Pongal is a harvest festival that is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, India.
Pongal is a harvest festival that is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, India. It is held on the third day of the Tamil month Thai (14 January to 15 January). Pongal celebrations are held on this day as it marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of spring. Pongal also marks the beginning of Makara Sankranthi, which falls on 14 January every year. The name Pongal comes from two words: “Po” meaning “to boil” and “kal” meaning “to boil over”. This refers to boiling milk until it bubbles over during cooking.
While there are many variations in recipes across different regions in India, all Pongals share some common ingredients. A popular ingredient used in many Pongals is jaggery or sugarcane juice, which gives it its characteristic sweet taste. Other ingredients include rice, ghee (clarified butter), coconut milk and cashews.
