Sakkarai Pongal & Ven Pongal

Wish you and your family a very happy Pongal.

Pongal  is celebrated for four days. On, the first day, Bhogi, the old clothes and materials are thrown away and fired, marking the beginning of a new life. The second day, the Pongal day, is celebrated by boiling fresh milk early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel - a tradition that is the literal translation for Pongal. People also prepare savories and sweets, visit each other's homes, and exchange greetings. The third day, Mattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cows and buffaloes, as they are used to plough the lands. On the last day, Kanum Pongal, people go out to picnic. 

 

During my childhood days  the first Bhogi, we would collect all the clothes, materials and even get some cash from the community and assemble this in a huge empty land we would burn them up in the night and dance in that born fire like. The third day Mattu pongal would be the most wonderful time we have had. My neighbor had  many cows and we would paint their horns and tie all the colourful  garlands with flowers and savories on the cows neck as they were decked up for the jallikattu and races that they had.  I cannot forget those days.

 

Lets move on  with the recipes

Time taken : 30 minutes                                                               Serves : 4 pax

Sakkarai Pongal

Ingredients

Raw rice - 1 cup                                                                           Split moong daal – ¼  cup                                                       Jaggery - 400 grams                                                                       Ghee - 1 tbsp *                                                                                   Cashew – 6 nos.                                                                              Raisins -  10 nos                                                                           Fresh Coconut Grated - 2 tbsp                                                        A pinch of edible Camphor

*Add more if you like, I like less  ghee hence I have added very little.

Method:

In a vessel  add  1 cup water  and add the crushed  jaggery, when it melts pass through  a strainer to remove impurities from it and then keep it aside.  

In a pressure cooker, cook rice and daal together with 3 cups of water, I put three good whistles and let it cook. You can cook to your pressure cooker requirement.  

Add a spoon of the ghee and fry the cashews, raisins and keep it aside.

Now add  the jaggery syrup to the rice mixture and allow it boil  well. Boil until you get the thick consistency.

Add in the raisins, cashews grated coconut, fried cashews and the edible camphor and give a good mix.  

Mouthwatering sakkarai pongal is ready to serve.

Ven Pongal

Time taken : 30 minutes                                                    Serves : 4 pax

Ingredients

Raw rice - 1 cup                                                                                      Split moong daal – ¼  cup                                                          Asafetida – a generous pinch                                                           Ghee - 2 tbsp *                                                                                   Cashew – 6 nos.                                                                                   Pepper corns – 10 nos                                                                        Cumin – 1 tsp                                                                               Curry leaves – 3 sprigs                                                                   Ginger chopped – 1 tsp                                                                          Salt to taste                                                                               

*Add more if you like, I like less  ghee hence I have added very little.

Method:

In a pan lightly roast the moong daal and add this to the rice and cook in a  pressure cooker, cook rice and daal together with 3 cups of water and little salt. I put three good whistles. You can cook to your pressure cooker requirement.  

Add 2 tbsp of the ghee, add asafetida, cumin, ginger, slightly crushed pepper and then throw in cashew, fry till the cashew turns golden colour and that time add in the curry leaves.

Pour this mixture to the rice and give it a good mix and check the salt level.  

Serve this with chutney, sambar.

Latha