Navratri Day 4 : Bellad Anna ( Sweet Pongal) 🧡

Navratri Day 4: 🧡 Orange 🧡 On day 4 of Shardiya Navratri, devotees worship Maa Kushmanda 🌹🙏🏻, whose aura symbolizes her ability to radiate positivity and light, and her blessings are sought for happiness, health, and prosperity. The colour associated with Day 4 of the festival is Orange 🧡, On this day, a person wearing orange 🧡is endowed with warm and vivacious traits.

BELLAD ANNA (SWEET PONGAL)

Bellad Anna also known as Sweet pongal is a traditional and authentic south Indian sweet that is made on many festivals and auspicious days for an offering to God (naivedhyam). It is a common sweet made in all south Indian households. This simple and delicious sweet dish is prepared with very few ingredients. Traditionally a pinch of edible camphor or carpoora is added for the flavor.

YouTube link:

https://youtube.com/shorts/t3sdrDHHjx8?si=IoHeW7StV_nk1e51

Ingredients:

· Raw rice - 1/2 cup

· Moong dal - 1/4 cup

· Jaggery – 3/4 cup

· Ghee – 1-2 tbsp

· Water – 3 cups

· Cashew nuts – 1 tbsp

· Raisins – 1 tbsp

· Cardamom – 1/4 tsp

· Cloves -2-3

· Edible camphor - pinch

Method:

· Wash the raw rice and moong dal in running water, now take a small pressure cooker add the washed rice and moong dal, add water. Add a small bowl, and close the lid , let it pressure cook for 3 whistles.

· Take a small pan with 1 tbsp ghee and fry the cashew nuts, raisins and cloves. Keep it aside.

· In the same pan you can melt the jaggery, add little water and jaggery. Let it cook on medium low flame.

· Once the jaggery dissolves and thickens a little bit, turn off the flame and keep it aside. You can strain the Jaggery it's optional.

· You can add the cooked dal rice mixture in the jaggery syrup. Give a good mix. Cook for 5-6 minutes while stirring continuously.

· Add the fried dry fruits, cloves, freshly ground cardamom, and edible camphor to the Pongal. Add 1 tbsp ghee and give a good mix.

· Bellad Anna or Sweet pongal is ready to be served hot.