Pongal Festival Recipes

Day 1 Bhogi Festival : 

         The first day, Bhogi is celebrated in honour of Lord Indira. On this day all the houses are cleaned and decorated with kolams and they throw away all the old things in the house into a fire made of wood. In tamil it is said as " Palayana kazhithal puthuyana puguthal".


The recipes made on bhogi day are as follows , generally on festival days we don't use Onions and garlic and Rasam is not made on all the 3 days of pongal. 


I made Morkuzhambu and Potato Curry. 

These three are must on Bhogi festival. : 

• Aama Vadai 
• PasiParuppu Payasam  or  Paruppu Payasam
• Purnam Poli    or   Thengai Poli

Day 2 : Pongal Pandigai :

The second Day, Surya Pongal is dedicated to the Sun God.It is the day actually the celebration begins and it is also the first day of the Tamil month "Thai Maasam".

On this day these items are done:

• Chakkarai Pongal
• Ven pongal
• Ulundu Vadai / Medhu Vadai

Day 3 : Kanu Pandigai / Mattu Pongal : 

The third day of Pongal is dedicated to cattle and is called as Mattu Pongal.

On this day Women offer prayers for the wellbeing of their brothers.The woman perform the ritual before bathing in the morning, they assemble in the courtyard and in the turmeric plant leaf they place the riceballs of Red, Yellow, white, (Rice is mixed with kumkum, manjal, curd respectively and made into small balls.) Sweet pongal, sugarcane and pray for the house and family of their brothers should Prosper.

While praying the God, They tell these lines. :

காக்காய்ப்பிடி வைத்தேன்; கனுப்பிடி வைத்தேன்;காக்காயகளுக்கெல்லாம் கல்யாணம், .காக்காய்களின் கூட்டம் போல எங்கள் குடும்பமும் எல்லோரும் ஒர்றுமையாக வாழ வேண்டும்.

On this day we make Mixed rice / Kalanda sadam :

• Paal Payasam
• Lemon Rice
• Coconut Rice
• Puliyodarai
• Curd rice
• Aviyal
• Ulundu Vadai / Medhu Vadai