வெண்பொங்கல்

After sharing my trials with Arisi Upma, the favorite recipe of all Iyer aunties, I decided not to ponder on food items to avoid domestic disturbances. But Sethu liked my views on arisi upma and wanted my comments on Venpongal.

My idea of Pongal is more for its association with மார்கழி பஜனை. Normally all bhajanais end up with sundal. But மார்கழி பஜனை always completes with hot வெண்பொங்கல். In all Bhajanai groups there will be a couple of persons who has the full idea of bhajanai and their timings. During the mangalam (மங்களம் = concluding song of bajanai) they will appear from nowhere to regulate or distribute pongal. This will be done only after reserving their share of prasaadam. Perhaps the upper layer of the pongal that will have mundiri paruppu fried in ghee may be reserved for these mundiri kottais. Almost all the eyes will be on the முந்திரி பருப்பு. Invariably some senior uncle (sadist)will mix the pongal well when I am first in the queue, so that only lucky ones will get mundiri in their share.

Our canteen contractor menon had different views on all these bhajanai items. If you refer special lexicon for workforce in Tamil, bhajanai means posing as if working but in reality doing nothing. Being well versed in these jargons and terms, menon will prepare pongal for morning and sundal for evening snacks daily. When confronted for better menu, menon shoots his reply

" ஸாரே, நீங்க ஆபீஸ்ல பஜனைத்தானே செய்யறது?"