Sunday, February 28, 2010

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Pongal – The South Indian Harvest Festival, Celebrating Prosperity!

Welcome to our ancestral farm house in the lovely village of Erumaipetti, the beautiful native village of ours, which nestles picturesque farmlands of hard working farmers, located in the prosperous valley of Kolli hills of Tamil Nadu, South India.

I am here in this post to feature about Pongal, the Tamil Festival, which was celebrated traditionally, as always, in this ancestral home of our native village.
If you are interested to know more about the exact geographical location of this rural place, it’s here, here and here.


The rice, sugarcane and pulses, harvested in the Tamil month of 'Thai'(the period of Jan 15th-Feb 15th) as per the Tamil calendar, is cooked traditionally in bronze pots in the backyards of the farmers' houses, as an offering to ‘Sun God’, a way of thanking nature for the bestowal of prosperity.

The food prepared is also named after the festival, Pongal.

The main meal prepared consists of two;
Sarkkarai Pongal; Rice harvested fresh from the farm land, cooked with Pasi parippu(moong dal) and Vellam(jaggery/molasses) for the sweetness, flavoured with cardamom. Any Indian festival is associated with a sweet dish.:)
and
Pal Pongal; Rice cooked soft in fresh milk, from one’s own cattle or the dairy farm, with pasi paruppu.

Before we get into the thick of things, I would love to take you for a quick tour around the Bungalow :)



The Front yard of our Mighty 100 year old Ancestral Farm house.


As you step in...


The Entrance..


The Old fashioned carvings on the teak wood, you see above the door.


The 'Living'.


The place where the family used to serve food for a larger crowd, in olden days. At the farther end you can see dents on the walls on either sides of the door, where oil lamps were placed for light, when they had no luxury of electricity.The place is obviously not in use at present.


The intricate wood work on pillars.


The 19th Century English Chandeliers and Furniture adorn the formal drawing room, created during the British reign in India.


The Kolli Hills and the village as seen from the roof.


So, I am back for now, to the backyard, where the Pongal preparations have already started.Subramani, a great helper of ours, in the farmland assists us for the festival, every year.


A Majority of the cows were shifted to the farm the previous day and the cattle shed holds just Laxmi and her calf...if your eyes are more towards those patterns on the ground...


..I am here to explain...it's a Kolam.
Know more about the Kolam, here.


The pots with Pal Pongal and Sakkarai Pongal are lined up.
Generally a pot of each is prepared per house. Since we are a big family, we need 5 pots, each year ;)..3 pots of Pal Pongal and 2 of Sweet Pongal..
The firewood used, is again from the farms.


The first pan set, on the stove with Milk, Molasses and the Dal, to boil..


and now after the addition of Rice, the sweet Sakkarai Pongal gets cooked...


..with more firewood for a better flame.


Almost in its final stage.The stove is put off to regulate the heat since the heat of the Bronze pan facilitates the rest of the cooking, imparting that natural flavour to the Pongal..

Here's how to make Sakkarai Pongal, the traditional way-

Sakkarai Pongal

Newly harvested Raw rice - 2 cups
Jaggery- 500gms/2 balls/4 cups after grating
Pasi paruppu/moong dal- roasted lightly- 1/2 cup
Thick milk-3 cups
Fresh coconut gratings- 1/2 cup
A few cashew nuts and raisins fried separately in ghee(clarified butter)
Ghee/Clarified butter-2 tbsps(you can use this to fry the above two)
Cardamom powder- to flavour

Fill 3/4th level of the bronze pot with water with a little milk added to it. Place the pot on stove.When the water boils, stir in the moong dal.The water boils over due to the milk and dal in the pot and when it reaches the brink, and bubbles over, the family gathers round to shout 'Pongalo Pongal!', the loud cheer marking the festivity of 'Celebrating the Prosperity'!

