Healthy Sarkarai Pongal is a warm, lighter take on the classic sweet rice dish. It uses green gram and rice cooked together for a soft, wholesome texture. Jaggery adds natural sweetness and deep, caramel-like flavor. Cardamom, toasted almonds, and raisins give it an aromatic lift and pleasant bite. Olive oil replaces ghee to keep it lighter without losing richness. No-fuss steps and a pressure cooker mean you can have it ready fast.
This is a low fat healthy recipe without ghee. This can also be prepared with wheat rawa or millet instead of rice. Check out the recipe for regular Sarkarai Pongal.
Sweet Rice Pongal
Difficulty: EasyLearn how to make sweet rice pongal, a delicious South Indian dish made with rice, lentils, jaggery, and spices. Perfect for festivals and special occasions!
Healthy Sarkarai Pongal Recipe
Healthy Sarkarai Pongal
This is a low fat healthy Sarkarai Pongal without ghee. This can also be prepared with wheat rawa or millet instead of rice
5
servings5
minutes20
minutesIngredients
Raw Rice – 1 cup
Green Gram Dal (Pasi Paruppu) – 1/4 cup
Jaggery powdered – 2 cups
Cardamom Powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Raisin – 2 tablespoons
Almond – few (optional)
Olive Oil – 1 or 2 teaspoons (optional)
Directions
- In a skillet pan add the green gram dal and dry fry till it become light brown.
- Add both rice and fried dal in a pressure cooker and add 3 and 3/4 cups of water and cook for 6 whistles.
- Add little water to the jaggery and bring to boil. When it starts boiling remove and strain it.
- Open the cooker and slightly mash the cooked rice and dal.
- Add jaggery water to the mashed rice and mix it well. Put it on the stove and cook on low flame stirring continuously till it blends well.
- Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.
- Add almond and raisins fried in a teaspoon of olive oil. (You can add without frying also).
- Add one or two teaspoons of olive oil and mix well and remove.
its very nice recipe and looks similar to semolina halwa, but its making is quite different and not difficult. I will try this making at home.
Thank you for writing. Pl try this and send your feed back.
Hey I tried this recipe, it was nice but I made mistake in water measurement so it didn’t became as solid as yours. Since it was my first time it happened, next I’ll make it perfect.
I always thought that Ghee should be usd in Sarkai Pongal. Do you have one which you do not label as “Healthy Sarkarai Pongal”?
Yes. We have posted regular Sweet Rice Pongal (Sarkarai Pongal). Please check this link https://www.kamalascorner.com/sweets/sweet-rice-pongal.html