Millet Kalkandu bath recipe |with video and step-by-step pictures, a popular sweet made during the Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu. Traditionally, we make Sakkarai pongal for the pongal festival in Tamil Nadu. Sakkarai pongal and Ven pongal are also offered as prasadams in temples in most places in South India. Kalkandu bath | kalkandu sadam, is a creamy sweet | dessert, made using rice, milk, and sugar candy.
I have posted Kalkandu Pongal, but this one is with Millets. Varagu gives an excellent replacement for raw rice. I wanted to make it using panakarkandu | palm candy, but ended up making a millet kalkandu bath. I will try to post the panakalkandu version of pongal too. Though we don’t make kalkandu pongal on Pongal, it can be made on Kannu Pongal. Needless to say, this is the best Neivedyam for Navaratri and other traditional festivals.
The addition of milk to this sweet candy pongal makes it creamier and more delicious. You can add some condensed milk in the last step to enhance the richness and taste.
I got the Sugar candy (Kalkandu) from Sri Murugan stores in Singapore. T
Check out my Complete collection of Pongal festival recipes.
Millet Kalkandu sadam recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Varagu | Kodo millet
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 cups Water
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 3/4 cup Kalkandu | sugar candy
- Edible camphor a very tiny pinch
- Nutmeg a small mustard size
- Cardamom powder a pinch
- Cashew nuts few
- Raisins few
Instructions
- Wash the millet and add 1 cup of milk and 2 cups of water to this.
- Always use a big vessel for making this, else the milk will over flow, leaving the rice uncooked.
- Pressure cook this till 7-8 whistles. Let it be in medium flame, after it starts whistling.
- Keep in simmer for 5 minutes.
- Once the pressure is released naturally, take out and mash it nicely with a ladle.
- If you want you can slightly roast 2 tblsp of moong dal and add along with the millet while cooking.
- Powder the kalkandu | sugar candy.
- Add the cooked mashed rice to a pan.
- Add the powdered candy sugar to this.
- Add 1 tblsp of ghee to this.
- Mix well and keep the flame low.
- If you want to add some more milk or condensed milk add now.
- Let this slowly starts boiling, keep in low flame only.
- Add the nutmeg powder ( i grated from full nutmeg), edible camphor and cardamom powder.
- Mix well.
- Roast the cashew nuts in 1 tblsp of ghee.
- Once it is almost done, add the raisins. They tend to cook very fast.
- Switch off the flame.
- Mix well.
- Kalkandu bath is ready for neivedyam.
Video
Notes
Method with step-by-step pictures:
- Wash the millet, then add 1 cup of milk and 2 cups of water.
- Always use a large vessel to make this, otherwise the milk will overflow, leaving the rice uncooked.
- Pressure cook this till 7-8 whistles. Let it be on medium flame, after it starts whistling.
- Keep in simmer for 5 minutes.
- Once the pressure is released naturally, take it out and mash it nicely with a ladle.
- If you want, you can slightly roast 2 tablespoons of moong dal and add it along with the millet while cooking.
- Powder the kalkandu | sugar candy.
- Add the cooked mashed rice to a pan.
- Add the powdered sugar to this.
- Add 1 tbsp of ghee to this.
- Mix well and keep the flame low.
- If you want to add some more milk or condensed milk, add it now.
- Let this slowly start boiling; keep it on a low flame only.
- Add the nutmeg powder (I grated from a full nutmeg), edible camphor, and cardamom powder.
- Mix well.
- Roast the cashew nuts in 1 tbsp of ghee.
- Once it is almost done, add the raisins. They tend to cook very fast.
- Switch off the flame.
- Mix well.
- Kalkandu bath is ready for Neivedyam.
- You can use any variety of Millet to make this kalkandu pongal.
- Milk can be added more, and water can be reduced while cooking the millet.
- Moong dal can be added to achieve a creamier texture.
- If needed, reheat the kalakandu pongal on the stove top by adding 1/4 cup full-cream milk and cooking for 5 – 7 minutes.
- Always use full-cream milk to make Kalkandu pongal | Kalkandu bath.