Now, the water level has to be brought down to half the level, by transferring half of it to another vessel.When the dal in the pot is half cooked, add the washed raw rice.Keep stirring to facilitate even cooking.When cooked soft, add the grated/powdered jaggery, stirring all the while. Add a pinch of sea salt.Check the consistency at this stage and add milk little by little as it tends to boil over, again stirring continously.Add the transferred hot water if necessary.Stir in grated coconut, ghee( in which the cashews and raisins were fried) and cardamom powder when the Pongal in the pot is blended and cooked soft and mushy.Remove from fire and garnish with fried cashew nuts and raisins. Place for Pooja or the 'Prayer'.

'Taste testing' the food is not done as the pot has to be placed for Neivedyam/Pallayam, an offering to God.


The Kanji Thotti is prepared simultaneously for Pooja.



Now it's the turn for Pal Pongal, which is being mashed up with a heavy bronze ladle all the while getting cooked.


This is when we shout Pongalo Pongal! (meaning, may we welcome the prosperity!)right at that moment when the milk in the pot boils over! :)


While the kids are having their time in the front yard..


Subramani is busy with his work...


..a much conscious cook as he speeds up his work calculating the time with the golden rays of the setting sun..


Tulsi (basil leaves) and Poolai poo goes in the squares and stalks of grass inserted on the walls.The milk has to wait, till the Pooja starts.


The Sun is further down..


and Veeran..


sets up the Thoranam with a bunch of bamboo leaves on one end, to start with..


..and yeah..let me introduce Rajathi to you guys; the retired farmer maid, who was eager to see the family gathering.She's a typical old village woman in her brand new colourful Pongal Saree..:)


...back to Veeran who prepares the Decorative Line or the Thoranam.What you see here is fresh turmeric, again, pulled out from the farm, a 'must to be used ingredient' for the Thoranam, hung out on either ends.


Mango and Neem leaves are alternated with Poolai poo to set the thoranam with harvested Sugar Canes on either sides making the Line complete...
...hearing the loud sound of the beating drums, I couldn't help rushing to the front yard..:)...


..to confront the men representing the temple informing the house to get their cows ready..


and Laxmi hears them right!!..:)


Natesan and Veeran are already off to get her ready..


while Subramani is assisted by Veeramalai to attend to the pots.


and the hot hot Pal Pongal is finally ready

Here's Traditional Recipe for Pal Pongal..

Newly harvested Raw Rice-1 cup
Fresh Milk- 6 cups
Water-1 cup
Moong dal- a tsp
Salt-to taste

Wash rice, drain and keep aside. Mix milk and water together in a vessel, which would yield 7 cups. Transfer half the quantity to the bronze pot and bring to a boil. Add rice and and stir well.Minimise the flame to medium as the milk boils over the pot.To bring down the flame, a piece or two of wood is pulled out if cooked in a firewood stove as you see here.When the rice gets cooked and absorbs the liquid content, pour the remaining milk little by little, stirring all the while. A heavy bottomed utensil like a bronze pot is a must as the Pongal tends to stick to the base at this stage.Keep stirring with a bronze ladle until the rice is cooked and turns creamy and soft. Remove from fire. Place for Pooja.
Pongal tends to attain a harder consistency while cooling down.



The men are seen still busy chatting while the women of the family get ready for the Pooja...Oops... I'm in!.. I'm in!...:)


The Lady of the house, my mom-in-law, lights the lamp to announce the start of the Pooja.


so as to invite the families to assemble.


Subramani transfers a little of the Pongals for Neivedyam from the lined up Pots ready for the Pooja.


The fully decorated Thotti.
Pal Pongal
and Milk are in the pits, finished off with Kadambam(a variety of colourful flowers on a string used for Pooja).


Coconuts and bananas play an important role here.


Coconuts are broken to halves and the water collected in a sombhu for Theertham, set aside the Pongal Pallayam; the two small heaps of both the Pongals with dents in the middle filled with fresh ghee, bits of jaggery and banana.


Next he takes out the samples from the rest of the pots ..


and the Pooja is performed.


The person who performs the Pooja is called a Pandaram or the Village Priest.


The neivedyam is offered to the cows after the Pooja, as they are considered sacred.


