Posts

Showing posts with the label Pongal festival

Pongal - The harvest festival

 Pongal - Thai Pongal the harvest festival of India, is celebrated as a four day festival starting with Bhogi, the last day of the month of Margazhi, Pongal - the first day of the month of Thai, Maatu Pongal - honouring the cows, bulls and buffaloes that help and the last day is Kaanum Pongal. The main festival of this 4 day festival is the Thai Pongal and this is celebrated as Makara Sankaranthi all over India. This day marks the journey of sun northwards and is called as Uttarayanam.  This is the first festival of Gregorian Calender year and this marks the beginning of all auspicious events in any family. Thanking Sun God for all the abundant wealth he had given to the farmers is the main purpose of this festival.  New mud pots are purchased and Sweet and Venn Pongal are prepared in these pots. The pots are deocated with rice flour, turmeric plants. All the vegetables are used to make thalatham or thalagam. Find below all the recipes that are made for Pongal. Also apart from the regu

Thalagam/Thalatham/Thalatha Kuzhambu/Ericha Kuzhambu - A special side dish for Ven Pongal on Pongal Day

This is a special side dish made on Pongal. For this only the following vegetables are used and these vegetables are a must. Ingredients: White pumpin - 100 gms Sweet Potato - 100 gms Yellow pumpkin - 100 gms Raw plantain - 1 no. Drumstick - 1 no. Avarai - 100 gms. Green Chilly - 2 nos Tamarind paste - 2 spoons Grated coconut - 1/2 cup Bengal gram - 2 tbs Coriander seeds - 4 tbsp Urad dal - 1 tbsp Red chillies - 8 to 12 nos Pea nut - 2 tbsp sesame seeds - 1 tbsp Curry Leaves - a few Fenu greek seeds - 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Gingely Oil - 2 tbsp Turmeric powder - 1 pinch Asafodeita - 1 pinch Salt to taste Method: Dry roast the sesame seeds separately till they splutter. When cool grind it separately and keep aside. Heat 1 tbsp of oil and fry the grated coconut separately. Heat another tbsp of oil and fry coriander seeds, bengal gram, peanut and 6 red chillies adding one by one. When they turn golden brown in colour remove and let it cool. Grind it along with the fried coconut. C

Sarkarai Pongal - A sweet recipe for any festival

Image
This is one recipe which is made very often at home especially on fridays of the Tamil month of Thai and Aadi. This is also one Pongal that is made during the festival of Pongal. Ingredients: Rice - 2 cups Moong Dal - 1/2 cup Jaggery - 1 1/2 cups Milk - 4 cups Cardamom - 2 pieces (grind it to fine powder) Cashew nuts - 10 to 12 pieces Ghee - 1/2 cup Raisins - 12 pieces Method: In a dry pan fry the rice and moong dal separately till a nice aroma is emitted. Pressure cook the rice and dal together with 2 cups of milk and 5 cups of water. Cook for almost 5 whistles. Mash it thoroughly when the rice is warm. Heat the remaining 2 cups of milk in a solid bottom vessel or pan and add the mashed rice to it and mix thoroughly. Slice the jaggery and add it to the rice and milk and mix thoroughly. Add cardamom powder and mix again. Fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee and add it to the cooked Sarkarai Pongal.