The pongal or makara sankrati festival is celebrated from january 13 to 16 each year. The occasion is to celebrate the harvest season and thanksgiving to nature by cooking new rice or freshly harvested cereals. The word “ponga” basically means overflow and refers to the overflow style of cooking in a land pot over a wood fire.
- PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
- COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES
- TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS of Pongal
- ½ cup rice, soaked 15 minutes
- ¼ cup moong dal, soaked 15 minutes
- 2¼ cup water
- ¾ cup jaggery
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp ghee
- 10 whole cashew
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 1 clove
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- small piece edible camphor
How to Make Pongal
-
Take ½ cup rice and ¼ cup moong dal in cooker, add 2¼ cup water and pressure cook for 5 whistles.
-
Take ¾ cup jaggery and ¼ cup water in a pan.
-
Filter the jaggery water into cooked rice-dal mixture.
-
Add ¼ cup water and simmer for 2 minutes or till jaggery combines well with rice-dal mixture.
-
Add 2 tbsp ghee and give a good mix till the sakkarai pongal turns glossy.
-
Heat 2 tsp ghee and fry 10 whole cashew, 2 tbsp raisins and 1 clove in kadhai.
-
Put the fried cashews and kishmish into sweet pongal, add ¼ tsp cardamom powder and small piece edible camphor. mix well.
-
Pongal is ready to offer to goddess.
