Rice Pudding/ Sweet Pongal ( சக்கரை பொங்கல் )
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Ingredients:
Raw Rice ( பச்சரிசி ) - 1 cup
Split yellow beans ( பாசிபருப்பு ) - 1/5 cup
Milk ( பால் ) - 1 1/2 cups
Water ( தண்ணீர் ) - 4 cups
Jaggery ( வெல்லம் ) - 1 1/2 to 2 cups ( based on yr preferred sweetness level )
Cashew nuts ( முந்திரி பருப்பு ) - 5 whole ( halved )
Raisins ( உலர் திராட்சை ) - 10
Ghee/ Clarified butter ( நெய் ) - 5 tbsp
Powdered Cardomom ( பொடித்த ஏலக்காய்) - 1 tsp
Edible Camphor ( பச்சை கற்பூரம் ) - a pinch
Steps and my notes:
This recipe is to cook the sweet pongal in an open pot, the traditional way of cooking on the first day of Tamil Month 'Thai". It is the harvest festival. A thanksgiving to nature, "The Sun God" and the friends of farmers - cow and bull.
First step is to choose the type of the pot and mainly its size according to the quantity of rice used.
Bronze pot is traditionally used or some people use the Earthen pot (new). In modern life, stainless steel is used for convenience. Cooking is faster in stainless steel when compared to bronze as the later takes longer time to take in heat first. The cooking is longer but of course the sweet tastes better than the stainless steel pot.
I have used a copper bottom heavy stainless steel pot here. Choose a heavy bottom pot to avoid the rice from being burnt while cooking.
For 1 cup of rice ( and 3 tbsp of dhal), you need 5 to 6 cups of water and milk put together. And this liquid should make up only 2/3 ( or less) of your pot. That is the right size of the pot. The cooked rice will take up more space and you need sufficient space to mix the cooked rice while adding jaggery.
The prayer room and the front yard is cleaned and decorated with maa kollam and the front yard is decorated with colorful rangoli also. Mango leaves are tied at the entrance.
The stove is well cleaned and simple maa kollam ( wet rice flour rangoli ) is done. Vibuthi ( holy ash), santhanam ( sandal paste) and kungumam( red powder) is applied to the pot. Young ginger and turmeric plants are tied around the neck of the pot, turmeric symbolizes auspicious. And also as a mark of respect as these crops and sugarcane are harvested in this season and so given a due place during celebration. It is a ritual practiced by all on this day.
On the day of Thai Pongal, Men and Women wear traditional outfits.
In villages, pongal is cooked in the open but in cities it is confined to kitchen cooker hobs. Some city dwellers have the privilege of open space in front of their house to cook in the open or some use their terrace. :)
Pour the milk to the pot, all members of the family can do so by taking turns and pouring in small quantities. Start the flame.
Mix rice and split yellow dhal. Rinse the raw rice once and then use the 4 cups of water for further rinsing and pour that water into the pot. Don't let the wet rice to dry, leave a quarter cup or so of water for it to be wet. Soaked rice aide in faster cooking.
Boil the milk and water in medium flame. As it boils and rises and overflows, Pongalo Pongal is said thrice. This symbolizes auspicious and prosperity and good luck overflowing in the house
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| பொங்கலோ பொங்கல் |
Turn down the flame, remove some water from the pot. The lady of the house leads in adding rice to the pot. It is done in a ritual way. Taking a handful rice in hand, 3 rounds around the pot is done. Praying for well being of all and saying a thank you, rice is then added to the pot. Rest of the members repeats. This is mostly done by ladies and children but in some houses men do join.
Half way through, add the water that was removed initially. If you feel that the water is less, add some water or milk to the cooking rice. Mostly the initial water added will be sufficient. The cooked rice should neither be in a porridge consistency nor very thick.
The cooking time will be approximately 30 min. As the rice is cooking, it is mashed well using the ladle.
Pound the jaggery and look for any impurities and remove. Add Jaggery to the cooked rice and stir well. Add 3 tablespoon of clarified butter/ ghee to it.
After 5 minutes. add in powdered cardamom and edible camphor, followed by fried cashew nuts and raisins.
Sweet Pongal is ready for the offering. It is cooked in the open as a mark of respect to Sun. Some people do the prayers to the Sun first and then do at their prayer room/ altar.
Sugarcane together with the regular items of coconut, betel leaves, bananas are kept for prayer.
After prayers, it is relishing time. The jaggery and ghee smell makes one salivating.
My husband likes to eat this sweet with grated coconut and it tastes nice.
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