Sihi Huggi | Sweet Pongal | Sakkarai Pongal

Sihi huggi | sweet pongal | sakkarai pongal step-by-step recipe with video and photos.

Jump to:

• About this recipe
• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions
• Tips for making the best sweet Pongal
• Bonus
• Recipe card
• Comments

About this recipe

Sihi huggi (also known as sweet pongal, sakkarai pongal or chakkara pongal) is a Makar Sankranti special traditional dish that is hugely popular in south India and Srilanka. Traditionally, this dish is made with freshly harvested grains. This refined sugar-free dessert is made with rice, moong dal, ghee, and jaggery as the main ingredients.

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.

I have earlier shared the recipe of huggi or khara pongal. This is the sweet version of it and an integral part of Makar Sankranti celebrations in Karnataka.

Ingredients

Rice: I make this dish with Basmati rice; however, any Indian variety of rice works well with this dish.

Moong dal: Moong dal (mung dal) or yellow lentils is used here (similar to khara pongal).

Jaggery: This refined sugar-free dessert is made with jaggery. However, if jaggery is not available, you may replace it with raw sugar.

Ghee: Like most Indian sweets, this dish is made with ghee.

Cashew and raisin: A good amount of cashew and raisin goes into making this dish.

Coconut: Dried or dessicated coconut is used in this sweet dish.

This traditional sweet dish is made along with khara huggi for an amazing meal.

Step by step instructions

Dry roast the moong dal until aromatic (step 1).

Mix with rice and wash thoroughly. Cook rice and dal mixture with 2 cups of water in a rice cooker or pressure cooker (steps 2,3).

Heat ghee in a kadhai or frying pan. Add cashew and fry until lightly golden. Next, goes raisins and fry for a few seconds (step 4).

Add dry coconut and mix well (steps 5,6).

Take the dal-rice mix from the pressure cooker and add it along with jaggery, and 1 cup of water (steps 7,8).

Mix well and adjust consistency (step 9).

Simmer for a few minutes until the jaggery completely melts and excess moisture evaporates (step 10).

Add cardamom powder and 1 tablespoon ghee. Mix well and serve warm (steps 11,12).

Tips for making the best sweet Pongal

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

Add water and adjust consistency as per your preference. You can either keep it dry and make it slightly runny (which I prefer). Make sure you simmer well after adding water until it comes together.

Once the sweet Pongal is done, drizzle 1 tablespoon ghee on top and mix.

This dish tastes best when made with jaggery. However, if jaggery is not available, you may replace it with raw sugar.

You may replace water with milk for a richer taste.

Sweet Pongal served in temples has a small amount of camphor added to it. You may add a small pinch of camphor.

Click here for more refined sugar-free desserts.

Click here for more festival food recipes.

Bonus

This sweet Pongal is:
- traditional and authentic recipe
- perfect for festivals
- easy to make and suitable for beginners

Recipe card

Click here to watch sihi huggi / sweet pongal web story.