Pongal (dish)
Pongal is a dish of rice cooked in boiling milk. It is a popular dish cooked by the Tamil people in South India and Sri Lanka. Its preparation is the main custom associated with the namesake Pongal festival. Several varieties such as the Venn pongal and Sakkarai pongal are part of the Tamil cuisine.
Etymology and significance
The dish is associated with the Pongal festival, a major harvest festival of the Tamils. The name literally translates to "boil over" or "overflow" in Tamil language. As per tradition, the fresh harvest of rice is cooked in boiling milk and offered to various Hindu deities. While the pongal is cooking, onlookers shout "Pongalo pongal!".Variations
Typically pongal varieties are made with cow milk and its derivatives. Venn pongal is made up of rice and lentil porridge similar to the another South Asian staple khichdi. Spices like black pepper, ginger, turmeric, asafoetida, cashews, cumin, curry leaves, are used along with ghee, mung beans, and salt. In South India, it is commonly eaten for breakfast with coconut chutney and coffee.Sakkarai pongal is made with jaggery, mixed with cardamom, cashews, raisins, nutmeg, and ghee. It is often served as a prasadam after being offered to the deities. Other variations include Kozhi pongal made with chicken meat and Sanyasi pongal made with vegetables.