Pongalo Pongal - A Thai Thirunal Celebration!

Decoration: Used miniature pots designed by me to represent traditional Pongal festival

Thai Pongal is one of the most popular harvest festival of South India, mainly Tamil Nadu. Pongal falls in the mid-January every year. Pongal festival lasts for four days. Celebrations include drawing of Kolam, Cleaning and painting the house, cooking of delicious Pongal and so on.

The first day is celebrated as 'Bhogi pongal'. On Bhogi all people clean out their homes from top to bottom, and collect all unwanted goods and burn them. Kids dance around the bonfire.

The second day of Pongal is known as 'Surya Pongal' and is dedicated to the Sun God. It is the day on which the celebration actually begins and is also the first day of the Tamil month Thai. On this day the new rice is collected and cooked in mud pots until they over flow. It is this overflowing which means Pongal. This overflowing of rice is a joyous occasion, and the children and adults as well will shout out 'Pongal-o-Pongal!'.

The third day of Pongal is dedicated to cattle and is called Mattu Pongal. People offer prayers to the bulls, cows and other farm animals.

The fourth day of the three-day Pongal celebrations is called Kaanum Pongal. In few places this day is also known as Karinaal or Thiruvalluvar Day. On this day, people travel to see other family members and the younger members of the family pay homage to the elders, and the elders thank them by giving token money. Another thing many do is leave food out on banana leaves for birds to take.

Find more info abt pongal here.

I just clicked few pics to show the ethnicity in the city ;)

Earthen pots, colored pots and fresh turmeric decorate the market :)



Sugarcanes are also consumed on the day of pongal. They are the excitement factor for kids :)

At home mom, dad and myself made two varieties of Pongal. :) Paal pongal and Chakkara Pongal.

Mom and dad making Pongal.


Chakkara Pongal

Ingredients:

New rice - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1 1/2 cup
Milk - 7 cups
Cardamom - 2
Cashews - few
Raisins - few
Ghee - 3 tblsp

Method:

Wash and soak rice in water for ten min.

Take milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and let it boil. When it raises shout "Pongalo Pongal" ;) and add the rice to it stirring continuously.

Keep stirring continuously till it thickens and the rice gets cooked. Now add the jaggery and mix well till it dissolves. Finally add ghee, cardamom powder, fried cashew and raisins.

Richy rich Chakkara pongal is ready to eat. :)

Paal pongal

Ingredients:

New rice - 1 cup
Milk - 7 cups
Salt - for taste

Method:

Wash and soak rice in water for ten min.

Take milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and let it boil. When it raises shout "Pongalo Pongal" ;) and add the rice to it stirring continuously.

Keep stirring continuously till it thickens and the rice gets cooked. Now add salt and mix well.

Paal pongal is ready.

Serve this with mixed vegetable sambhar also know as pongal kolambu. Will post the recipe soon. :)

You can add curd and seasoning to it and make yummy Bahalabath too :)

My pongal kolam. This my first try with colors. :)

Wish you all a very Happy Pongal :)

Written by: Nithya
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