Saturday, May 26, 2012

Kobbari chakkara pongali (Coconut Rice sweet)

Pongal is called as Sankranthi in Hyderabad and it is celebrated for the first harvest. It is celebrated for 3 days, the first day is called "Bhogi", second day is called "Sankranthi" and the third day is called "Kanuma".

All the three days, the women put muggulu/kolam in front of their houses and fill them with different colors. You can see me here filling the colors and the filled muggu. On this day, if you have small kids at home, in the evening we call the neighbors and offer them soaked black chana, a fruit and pour regi pallu on the kids. Supposed to be good for the kids.



During these days you will see a guy with cow which we call gangireddu going door to door to get some money or rice. He plays music which we call sannai, which is also famous in hindu marriages down south.

On second day young girls at home arrange their dolls at a place we call it as bommala koluvu. Unfortunately my in-laws do not have that tradition so I have no pictures to show you that.

On third day that is on kanuma, they say that you should not be travelling as it is not good. Crazy, but yes that is true, they say it.

During this festival, since you get the first harvest they make a traditional sweet with new rice, called annam paravannam, or chakkara pongali. It is a sweet made with new rice, milk and jaggery. I made a slight twist by adding fresh grated coconut to it.

Here is how you make it:



3 tbsp green gram dal/moong dal (pesara pappu)
4 tbsp rice (biyyam)
3 tbsp freshly grated coconut (kobbari turumu)
5 to 6 green cardamoms (elaichi)
1 tbsp ghee (neyyi)
few cashews and raisins (jeedipappu, kismis)
1 cup packed jaggery (bellam) (I grated it with peeler as it melts easily when you add to the dish)
Milk as needed

Slightly roast moong dal, wash along with rice. Add grated coconut and pour enough water and pressure cook until 4 to 5 whistles. Remove from heat and let it cool. Mash it well and add little by little milk to thin it.
Crush cardamoms to make a fine powder. Add that powder to the above mixture and keep it on heat on low flame. Just heat it through, do not bring to boil as it might curdle. Keep stirring once in a while in between to not let it burn at the bottom. Remove from heat after 10 min. and add the jaggery to it, mix thoroughly to incorporate it.  Keep in mind  not to add jaggery before removing it from the heat as it might curdle.

Heat ghee in another pan, add cashews and raisins, fry slightly until they turn golden color. Remove from heat and add to the pongali.


This taste great when it is warm in this cold winter season.



This is my entry to the Pongal Feast Event being hosted by Kurinji at her beautiful blog Kurinji Kathambam.

I am so delightful to share my award which was forwarded to me by lovely Tehemeem of Tehemeems Blog. Thank you Tehemeem for sharing this with me.


I would like to share this with every food blogger out there..

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