pongal FESTIVAL RECIPES

Pongal is celebrated by the South Indians. It is a Hindu festival . It is also known as "Thanksgiving festival" or as “Harvest festival”. Ahead of this festival, people will clean their houses and throught pongal days, women decorate their houses with colourful Rangoli.

day-1 :Bhogi celebrated on Jan 13

Bhogi pongal is celebrated to thank the god of rains. On this day people wake up before sunrise and burn the unwanted things. Children enjoy singing and dancing around the bonfire. 

The recipes prepared on this day are

1.Poli (Ubbattu)
2. Ven Pongal
3.Morkuzhambu
4. Pakoda
5. Eggplant Gotsu or Katharikkai gotsu
6. Pal Payasam (Kheer)

Day- 2 :Sankranthi (pongal) celebrated on Jan 14

The second day is the most important day of the entire festival. On this day, the sun god is worshipped with great devotion. Members of the family gather outside their house and cook pongal in new clay pots with newly harvested rice and fresh milk. When the rice boils and overflows, everybody shout 'pongal o pongal" and pray to the sun. It is believed that the overflow of rice symbolizes a prosperous farming season.

The recipes prepared on this day are

1. Sakkarai Pongal (or)sweet pongal (or) chakkarai pongal
2.Ven Pongal or Melagu pongal or kara pongal
3. Medhu Vadai
4. Idli
5. Coconut Chutney
6. Aviyal

Day - 3 : Mattu Pongal celebrated on jan 15

The third day is celebrated as Mattu pongal. Cow, which gives milk and bull which draws the plough in the fields are considered very sacred. So the farmers honour them by celebratng the day as a day of thanks-giving to them. They clean their cattle; paint their horns and decorate them according to their taste.

Vegetarian recipes prepared on this day

1. Kadhambam Rice
2. Lemon Rice or lime rice (elumitcham sadam)
3. Tamarind Rice (puliyodharai)
4. Coconut Rice
5. Rava Pongal
6. Chips
7. Akkaravadisal or Agaravadisal

Non-vegetarian recipes prepared on this day by non - vegetarians

1. Chicken curry or Mutton curry
2. Fish curry or dry fish curry
3. Chicken fry or mutton fry
4. Medhu vadai or (paruppu vadai or masala vadai)
5. Payasam
6. Boiled egg
7. Kozhukattai or pooranam kozhukattai

 

Day - 4 : Kaanum Pongal celebrated on jan 16

Kaanum pongal is celebrated by sisters for the welfare of their brothers. It is also similar to Raksha Bandhan.On this day people meet their friends and relatives and greet each other. They go out on sight seeing and enjoy the day together. It is a picnic day. In villages girls will enjoy dancing kolaatam.

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