This is one of the traditional festivals celebrated by the south Indians. Especially in Tamilnadu it is a must-follow one. This festival was celebrated to show our gratitude for the farmers. Who work for us and provide the rice and wheat. Which we eat as our major source, and even the minor sources like paddy, sugarcane, etc.
This festival is celebrated from January 14-17 and each of the days. Which has a different kind of celebration. But the only common thing on all the celebrations is the Pongal is cooked and celebrated. More importantly, this festival is celebrated and worshipped by Lord Sun. Because he is the ultimate source for any kind of cultivation.
You may wonder and ask why Pongal has to be cooked and celebrated. Instead of that, we may cook some other foods right. If you have the thought of a question like this, there is an answer for this.
On that auspicious day, we just want to cook the cultivated crops and we have to make a sweet dish out of it. While compared to other crops, Pongal rice is the best for making sweets and sharing our love with others.
The Pongal rice is likely to have three categories
1.) Khara Pongal.
2.) Sweet Pongal.
3.) Ven Pongal.
In these categories, we are also familiar with two and you know it very well when you read the name itself.
Sweet Pongal is one made up of jaggery and Pongal rice, the most loved dish by all us.
Ven Pongal is a kind of breakfast food that was consumed even every day, the most common food, especially in south India.
After reading this you will have a strong doubt that everything is okay, but how come Pongal was invented? Who invented this? You may have this kind of question as well.
As history says, most of the major inventions are discovered accidentally. Even gravity was discovered because an apple accidentally fell on Newton’s head. One chef several decades ago, accidentally mixed rice along with moong dal and kept on boiling for some time. Like that the Pongal was formed and it was consumed generation by generation.
From those old early days to here Pongal has been updating a lot and we are giving more new ingredients to it.
Here you can find some more different Pongal and the way of cooking. Where Pongal can be consumed even as breakfast, lunch and dinner as well.
It helps to reduce your hunger level, makes you feel full. Once it is mixed with vanaspati it makes you feel drowsy and gives you a good effective sleep. Whenever you were suffering from a lack of sleep, this will help you to come out of it.
The side dish for Pongal is probably the common sambar and chutney. Which helps to give some vitamins and carbs that give enough energy to your body.
Pongal is the best suggestion food for holidays. That keeps you settled till the yummy preparations of Sunday special are being prepared. Here let’s know something about new Pongal recipes.