Laxmi with her painted horns and coloured skin awaits eagerly, while


Pandaram followed by the farmers, head to the cattle shed...


to feed Laxmi, the Pongal Pallayam, which has already been offered to God.
As soon she licks it off, clean..


..my dad in law, the master of the house, offers her favourite food; Bananas :)


Her calf is taken care of, next...:)


Towels are wrapped around the necks of the cow n calf


and are made to stamp past the decorated Thotti.The cows are led to the temple by the farmers.


The cows get back from the temple..


and the food is served to the men first on fresh green plantain leaves!


The food on the leaf.(The chandelier was kept 'dim' and hence the poor lighting here)

1. Pal Pongal (scroll up for recipe above)

2. Sakkarai Pongal (scroll up for recipe above)

and the accompaniments,

3. Thengai Thuvaiyal

4. Mochai sadam(nothing to do with Pongal; was served as one my aunts made that for us).
Find the recipe here.

5. Ennai Kathrikkai Kuzhambu/Tangy Eggplant Curry

6. Pasiparuppu/Tempered dal

The recipes of the other accompaniments will be posted soon.


The Dessert Section ;) ..Sorry for the intentionally blurred pic, folks :)

The eldest member, Aunt Indira holding the youngest, the 6 month old Ashwath :)!
If I had not mentioned earlier, it was a lovely Thanksgiving dinner that gathered all the four generations of the family.

A Few Afternotes from the Blogger

I just can't explain in words how glad I am for being selected as one among the 24 participants for the month's event!
I feel extremely proud to have show cased the festival of our country to the world and I have absolutely no words to Thank the Great Foodbuzz Team which made this possible!

The Ancestral Bungalow which has witnessed over 100 Pongal celebrations has seen the last this year as my parents-in-law are moving to a compact house in the nearby town.
On another note, Laxmi, the cow died, the very next day after Pongal due to snake bite.She was trying to chew out hay from the hay stack when was bitten by the snake on her tongue.


Thank You for going through the long long post probably the longest, posted in mine, so far!
Hope you enjoyed the same!

Lots of Love,
Bharathy :)

59 comments:

  1. I loved everything I saw here... Right form the beautiful & ancient farm house to all those savories spread on the leaf..... EVERYTHING WAS SO MIND BLOWING & MOUTH WATERING..... & that means it is INCREDIBLE INDIA!!!!!!

    Ash....
    (http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

    ReplyDelete
  2. A fantastic post Bharathy..I have never seen the Pongal preparations anywhere,felt good to see it in a rustic village with its full "authenticity".The bungalow looks fabulous..I mean,don't you feel like a royal when you stay there..??Lol.

    Very sad to know about Lakshmi..I am very fond of cows and I really feel sad to know that she's no more:(

    Thank you Bharathy for such a great post..:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Enjoyed every bit of the photographs and the accompanied description. The house is too beautiful and having been raised in Chennai, never happened to see such houses other than in films. Thanks for the tour of your village and the exotic Pongal festival.

    Chitchat
    http://chitchatcrossroads.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow!!! I enjoyed the pics and the decription...I have never seen a pongal celebration before...Thanks a lot for sharing it with us! The ancestral house is really beautiful and the way the food is prepared, the rituals and everything ...simply marvellous! Feel really sad for Laxmi though :(
    Thanks once again!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am floored. The post was BRILLIANT sis and the pics were AMAZING. it was a fascinating ride for me too and your Erumappetti house is a must-visit for me. take me there sometime ok?

    Congrats on the successful completion of 24 24 24 :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bharathy.. This is such a Great post, all the pictures took back to the pongal celebrations held in our village.

    I will see this post, whenever i remember my village and pongal celebrations. Thanks...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wat a post, i miss everything and u served my eyes with ur beautiful virtual clicks, enjoyed reading and thanks for this festive treat!!Am very happy to see this much elaborated post about our traditional Pongal festival...

    ReplyDelete
  8. I loved that post especially the pictures..an amazing visual jouney!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I fully enjoyed reading and seeing all the pics. Ancestral Farm house that is just beautiful and those carvings, wow i want to live there.

