Traditional pongal

PONGAL

             Hi folks.. After a long gap I'm writing this post..when I was thinking what to write today an idea struck me.. Since pongal festival is around I gonna give guidelines to keep a traditional pongal with mud pot.. Few might wonder what is pongal..Actually pongal is a dish and harvest festival celebrated by Tamilians.. In city celebrating pongal might not put you in festival mode since you guys make pongal in cooker and serve it in plate and the day will be like a normal day.. why not try making traditional pongal.. You might need to spend for few stuffs but I bet your idea of making a traditional pongal ll make your family members cheer up and bring them to a festival mode.. k lets see what all you need

pongalo pongal

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

• Mud pot or any metal pot (based on your convenience)
• Bundle of woods
• Three big stones 
• Banana leaves (to serve)
• Raw rice (as per required)
• turmeric plant -1
• unrefined cane sugar
• banana

PROCEDURE:

I just gonna tell how to make a simple ven pongal and how to serve it to your family during thai pongal festival.. 

• First if you have enough place outdoor then place those three stones like stove to support your pot.. if there is no outdoor place find a suitable place in terrace and spread mud(it ll prevent your terrace from getting heat) and then place your stones.
• Take raw rice and wash it with water.Pour that water (which you used to wash the rice) into the pot till an inch below the rim of your pot.
• The raw rice must be soaked in water.
• Keep woods between those stones in all three sides and lit them. Keep your pot on the stones.
• until the water in the pot boils and overflows keep adding woods to fire.
• when the pongal overflows say "pongalo pongal" and take few grains of rice and put in the pot and pray to your god.
• Use your ladle to take away the dust and foams and pour it away.
• Then reduce the volume of water to half the vessel. Don't throw the water. save it in a vessel for later use.
• Add all the rice into the pot and stir it after a while.
• Now reduce the fire. Don't add woods. If the fire is high then rice will stick to the bottom of the pot.
• If you feel that the water in the pot is not enough to boil the rice then add some hot water which you have taken from the pot earlier.
• when the rice is about to fully cooked remove all the burning woods. The rice ll get cooked by the burnt and hot coals remaining between the stones. you should not allow too much fire in the stove in this stage.
• well now its time to serve to god

Take a turmeric plant and tie it around the pot.

offering pongal to God

Offer it to god and Serve the pongal with banana and nattu sakakarai (natural unrefined cane sugar) in banana leaves.

       Let every drop of pongal add sweetness to your life.I wish you all a happy pongal.