Pongala payasam a delicious,traditional sweet rice pudding made with jaggery, coconut, rice and cardamom offered during Attukal temple festival
Monday March 9th 2o20 is an auspicious day for people in Thiruvanthapuram, capital city of Kerala, South India, my hometown. We celebrated Attukal pongala. Pongala (Ponkala) is a special offering made by the women to Attukal Devi.
My mom and I used to do Attukal pongala, and she started doing it for me; to get a good husband. Now I am here in Houston, still everything coming in my mind like a film flashback. So this time I decide to make pongala in home.
Legends of Atttukal pongala
There are a couple of legends behind Attukal Pongala, one is that in order to pacify Kannagi (Kannaki) who killed Pandya king in revenge of killing her innocent husband. Women made pongala in hearth as result she got pacified and gave them blessings.
Other one is to pacify the Devi who killed Mahishasura. Mahisura was a demon who worshiped Lord Brahma (who take care of birth according to Hindu mythology) and got boon that no man can kill him.
As result of this he become so notorious and starts creating troubles all over the world. Then all the gods came together and created the most powerful women Devi to kill Mahisaura.
Finally Devi defeated him in the battle and killed him. In order reduce the anger of the Devi, women made this pongala.
What is Pongala?
Pongala is a sweet pudding usually made with rice, jaggery (unrefined sugar), ghee and coconut. It is made in new earthen pot. The earth pot and rice symbolize the earth along with water, fire, wind and sky (panchabuta, five elements of life and the various species originated by the combination of planetary globes and the five manifestations of nature namely air, water, fire, land and sky) are combined together in pongala.
One of the importance of this festival is that you can prepare the offering to Devi. Normally it is done by the priest of the temple. Also only women can prepare the offering.
The significance of Attukal Devi Temple Pongala is entered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest annual gathering of women in the world in a single place on a single day irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
The entire area of about 5 Kilometers radius around the temple, with houses of people of all caste, creed and religion open fields, roads and commercial institutions emerge as a consecrated ground for observing Pongala ritual for the several women devotees assembling from different parts of Kerala and outside.
It is a delightful sight to see waves after waves of women of all age groups without caste, color and creed surging into this area well in advance mostly carrying on their head materials such as firewood, earthen pots rice, jaggery, coconut etc. to mark out specific spots for the preparation of their offerings to the Goddess.
How to do the Pongala ?
Attukal pongala starts at the signal for lighting -the hearth given by the chief priest of the temple at a prefixed auspicious time ( this time around 10.15 AM) followed by the humming of the temple drums.
Then the entire hearth is lilted and pongala starts by cooking the payasam (sweet pudding), Mandaputtu, vella pongala etc.
The ceremony concludes with the sprinkling of holy water by temple priests at the appointed time in the evening accompanied by an aerial showering of flowers to the honor and glory of the Goddess Almighty.
By afternoon most of the pongala preparation will be over, and people near the temple will go and pray at the temple.
In the evening, everybody goes back to home carrying pongala payasam and other offerings, with satisfaction that they did offer to Goddess and also with promise that next year also they are going to come.
Rituals for doing Attukal Pongala
Usually hearth is made with two-three bricks kept in triangle position, and also dried coconut leaves top are used to burn.
No wood is used. Also first keep water for boiling and once it boils put rice.
Put initially hands full of rice 3 times into the pot and then empty rest of rice.
Once it boils and pours out, mix it with a spoon, till that time do not stir, the pongala has to boil and spill if possible to east direction.
Also there is no melting of jaggery or adding any nuts or raisins in pongala payasam. You can add ghee and banana if you want.
It is also considered wrong to cross over the hearth after setting up the hearth.
Local governments and temple authorities are taking enormous preparation to conducts this year’s Attukal pongala as usual.
I am missing the heat, thrill and excitement of being in crowd.
I think God is everywhere, so Devi will be satisfied even I am making my offering in my home kitchen on a gas stove. Here is my version of pongala payasam.
Ingredients to make Pongala Paysam
You need following ingredients to make pongala paysaam
- Rice : You need to use raw rice. I used long grain rice here.
- Jaggery : Make sure to get purest form of jaggery as you are not straining the jaggery here.
- Banana
- Coconut : Use grated coconut, both fresh and frozen will work here
- Ghee : Homemade or storebought is fine
- Cardamom : Use fresh cardamom pods
Instructions to make Pongala payasam
Boil the water Add washed rice and cook
when rice is cooked more than 80%
Add jaggery Add grated coconut and ghee
Add cardamom pods
When it is done enjoy
Pongala Payasam / Sweetened Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw rice
- ¾ cup grated jaggery
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- ¼ cup grated coconut
- 4 cup water
- 3-4 cardamom pods crushed and removed the covering
- 1 small banana cut into rounds
Instructions
- First boil the water in the pot.
- Then add a handful of rice for first 3 times, then add rest of rice and cook. Make sure not stir until it boils over. Once it is boil over
- continue to cook until rice is almost over cooked.
- Then add grated jaggery and mix and cook for 5 minutes.
- Then add ghee and coconut then cardamom and cook until everything combined well and the payasam get thickened well.
- Once everything cooked add 1 small banana cut into rounds.
- It is ready for offering.
Nutrition
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
Gangambika Nair says
Thank you...we are celebrating pongala here in Mumbai, India. I don't know any cooking so ur explanation and recipe instructions helped me a lot! You also gave information about why it is celebrated. It is wonderful..Thank you so much!!
Swathi says
you are welcome, glad you are able to make it.
Reeni says
Rice pudding is a favorite here. I love the cardamom you added! Going to try that next time. Extra delicious!
Choc Chip Uru says
This pudding looks so delicious, I could eat a whole bowl and it would not be enough 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Anupama says
Hope your special day went well. This delicious dish with jaggery and cardamom - mmm mouth watering. The presentation adds a divine touch. V Nice 🙂
sona says
Payasam looks delicious.. it's almost similar to sakkarai pongal..
Jayanthisindhiya says
This looks so divine
Mullai Madavan says
Rice payasam is very tempting, reminds me of my mom...we make the same way during Pongal festival! Nice post Swathi!
beena says
Yummy sweet
julie says
I remember having this during my stay in Trivandrum,Yummy !!
Rafeeda says
that payasam sounds so delicious... we make something similar and call it chakkara choru... it's interesting how different parts of the same state make similar food with different names! 🙂
traditionallymodernfood says
V do something similar and call Vella sadam.. Love it.. Looks tempting
Winnie says
Funny, but my Mom used to make something similar and we LOVED it
I'm pinning, as I'd love to try your version
Shri says
Perfect Swathi.
Sundari says
Yummy payasam!! Looks very tempting!!
veena says
nice name.. this payasam is new to me
Gloria says
this payasam looks mouthwatering dear....Loved reading the post too