Huggi (Khara Pongal)

Huggi (khara pongal) step-by-step recipe with photos.

Makara Sankranti or the harvest festival is widely celebrated in India, which falls on the 14th or 15th of January. In Karnataka, grains in the form of ‘yellu-bella’ is exchanged with family and friends. Makara Sankranti or Maghi is a festival day in the Hindu calendar, dedicated to the deity Surya. It is observed each year in the lunar month of Magha which corresponds with the month of January as per the Gregorian calendar. This usually falls on the 14th or 15th of January and the people of India celebrate their harvest

‘Yellu’ is a Sankranti offering where white sesame seeds are mixed with jaggery, roasted Bengal gram, coconut, and peanuts. As a child, we loved to go for “yellu beerodu” where yellu, sugarcane, and sakkare achhu (sugar candy shapes) are exchanged with family and friends. The Sankranti special lunch would always be huggi, gojju, and sihi huggi. This dish is made with rice and moong dal and flavoured with spices and peppercorns. It is served with a tamarind-jaggery chutney called gojju. Sihi huggi is the sweet version where rice and mung dal is combined with jaggery.

While I can’t do the “yellu beerodu” until my DD grows up, the lunch still is the same every Sankranti- huggi, gojju and sihi huggi. Try this traditional wholesome dish and finish it with sihi huggi for a soul-satisfying meal.

For more festival food recipes, click here.

Huggi (khara pongal) step-by-step recipe with photos

1. Boil roasted moong dal and rice together

2. Temper ghee with cumin seeds, peppercorn and cashew

3. Add rest of ingredients and fry

4. Add cooked rice-dal and mix well

Huggi

Shilpa

Huggi is made with rice and moong dal, and flavoured with spices and peppercorns. It is served with a tamarind-jaggery chutney called gojju.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Karnataka

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

FOR HUGGI:

• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup split green gram (moong dal)
• ¼ cup ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 10-12 cashew
• ¼ cup coconut dried or desiccated, grated
• ½ inch ginger grated or 1 tsp ginger paste
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 2-3 green chilli slit, or as per taste
• Salt to taste

FOR GOJJU:

• ¼ cup tamarind soaked in water
• ¼ cup jaggery grated
• 1-2 green chilli slit
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 4-5 curry leaves

Instructions

 

• Dry roast the moong dal until aromatic (a few minutes)
• Wash it along with rice. Cook them with 4 cups of water in a rice cooker or pressure cooker
• Heat ghee in a kadhai or fry pan. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter
• Add peppercorns and cashew. Fry till the cashew is light golden
• Add curry leaves, ginger, dry coconut, green chilli and turmeric powder. Fry for a minute
• Add the dal-rice mixture and salt. Add 2 cups water
• Mix together and let it simmer for 5 minutes
• Turn off the flame and serve hot with gojju
• To make gojju, combine tamarind extract, jaggery, green chiili, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Turn off the flame. To prepare the tempering, heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add curry leaves and turn off the flame. Add the tempering to gojju and serve

Notes

Don’t over roast the moong dal, else it will take a long time to cook. Also don’t skip the roasting, else it will become sticky

Nutrition Facts

Huggi

Amount Per Serving

Calories 129 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 14mg5%

Sodium 60mg3%

Potassium 96mg3%

Carbohydrates 14g5%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 54IU1%

Vitamin C 27mg33%

Calcium 21mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Mention @spicytamarind or tag #spicytamarind!

Please leave this field empty

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Sign up to receive awesome content in your inbox, every week.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.