Hanuman Jayanthi and Pongal!

[Guest guest]

Hi All

In South India, Hanuman Jayanthi was not a very well celebrated

Holiday, matter of fact my two years in Chennai, my Hindu friends did

not celebrate this! They, Instead, celebrated Pongal. Pongal is a

harvest festival lasting from one to five days. There are several

important things happening at this time.

Day one is called BHOGI, this day they will clean the house. In

villages they use cow dung to clean the inside and outside of their

mud houses. Some people also rebuild their mud houses (I saw this in

the village).

The second day, people take the harvested rice and make pongal. They

clean all vessels very maticioulsly and make this rice dish (recipe

at bottom). People also decorate the ground in front of their homes

with large kolums (rangolis).

The third day is mattu pongal. Mattu means cow in tamil. This day all

the cows (if not yet) are painted and celebrated by praising them.

In some villages they do a real tame version of bull fighting. I did

not see this, but we did praise the cow by bowing to it and then

putting kum kum on its head. People also put bells on the cow and

feed it pongal.

The fourth day is kanya pongal. Kanya in tamil means virgin girl.

They celebrate the young girls. This day (some do it sooner)

children and families wear new clothes. I did not see the girl puja

(as some web sites do mention), but we venerated the elders. After

touching their feet, they give us a few ruppees. This is standard

practice. Usually an odd number is given, like 11 or something like

that.

I am going to later put this on my web site with photos from the

village.

Here is the recipe for pongal, and brijal sambar. Pongal is

relatively easy to make. Usually the brinjal (eggplant) sambar is

eaten with it, either on the side or mixed with it. This is my

favorite south Indian dish.

 

VenPongal

Mix 1 cup rice and 1 cup moong dal .Add 3 times water(6 cups) and

steam until it is

overcooked.Cut 3 green chillies and 1/4 inch ginger into fine

pieces.Take 2 tsp ghee

in a fry pan and add 1 tsp whole black peppers, and 1 tsp cumin

seeds.When the peppers

burst add chillie and ginger pieces and a pinch of turmeric powder.

You should be cautious while adding the black peppers and green

chillie pieces in hot oil.

They may burst all over. Therefore use low heat and a deep hollow

vessel for this.

Add 10 - 15 cashewnuts and remove the pan when the cashews are

roasted and begin to smell.

Add this to cooked dal-rice mix.Add 1/2 tsp salt, a sprig of curry

leaves and mix well.

Add some ghee while serving.

 

 

 

Brinjal Sambar

Preparation time : 1 hour

 

Serves 4-5

 

 

Ingredients:

8-10 small brinjals

1 cup toor daal

Walnut size tamarind

1 tsp. oil

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. turmeric

tsp. mustard seeds

5-6 whole red chillies

Some curry leaves

 

2 tsp. sambar powder

Sambar Powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp corriander seeds

1/2 fenugreek seeds

5-10 peppercorns

 

 

 

Method:

1. Soak Tamarind Juice with brinjal pieces for 1/2 hour at least.

2. Cook daal.

3. Two ways to do sambar powder

a) fry all spices at the same time minus the curry leaves, when MS

pop add into brinjals and tamarind juice, boil on medium heat

b) dry fry only ingredients listed under sambar powder. When smell

comes take off heat and

powder. Add powder into brinjal and tamarind juice on medium heat.

Fry MS, and red

chillies in oil til MS pop. Put curry leaves and MS, red

chillies in brinjal and tamarind water with sambar powder.

4. When daal is done, add to the sambar. Keep on medium heat til

brinjals are soft.

 

 

 

Ven pongal--- ven in tamil means white. THey also have a chakra

pongal, chakra meaning sugar or sweet pongal. I don't prefer this. I

am not sure how to make this.

 

bye for now,

Jennifer