New Delhi: Surya Pongal, the second and most auspicious day of the four-day Pongal festival, is a celebration of gratitude, a moment when households across Tamil Nadu honour the Sun God for blessing the harvest season. It is a day steeped in warmth, simplicity, and abundance, where food becomes a symbolic offering and a shared expression of joy.

The kitchens fill with the aroma of jaggery, lentils, til and milk to prepare delicious food that is served during the feasting and enjoyed to honour the Lord Sun.

What makes Surya Pongal truly special is the culinary ritual of cooking the season’s first grains outdoors, under the open sky, as the pot overflows in a symbolic gesture of “Pongalo Pongal!” Families gather, laughter fills the air, and traditional dishes rooted in age-old customs take centre stage. Here are some recipes that are traditionally cooked from the first harvest and enjoyed with everyone.

Ingredients

• Raw rice – 1 cup


• Moong dal – ¼ cup


• Jaggery – 1 cup (adjust to taste)


• Water – 4 cups


• Ghee – 4 tbsp


• Cashews – 10


• Raisins – 10


• Cardamom powder – ½ tsp


• Edible camphor (optional) – a tiny pinch

Method to prepare:

Ingredients

• Raw rice – 1 cup


• Moong dal – ½ cup


• Water – 4 cups


• Ghee – 3 tbsp


• Black pepper – 1 tsp


• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp


• Ginger (finely chopped) – 1 tsp


• Curry leaves – 6–8


• Hing – a pinch


• Salt – to taste

Method to prepare

Here are the ultimate Pongal recipes that you need to cook from the fresh harvest this Pongal and make your celebrations extra sepcial with freshness and abundance.