Sihi Huggi | Sihi Pongal | Sweet Pongal | Split Mung Dal Rice - Authentic Dessert Recipe

Sweet Pongal or Sihi Huggi is made on Sankranthi festival. It is a classic recipe prepared on other special occasions in our Madhwa community during habba and haridina.

My grandmother used to make absolutely exquisite and heavenly sihi pongal. She had magic in her hands, would turn any dish onto that finger-licking, melt-in-your-moth, delectable meal. I absolutely miss eating her food now, she passed away 6 years ago. Her birthday was January 8th. Remembering her this January and dedicating this recipe to her.

Ingredients

2 cups Rice (sona masoori variety, washed and drained ) 1/2 cup Mung dal or split skinned Mung beans (washed and drained) 1/2 cup ghee or clarified butter

3 cups of water

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp freshly grated coconut (blended in a mixer) or coconut milk, this ingredient is optional

1 cup powdered jaggery or brown sugar

1 tbsp chopped cashew nuts

1 tbsp chopped almonds

1 tbsp golden raisins

1/2 tsp saffron strands soaked in a tbsp of warm milk

Method

1. In a pot over medium heat add 1/4 cup ghee and add the rice and mung dal and fry until they give give out a fine aroma with golden color.

2. Add water and milk into the pot and place it in a pressure cooker and cook until 3 to 4 whistles and well cooked. We don't want the rice and dal to turn mushy. Alter the amount of water depending on your pressure cooker size and quantity.

3. Place the pot over medium heat and add jaggery. If your jaggery is dirty, in a separate pot add 2 tbsp of water and add the jaggery and melt it. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and collect the clean jaggery mixture and add it to the rice and dal pot. Or you could replace it with brown sugar. Mix thoroughly until the sugar crystals are melted.

4. Add coconut milk (optional) and combine well and cook for 5 to 10 minutes on low flame.

5. In a small frying pan add 2 tbsp of ghee and heat. Combine the nuts and add it to ghee and fry until golden brown and later add raisins till they puff up a little. Pour this over the huggi pot and mix.

6. Add saffron and remaining ghee and mix well and cook 5 more mins on a low flame with the lid on. Now Sihi Huggi is ready to serve.

Note: Tastes absolutely divine when served hot, with a big dollop of ghee on top.