The Festival

This week we celebrated Pongal – the traditional South Indian Hindu festival that is celebrated to give thanks for a successful harvest. This is the time to make my annual Pongal dishes of the same name. The word Pongal literally means “to boil over,” which connotes abundance. 

The Dishes

There are two dishes made to celebrate Pongal – Ven Pongal (Butter Pongal) and Chakara Pongal (Sugar Pongal). Both start out the same way by cooking rice and moong dal (split unskinned mung beans) till soft. I use more of the moong dal (1 cup) and less of the rice (3/4 cup) just for taste and to increase the protein value. You can cook them together using whatever method you choose as long as you end up with a soft, well-cooked mixture. I always use a pressure cooker. 

Ven Pongal

This is a savory rice dish that has a creamy texture, similar to a risotto. Here’s a recipe for Ven Pongal I found on Epicurious! The main flavor elements are cumin, pepper, fresh ginger, asafetida, and curry leaves. The key is to temper these spices in a generous amount of ghee (clarified butter) till they crackle. Add to the rice and dal along with a teaspoon of cumin powder, freshly ground black pepper, a pinch of asafetida, and roasted cashews. To keep it low sodium, I add no salt while cooking and simply salt my plate when I am ready. 

Typically this is served with a tamarind based side dish called Gotsu. I’m including the recipe but fair warning — this will require some planning in advance especially if you need to get the ingredients.

For ease, you could just serve with Nik Sharma’s coconut chutney or put together a quick raita as well.

Chakara Pongal

Similar in texture to the Ven Pongal, Chakara Pongal is traditionally sweetened with jaggery. I use dark brown sugar for simplicity. Starting with the cooked rice and dal, add a cup or so of dark brown sugar. This is to your taste, so start with half a cup and increase as you go. Then, in a separate saucepan, heat 2-3 tablespoons of ghee. Add a teaspoon of ground cardamom, a pinch of saffron strands, and a few cashews to the ghee till warmed through. Finally, add this to the sweet rice/dal and stir till it all comes together into creamy yumminess!

This is a pure carb-overload so indulge, take a nap, and then get back to your healthy regimens!!