What is "pongal"

Pongal is a popular rice dish in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Sri Lanka. In Tamil the root "pong" or in Telugu "pongu" means to " boil over" or "spill over".

There are two varieties of pongal, Chakkara Pongal which is a sweet, and Venn Pongal, made from clarified butter. The unqualified word pongal usually refers to spicy pongal, and is a common breakfast food in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The rice boiled with milk and jaggery during the Pongal festival is called Chakkara pongal - this is sweet pongal made specially in earthenware pots with a wood fire.