Livestream: South Indian Pongal

One of the major festivals of South India, Pongal is a multi-day harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu and surrounding states to mark the new rice harvest. In 2023, Pongal will take place in mid-January. In this class, we will learn to make the traditional "pongal" dishes, both sweet and savory versions, which are made using freshly harvested rice as part of the Pongal festival. Sweet pongal is a popular rice pudding that is made by simmering rice in milk with cardamom, raisins, cashew nuts and jaggery. Ven pongal is a delicious rich and savory pongal that is made with rice and moong dal simmered with tempered spices, including curry leaves, cumin, ginger, and Tellicherry peppercorns, ghee and cashews. Ven pongal makes a healthy and filling savory breakfast option, similar to porridge. We will learn to temper spices to maximize their flavor, a technique that can be used to add flavor to any dish. As we cook, we will learn about the traditions of the Pongal festival, paddy farming, and how to select and prepare rice and lentil varieties for maximum flavor.

Instructor Anna Mays is an anthropologist who enjoys teaching about world culinary traditions, agricultural practices and the intersection between food, diet, culture and well-being. Anna trained at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school and has lived in Tamil Nadu, India.

Class will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform and joining instructions will be sent to participants in advance.