Chakkara Pongali Recipe - Andhra style sweet pongal recipe prepared with sugar, milk, rice and dal. As Varalakshmi Vratham is fast approaching, I wanted to share some neivedyam recipes. I found Chakkara Pongal is most commonly prepared for all the festivals in Andhra. Basically Telugu people make two types of sweet pongal recipes. One with sugar and the other one with jaggery called as bellam pongali. Today I have shared chakkara pongal recipe with milk and sugar with step by step pictures and video.
My neighbor Sowjanya who taught me poornam boorelu shared her traditional way of making chakkara pongali recipe without moong dal. Yes, I used chana dal instead of moong dal. This chakkara pongal preparation is completely different from Tamil nadu sakkarai pongal. In Tamil nadu style sweet pongal recipe, moong dal and jaggery is used. When Sowjanya told me to use chana dal and sugar, I was surprised to see the variation.
I tried this sweet pongal for Friday Lakshmi Poojaneivedyam. Traditionally, this pongal has to be prepared by cooking rice and dal in milk in a pot. But I used pressure cooker to save time. Chakkara pongal came out really well. I passed this prasadam to Sowjanya for her feedback about its taste and color. She told it tasted really good. I was very happy to hear this from her as its my first attempt.
Of course all the credits goes to her for giving me the measurements precisely. She also shared some variations in this recipe. I have mentioned those points in NOTES section. Ok, lets see how to make Andhra style chakkara pongal recipe with step by step photos and video. This week I will try to share more neivedyam recipes for Varalakshmi viratham. Stay tuned !
Raw rice – 1/2 cup (Use good quality Sona masoori)
Chana dal Or Moong dal - 1.5 tbsp
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp( or Dry coconut powder)
Cashew nuts - 5 nos
Dry grapes - 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
How to make the Andhra Chakkara Pongali recipe
Wash and keep the raw rice aside.
Heat 2 tsp ghee in a cooker base. Roast chana dal or moong dal till golden with nice aroma.
Add washed rice, water. Pressure cook for 2 whistles in low flame.
Mash it well.Add milk, sugar, cardamom powder and grated coconut. Mix well.
Boil in low flame for 5 minutes.Consistency should not be too thick.
Roast the nuts in ghee and add to pongal, mix well.Enjoy !
Chakkara Pongal Recipe - Step by step pictures
Wash the rice and keep aside. Heat 2 tsp ghee in a cooker base. Roast the chana dal till golden with nice smell.
Add 2 cups of water, washed rice and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for 2 to 3 whistles in low flame. Dal won't become mushy.It should be visible in the mashed rice.
Add sugar, milk, cardamom powder and freshly grated coconut or dry coconut powder. Mix well and boil in low flame for 5 minutes. Make sure bottom is not burnt. Mix whenever needed.
Remove when its semi solid and keep aside. Roast the chopped nuts and dry grapes in the remaining 2.5 tbsp ghee. Roast till dry grapes puff up and cashew becomes golden.
Add to the pongal. Mix well. If the pongal is too thick, add some boiled milk and bring to the desired consistency. You can reheat this pongal adding little water or milk and serve it after the pooja. It tastes fresh and good when served hot. Andhra style chakkara pongali is ready. Try this for festivals and enjoy !
Notes
For variations, You can add moong dal instead of chana dal.
You can pressure cook the rice and dal adding milk instead of water. In that case, you should add nearly 3 cups of milk.
Cardamom powder is a must. You can also add few saffron threads to make it rich.
My neighbor told me to cook rice and dal in a pot adding milk. But I cooked them in a pressure cooker to save time.
Andhra style sweet pongal recipe with milk & sugar is ready for neivedyam. Try this for festivals and enjoy !
Mango payasam/ Mango rice kheer(mambazha payasam in Tamil)is an easy, Indian dessert recipe made with cooked rice, mango pulp and sugar or condensed milk. It can be prepared with cooked rice or vermicelli/sevai. Alphonso & Banganapalli mango tastes the best for this kheer. Actually this payasam is prepared in all the states across South India in their own style. Recently I tasted this mango kheer in a hotel lunch buffet and loved its taste. It was tasting more like paal payasam with mango flavor. So I tried to recreate the same at home and prepared it adding condensed milk(milkmaid). It was tasting so rich and yummy when served chilled. Mango season has almost come to an end. This year, I couldn’t post much using mango. So I thought of sharing this yummy kheer as my contribution for mango recipes this year. Do try this delicious kheer and enjoy with your family. Lets see how to make mango payasam recipe with step by step photos.
