Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by the Tamil community to thank the Sun, Mother Nature, and farm animals for contributing to a bountiful harvest. The festival is celebrated over four days. This year, Pongal will be celebrated from January 15 to January 18, 2024. The joyous festival also marks the beginning of the auspicious Tamil month called Thai. Pongal is also the name of the dish made and eaten during this festival. This Pongal, celebrate the joyous festival by enjoying a traditional lunch with your loved ones.
Pongal 2024: Here Are 5 Aromatic Dishes to Include in Your Pongal Lunch Menu:
1. Sambar
A hot, savoury vegetable sambar is a must to include in the Pongal menu. To make delicious sambar, first temper and saute vegetables and then add sambar powder, tamarind paste, water, and other required ingredients for sambar. Let it boil, add dal, and then boil again. Add coriander leaves and asafoetida and give a final boil. Your delicious sambar is ready. Click here for the full recipe.
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2. Ven Pongal
This is a popular rice lentil dish from South India. It can be enjoyed separately for breakfast on Pongal or included as a part of your lunch. First, mash the cooked rice and dal. To this, add water, salt, and ghee. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes. Finally, add tempering, mix well, and turn off the heat. Here is the complete recipe.
3. Rasam
Everybody loves the spicy and tangy rasam! You can have rasam on its own, mix it up with other foods, or make some rice to pair it. You can prepare a simple rasam or try variations such as Lemon rasam or Pineapple rasam.
4. Medu Vadai
Medu Vadai is another delicious South Indian dish that you can enjoy either for breakfast or lunch. It is an Indian doughnut (not sweet) that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Medu vadai is prepared using urad dal. Here is the step-by-step recipe.
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5. Sakkarai Pongal
Any lunch menu is incomplete without something sweet, and what's better than Sakkarai Pongal to enjoy at the festival?! Sakkarai Pongal is a sweet festive dish, prepared using moong dal, jaggery, ghee, and nuts. It can be called the South Indian style moong dal halwa. Prepare this sweet dish on Pongal by following this recipe.
Combine all these traditional delicacies, and you have your Pongal lunch menu ready to enjoy with your loved ones. Happy Pongal 2024!