    ReplyDelete
  10. wow...awesome post...thank you for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful post. your ancestral home is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  12. lovely wide and a very humungous ancestral house with beautiful pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  13. hey bhakka

    simply superb. just realized that i am missing something really worth experiencing.
    description was 1st class are hamma...pics praiseworthy.

    Best wishes...keep up the good work.

    love ya
    Veena Mani

    ReplyDelete
  14. Amazing post Bharathy!!! Loved every word of it!!!Great pictures too! Your farm house is really beautiful esp those wood carvings!!!

    Really happy that you successfully completed 24 24 24:)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Loved and enjoyed your detailed post on pongal..Great pictures.
    Your family must be missing the house already..

    ReplyDelete
  16. An amazing post.Loved ur ancestral home.It feels as though I have experienced everything myself through ur post.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Nice Post!!!! Lovely house and nice drtailing...... enjoyed a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Beautiful post... Superb pics and the narration. Felt like I celebrated pongal with your family.

    Congrats for the Foodbuzz selection.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Incredible PARU. It was great paru. I enjoyed reading each line of it. Felt like i was there. Great job dear.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I enjoyed the read thoroughly :) the pics are beautiful...the customs, celebration and the gathering is really touching.
    it's really sad that the anscestral home is being vacated :(
    yUMMY pongals and the festive spread is def. is priceless.
    TC

    ReplyDelete
  21. Beautiful post I would say! Loved each and every pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  22. wow..amazing pictures...lovely colourful post.....nice writeup

    ReplyDelete
  23. wow bharathy... simply mindblowing..... it all looks straight out of some super duper hit tamil movie... the gramam, the ancestral house.... born and brought up in delhi, i have never seen my ancestral house, let alone celebrate festivals... thnks a ton for sharing this....

    ReplyDelete
  24. speechless
    no words to express the joy I got from seeing this detailed version of pongal

    Great work
    keep it coming
    love ur blog

    ReplyDelete
  25. feels nostalgic to see these pics... amazing post... Good job Bharathy... Am sorry for Laxmi..

    ReplyDelete
  26. Loved the post and the visual take too; well written post too!
    Though the archite cture is different in TN, it brought back a rush of nostalgia!
    What does happen to such houses?...

    ReplyDelete
  27. Wow your post makes me nostalgic, this is how we celebrate pongal back @ our native... Now that its all memories all of us have moved out and only pics can comfort us... Wonderful pics there and I understand how wonderful it would ahve been to be among those festivities... good write up1!!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Wow, thanks for sharing so much... The pictures were great! I enjoyed this post :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wow! What an amazing post! Loved the pictures and the write up Bharathy... This is an experience worth a travel channel feature... Really!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Great post bharathy and iam lucky to visit the beautiful house some years back but missed out the pongal celebration there

    ReplyDelete
  31. Wonderful Post!!! Beautiful Pics. u took us all there with ur narration. Missing Chennai, esp. during festivities. Home Sweet Home.....

    ReplyDelete
  32. I had to read this first thing in the morning and am i glad i did.. awesome post although am a lil sad that this is the last year and lakshmi not being there...
    you have captured pongal in its truest form and most aesthetic nature... kudos.. awaiting more such posts...

    ReplyDelete
  33. I am Sindhuja's friend and now live in sri lanka..We've visited here several times and have never ever felt tired running around the house and I still remember how Uncle Vijayakumar and Sekar uncle used to describe about each and every part of the house..One of the most lovable places and brings so mucha memories to me..

    ReplyDelete
  34. Bharathy, amazing post, great to read n pictures are awesome! Festival captured n explained so beautifully!
    Sad to know of Lakshmi. Thks for the insight into the celebrations!

    ReplyDelete
  35. lovely post, congrats on the 24 24 24.... beautiful pictures... some mansion that is... what fabulous wooden carvings!!

