Tamil Calendar’s Margazhi month ends on the last day of the Bhogi Festival. Traditionally Bhogi festival is for Lord Indiran, who has been regarded as “God for rain”. This event is a thank-you to Lord Indiran for providing sufficient rain for the harvest. Here are some special recipes to make on this day. (Also read: Bhogi Pongal 2024: 5 important traditions you must know about the South India’s festival )

Traditional recipes to make on Bhogi Pongal

1. Ven Pongal

(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow gram)

1/2 cup rice (chawal)

1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1 tsp finely chopped ginger (adrak)

salt to taste

1 1/2 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp broken cashew nut (kaju)

1 tsp coarsely crushed peppercorns (kalimirch)

10 curry leaves (kadi patta)

Method:

1. To make ven pongal, heat a small non-stick pan, add the yellow moong dal and dry roast on a medium flame for 3 minutes.

2. Wash the dry roasted yellow moong dal and rice.

3. Combine the moong dal- rice mixture, asafoetida, ½ tsp of cumin seeds, ginger, salt and 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker, mix well and pressure cook for 5 whistles.

4. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.

5. Add ½ cup of hot water and mix well. Keep aside.

6. Heat the ghee in a small non-stick pan and add the remaining 1 tsp of cumin seeds and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.

7. Add the cashewnuts, coarsely crushed peppercorns and curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.

8. Add the tempering to the dal-rice mixture and mix well.

9. Serve the ven pongal immediately with ghee.

2. Thayir Sadam

(Recipe by Chef Kunal Kapur)

Ingredients:

2 cups boiled Rice

1½ cups Curd

1½ tbsp chopped Ginger

2 nos chopped Green Chili

½ cup grated Carrot

2 tbsp Ghee

2-3 nos Dry red chili

2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 tsp Urad dal

¼ tsp Asafoetida

Handful of Curry leaves

A dash of Milk

Salt to taste

Handful of chopped Coriander

Method:

1. Curd Rice is a simple and uncomplicated recipe from South India, which is simply curd, rice and tempering. Let’s begin with rice.

2. Usually ponni rice is used for curd rice, so take some boiled rice in a flat bowl, and add some curd.

3. Chop ginger, chop some green chillies, and add them to the rice and curd. Now add some grated carrots.

4. Now for tempering, in a hot pan, add some ghee, dried red chillies, mustard seeds, urad dal( to give it a bite and the nutty flavour enhances the taste), heeng, and “the star ingredient”; curry leaves.

5. Cool the tempering a little, then add it to the rice.

6. Now, let’s get your hands dirty! Mash it well with your hand. You can also add a little milk if you want. Mix it properly.

7. Serve it with some pickle and appalam and enjoy this light to your tummy, Curd Rice!

3. Beans poriyal

(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp coconut oil or any other refined oil

1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)

1 tsp urad dal (split black lentils)

1 tsp chana dal (split bengal gram)

1 dry pandi chilli , broken into peices

1 tsp finely chopped green chillies

1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

2 1/2 cups chopped french beans

salt to taste

6 to 7 curry leaves (kadi patta)

1/4 cup freshly grated coconut

Method:

1. To make beans poriyal, heat the oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.

2. When the seeds crackle, add urad dal, chana dal, pandi chili, green chillies, asafoetida, onions and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring continuously.

3. Add the french beans, salt and ¼ cup of water, mix well and cover and cook on a medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes till they are cooked.

4. Add the curry leaves, coconut, mix gently and cook for another 2 minutes.

5. Serve beans poriyal hot.

4. Medu vada

(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)

Ingredients:

1 cup split skinless black gram (dhuli urad dal), soaked for 6-8 hours and drained

5-6 curry leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coconut

1-2 green chillies, finely chopped

Crushed black peppercorns to taste

Salt to taste

Oil for deep-frying

Coconut chutney for serving

Method:

1. Blend split skinless black gram along with some water into smooth and thick batter. Transfer in a bowl.

2. Add curry leaves, coconut, green chillies, crushed peppercorns and salt and mix well.

3. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai.

4. Dampen your palms with some water, take a portion on the batter, make a cavity in the center to shape into medu vada and drop in hot oil directly and deep-fry till golden brown and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper.

5. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

5. Parippu Payasam

(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)

Ingredients:

1 cup split skinless green gram (dhuli moong dal/parpu)

1 cup chopped jaggery

2 tbsps ghee

½ cup thinly sliced fresh coconut

10-15 cashew nuts

¼ cup raisins (khishmish)

¼ tsp green cardamom powder

1 cup coconut milk

Method:

1. Dry roast split skinless green gram till golden brown and transfer into a pressure cooker, add 2 cups water and pressure cook till 2-3 whistles are given out.

2. To make jaggery syrup, add jaggery in a non-stick pan and add ½ cup water and cook till the jaggery melts.

3. Heat ghee in a non-stick pan, add coconut slices and sauté till golden. Add cashew nuts and raisins and sauté till raisins puff up. Take the pan off the heat.

4. Open the cooker once the pressure has reduced completely, lightly mash cooked pigeon peas with the back of a spoon. Strain the jaggery syrup into it and mix well.

5. Cook this mixture till it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and add green cardamom powder and coconut milk. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

6. Add coconut-nuts mixture and mix well, switch the heat off and transfer into serving bowls. Serve warm.