Kalkandu (Kallusakkare) Pongal Recipe | Rice Pudding with Rock Candy

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Rice
• 1 cup Milk + 1 tablespoon
• 1/4 cup Candy Sugar
• 4 teaspoon Ghee
• 4-6 Dry Fruits I used raisins and cashews
• 1 pinch Saffron strands
• 1 pinch Edible camphor (pacha karpooram) optional but recommended

Steps

1. To prepare Kalkandu (Kallusakkare) Pongal Recipe | Rice Pudding with Rock Candy, wash and soak rice for 10 minutes and pressure cook with a cup of milk for 4-5 whistles or until cooked.
2. Once the pressure releases by itself, mash the rice well while still hot.
3. Fry the cashews and raisins in 1 teaspoon ghee till plump and golden brown, reserve.
4. Soak the saffron in 1 tablespoon hot milk for 10 minutes.
5. In a Non-stick pan, add the mashed rice and kalkandu/ Kallusakkare (the sugar will dissolve due to the heat, and don’t worry if it leaves some water in the vessel – the rice pudding recipe with thicken upon cooling), add half of the ghee, soaked saffron and mix well.
6. Add the pachai karpooram (edible camphor) to pongal recipe and turn off the heat.
7. Now add the remaining ghee if any to the Rice Pudding with Rock Candy and add the fried raisins and cashews.
8. Serve Kalkandu (Kallusakkare) Pongal Recipe | Rice Pudding with Rock Candy with Paruppu Podi for lunch/dinner.