The Pongal festival, also known as Thai Pongal, marks the beginning of the Tamil month of Thai and is dedicated to the Sun God. Celebrated over four days, it is a time for expressing gratitude to nature for a bountiful harvest. The key highlight of the festival is the preparation of a special dish called "Pongal," made by boiling newly harvested rice with fresh milk and jaggery in a clay pot until it overflows, symbolizing prosperity and abundance.
It is an auspicious festival observed to express gratitude for the harvest and fresh beginnings and represents the interconnection of mankind and nature. Here are a few dishes that you can try on this occasion.
1. Podi Idlis (By Karishma Sakhrani - MasterChef India Finalist and Development Chef at Communion)
Ingredients:
- Idli batter - 150 gms
- Gunpowder masala - 1 tbsp
- Ghee - 2 tbsp
- Oil - 1 tsp
- Baking soda - a pinch
- Kashmiri chilli (dry) - 2 pieces
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Method:
- Pour the idli batter in a mixing bowl and add eno to it. Mix the batter well and keep it aside for 2 to 3 mins for proofing.
- Bring water to a boil in a steamer. Add the idli batter in the moulds on the idli plates.
- Place the plates in the steamer and let it cook for 12 to 15 mins.
- In a fry pan, pour ghee add gunpowder masala and saute.
- Alongside, take a seperate pan, add some oil to it. Once the oil is heated add mustard seeds, curry leaves and kashmiri chillies.
- Once the idlis are cooked, remove them from the mould and toss them in the gunpowder ghee masala. Make sure all the idlis are thoroughly coated.
- Place the gunpowder idlis in a serving plate. Add the tempered chilli in the centre and pour the mustard-curry leaves tempering over the idlis.
2. Dal Pakode (By Chef Ramesh Chauhan, Sous Chef - Club Florence)
Ingredients:
- Urad Dal - 250 grams
- Chopped Ginger - 1 tablespoon
- Chopped Green Chilly - 4 (medium sized)
- Besan - 20 grams
- Jeera Powder - 1 teaspoon
- Baking Powder - 1 pinch
- Dhaniya Powder - 1 teaspoon
- Coriander Leaves - 50 grams
- Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
- Sesame Seeds - 20 grams
- Salt - As per taste
- Water - 1 cup
- Oil - to fry
Method:
- Soak the urad dal for three hours and grind till it forms a thick paste suitable for pakode.
- Once the batter is ready, mix it with besan, dhaniya powder, jeera powder, baking powder, turmeric powder, chopped ginger and green chillies along with salt as per taste.
- Use 1 cup of water to bind the ingredients together.
- Once the ingredients are mixed perfectly, divide it into tiny portions and mould into your favourite shape of tikki.
- Plant some white sesame seeds on top and deep fry.
- Enjoy the ‘Dal Pakode’ with your festive celebrations.
3. Cocoa & Flax Seeds Pinni (Chef Aditi Dixit, CYK Hospitalities)
Ingredients:
- 120 gms Flaxseeds
- 100 gms Wheat flour
- 50 gms Ragi Flour
- 130 gms Jaggery (powdered)
- 50 gms Edible gum/Goond
- 90 gms Ghee
- 5 gms Black pepper powder
- 40 gms Dark chocolate chips
- 25 gms Almonds flakes, toasted
- 25 gms Walnuts, toasted and chopped
- Cocoa Powder, for coating
Method:
- Dry roast the flax seeds in a pan until they start crackling, remove them from the pan, keep aside.
- In the same pan, dry roast the wheat flour and ragi flour separately until a nice aroma comes from.
- Add a teaspoon of ghee in another pan, fry the edible gum/gond them well. Crush them into smaller chunks once cool.
- Now take the roasted flaxseeds, coarsely grind the 100 gms and keep 20 gms as it is.
- In a big bowl add roasted wheat flour, ragi flour, flaxseeds (both, grinded and whole), edible gum, dark chocolate chips, almond flakes, walnuts, powdered jaggery and mix everything well.
- Heat the ghee, add the ghee gradually to the mixture and start binding them.
- Start making them into cylindrical shaped balls and roll them into cocoa powder.
- Your Pinnis are ready to serve and eat.
4. Unni Appam / Banana Appam (By Arabinda Seth, Executive Chef at Fairfield by Marriott Kolkata)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup chopped coconut
- 1 cup jaggery • Water - As required
- 1 1/2 cups rice flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 large ripe bananas
- A small pinch of salt
- A large pinch of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
- Oil or ghee - For frying
Method:
- To begin, soak 1 cup of rice for 4 hours.
- Drain the water and transfer the soaked rice to a blender
- Add 2 small bananas and 3 cardamom pods to the blender.
- Blend the ingredients into a slightly coarse paste without adding any water.
- In a pan, take 3/4 cup of jaggery and 2 tablespoons of water.
- Over medium flame, stir and dissolve the jaggery, boiling it to a thick consistency. Allow the jaggery syrup to cool slightly.
- Filter the jaggery syrup and pour it over the rice batter. Mix thoroughly, ensuring a thick dosa batter consistency.
- In a small kadai (wok), heat 1 tablespoon of ghee and roast 2 tablespoons of coconut pieces until golden brown without burning.
- Add the fried coconut along with ghee to the batter.
- Also, incorporate 1/4 teaspoon of dry ginger powder, 1 teaspoon of black sesame seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and a pinch of salt to the mixture.
- Mix well to achieve a thick dosa batter consistency.
- Heat an appe pan and add half a teaspoon of ghee to each mould.
- Pour the batter into each appe mould.
- Roast until golden brown on both sides or cook until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Finally, relish the unniyappam/neyyappam while hot, optionally topped with ghee.