Kodo Millet Pudding ( வரகு அரிசி பொங்கல்)

Kodo Millet Pudding ( வரகு அரிசி பொங்கல்)

Ingredients:

Kodo Millet ( வரகு அரிசி )  -  1 கப்

 Jaggery   ( வெல்லம்)  -  1 கப்

Milk  ( பால் )  - 1 கப்

Clarified Butter / Ghee   ( நெய் )  -  4 tbsp

 Cashew nuts ( முந்திரி பருப்பு )  -  5 to  6 halved

 Cardamom   ( ஏலக்காய் )  -  4 ( remove seeds from pod and powdered)

Edible Camphor  ( பச்சை கற்பூரம் )  -  a pinch

Steps:

In a skillet, add a spoon of  ghee and roast kodo millet until it gives a fragrant smell.

Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles and slow cook for 3 minutes.

When pressure is released, take out the cooked millet, smash it well with a flat ladle.

Add a cup of milk and mix well.

In the skillet, add a cup of jaggery and 2 cups of water. Heat to melt.

Strain to remove the impurities and bring it to boil. Let it boil for 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked millet. 

Add the remaining ghee and cook for a few minutes. Switch off the flame.

Add fried cashew nuts, cardamom and camphor.

Hot kodo pudding is ready to serve.

My Notes:

Lately I have been incorporating millet varieties quite often in daily cooking. When it came to cook an offering for ' The Mother' on new year day, kodo millet was suggested and I took it without a second thought.
Any offering for the Divine is always beautiful and nice. This sweet pongal was no exception,came out very well. We all relished after the Satsangh at our Guru/Mentor' house.

ஓம் ஆனந்தமயி;சைத்தன்ய மயி;சத்தியமயி பரமே!

Varagu arisi as the kodo millet is called in Tamil, is an ancient crop domesticated in India 3000 years back. It is a nutri grain with high protein and fiber content.

Moong dhal can be added to sweet pongal varieties. Most of the time I do add to get an added flavour.

I chose milk in this recipe as milk also gives a rich taste. 

When milk is added to cook the millet, it tastes nice but half of the milk will be spilled and found in the water of the pressure cooker. Even if a larger vessel  and a lid is used, I have faced the problem. So I started adding milk to the hot cooked rice/millet.

Jaggery syrup is boiled well so that later, cooking time can be reduced eventually reducing the amount of ghee needed. If  jaggery or melted jaggery is added, it has to be cooked well and needs generous amount of ghee to keep the mixture from not sticking to the vessel.

Happy New Year 2016 to all ;)