Homemade foods of Pongal
Joy and fervour are in the air as the first festival of the year is about to begin. The biggest festival of Tamil Nadu starts on January 13th and ends on the 16th. Pongal is a four-day long festival celebrated with great enthusiasm in Tamil nadu. Bhogi Pongal, Thai Pongal also known as Surya Pongal, Maatu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal are the four festive days of Pongal.
It is a festival rich in traditions and customs. It includes special decorations, rituals and of course the food. There are different homemade dishes prepared for different days. Let's get to know more about these special homemade dishes for each day.
Bhogi Pongal:
Bhogi is actually the eve of Pongal. The celebrations of this day revolves around a bonfire, much like the Lohri festival in Punjab. On this day, people clean their homes, draw kolams in front the houses and burn unwanted things. Bhogi is all about" Pazhaiyana kazhidhallum pudhiyana pugudhallum" which means to burn all bad thoughts, negative vibes, and enmity so as to try to love people more and become a new kind person.
Special menu on this day includes payasam, aama vadai and poli along with the regular lunch menu. Different varieties of the dish such as paal payasam, carrot kheer, badam kheer, thengai arisi payasam, puram poli, paal poli, aama vadai, masala vada, ullundhu vada etc are made.
Usually, aama vadai is made on Bhogi day and ullundhu vadai is made the next day(Thai Pongal). On Bhogi, light tiffin such as idli/dosa along with brinjal chutney or coconut chutney is made for breakfast.
For lunch amazing variety of akkaravadisal, arachu vitta sambar, vendakkai puli kuzhambu, pooran poli, javvarisi payasam along with pappu rasam, thayir and oorgai is made at home.
Thai Pongal:
Thai Pongal is the main day of the Pongal festivities. Conches will be blown throughout the day, followed by wishes of “Pongalo Pongal!” and “Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum”. Gift-giving and grand feasts are the highlights of the second-day celebration.
On this day, a traditional sweet dish called 'Pongal' with rice, milk and jaggery. This is offered to the god as prasad. On Thai Pongal, people boil freshly harvested rice and milk in earthen pots till it overflows. Other items like sugarcane, coconut and bananas are also offered to the sun god.
Grand feasts with family and relatives would include many amazing dishes such as sakkarai pongal, paal pongal, venn pongal, varagu arisi venn pongal, pongal kootu, pudalangai kootu, avarakkai poriuyal, murungakkai sambar, sakkarai valli kizhangu varuval, pachadi, thayir, appalam and paasi paruppu payasam.
On this day, people decorate their front doors with a banner-like wreath made up of banana and mango leaves. Colourful kolams are drawn by the doorsteps. These signify their welcoming of good fortune and prosperity.
Maatu Pongal:
Maatu Pongal is the third day of the Pongal celebrations. It is a day solely dedicated for cattle. On this day, cows and bulls are given a bath and decorated with flowers and turmeric. They are adorned with colourful floral garlands and bells. Bull fights, known as Jallikattu, are organized on this day at villages.
On Maatu pongal the special delicacies made are paal pongal, pachai mochai puli kuzhambu, saadham, siru kizhangu fry and as usual rasam, thayir, pickle.
Kaanum Pongal:
This is the final day of the Pongal celebrations. On this day, families meet and exchange gifts."Kaanum" means to see, and it's a fun day that's celebrated by going out with friends and relatives. On this day women gather in the courtyard of their houses and pray for the welfare of their brothers, sons, husbands and fathers.
Usually all variety of rice is prepared on this day such as thengai saadham/coconut rice, elumichampazham saadham / lemon Rice, puliyodharai / tamarind rice, ellu saadham / sesame seed rice, thakkali sadama/ tomato rice. Apart from mixed rice, other dishes prepared include inji thogaiyal, thavalai vadai, potato fry, semiya payasam, milagu rasam, varagu arisi sakkaraipongal and nellikkai oorgai.
Pongal marks joy and brings along positivity. It is time to celebrate this beautiful harvest festival with the people you love. May the sweetness of milk and sugarcane bring happiness in your life. May you and your family have a happy Pongal.
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