🍯 Kalkandu Bath Recipe | South Indian Sweet Pongal

“A divine blend of rice, milk, sugar candy, and ghee — Kalkandu Bath is prasadam in its purest, sweetest form!”

Kalkandu Bath (Sugar Candy Pongal) is a traditional South Indian temple-style sweet, often made during festivals and auspicious occasions. The combination of milk-cooked rice, saffron, cardamom, cashews, and ghee makes it aromatic, rich, and melt-in-the-mouth delicious. Adding a hint of green camphor gives it that authentic temple prasadam flavor.

🛒 Ingredients

• Raw Rice – ½ cup
• Milk – 1 to 1.25 liters
• Sugar / Diamond Sugar (Kalkandu) – ½ cup + 2 tbsp
• Ghee – 5 to 6 tbsp
• Saffron Strands – a few
• Cashew Nuts – 5 to 6
• Cardamom Powder – ½ tsp
• Green Camphor – a pinch (optional, for authentic temple flavor)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Cook the Rice

• Wash raw rice thoroughly.
• Option 1 (Pressure Cooker): Add 1.5–2 cups milk and cook for 3 whistles.
• Option 2 (Open Pot): Cook rice in milk, adding more as needed, until soft and mashable.

2. Add Sweetness

• Once rice is soft, add sugar or diamond sugar.
• Stir well until sugar dissolves completely into the milk-rice mixture.

3. Flavor & Enrich

• Add saffron strands.
• Mix well and cook for 5–7 minutes on medium-low flame.
• Add 2 tbsp ghee and continue to cook for 3–5 minutes.

4. Roast Cashews

• In a small pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee.
• Add cashew nuts and roast until light golden (not dark).
• Add to the rice mixture and stir.

5. Final Touch

• Add cardamom powder and a pinch of green camphor (optional).
• Mix gently and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
• Finish with 1 tbsp ghee on top, cover, and rest for a few minutes.

Your aromatic Kalkandu Bath is ready to serve!

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

• Serve warm as prasadam for poojas and festivals.
• Can also be served as a dessert after a South Indian meal.
• Tastes heavenly with a drizzle of extra ghee!

🥗 Nutritional Highlights

• Rice & Milk – Provide energy, calcium, and protein.
• Kalkandu (Sugar Candy) – A natural sweetener, often considered sattvic in temples.
• Ghee & Cashews – Add healthy fats and richness.
• Cardamom & Saffron – Boost aroma, digestion, and antioxidants.

🧊 Storage

• Best enjoyed fresh and warm.
• Can be stored in the refrigerator for 1–2 days.
• Reheat gently with a splash of milk before serving to regain creaminess.

Enjoy this Kalkandu Bath — a divine South Indian prasadam that fills your home with temple-like aroma and sweetness! ✨🍯

Video Tutorial