Pongal, also known as pongali or huggi, is an Indian

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

dish. In Tamil, "pongal" means "boil" or "bubbling up". The two varieties of pongal are ''chakarai pongal'', which is sweet, and ''venn pongal'', which is savoury and made with clarified butter. Pongal generally refers to the savoury ''venn pongal'' and is sometimes served for breakfast with vada and

chutney A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce ...

. ''Chakarai pongal'' is typically made during the

Pongal Pongal may refer to: * Pongal (festival), an annual Tamil festival * Pongal (dish) Pongal, also known as pongali or huggi, is an Indian rice dish. In Tamil, "pongal" means "boil" or "bubbling up". The two varieties of pongal are ''chakarai pong ...

festival.

Types

Pongal or Pongali being cooked in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India

Chakarai Pongal

Chakarai pongal or () is generally prepared in temples as a prasadam (an offering made to a deity). This type of pongal is made during the Pongal festival in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

and during

Sankranthi Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sag ...

festival in

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

. Ingredients can include rice, coconut, and

mung bean The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the Fabaceae, legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata ...

. Chakarai Pongal is often sweetened with

jaggery Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and ...

, which gives pongal a brown color, though it can be sweetened with white sugar instead. Sarkarai Pongal

Venn Pongal

Venn (Tamil word for white) Pongal is a popular savory dish in Tamil, Sri Lankan and other South Indian homes and is typically served as a special

breakfast Breakfast is the first meal of the day usually eaten in the morning. The word in English refers to breaking the fasting period of the previous night.Anderson, Heather Arndt (2013)''Breakfast: A History'' AltaMira Press. Various "typical" or " ...

especially in Tamil Nadu and Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka. It is usually served with sambar and coconut

Melagu Pongal

Melagu (Tamil word for pepper) Pongal is a spicy variant of the same dish made with pepper, rice, and ''moong daal''.

Puli Pongal

Puli (Tamil word for Tamarind) Pongal is a variant made with

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabacea ...

and boiled rice. It is not specifically associated with the Pongal festival and is often eaten for dinner.

Festive importance

Pongal is prepared as an important dish during Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala and Sankranthi festival in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pongal (Dish) Indian rice dishes Tamil cuisine Karnataka cuisine Andhra cuisine Telangana cuisine