Ingredients:
1 cup rice
3/4 cup split moong dhal (yellow)
3 cups jaggery
1/4 cup ghee
2 tablespoons cahew bits
1 tablespoon of golden raisins
cardamom powder 1 teaspoon
a pinch of camphor
about 1/2 cup of milk.
Boil the dhal and the rice in a pressure cooker with about 3 cups of water till soft mushy and well-cooked. Dissolve the jaggery in a very little water and cook till all the jaggery has dissolved and the liquid starts to boil. Add the pressure cooked rice and dhal to the jaggery syrup, add the milk and cook till rice absorbs the jaggery syrup and becomes thicker. Add the ghee, powdered cardamom and powdered camphor. Heat two more tablespoons of ghee, add the cashew bits and raisins, fry till cashews turn golden brown and raisins plump up. Add this to the pongal.
This is made in the month of Marghazi or Mārgaśīrṣa, as the unmarried girls of Aayirpadi go to wake up Krishna and His consort, desiring to serve Them. After a month of rigorous fasting the girls led by Andal treat themselves to this Pongal at the end of the fast after they obtain Darshan of their beloved Lord. In one of the Paasurams/verses the girls request the Lord for jewelry, fine clothes and say that they would enjoy milk rice as follows “The milk rice should look like as if being taken out after having dipped in a trough of ghee. While relishing it, the ghee should drip down the wrist till the elbow.”
Till today the traditional Iyengar households make this offering of sweet pongal and venn or salty pongal and offer it to the Lord in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa. For more information on Andal and Thiruppavai check out J:www.ibiblio.org/sadagopan/ahobilavalli/thiruppavai.pdf+thiruppavai&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Krsangi says : My mom made this. Since it had ghee and jaggery in it, and since it was tasted by sabsey badey Jaganath it tasted good. But I am sure it wasnt any where close to the divine shakkar pongal you make. And when ever you find some spare time, Nitya Navina mataji pls teach my mom how to make those cloud like idles without soda or yeast.
Lots of lv, Krsangi.
PS: Does Vrinda akka ever get a break in her new school ??
Dear Krsangi.
Sabsey Bada Jagannath and His servants esp the little one seem to be taking all my time. I am glad that your mom tried this offering and that you liked it. Idlis…we have to wait..mataji’s camera is all broken and she needs to fix it…Vrinda akka loves her new school and the breaks are filled with art projects.. her concept of school and break is ‘ART’…since the teacher loves it too, we get along well and are temporarily lost. But don’t worry we will get back on chappan bhog again with the idlis and other yummy treats. A big hug from all of us to you!