Thai Pongal rice

Pongal is a harvest festival - the Tamil equivalent of Thanksgiving. It is held to honor the Sun, for a bountiful harvest. The Sun is offered a "Pongal" of rice and milk. There's so many varieties of pongal rice recipe's available online. My version is a bit different.

A piece of history why this recipe is special to me,

When I was about four years old my uncle Dr. Ganeshan made this Pongal for every harvest with my mother. He was very particular when it comes to the method and ingredients. It must be fresh and the best quality. He used to put up a big Kalderama (large brass pots for cooking) outside in the garden with wood fire with special drawings on the floor and would start the process at a auspicious time given each year. After cooking, he will serve the Pongal on a cone made with banana leaf and serve it to his neighbours and people who worked under him. His good faith and love for others has printed a blue print in my memories and it was one of my fondest and most joyful memories I have of him. Decorating the floor with him with all the colourful powder was the best thing I did as a child.

His Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup of rice (any type of rice)

1/3 cup of yellow moong dal

2 1/2 cup of water for the rice cooking

1 tin of thick coconut milk

1/4 tsp of green cardamom powder

4-5 tbsp of Ghee

1/4 cup of cashew nuts & 1/4 cup of Raisin (on a separate pan add some ghee and roast both until golden)

3 cloves

1 tsp of Saffron with water

2 tbsp of Sliced coconut pieces.

1/2 cup of scraped juggery with little pieces.

Method

Preparation of the rice.

Wash the rice and dhal and keep it soak overnight.

Drain it, and on a heavy bottom pot roast the rice and dhal slightly on a medium flame stirring often till the dhal turns fragrant.

Add the water, spice (cardamom and cloves),1/2 of the coconut milk and cook until it boils and becomes slightly sticky. After add the rest of the coconut milk, saffron, salt and cook until all water evaporates and becomes creamy and thick. Remove from the heat add juggery, roasted cashews and raisins. Mix it well and serve hot or cold as you desire.

Often in Hindu Religion, people offer this Pongal to God as an offering in temples.

My Method

This is one of my girls favourite rice. So i have changed this original recipe according to my kids preference. As they prefer it light and don't like raisin and saffron.

Ingredients

1/2 cup of rice (any type of rice)

1/3 cup of green mung dhal

2 1/2 cup of water for the rice cooking

1 tin of thick coconut milk

4-5 tbsp of Ghee

1/4 cup of Roasted cashew nuts

1/2 cup of scraped juggery with little pieces.

Preparation of the rice.

Wash the rice and dhal separately and keep it soak in separate bowls overnight.

Add the Dhal into a pressure cooker and cook this until the pressure regulator release the first steam. (1st whistle) take it off the flames and keep it aside to cool.

Now in a rice cooker, cook the rice with water and 1/2 of the coconut milk and cook this until it boils and becomes slightly sticky. After add the rest of the coconut milk, salt and cook until all water evaporates and becomes creamy and thick. Remove from the heat add the pre-cooked dhal, juggery, roasted cashews. Mix it well and serve hot or cold as you desire.

Often in Hindu Religion people offer this Pongal to God as an offering in temples.