Cooking Traditional Pongal – Learning to follow Tamil culture as parents are getting old

Sairam friends,

Happy Pongal to you and your family – Happy Makar Sankranti.

May Shirdi Sai Baba, Lord Ganesha and Lord Surya Bless you with peace, Good Health and Prosperity.

Pongal started with Shopping – Turmeric, Sugar cane and poolai flowers and some yellow flower.  As i walked with my mom to get these stuff, she enquired the men selling Bannana, Sugar canes etc for prices.  He said two Sugar canes costs 70 Rupees. Amma as usual bargained for 60 Rs. He replied saying “We are only people selling Sugar canes today in this area. So can’t reduce”. ( Idhalaam IIM MBA Marketingla solli thara Maataanga. )

We got it and while walking back home, Amma said “All prices have increased, don’t know how to lead life”. I told her “The person selling these stuff is also leading life. We have to see people below us”. I told Amma not to do her polambals while walking in road.

“Avan Kolla adikiraan” – He’s cheating. Amma adds ” Only the farmers are poor as they earn very little for all their hard work.”

Drawing Star with Brick Mud:

Next day she asked me to get Bannana leaves as we forgot to buy. Infront of our house, We draw a house like painting with Brick powder .Since Amma could not bend down, she asked me to put Kolam and the only kolam i know is to draw a “Star”  he he…Nalla Supera moonu Star Poten – Over which we are supposed to keep three Mud pots.

Cooking Traditional Pongal

Finally it was  Jan 14th 2013. I woke up and posted a article on Venkatesa Suprabhatam. Appa had already arranged the three Mud Stove ( Man Adupu) over the sand. Amma kept the Pots over the Mud stove. Dottapa, a old man who works in our house collected dried coconuts and sticks for us to light fire ( He is more than 80 years old) .

Since it was already over 9 A.M and Appa can’t bear the hot sun, i sat infront of the stove and started inserting sticks, dried coconut pieces. It was really nice. Once in a while,we have to use Visiri (Natural Fan – Which doesn’t require Electricity – Note panikonga- Indhalam Namma Tamil Culture . Only after electricity shortage in Tamilnadu people realized importance of Visiri, Man ennai Vilaku and Candle ( Western Influence).

Appa laid down a Bannana towards right of these Mud stove. Amma made a Ganesha with Tumeric powder. Seems Ganesha doesn’t need a Photo or Statue. Even if we make a Triangular shape with Turmeric powder , Ganesha comes alive to bless us. I took Kungumam ( Sacred Red powder). Appa kept a pottu over Ganesha. I took a White flower from the plant behind and offered it to our sweet little Auspicious Yellow Ganesha – I remember my Grandma calling him – Manja Pillayar.

We kept out Kuthu Vilaku, Banana and Beetle nuts over the Banana leaf.

Then i resumed my work of keeping dried coconut pieces, sticks etc inside the Mud stove. We have to stir the Pots with a bronze Karandi. I love doing it friends.  Appa used to direct me when ever the fire was not enough and i will immediately tear a paper from a Tamil Magazine and put inside the stove. Now you know what makes our Pongal Sweet as Tamil.  I kept taking Photos from my Old Nikon D 50 ( lens vera seri illa baba, pudhu camera vaanganum).

Amma guided me and kept watching from kitchen window. She asked me to call her when the water bubbles appear and it drops down the mud pot.

In few minutes i saw the water in the rightside pot over flowing

“Amma Pongudhu” ..

Amma came near and said “Pongalo Pongal”

You see – There is no way to turn the knob and keep the Mud Stove in Sim. So Amma asked me to take away few fire woods from that stove. Illati Adi pudichurum. I kept stirring rice which is kept in last pot and continued to take care of other two pots with pongal.

The left side pot also Pongiruchu and finally the Big Middle Pot with real Tasty Pongal has to be cooked properly. We did our prayers while still the pongal was being cooked. Appa broke the coconut infront of the Yellow Ganesha and Kuthu Vilaku. We saw Sun God Surya .

Amma prayed “Ellarum Nalla irukattum,Naadu Selikattum”

“May all live in peace and let the country prosper”

Amma was in hurry as the Middle Pot pongal got dried and the Sakarai Paagu is still being cooked in gas stove in kitchen. She asked me to take away all the fire woods, ashes and keep stirring.

To make sure the pongal is safe, Amma poured some Ghee into the pot. Then in 5 minutes she poured the Paagu inside the pot. That’s it. In few minutes – Sweet Tamil Pongal got ready.

We took all the pots to our Pooja room and offered infront of all Gods, Goddess and Shirdi Saibaba.  We did our pooja at 12.30. Appa offered Sakara Pongal, Ven Pongal and Rice in three Banana leafs along with vegetables. We showed naivaidhya and aarti. I fell in my parents feet, got their blessings and had the pongal. Well, we thought the pongal had become like alwa but truly it has come out very well.

I prayed for my Sister, brother in law, their child Katya and my parents good health.

Hope you loved the way we celebrated Pongal. When my parents are getting old, i only pray Baba to bless them with good health and long life. I wish Baba brings the girl i love to our family very soon so that we continue to cook Sweet Tamil pongal for generations to come.

Click here to Download Tamil Thai Valthu – Salutations to Mother

May Goddess Mahalakshmi , Durga and Saraswathi dwell in our hearts forever

Ellarum  Nalla Irunga !

May all be Blessed reading this article.

C.Venkatraman

Always in the holy feet of shirdi saibaba

14/1/2013