    ReplyDelete
  36. bharathy,
    congrats...
    Beautiful pics of ur tharavadu
    it is relaly interesting to read abt the pongal festival.
    ee photos okke kandappol pongal kazhicha pratheethi aayi:)
    www.icookipost.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. Congratzz! Enjoyed reading this.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Lovely pictures Bharathy. The house is lovely. would have loved to spend my days in such an environment instead of grinding it out in Mumbai. Please do take us on such lovely and descriptive tours again and again. we love it.

    ReplyDelete
  39. HAVE NEVER COME ACROSS SUCH AN AUTHENTIC PONGAL CELEBRATION IN VILLAGES EVER IN MY LIFE! AND NOT GOING TO BE IN FUTURE TOO.... BUT YOUR POST WAS A GREAT FEAST TO ALL OUR EYES AND A GREAT SALUTE TO YOU FOR SUCH A VERY GREAT POST!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Wow - you dis an amazing bang-up job ot showing us how Pongal is celebrated. I am mesmerised by the house, but saddened to hear it will be shut down, and oh dear - the cow died too? Oh my!!

    ReplyDelete


  41. Friends,

    I am extremely happy to see your enduring support with those encouraging words, you never cease to shower on me.

    And you have made this post extra special with your warm warm words of appreciation and love.

    Tight Hugs to you, Guys!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  42. You are a princess, must be one, look at that house ! What a blessing, to call such a place home. Fantastic post. Congratulations !

    ReplyDelete
  43. I really enjoyed reading your post and all he lovely photographs. You must have a lot of patience to have taken such detail. Never realised how lovely a celebration pongal was.

    ReplyDelete
  44. These pics displays the festive season so truly,liked the four generations being together n celebrating it.I miss all my relatives n family.It brought back my memories ,truly touched dear.Amazing pics n recipes.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Dear Bharathy - THANKS for doing such a wonderful job of presenting the rich & varied culture of India to the world!

    I complement your efforts and your brilliant post.

    Ciao,

    Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

    ReplyDelete
  46. That is a very detailed post about pongal and thanks for giving us a tour of your ancestral home! Enjoyed reading every detail of pongal celebration.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Loved reading this post ;-) The pictures are really superb..I feel so bad for missing out such a wonderful post like this all these days..will be following you..so, that I can enjoy all your lovely posts..

    ReplyDelete
  48. What a post, Bahrathy.. u did good!! That's ur inlaw's place!! amazing. wish i could visit!!

    ReplyDelete
  49. I really enjoy this post and I wish to born in to God's Country to my next birth. I am missing too many things by living in US. I hope I will be successful in retiring in our beautiful country India. Thank you so much sharing everything here.

    I became a big fan of your blog.

    Bhavna

    ReplyDelete
  50. Wow...nejama..superb post...i peep into ur blog appo appo...but missed this post..truly wonderful...pavam lakshmi...

    ReplyDelete
  51. superb description of pongal...loved every picture..wish you a very happy pongal

    Satya

    Super Yummy Recipes

    ReplyDelete
  52. I fell in love with your lengthy post :), Fantastic, clicks and so very well explained, I loved the house the most the Bungalow is superb with those beautiful Kanmaniya thaniya carvings, It's such a pity that in-laws are moving out, Hope the Bungalow stays as it is, what a beautiful thing for that to keep like that, I am really sorry about Lakshmi, when I saw Palpane (the vessel in which you made pongal) I have a exactly similar one in my house, I took it from my Grandmother :)), I have collected little such things of hers which I did not allow them to sell. beautiful post, well done thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  53. Lovely memories from my In-laws home town and a true inspiration for starting my food blog..Huge fan of your blog

    SoundSpicy

    ReplyDelete
  54. Your ancestral home is really beautiful. Its great to see that you guys are still carrying the legacy...

    ReplyDelete
  55. The post doesn't seem like a long one, when it is interesting.

    Love all the details you explained about the Pongal. The ancestral home is a beauty, good to know that you are renovating it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thnks to you for pongal recepi .i am belong to christan family and got marred to southindian man and i dont know what is pongal sake of you i understood what is the meaning of pongal .thnks of you i will try to celebreat the pongal i promise .wish you and your family happy pongal .from leena .j nadar

      Delete
  56. Wow what a beautiful post. loved it.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...