Mango payasam recipe / Mango Rice kheer Recipe
How to make mango payasam / mango rice kheer with condensed milk
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker base. Roast the cashews & remove in a plate. Soak saffron in 2 tbsp warm milk. In the remaining ghee, roast the rice till it turns puffy & white.
Grind it coarsely in a mixie jar. Add the ground rice in the cooker, add milk & pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles.
After the steam is released, mash the rice well. Add condensed milk, cardamom powder and boil for a minute. Switch off the flame and let the payasam cool completely.
Take the mango, peel the skin and chop into pieces. Grind into smooth paste. Add this pulp to the cooled payasam. Do not add the mango pulp when the payasam in hot, milk will curdle.
Add the roasted nuts. Mix well & check for taste and consistency. Add more condensed milk or sugar for sweetness & boiled milk for thin consistency if needed. You can make it thick like pudding. Mix well & refrigerate for an hour. Serve chilled for best taste.
Note: Adjust the quantity of condensed milk as per your taste.
Instant chakli recipe / Simple murukku recipe with step by step and video. This Karnataka style easy and simple murukku recipe (Chakli in Kannada) using store bought rice flour and besan flour was in my to do list for long time. Recently I got a pack of bull driven cold pressed (Chekku ennai) sesame oil, groundnut oil and coconut oil from Gramiyum – An online store. Product & packaging was too good and its professional too. If you are looking for original cold pressed oils, you can buy them online from Gramiyum. They also have organic honey, natural nuts at a reasonable price.
My MIL usually says snacks fried in groundnut oil is more flavorful. So I thought of making this easy, Karnataka style chakli/ murukku by frying in cold pressed groundnut oil ( Kadalai ennai).This instant chakli recipe which I had bookmarked years ago from Savi ruchi blog came to my mind. Its an easy, instant chakli recipe made with easily available ingredients. It came out very well with the awesome flavor of groundnut oil. I have tasted this Chakkuli/Chakri ( My friends tell this way) in my friends place. All my friends here make it during Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali and Gokulashtami festivals.
Basically I love this Karnataka style chakli a lot and got the recipe for homemade chakli powder from my friend Priya. I will share that recipe later. This chakli is made with rice flour and besan flour. Its prepared without butter or ghee. Hot oil is used to bring crunchiness. So it doesn’t have a melt in mouth texture just like butter chakli but tastes crispy and crunchy. It tastes the best with full flavor by the next day. We enjoy this chakli with our evening tea/ chai.
As its summer vacation in India, Kids must be nagging you for some evening snacks. Do try this easy chakli recipe at home for your kids!They will like it. Please excuse me for the non uniform shapes. I am not so good or patient enough in pressing
murukku. But my MIL says everything comes by practice. So this year, I am planning to try more murukku
recipes. Hope I can make perfect swirls in future.
Lets see how to make Karnataka style Instant chakli recipe with step by step pictures and VIDEO.
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp ( I used Kashmiri chilli powder)
Sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp (I used black. You can use white too)
Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp
Hot cooking oil - 3 tbsp
Water - As needed
Salt - As required
Cooking oil or Groundnut oil - To deep fry
HOW TO MAKE CHAKLI - METHOD
In a wide bowl, sieve the rice flour + besan flour.To the sieved flour, add salt, red chilli powder, sesame seeds and hing.
Heat cooking oil and add it to the flour. Mix with a spoon till oil spreads well in the flour.
Add water gradually and make a smooth dough.Make the dough slightly sticky. If the dough is too hard, chakli will break while pressing. Cover the dough with a wet cloth till use. Besan flour in the dough absorbs more water and dough becomes thick over time. So if the chakli breaks while pressing, sprinkle little water to the dough and try again. You will get it right. Sprinkle water whenever needed.
