Paal Pongal(Tamizhar Style)

Dhoodh Pongal. Milk Pongal.

Ingredients:

Raw rice - broken 1 cup
Sugar 3/4 cup
Milk 3-4 cups
Cardamon seeds powder 1/2 spoon
Ghee 1 cup
Ghee for frying cashews & raisins
Cashewnuts halved - 25
Raisins/dry grapes - 1 fistfull.

Method:

Wash the rice in running water several times. Maybe till the water runs clear. Then soak this rice in plain water for atleast 20 minutes.

In a pressure cooker, heat 1/4 cup of ghee. Add sugar, cardamon seeds powder and 3 cups of milk to it. Let it boil well.

To this....add rice(discard the rice soaked water carefully) Pressure cook
them till soft/3-5 whistle sounds.

In a seperate pan, heat ghee. Fry cashewnuts till golden to reddish brown. Set them aside.

In the same ghee, fry raisins untill they pop and bulge.

To the above pongal made...add this fried cashewnuts, fried raisins and remaining 1 cup of milk + remaining 3/4 cup of ghee. Mix them well. Place them over medium heat. Maybe till all the ingredients incorporates. Let it come to 'Pongal' consistency.

Serve warm as a main-sweet dish or dessert. Serve chilled as a dessert.