Pongal (dish) facts for kids
A bowl of pongal
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| Alternative names | Pongali |
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| Course | Breakfast |
| Place of origin | India |
| Region or state | South India |
| Associated national cuisine | Indian cuisine, Sri Lanka |
| Main ingredients | Sweet: rice, milk, jaggery, coconut pieces, or mung bean Spicy: rice, pepper or tamarind rice |
| Variations | chakkara pongali/chakarai pongal, venn pongal, milagu pongal, puli pongal |
Pongal is a popular rice dish from India. It is also known as pongali or huggi. The word "pongal" comes from the Tamil language and means "to boil" or "bubbling up."
There are two main kinds of pongal:
- Chakarai pongal is a sweet version.
- Venn pongal is a savory (not sweet) version. It is often made with clarified butter.
People usually call the savory venn pongal just "pongal." It is sometimes eaten for breakfast with vada (a savory donut) and chutney (a flavorful sauce). The sweet chakarai pongal is usually made during the Pongal festival.
Contents
Types of Pongal
Sweet Chakarai Pongal
Chakarai pongal, also called chakkara pongali, means "sweet pongal." This dish is often prepared in temples as a prasadam. A prasadam is a special food offering given to a god.
This type of pongal is made during the Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu. It is also made during the Sankranthi festival in Andhra Pradesh.
The main ingredients for chakarai pongal are rice, coconut, and mung bean. It is often sweetened with jaggery, which is a type of unrefined sugar. Jaggery gives the pongal a brownish color. Sometimes, white sugar is used instead.
Savory Venn Pongal
Venn pongal is a popular savory dish. "Venn" is a Tamil word that means "white." This dish is enjoyed in Tamil, Sri Lankan and other South Indian homes.
It is often served as a special breakfast, especially in Tamil Nadu and parts of Sri Lanka. Venn pongal is usually eaten with sambar (a lentil and vegetable stew) and coconut chutney.
Spicy Melagu Pongal
Melagu pongal is a spicy version of the dish. "Melagu" is a Tamil word for "pepper." This pongal is made with pepper, rice, and moong daal (split mung beans).
Tangy Puli Pongal
Puli pongal is another type of pongal. "Puli" is a Tamil word that means "tamarind." This version is made with tamarind and boiled rice. It is not usually linked to the Pongal festival. People often eat puli pongal for dinner.
Pongal and Festivals
Pongal is a very important dish during the Pongal festival. This festival is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, and Kerala. It is also a key dish during the Sankranthi festival in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
See also
In Spanish: Pongal (plato) para niños
