Nothing says Deepavali like the smell of jaggery and ghee in the kitchen. These three sweets use the same few ingredients, so one shopping trip covers all of them.
Sakkarai pongal
You need: 1 cup raw rice, ¼ cup moong dal, 1½ cups grated jaggery, 4 tbsp ghee, cashews, raisins, a pinch of cardamom.
- Dry-roast the moong dal until fragrant. Wash with the rice and pressure cook with 4 cups of water until very soft. Mash lightly.
- Melt the jaggery in ½ cup water, strain out any grit, and pour into the cooked rice. Simmer and stir until thick.
- Fry cashews and raisins in ghee and pour over with the cardamom.
Paasi paruppu payasam
You need: ½ cup moong dal, 1 cup jaggery, 1 cup thick coconut milk, cardamom, ghee, cashews and raisins.
- Roast the moong dal golden, then cook it soft in 2 cups of water.
- Add the melted, strained jaggery and simmer for a few minutes.
- Turn the heat to low, stir in the coconut milk and cardamom, and switch off before it boils.
- Finish with ghee-fried cashews and raisins.
Adhirasam
This one needs patience, and it is worth it.
- Soak 2 cups raw rice for 2 hours, drain, and spread on a cloth until just damp. Grind to a fine flour and sieve.
- Make a jaggery syrup (about 1½ cups jaggery, ½ cup water) to soft-ball stage: a drop in water should form a soft ball.
- Stir the flour into the hot syrup with cardamom to make a soft dough. Cover and rest for at least a day; this is what gives adhirasam its texture.
- Pat into small discs on a greased sheet and deep-fry on medium heat. Press between two ladles to drain excess oil.
Get everything in one order
Our Deepavali Sweets Pack has raw rice, jaggery, moong dal, raisins and almonds together, for less than buying them separately. Delivered across Chennai; order by Saturday 7 November for delivery before the festival.
இனிய தீபாவளி நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்!
Which rice for festival sweets?
Use raw rice (pachai arisi) for sakkarai pongal and adhirasam. It cooks soft and grinds into a fine flour. Boiled rice will not give the same texture. Learn why in what is raw rice.
Tips for jaggery sweets
- Always melt jaggery in a little water and strain it; it often has fine grit.
- Add jaggery syrup only after the rice and dal are fully cooked; jaggery stops further softening.
- Do not boil coconut milk after adding it, or it may split.
FAQ
Why did my adhirasam break in the oil?
The syrup was not cooked to soft-ball stage, or the dough did not rest long enough. Rest it for at least a day.
Also see the best rice for a festive biryani.
Order rice online from ArisiMart, delivered across Chennai from our shops in Virugambakkam, Nerkundram and West Mambalam. Call 98844 56440 for bulk orders.
