/2 cups of water).

Once cooked, it looks like this.

Now keep the cooked rice- dal mixture on a medium flame and add powdered jaggery and mix well (Add water if it is too dry. I added nearly 1/2 cup of water). Once the jaggery mixes well with the rice- dal mixture, add grated coconut and 1-2 Tbsp of ghee.

Continue heating for 3-4 more minutes with constant stirring and turn off the heat. Now add cardamom powder and garnish it with cashew nut and raisins fried in ghee. Moogadali Khichidi is ready!!

Serve it hot with an extra topping of ghee. Above measurement serves three people.