Millet sweet pongal was in my to-do list for a long time. I used Kodo millet for this sweet pongal. Kodo millet is known as Varagu in Tamil, Kodon in Hindi, Arikelu in Telugu and Haarka in Kannada. I don't have traditional pongal paanai, so I am using pressure cooker for preparing pongal. Please check below for step by step instructions and pictures for preparing south Indian Kodo Millet Sweet Pongal | Varagu Arisi Sakkarai Pongal.

Millet Sweet Pongal | Varagu arisi sakkarai pongal South Indian sweet prepared with kodo millet and mung dal. Prepared during major festivals and offered to God. Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 30 mins | Yields : 4 Recipe Category: Sweet Recipe Cuisine: South Indian - Tamil Nadu Author: Nithya Ingredients: Mung dal | Paasi paruppu : 1/4 Cup Kodo Millet | Varagu Arisi  : 1/4 Cup Jaggery : 3/4 Cup Cardamom  : 2 Nutmeg powder : 1/4 tsp Salt : 1/4 tsp Ghee : 1 tbsp + 2 tsp  Cashews : 10 Raisins : 10 Instructions: 1. Heat 2 tsp of ghee in pressure cooker. Add mung dal and roast till nice aroma comes.  Wash millets and add it to cooker. Pressure cook yellow mung dal and millets to 4 whistles by adding enough water. I added around 2 cups of water. Mash well using potato masher or ladle and keep it ready.  2. Prepare the Jaggery syrup by cooking jaggery in 1/2 cup of water.  Allow the syrup to boil. Strain the syrup to remove impurities and add it to cooked mung dal and millets. Powder cardamom and keep it ready.Add nutmeg powder, cardamom powder to pongal. Cook the pongal in low flame for 5 mins and switch off the stove. 3. Heat ghee in another pan. Add cashews and roast till it turns golden color. Now add raisins and roast till it fluffs up.  Add roasted cashews and raisins to pongal.  Pongal thickens after some time.   Millet Sweet Pongal | Varagu arisi sakkarai pongal | Pongal Festival Recipe Tips: 1.Roasting mung dal in ghee is optional. 2.Edible camphor and cloves can be added to pongal. 3. Pongal thickens after cooling, so prepare accordingly. If it gets thicken, add ghee and hot milk before serving. 4. Color of pongal depends on the jaggery used. 5.Hot Milk can also be added along with Jaggery syrup to give more taste.  6. Dal quantity can also be reduced to 2 tbsp.