Sweet Pongal

Adapted from http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/01/16/sweet-pongal-the-sankranthi-sweet/

For 4:
Brown Rice - 3/4 cup, soaked overnight
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Milk - 2.5 cups
Water - 1 cup
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Jaggery - 1.5 cups
Water - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashewnuts - handful
Raisins - handful

Heat two tsp ghee in an iron skillet and fry the cashewnuts and raisins for a few minutes. Remove from heat. and keep aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tsp of ghee and roast the moong dal over low heat. Once it changes color slightly and emits an aroma, remove from heat. Mix with rice and 2.5 cups milk and 1 cup water and cook in the rice cooker till well done. Mash coarsely with a fork.

Mix jaggery and 1 cup water in a large pan. Once the syrup starts boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool the syrup a little.

Now add the cooked rice dal milk mixture to the syrup. Turn the heat to medium. Add cashewnuts, raisins, cardamom powder and 2 tbsp of ghee. Mix everything together well. Cover and simmer on low heat till the mixture comes together and becomes sticky. Drizzle a little ghee on top and serve.