Quinoa Sweet Pongal

I wanted to try this pongal recipe for quite sometime and finally made during this festive season. The combination of quinoa with the lentil works out very well, which was one of my main concerns while making this dish. I have used coconut palm sugar here which imparts a light flavor and color to the dish. You can use regular jaggery or any other preferred sweetener here.  This is ideal for slow cooker cooking but not so much for pressure cooker since the quinoa can get stuck in the vent.

Ingredients:
1. Quinoa, 1 cup, washed thoroughly.
2. Moong dhal, 1/2 cup, washed.
3.  Cardamom powder, a pinch.
4. Cashews, 1 tablespoon.
5. Raisins, 1 tablespoon.
6. Ghee, 1 tablespoon. (Optional, roasted cashews and raisins can be added directly in the end)
7. Jaggery or any preferred sweetener, 1/2 cup.
8. Salt, a pinch.

Preparation:
Cook the moong dhal until it is soft and mushy and keep aside.  Heat a pan with a tablespoon of ghee. Add the cashews and raisins and fry for a few seconds until the cashews turn golden brown and the raisins are plump. Add 3 cups of water along with the quinoa, cooked moong dhal, cardamom powder and salt and cook under low-to-medium flame until the quinoa is cooked and the mixture starts to thicken. Mix in the sugar and let it cook for 2 more minutes and switch off the stove. Quinoa sweet pongal is ready!