This sweet, buttery dish is made with freshly harvested new rice, jaggery and ghee (clarified butter), with the addition of dried coconut, sesame seeds, raisins, milk, and cashew nuts. Sakkarai pongal is traditionally prepared as an offering to the Sun God during Makar Sankranti, a three-day harvest festival in mid-January, celebrated in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
The rice is typically cooked outdoors over a fire, with the cooking pots turned to the East, where the sun rises, and it is also customary to allow the dish to pongal, meaning to boil over during cooking, which symbolizes an abundance of food.
MOST ICONIC Sakkarai pongal
Pongal is a rice pudding that is usually eaten during special or ceremonial occasions in Southern India and Sri Lanka. It is usually cooked in a clay pot over an open fire. Milk and water are boiled first, and according to Tamil beliefs, if the liquid spills over the pot it will bring good luck and prosperity to the family.
The preparation of pongal is a family affair because each family member ceremonially adds a handful of rice to the pot. Subsequently, remaining rice is added to the dish with sweet (sakkarai) or savory (ven) ingredients. Pongal is served on banana leaves, and before it is consumed the entire family says their prayers to the Sun god.
VARIATIONS OF Pongal
MOST ICONIC Pongal
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Ven Pongal is a savory Tamil dish made with rice and moong dal (yellow split lentils). The name "ven" in Tamil means white, referring to the dish's light-colored appearance, while "pongal" means to boil over, symbolizing prosperity and abundance.
Ven pongal has a soft, creamy, and slightly mushy texture, with mild flavors enriched by an aromatic tempering of black pepper, cumin, curry leaves, and ghee. The main ingredients include rice and moong dal, which are cooked together until soft, and the dish is tempered with ghee, black pepper, cumin, ginger, and cashews for added flavor.
It is often served with coconut chutney and sambar, making it a wholesome and balanced meal.
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