Spicy Sambar served with fresh coriander Spicy sambar Kovil Sakkarai Pongal served with fresh herbs Kovil sakkarai pongal Spinach calzone stuffed pizza Spinach & Ricotta Calzone Whiskey Doughnut served fresh Bourbon whiskey glazed doughnuts Orange and vanilla Bundt cake served Orange & vanilla Bundt cake Welsh rarebit with egg served, in cheese sauce, on toast Welsh Rarebit with Egg (Buck Rarebit) Matcha tea parfait served Japanese matcha green tea parfait Burrito bowl with beef, rice, beans, corn and cheese Loaded burrito bowl Piadina with roast lamb and spiced yoghurt served Piadina with Roast Lamb and Spiced Yoghurt Pickled asparagus in a glass jar Crispy pickled asparagus spears Meaty Janssons frestelse, a rich and creamy Swedish dish with potatoes and smoked meat Meaty Jansson's temptation (Janssons frestelse) Margherita pizza with truffle oil served Truffle oil Margherita pizza Pozole de pollo with chicken and hominy corn, lime wedges Mexican Chicken Pozole Soup American waffles served on a plate Classic American waffles Roast turkey breast served Roast turkey breast Tandoor naan served with yoghurt Homemade Tandoori-style naan Tantanmen ramen served with sesame paste broth and minced meat Creamy tantanmen ramen Blackberry cream and almond macarons Blackberry Cream & Almond Macarons Greek yoghurt burek served Greek yoghurt burek Spicy pickled oranges served in a jar Spicy Pickled Oranges Spicy Sambar served with fresh coriander Spicy sambar Kovil Sakkarai Pongal served with fresh herbs Kovil sakkarai pongal Spinach calzone stuffed pizza Spinach & Ricotta Calzone Whiskey Doughnut served fresh Bourbon whiskey glazed doughnuts Orange and vanilla Bundt cake served Orange & vanilla Bundt cake Welsh rarebit with egg served, in cheese sauce, on toast Welsh Rarebit with Egg (Buck Rarebit) Matcha tea parfait served Japanese matcha green tea parfait Burrito bowl with beef, rice, beans, corn and cheese Loaded burrito bowl Piadina with roast lamb and spiced yoghurt served Piadina with Roast Lamb and Spiced Yoghurt Pickled asparagus in a glass jar Crispy pickled asparagus spears Meaty Janssons frestelse, a rich and creamy Swedish dish with potatoes and smoked meat Meaty Jansson's temptation (Janssons frestelse) Margherita pizza with truffle oil served Truffle oil Margherita pizza Pozole de pollo with chicken and hominy corn, lime wedges Mexican Chicken Pozole Soup American waffles served on a plate Classic American waffles Roast turkey breast served Roast turkey breast Tandoor naan served with yoghurt Homemade Tandoori-style naan Tantanmen ramen served with sesame paste broth and minced meat Creamy tantanmen ramen Blackberry cream and almond macarons Blackberry Cream & Almond Macarons Greek yoghurt burek served Greek yoghurt burek Spicy pickled oranges served in a jar Spicy Pickled Oranges
Kovil Sakkarai Pongal served with fresh herbs
Authentic Indian temple dessert made with rice, jaggery and roasted nuts

Kovil sakkarai pongal

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
A sacred dish of South Indian temples (Kovil), where food offered to the gods (prasadam) is always made from the purest and richest ingredients. This is no ordinary rice pudding: the abundance of ghee (clarified butter), caramelising sugar, and roasted nuts give it a complex flavour profile that is at once sweet, savoury, and spiced. Its texture is creamy, almost melting in the mouth.
🕒 Prep Time 10 mins
🍳 Cook Time 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 40 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 550 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Indian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Heavy-bottomed pan (so the milk doesn't burn)
  • Small frying pan (for roasting nuts)

Allergen Information

⚠️ Milk
⚠️ Nuts

Instructions

1 ✓

In a dry pan, roast the moong dal for 2-3 minutes until fragrant but not brown. Then wash it together with the rice.

Tip: Dry roasting releases the lentils' nutty aromas.
2 ✓

Place the rice and dal in the pot, pour over the water and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mushy and soft (approx. 20-25 minutes).

Tip: The goal here is a porridge-like consistency, feel free to overcook! The fat in the milk helps creaminess.
3 ✓

Meanwhile, melt the ghee in a small pan. Toss in the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, and fry for 30 seconds.

Tip: Hot fat extracts flavour compounds from spices best.
4 ✓

Add the cashews, almonds, and coconut to the spiced ghee. Fry the nuts until golden brown.

Tip: Be careful, coconut burns in moments!
5 ✓

Once the rice is soft, stir in the sugar. Continue cooking on low heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes glossy.

Tip: Sugar liquefies the mixture; don't be alarmed if it becomes thinner.
6 ✓

Pour the spiced, nutty ghee into the rice base. Mix thoroughly and turn off the heat.

Tip: The ghee provides the final sheen and satiating mouthfeel.
7 ✓

Serve warm. You can sprinkle extra roasted nuts on top.

Recipe FAQ

Why is the rice hard?
You likely added the sugar too soon. Sugar draws water from the rice and stops it softening. Always cook the rice until completely soft before sweetening.
Can I substitute butter for ghee?
Yes, but the nuttier taste and higher smoke point of ghee is the true authentic choice.

Ingredients

  • 200 g Short-grain rice (e.g. pudding rice or risotto rice)
  • 100 g Moong dal (yellow lentils)
  • 500 ml Whole milk
  • 500 ml Water
  • 200 g Brown sugar (or cane sugar/jaggery)
  • 3 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
  • 50 g Cashew nuts (plain)
  • 2 tbsp Desiccated coconut
  • 1 stick Cinnamon
  • 4 pods Green cardamom (whole, lightly crushed)
  • 3 whole Cloves
  • 10 g Almonds (flaked)