SUGAR-FREE SWEET PONGAL

This the same and regular pongal recipe where I have just substituted the sugar with sugar-free sweetener, so the diabetics in the family can have something sweet during the festival season. It is ideal to go for natural sweeteners like palm sugar, maple syrup, agave nectar, or monk fruit etc. to avoid the long-term side effects of the artificial sweeteners  varying from kidney ailments to nervous disorders. If you feel like you are missing out the sweets during festive seasons, just go for a small serving size, and go for a brisk walk later to burn out that extra carbs and blood sugars :) In this particular recipe, I have used agave nectar since I like the subtle taste of this sweetener. It is a good substitute for jaggery  in our traditional Indian sweets where jaggery is used.

Ingredients:
1. Rice (brown rice can also be used), 1 cup.
2. Moong dhal, 1/2 cup.
3. Cardamom powder, 1/2 teaspoon.
4. Ghee, 1 tablespoon.
5. Broken cashews, 2 tablespoons.
6. Raisins, 1 tablespoon.
7. Salt, a pinch.
8. Sugar-free sweetener, 2/3 cup. (I have used agave nectar here).
9. Milk, 1/2 cup.

Preparation:
Traditionally sweet pongal is prepared by boiling everything together in a thick-bottomed pot or pan until the rice and dhal along with milk and sweetener is cooked and soft and mushy. Then cashews and raisins are roasted under low flame in the ghee until they are golden brown and then this is poured over the pongal. You can also cook the pongal in a pressure cooker. Add the rice and dhal, and  2 cups of water with a pinch of salt and cook for 3 whistles for 10 minutes. Once the pressure is released, add the milk, sweetener, cardamom powder, and ghee-roasted cashews and mix everything well, and let it cook for 5 more minutes until the desired consistency is reached. Alternatively, this pongal can also be cooked in rice cooker. The method is the same as in a pressure cooker but the dhal needs to be parboiled before adding in the rice.