Friday, September 30, 2011

Sweet Pongal

Dussehra is represented as festival of Shakti. It's just not becoz she destroyed mahishasura, but it's also celebrated for our well being, good health & prosperity.
It's believed that sharad rutu cools down the earth and as it gets colder, different viral diseases could spread around & trouble people. So for a protection from all those bad forces we celebrate navratri for 9 days. Every Day Amman will go on a procession or uregimpu on streets of the city ensuring people that she is there to protect us. 
In my house for navratri we recite "Lalitha sahasranamam" for all 9 days and will offer prasad to Amman. According to Lalitha sahasranamam it's said that we should offer "Rice cooked with Jaggery "or " Gudanna " to Amman. 
We even offer different prasads like vada pappu, Pulagam, Boorelu, Pulihora or some sweets which consist of moong dal, besan & jaggery.


Ingredients
1 Cup Rice
1/2 Cup channa dal or senga pappu 
1&1/2 Cup jaggery
4 Tbs water
1 Tsp cardamon powder
2 Tbs ghee
1 Tbs cashew
21/2 Cups of milk




Pressure cook rice and channa dal with milk for 2 whistles. Switch of heat and allow the cooker to cool down. 
Heat a wide bottom pan add jaggery & water to it.Allow jaggery to melt in water and switch of heat. 
Now add the cooked rice & dal to jaggery and switch on heat. Keep stirring them so that they don't stick to the bottom. Once they all mix together well add cardamon powder & switch of heat. 
Heat a small pan with ghee & once it melts add cashew and fry them till they turn light brown. 
Add cashew to pan and the sweet pongal is ready.




Note:
1. You can replace jaggery with sugar.
2. Add more milk for a smooth pongal.



15 comments:

  1. nice information and sweet pongal looks delicious .......

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  2. nice post
    pongal looks delicious dear :)

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  3. what a sweet way to have sweet :) looks awesome!

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  4. Never say no to this delicious pongal..

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  5. I always fill with joy whenever I see and eat pongal. This is my next chioce after chocolate.

    Cheers,
    Uma

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  6. delicious looking pongal beautifully done

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  7. Chakkara Pongal using channa dal is something I have never tried before...always use only moong dal...will try this sometime

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  8. Pongal looks absolutely yummy. Love the way you have given a detailed writeup... Glad to follow u dear..:)
    Reva

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  9. Mmm...flavorful n irresistable pongal with lovely presentation..:)
    Tasty Appetite

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  10. Nice post,first time here,following you.Please do drop at my space.
    Cheers,
    Nalini

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  11. lovely post, nice to know the importance, pongal looks very yum..

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