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A bowl of sweet pongal is on the surface with a golden spoon.
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5 from 1 vote

Sweet Pongal Recipe In Instant Pot (Vegan)

Sweet Pongal, also known as Chakkara pongal, is a popular sweetened rice-based dish that hails from South India.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Vegan
Allergen: Dairy free, Gluten free
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4
Calories: 255kcal
Author: Uma Raghupathi

Equipment

Ingredients

  • ½ cup white rice preferably sona masuri or any short-grained rice
  • 3 tablespoon yellow moong dal split yellow lentils
  • 2 green cardamoms powdered
  • 45 gram Jaggery grated or cubed
  • 4 tablespoon 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 tablespoon cashews
  • 1 tablespoon raisins
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. And soak it for 30 minutes.
  • Set Instant Pot on "Saute" mode and roast the lentils and cloves with 2 tablespoons of vegan ghee for 2-3 minutes.
    3 tablespoon yellow moong dal, 3 cloves
  • Add rinsed rice, oat milk, and water. Mix well.
    ½ cup white rice, 2 cup water, ½ cup oat milk
  • Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes with the vent in the sealing position.
  • Do a natural pressure release after 10 minutes. Open and mash the rice and lentils.
  • In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegan ghee and fry cashews until golden brown. Then add raisins and fry for a few seconds over a medium flame.
    1 tablespoon cashews, 1 tablespoon raisins
  • 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.
    45 gram Jaggery
  • Add the jaggery syrup and cardamom powder to the cooked rice and lentil mixture.
    2 green cardamoms
  • Mix well until everything is well combined.
  • Press the saute button again and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sweet pongal thickens.
  • Add the roasted nuts and 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.

Notes

  • 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.
  • Use coconut milk instead of oat milk for a richer flavor and texture.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 62IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg