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Pongal is the harvest festival celebrated all over Tamil Nadu and some other parts of South India.The festival is meant to render the thankfulness of the people towards God for all the goodness created by him. Pongal happens to be one of the most well known festivals in the Tamil holiday calendar. The Pongal is the festival that takes place on the 14th of January and thus it resembles a series of celebrations that occurs at the same time of the year and are referred by different names in the various parts of India. As in Bengal, it is known as Makar Sankranti, in Andbhra Pradesh as Bhogi, in Assam as Bhagali Bihu and in Punjab as Lohri. Pongal in general happens to be a vibrant event and continues for three days. The fourth day is decked with scores of fun filled activities and ample enjoyment. The festival of Pongal can also be referred as the start of New Year and therefore is guarded by some sincere rituals in order to express people’s heartfelt faith towards God. The old times are discarded on this day and a new renewal of life and energy is marked during Pongal. The festival pronounces joy and happiness of each and every element of nature, starting from the human beings, to the plants, the cattles, the birds and even the insects. “Kollam”, being one of the important traditional rituals of Pongal offers rice flour to all the lives sustaining on Earth at the entrance of the houses. It ensures satisfaction and bliss to all living constituents.
Food forms an important part of Pongal and there is an array of Pongal recipes that must be prepared during the celebration. These Pongal recipes are authentic enough in terms of their versatility in the Tamil cuisine. The preparations of Pongal recipes are the culinary activities that every Tamil household should br familiar to. Here is a brief exposure to the most popular Pongal dishes. They are,
- Sarkkarai Pongal
- Salt Pongal
- Avial
- Coconut Rice
- Lemon Rice
- Puli Pongal
- Sweet Pongal
Sarakkarai Pongal
Ingredients:
- 1and 1/2 cups newly harvested rice
- 1/4 cup Moong dal
- 15 Cashewnuts
- 1 1/2 cup Jaggery grated
- 30 Kishmis
- 10 Almonds
- 2 litres Milk ‘
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron crushed
- 1/4 level Teaspoon nutrieg powder
- 2 tbsps of ghee.
Preparation:
The kishmish, cashews and almonds need to be cleaned and chopped into pieces. A special earthern vessel is used for preparing the Pongal. It is known as ‘Pongapani’ . The milk should be put in it and it should be set flame.As the milk starts boiling, rice and dal are added in it. The jaggery and ghee is added when both the dal and the rice are well cooked. Cook it for some time at medium heat and add nutmeg, saffron and cardamom powder in it and also add cashew and almond to it. The last ingredient to be put is kismis and then it should be boiled for some time.
Salt Pongal
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cup Moong Dal
- 2 cups of Basmati rice
- 10-12 pieces of fried or roasted cashew nuts
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp Ghee
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
The dal and the rice need to be washed thoroughly. Put ¼ litre of water in a deep pan, put the rice and dal, and boil for some time. When they are well cooked, they should be kept aside. Take oil in another shallow pan and fry the cashew and the cumin seed individually. Then add it to the dal and the rice and also add salt and pepper to it according to your taste and serve it hot.
Avial
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp roasted Urad dal
- 1 tsp roasted Channa dal
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp heeng or asafoetida
- 2 green chilies
- Different vegetables can be put in diced form but don’t put beet root or any leafy vegetable.
- 1 finely-grated coconut
Preparation:
Cook the vegetables for a brief period of time and keep them apart. Grind the chana dal, the urad dal, the heeng and the green chillies to a paste. Take ghee in a different pan and put the paste in it. Fry it as long it starts rendering a delicious smell. Put the grated coconut and the diced vegetables and cook at a low flame. Put salt to the taste and serve it hot.
Coconut Rice
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp Channa dal
- 2 cup Basmati rice
- 1 tsp Urad dal
- Green or red chillies
- 1 grated coconut
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
Clean the Rice carefully and put it in ¼ litre of water and set to boil until it becomes softened. Take some ghee in ashallow pan and put the urad dal, the chana dal, the chillies and the mustard seed in it. Fry it till it smells nice. Mix the cooked rice with it and garnish it with grated coconut. Put salt and serve it hot.
Lemon Rice
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp Urad dal,
- 2 cup Basmati rice
- 1 tsp Channa dal
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida/ heeng
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp Ghee
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
Wash the rice and boil it until cooked well. Fry the turmeric powder, the asfoeida, chana dal, urad dal in it. Soon a pleasant smell emits. Then mix the cooked rice in it. Put the lemon juice all over the preparation and also add salt to it and mix well. The Mon rice is ready to be served hot.
Puli Pongal
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon Urad Dal
- 2 cups Raw Rice
- 1 teaspoon Channa Dal
- A pinch of Asafoetida
- 3 Red chillies
- 1 to 2 glass Water
- A small lime sized tamarind
- Curry leaves a sprig
- 4 or 5 tsps of Mustard Oil
- Salt to taste
Method:
Soak the rice in water for 1 hour and then grind it in the mixer. Take oil in a pan and as it starts splattering, put the curry leaves, asvfoetida, urad dal, chana dal and green chilly in it. Mix some water with the tamarind to make a concentration. Add It to the mixture and also add the ground rice to it and keep on frying. Set the flame to simmer and add more water, close the mouth of the pan with a lid and leave it to cook. When the rice seem to be well cooked, add water to it, The base of the pan will become crisp and brown. Serve it hot with chutney or pickle.
Sweet pongal
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cup Arhar Dal
- 2 cup Basmati Rice50 gm jaggery
- 1/4 litre milk
- 1/2 tsp dried and ground cardamom
- 12-15 pieces almonds
- 12-15 pieces roasted cashew nuts or fried raisins
- 1 tsp Ghee
- 1 pinch edible camphor dissolved in milk
Preparation:
The dal and the rice should be washed. Boil them in milk in a deep vessel. Then put jaggery in it and keep on stirring until it melts and mix completely with the mixture of dal, rice and milk. When it will seem that the rice and dal are well cooked then put the raisins, the cashew nots and thw cardamom powder to it. Also put the edible camphor and keep on stirring. Pour the ghee in itm while removing from flame. This can be served both as hot and cold.
Sigi says savor the exquisite Pongal delights and taste the true flavor of South India to the fullest.
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