Take the chakli maker with star mould, fill with the dough. Press it on a butter paper or cotton cloth. Make shapes. Cover it till use else dough will become dry and murukku breaks while frying.
Heat oil in a kadai to deep fry the chakli. When the oil is heated, drop a pinch of dough. If it rises to the top immediately, oil temperature is right.
Drop 2-3 chakli for one batch. Keep the flame medium. Do not touch the chakli for one minute. Let it cook in the hot oil. Then flip it and cook the other side. Keep the flame medium. Cook the chakli till 90% of bubbles cease and becomes golden. Remove in a tissue paper. Repeat the same & fry all the chakli. Store in an air tight box after it cools down completely. Tastes best the next day ! Enjoy !
Note
Besan absorbs all water in the dough. So you may need to add sprinkle more water whenever needed while pressing.
Do not reduce the quantity of hot oil else chakli may turn hard.
Make sure oil temperature is right else murukku absorbs more oil.
Try this easy, instant chakli for your kids and family’'. They will love it !
Yesterday I prepared this South Indian style arisi payasam for Tamil new year celebration. We make this payasam mainly for Tamil new year ( Tamil Varusha pirappu/Tamil Puthandu) and Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Sometimes we prepare this sweet dish for Friday Mahalakhsmi pooja neivedyam too. Today I have shown the basic arisi payasam recipe/Rice kheer with jaggery and milk using a pressure cooker.
Arisi Paruppu payasam is our family favorite payasam variety. To prepare this Indian style rice kheer raw rice, moong dal, water, jaggery and milk are the major ingredients. Sometimes I use coconut milk instead of boiled milk if making for guest or special occasions. Adding coconut milk makes it more rich and flavorful. Whenever Sendhil gets stomach upset or stomach inflammation problem, I make this for his breakfast with less rice, more dal and coconut milk as both have healing property. I will make a separate post on it later.
In this recipe, I have used boiled milk. For variations, you can use coconut milk in place of regular milk by all means. Sometimes I prepare the same payasam adding condensed milk(milkmaid) or sugar instead of jaggery just like paal payasam. This kheer can be done easily. Try this yummy, healthy payasam for Tamil new year and enjoy ! You can also make arisi thengai payasam on Tamil new year. Now lets see how to make arisi paruppu payasam/Rice payasam with jaggery with step by step pictures and a video.
Arisi paruppu payasam recipe
Arisi paruppu payasam recipe - Rice moong dal payasam recipe
In a pressure cooker base, heat 1 tsp of ghee. Roast the moong dal till dal becomes aromatic and golden brown.Remove in a plate. Add 1 tsp ghee and roast the rice. Roast till it turns puffy and white. Its optional to roast the rice. But roasted rice gives more flavor to the kheer. So the choice is yours.
After roasting the rice add 2.5 cups of water. Add the roasted dal and pressure cook in very low flame for 3 whistles till they cook mushy. Remove after the steam is released. Mash it really well.
Add grated jaggery and 1/2 cup water. Mix well in low flame until jaggery melts completely. ( If jaggery has impurities, you should boil separately and melt the jaggery in 1/2 cup water, filter it and then add the syrup to the cooked rice). After the jaggery is completely mixed with the rice, let it boil for sometime till raw smell of jaggery goes off. If needed, add 1/2 cup water while boiling. Add cardamom powder & mix well.
After the payasam becomes slightly thick, switch off the flame and add 1/2 cup boiled milk or thick coconut milk. Mix well and check for consistency. Add more milk if needed. Heat ghee in a small pan. Roast cashews, cloves and crushed mace till cashews become golden. Mix well and add to the payasam. Serve hot.
This rice kheer becomes very thick when it cools down.So you should add more milk, water or coconut milk to adjust the consistency, check for taste. Add more sugar or jaggery syrup if needed. Give a boil and serve hot.
Enjoy !
Note
Roasting rice is optional.But it gives a nice flavor to the payasam.
If you feel jaggery has impurities, you should mix it with 1/2 cup water. Boil and melt in medium flame. Once its melted completely, strain it through a metal filter. Then add this syrup to the cooked rice+dal mixture.
