Pongalo Pongal

Pongal is the Harvest Festival celebrated in mid January (14 Jan or 15 Jan) every year. This year Pongal falls in Jan 15 (first day of Thai Madham). We thank God, animals (especially cow) and workers (those who helped through out the year for the harvest). You can read in this post how we celebrate those four days.

In every house, Sakkarai (Sweet) Pongal is prepared to Thank ("Sun = Suriya Bhagavan") for the fruitful harvest. The rice and lentil are cooked in earthen pot into sweet and savory version in earthen new stoves. The rice and lentil should over split the pot belief the wealth/happiness will overflow throughout the year.
But in modern lifestyle, earthen stove is swapped to Gas stove, earthen pot replaced to pressure cooker.
Pongal fondly reminds me cane sugar, colorful kolam (rangoli) and of course Pongal (food).

The rangoli (kolam) represents the overflowing pongal from the pot (Pongal Pannai) and cane sugar. I did with all necessary ingredients for Sweet Pongal.



Ingredients:

Raw rice: 1 cup
Green gram dhal (de-husked): 1/4 cup
Jaggery: 3/4 cup to 1 cup grated
Green cardamon: 4 pods powdered
Cashew: 10 broken into pieces
Raisins: 1 tbsp
Nutmeg: /4 tsp
Salt: a pinch
Ghee: 3 tbsp



Method

Add a tsp ghee and roast the lentil (green gram dhal) slightly. Rinse the dhal and rice in tap water (3 times). Pressure cook the dhal and rice with 5 cups of water. Leave 6 whistles sound and switch off the stove. Let the pressure release on his own.
Add a little water in jaggery and melt it in low flame. Once melted, filtered the jaggery through a strainer.
Roast the cashew and raisin in 1 tbsp of ghee.
Mash the rice and dhal slightly, add the melted jaggery and cook with a pinch of salt in medium flame.
Once the mixture is thicken, add the ghee, roasted cashews and raisins. Sprinkle the powdered cardamon and switch off the stove.

If the pongal is watery don't worry it will turn thick later!





Tip: Don't cook rice and dhal directly in pressure cooker, unless you want to scrub the stovetop and kitchen later.
Fill with little water the pressure cooker first and keep another bowl (rice+lentil+water) cover with lid. Pressure cook.

Wish you once again Happy Pongal!

Comments

Unknown said…
Wow nice presentation, happy pongal to u too!
Vani said…
Happy Pongal! Love that creative design with grains!
Vani said…
And Cham, the sakkar pongal looks yum!
Happy Pongal Cham..The sweet looks delicious and so does the rangoli (kindof) wirh grains.
Pavani said…
Wishing u n your family a happy pongal cham..Pongal looks delicious and nice click.
Sanjeeta kk said…
The rangolis with the grains look very innovative and traditional. Festive wishes to you too!
Unknown said…
Hey Cham,

Pongal vaalthugal dear!!Love your creative work..:)Yummy pongal too!!:)

Dr.Sameena@

http://www.myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com/
Padhu Sankar said…
Happy pongal .Nice decor with rice and dal. Pongal looks inviting
Joyti said…
Awww, your styling is SO cute. Hope you enjoy the holiday :)
Laavanya said…
Happy pongal Cham. I love ur rice and dhal rangoli :)
Cilantro said…
Happy Pongal to you and your family, Cham!
Finla said…
Looks yumm , I love the design you have made, Happy pongal
Manasi said…
Love the design u have made,so creative!
Love the pongal too, I am fond of both sweet and savory pongal , but my sweet tooth weakens my resolve and I lunge for the sweet one ;)
Priya dharshini said…
happy ongal,cham...nice panai work...
Priya Suresh said…
Happy Pongal wishes to you and your family..Rangolis with grains looks pretty and cute..
Sujatha said…
Pongal Nalvazhuthukkal, Cham! Very Creative decoration..
aipi said…
What a beautiful presentation..Happy Pongal dear!

US Masala
Vaishali said…
What a delightful kolam, Cham, and the pongal looks amazing. A very happy Pongal to you and your family.
Esther said…
Hi Cham,
Happy Pongal!! I Like the design you made with the pongal ingredients. Even I miss Sugar cane bites:-(
notyet100 said…
happy festival,
rangoli looks so good,..
CurryLeaf said…
Hope u had a wonderful Pongal. Sakkarai pongal looks wonderful.Happy 2011 to you as well.
wish you a very happy pongal Cham. the sakkarai pongal looks delish.
Unknown said…
Pongal wishes Cham!
swapna said…
Nice presentation...Love the delicious pongal!!
Happy Pongal!!
Unknown said…
Happy pongal tou andur family cham Lovely picture great presentation.
vandana rajesh said…
Happy Pongal Cham. Loved the pongal and your creative rangoli.
Indian Khana said…
Love the presentation n pongal looks yum....how u doing dear?
Lakshmi said…
Rangoli is so cute n nice. Pongal left me drooling!
Rachana said…
Happy Pongal! Love the creative rangoli...
Cham, yes I bought the moulds from Bengal. acquiring these are quite difficult these days and I got mine from a remote village in Midnapore.
Do you want some? let me know. I can send to your Indian address.
Raks said…
Wow,nice representation of pongal with rice and jaggery,loved it,pongal looks so yumm!
Usha said…
Kolam with rice and lentils looks awesome, loved the presentation!

And the pongal looks fabulous, belated pongal wishes Cham!
Namitha said…
Hope you had a great pongal :-) Beautiful kolam..I must say that you're so creative..I really miss the sweet pongal my neighbors in India used to share..