Name: Sweet Pongal Recipe In Instant Pot (Vegan)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: ½ cup white rice (preferably sona masuri or any short-grained rice); 3 tbsp yellow moong dal (split yellow lentils); 2 green cardamoms (powdered); 45 gram Jaggery (grated or cubed); 4 tbsp vegan ghee (or avocado oil); 3 cloves; ½ cup oat milk (you can also use coconut milk); 1 pinch pachai karpooram - edible camphor (optional); 2 cup water; 1 tbsp cashews; 1 tbsp raisins

Sweet Pongal, also known as Chakkara pongal, is a popular sweetened rice-based dish that hails from South India.

This dessert is special in many Indian households and is often made during harvest festival like Pongal or festivals like Navaratri and Makara Sankranti.

A bowl is filled with vegan sweet pongal.

For the divine taste and nice aroma that I crave, I like to prepare this more often than just once a year.

There is no limit to when you can enjoy this delicious Indian dessert. Whether during festive and special occasions or just a regular day, sweet pongal will always be a welcome treat.

Just like my "Ven pongal" recipe, I prepared made this sweet dish in Instant Pot, and I have great tips for you to prepare your own vegan sweet pongal!

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Why I love this
Ingredients
Instructions
Tips
Storage
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Why I love this

Because this sweet pongal recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
Made with simple main ingredients like rice, moong dal, and jaggery.
It takes less than 30 minutes to make in Instant Pot.
There is no need for white sugar to prepare this.
Perfect for many festivals and auspicious days for an offering to god (naivedhyam).

Ingredients

Raw rice (preferably sona masuri or any short-grained rice)
Yellow Moong dal (split yellow lentils)
Green Cardamoms
Jaggery (grated or cubed)
Vegan Ghee or avocado oil
Dry fruits like Cashew nuts and raisins for garnish
Cloves and nutmeg powder
Oat milk - optional (you can also use coconut milk)
Pachai Karpooram - edible camphor (optional)

See the recipe card for a list of ingredients and quantities, plus recipe instructions. You can find the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instructions

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. And soak it for 30 minutes.

An instant pot is with moong dal and cloves.

Set Instant Pot on "Saute" mode and roast the lentils and cloves for 2-3 minutes.

An instant pot is with rice, dal, milk and water.

Add rinsed rice, oat milk, and water. Mix well.

Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes with the vent in the sealing position

An instant pot is with cooked rice and lentils.

Do a natural pressure release after 10 minutes. Open and mash the rice and lentils.

In a small pan, heat vegan ghee and fry cashews until golden brown.

Then add raisins and fry for a few seconds over a medium flame.

Prepare jaggery syrup - Add Jaggery chunks to ¼ cup of water and heat it over a low flame.

As the jaggery melts, mix it well to make an even mixture and set it aside.

An instant pot is with rice mixture and jaggery syrup.

Add the jaggery syrup and cardamom powder to the cooked rice and lentil mixture.

Mix well until everything is well combined.

Press the saute button again and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sweet pongal thickens.

A pot of sweet pongal is topped with roasted nuts and fruits.

Add the roasted nuts, raisins, and pinch of edible camphor (Optional). Mix well and turn off the Instant Pot.

Serve the vegan sakkarai pongal recipe hot or at room temperature with some vegan ghee drizzled on top.

Tips

You can adjust the sweetness of the sweet pongal according to your preference by adjusting the quantity of jaggery syrup.
If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can make this in a stovetop pressure cooker. Just follow the same steps and adjust cooking times accordingly.
For a richer flavor and texture, use coconut milk instead of oat milk.
New rice tends to bring a better texture to the dish.
Be sure not to have excess water with rice. 3 cups of water for every cup of rice is good for sona masoori rice.
Edible camphor (pachai karpooram) is optional but adds a unique fragrance to the sweet pongal.
Sweet Pongal thickens as it cools, so keep that in mind while adjusting the consistency.
Adding vegan ghee is essential for authentic taste, but you can also use avocado oil if preferred.

Storage

Vegan Sweet Pongal can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to one month.

To reheat, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then microwave or heat on the stovetop until warm. While heating, add 1 tablespoon of water to avoid dryness.