PONGAL CELEBRATION 2021

 

                                               இனிய பொங்கல் வாழ்த்துகள் 

                                    

In this blog, I am going to share some ideas for preparation for the pongal day. This may help for the beginners to celebrate without any rush or tension on the special day. (This is our tradition of pongal celebration, it may differ from others)

Lets move on to the ideas.

A DAY BEFORE PONGAL

• Cleaning is the main part of the preparation, dusting, brooming and mopping the entire house.
• Washing and folding the dirty clothes, blankets and bed sheets ( we can do it 2 days before Pongal too)

  Above works should be done before evening.

• Cleaning of pooja things  like Vilaku, Bathi stand, camphor stand etc.
• Decorate with turmeric and kumkum dots.
• Clean and ready all the vessels which used for the pongal day cooking.
• Decorate the front porch area (Place where you are going to do pongal and Sun God Pooja area ) with kolam.
                     

                                                 

•  Soak variety  of  pulses like (Chick peas, peas, kidney beans, cowpeas, etc..)
• Sleep earlier is the main things to wake fresh on the celebration day.

ON PONGAL DAY

Menu of the day:

• WHITE PONGAL ( Wood fire)
• SWEET PONGAL (Gas stove)
• MIXED VEGETABLE KUZHAMBU (Gas stove)
• CABBAGE PORIYAL  (Gas stove)

Usually we do pongal after the thai month born. Finish all the morning routine and breakfast earlier (try fast breakfast like idli ) and get ready for cooking pongal.

• Decorate the pongal pots with turmeric and kumkum , fresh tumeric and ginger roots.

• Place all the pots on the pooja room and pray  God before starting the celebration.
• Then place Nira Vilaku (without lighting), Manjal Pillaiyar, flowers, rice, water, vegetables(some vegetables form garden and some from shop which includes variety of rooty vegetables, watery vegetables, bean varieties), fruits betel leaves, betel nuts camphor, bathi etc.

• Do Pooja by thanking SUN GOD (Starting Pooja).
• Then place the pongal pot on the rock stone and start the fire with camphor and wood.

• Pour water from the washed rice, milk in the pot.
• Meanwhile soak variety of dal like toor dal, moong dal, masoor dal in water and soak tamarind for kulambu preparation.
• In Gas stove place the sweet pongal pot , pour water and milk .

• In another burner start cooking the legumes which soaked overnight.
• When the water in pongal pot boils, the foams flow from the pots, while flowing say PONGALO PONGAL or make kolavai sounds to show the happiness.

• Follow same thing for the sweet pongal placed in the gas stove.

• After boiling water, add in the washed raw rice in the white pongal pot.
• In the sweet pongal pot, add in raw rice and 1/4 th part of Moong dal.
• After adding the rice, pongal should be cooked in medium flame. 
• By now legumes are almost half cooked , now add in the soaked variety of dals with turmeric.
• After the dal half cooked add in the green chilies, onion , all the rooty vegetable like (potato, yam, sweet potato, carrots, radish), then vegetables like beans, broad beans, drumstick, brinjal, tomatoes,raw banana and finally add in the watery vegetables like bottle gourd, white pumpkin, orange pumpkin etc.. Adding vegetables in the above order for the even cooking of the all vegetables.
• Add in the soaked tamarind water. 
• Stir occasionally is needed for the white pongal to prevent burning at the bottom.
• By now the White Pongal is ready, usually it should be little over cooked than the normal rice since the water added should not drained.
• Carefully place the cooked white pongal pots  in the Pooja place.

• By now the sweet pongal rice and dal is well cooked, now its time to add in the crushed jaggery (1 and half parts of the rice).
• Cook sweet pongal in the low flame until the jaggery blend well with rice and dal.
• Add in some portion of ghee and little salt.
• By now Kuzhambu vegetable is almost ready, add in the freshly grounded masala or sambhar powder .
• Allow to cook in medium low flame.
• For Poriyal, Add in the tadka and onion curry leaves saute well, then add the chopped cabbage and one tbsp of soaked Moong dal.
• Allow to cook by sprinking very little water.
• Now its time to add in the freshly powder cardamon
• Then fry cashew and raisin in 2 Tbsp of ghee and until the cashews become golden brown and raisins become like balls.
• Then Pour over the sweet pongal . Now Yummy Sweet pongal is ready for pooja.
• Place carefully the sweet pongal pot in pooja place.

• By now the kulambu is almost ready, add in the lavish amount of asafoetida and coriander leaves and switch off the flame.
• Now Kulambu is ready, carefully place the kulambu pot in the pooja place.
•  Cabbage is cooked well, add in the 3 Tbsp of shredded coconut and mixed well and switch off the flame. Now the poriyal is ready, place the poriyal in pooja place.
• Now its MAIN POOJA TIME.
• Light the vizhaku , bathi, then place cooked rice, sweet pongal , kulambu, poriyal  in the banana leaf  and water in front of the vizhaku.
• Start pooja for Sun GOD by offering all the prepared food. 
• After Finishing the pooja, Carefully bring the White pongal, Sweet Pongal, Kuzhambu and poriyal pot inside the pooja room.
• Now do pooja on the pooja room by thanking God for the good celebration.

• Then Place small amount of White pongal, sweet pongal for crow or birds.
• Its time for enjoying the food with entire family members. (its good to enjoy food in floor instead of dinning table)

Hope the post gave some ideas for preparation and celebration of pongal festival. 

                  அனைவருக்கும் இனிய பொங்கல் வாழ்த்துகள்