Thinai-Sakkarai-Pongal

#ThinaiSakkaraiPongal  #FoxtailMilletSweetPongal : #Thinai is known as #Foxtailmillet in English. Thinai belongs to minor #millet family. The grains are spherical and small in size. Its yellowish golden in color and sweet in taste.
Thinai is gluten free and non acid forming food. It is rich in protein and minerals.
Here let me present the recipe for sakkarai pongal using thinai [ foxtail millet ]

Ingredients :
1/2 Cup	Thinai [ Foxtail millet ]
1/4 Cup	Green gram split [ moong dhal ]
1/2 Cup	Milk
1 pinch	Salt
1 Cup	Jaggery [ adjust ]
4	Cardamom
a small piece	Nutmeg
2 Tsp	Sugar
1 pinch	Edible Camphor [ Pachai karpooram ]
4 Tsp	Ghee
4 - 5	Cashew nuts
5 - 6	Almond

Method :

Soak almonds in water for 4 to 5 hours or microwave for a minute on HIGH.

After that remove the skin and finely chop them.

Keep aside.

Powder sugar, cardamom & nutmeg in a mixie or using a mortar & pestle.

Keep aside.

Wash thinai and dhal together in a vessel and drain the water completely.

Add 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of milk into the vessel.
Take a cup of water in a pressure cooker.
Place the bottom plate.
Then keep the vessel with thinai and dhal inside the cooker.

Close the lid and put the weight over the nozzle of the cooker.
Allow 3 whistles, reduce the flame and cook for 5 minutes at SIM.
Open the cooker only after it ran out of steam.

In the mean time dissolve jaggery in hot water.
Strain through a filter to remove impurities.
Keep aside.

Fry cashew nut pieces with ghee in a kadai till they turn golden.
Set aside.
Heat a heavy bottomed vessel on a stove over slow flame.
After opening the cooker lid take out the vessel containing cooked thinai & dhal.
Mash with a ladle and transfer into the vessel on the stove.

Add jaggery water & a pinch of salt and stir well.
Keep stirring for 8 to 10 minutes or until all blend together.

Finally add cardamom-nutmeg powder and 3 Tsp of ghee.
Then add finely chopped almonds.
Mix well.
Turnoff the stove and then add edible camphor after crushing it between fingers.
Mix well.
Tasty sweet thinai sakkarai pongal is ready.
Transfer into serving bowls and top it with roasted cashew nuts.
Add a dash of ghee also and enjoy with vadai or bajji!!

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