Venn Pongal

Shub (The Hungry Palette)

Bangalore, India, Karnataka, IN

Comment

Pongal is both the name of dish and a festival in South India (usually falls on 14 January) celebrating the first harvest of the year. A sweet version of this, made using rice, lentils, jaggery and milk is made during the festival. I've featured the savoury version here which is commonly eaten for breakfast. I love topping it off with extra pepper and freshly grated ginger for that extra bit of warmth on a cold day, and for me, it is comfort food that reminds me of my mother's cooking. This combination of rice and lentils has other Indian cousins - Bisibelebath (with added vegetables) and Khichdi - also very popular comfort food.