Sakkarai Pongal is a delicious dish made by cooking rice, moong dal in jaggery syrup, milk, and then flavoured with cardamom and garnished with ghee fried cashews and raisins.

Pongal means overflowing or bubbling up by boiling and Sakkarai or Chakkara means jaggery / country sugar in Tamil. Water and milk is boiled and then raw rice, jaggery, dal, dry fruits, ghee are added to make Sakkarai Pongal.

Pongal is celebrated for 3-4 days, and on the day, known as Surya Pongal, Sakkarai Pongal is traditionally prepared as an offering to the Sun God as a gratitude. The significance of using raw rice instead of boiled rice for making Pongal is that first cooking with the harvest is celebrated and dedicated to Sun God. The use of jaggery in Sakkarai Pongal symbolises sweetness and prosperity.

Sakkarai Pongal is also known as Sweet Pongal or Chakkara Pongal. In some households, the preparation of Sakkarai Pongal is considered auspicious and is often done as a ritual during festivals or special occasions.