As a celebration of the harvest, it corresponds to Makara Sankranti, which is celebrated in India under a variety of regional names. One among them is Pongal in South India that falls on January 14, a four-day festival. Also known as Thai Pongal, it is extremely important for people in Tamil Nadu.
During the Pongal festival, the four days are called Bhogi Pongal, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal. The occasion is dedicated to the Hindu god Sun for providing agriculture with the energy it requires.
Pongal means “to boil, overflow.” This festival is marked by preparing a traditional sweet with rice boiled in milk and jaggery. It is offered to the Gods and Goddesses. People prepare rice for the festival by cooking it until it overflows – this is considered a sign of abundance and prosperity. Pongal is considered to be one of the most important and popular recipes prepared using rice on this day. It also goes by the name of Chakkara Pongal in Telugu and Sakkarai Pongal in Tamil.
To celebrate the harvest festival, families in South India, particularly those in the Tamil community, offer prayers to the Sun God and then enjoy a delicious lunch and exchange gifts with friends and relatives.
Tamilians decorate their houses with mango and banana leaves, and colorful patterns made from rice flour during the occasion. Dishes are also served traditionally using banana leaves during the festival.
The unmissable and easy-to-make Pongal Recipe:
Ingredients:
Raw Rice – 1/2 cup
Moong dal – 1/4 cup
Jaggery – 1 cup grated
Cashew nuts -2 tablespoons
Raisins -2-3 tablespoons
Cardamom – 1/4 tablespoon powder
Ghee/clarified butter -1/4 cup
Ghee -1/2 tsp
Step By Step Preparation:
- To begin with, dry roast dal and rice. Then, pressure cooks them together.
- Once the mixture is ready, mash it well.
- Take a pan and heat 1/4 cup of water with jaggery in it. Add ghee in it after the jaggery dissolves completely
- Now, add jaggery syrup and a cup of water
- Also, add the mashed mixture of rice and dal
- Wait for the mixture to blend well and then add cardamom powder to it
- Before putting dry fruits in the mixture, fry them well in ghee
- Cook the mixture again on low flame for a few minutes after adding cashew nuts and raisins to it so that everything blends well
The delicious sweet Pongal is now ready to be served hot.
