Chakkara Pongal/Sweet Pongal & It's importance for Dussehra

Dussehra is represented as festival of Shakti. It's just not becoz she destroyed mahishasura, but it's also celebrated for our well being, good health & prosperity.

It's believed that sharad rutu cools down the earth and as it gets colder, different viral diseases could spread around & trouble people. So for a protection from all those bad forces we celebrate navratri for 9 days. Every Day Amman will go on a procession or uregimpu on streets of the city ensuring people that she is there to protect us. 

In my house for navratri we recite "Lalitha sahasranamam" for all 9 days and will offer prasad to Amman. According to Lalitha sahasranamam it's said that we should offer "Rice cooked with Jaggery "or " Gudanna " to Amman. 

We even offer different prasads like vada pappu, Pulagam, Boorelu, Pulihora or some sweets which consist of moong dal , besan & jaggery.

Ingredients
1 Cup Rice
1/2 Cup channa dal or senga pappu 
1 Cup jaggery
4 Tbs water
1 Tsp cardamon powder
2 Tbs ghee
1 Tbs cashew
21/2 Cups of milk

Pressure cook rice and channa dal with milk for 2 whistles. Switch of heat and allow the cooker to cool down. 
Heat a wide bottom pan add jaggery & water to it.Allow jaggery to melt in water and switch of heat. 
Now add the cooked rice & dal to jaggery and switch on heat. Keep stirring them so that they don't stick to the bottom. Once they all mix together well add cardamon powder & switch of heat. 
Heat a small pan with ghee & once it melts add cashew and fry them till they turn light brown. 
Add cashew to pan and the sweet pongal is ready.

Note:
1. You can replace jaggery with sugar.
2. Add more milk for a smooth pongal.
3. This version had just enough of sweet to the dish. So adjust sugar based on your taste.