The quantity of milk depends on the desired consistency of payasam.
You can use 1/2 cup coconut milk instead of milk.
Add equal quantity of milk and coconut milk if you wish.
Adding cloves and small piece of mace gives a awesome flavor to the kheer. So do not skip it.
Try this yummy arisi paruppu payasam at your home for festivals and enjoy !
Ugadi festival is around the corner. This year for Ugadi, I am sharing a Karnataka special delicacy Mavinakayi Chitranna recipe. Its nothing but raw mango rice recipe ( Mangai sadam) prepared in Karnataka style. I learnt this recipe from my School momsfriend Archana.
When I was asking her about Ugadi special recipes of Karnataka other than holige/Obbattu, she told me that they make Mavinakayi chitranna , Mavinakayi chutney, kosambari, obbattu saaru and some palya for the festival. As I had already shared Holige recipe and easy obbattu saaru recipe,I wanted to try Kosambari and mango chitranna this year.
Actually our friend Tara told me another recipe for Mavinakayi chitranna adding onion and roasted methi seeds powder. I will post that version later. I found many variations for this particular recipe on net. As I am sharing a festival recipe, I wanted to make a simple no onion, no garlic green mango rice and I followed my friend's recipe blindly :) So here you go, Ugadi special Karnataka style mango rice recipe – Mavinakayi chitranna with step by step photos and a video !
Cooked rice – 2 cups ( Raw rice or steamed rice – 1/2 cup)
Grated raw mango – 1/2 to 3/4 cup ( Based on sourness of mango)
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as needed
To temper
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1.5 tsp
Raw Peanut - 1 tbsp
Green chillies - 3 nos ( Slit)
Curry leaves - Few
Coriander leaves - 1.5 tbsp
METHOD
Wash and pressure cook 1/2 cup of rice ( you can use raw rice or steamed rice) adding 1.25 cups of water and few drops of cooking oil. I used steamed rice/ Boiled rice. I used 1:3 ratio of rice and water. After the rice is cooked, spread it in a plate and add a tsp of oil around. Let it cool down. Measure 1.5 cups of cooked rice and keep aside.
Wash and grated a medium sized raw mango. Taste it to check its sourness. After grating measure 3/4th cup of it and set aside. Pls refer the pic above. Adjust the quantity of raw mango based on its tanginess.
Heat oil in a kadai.Splutter mustard seeds.Add urad dal, chana dal and peanuts. Roast till peanuts are done and dal turns golden brown in color. Roast it in medium flame. Now add the slit green chillies, curry leaves and half of the chopped coriander leaves. Saute for a minute.
Now add the required salt and turmeric powder.Mix well. Some people add raw mango,saute for a minute and then add the rice. But I added the cooked rice first and tossed well for a minute then added the raw mango as the sourness of my mango was less. My friend also told me to do the same. You can saute the raw mango before adding the rice if its too sour. It can be done in either ways.
Lastly add the grated mango and mix well for a minute. Check for taste. If the taste is too sour, add some more cooked rice, some red chilli powder or slit green chillies to balance the sour taste. You can add more rice or grated mango based on your taste. Mix well and cook for a minute.Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut. Serve hot or warm as u wish.
Enjoy !
Note
For variations, you can make the raw mango paste without coconut seperately, refrigerate it for a week and then mix with cooked rice whenever needed.For this, add the grated raw mango after the tempering is done. Allow it to cook for a minute and switch off the flame. Let it cool down and then store in a box. Use clean spoon to handle.
Adjust the quantity of green chillies based on the sourness of mango.
I have used steamed rice ( Puzhungal arisi). Generally raw rice is used. You can add basmati rice as well.
The quantity of rice may vary based on the sourness of raw mango. My mango was not too sour.
It is optional to peel the skin of mango. As we are grating the mango, it is not necessary to peel the skin.
Some recipes call for grinding mango, coconut, green chillies and add to cooked rice. You can try this method for variation.
Do not avoid coriander leaves. It lends a nice flavor to the rice. Add half of the coriander leave while tempering and the remaining to garnish.
Try this simple and yummy raw mango rice at home, enjoy your lunch !
