Therefore, the tradition calls for offering the fresh harvest of rice cooked in boiling milk to the deity.

[4] Venn or ven (hot) pongal has been described as a rice and lentil porridge similar to the South Asian staple khichdi.

It is made with black pepper, ginger, turmeric, and sometimes asafoetida, cashews, cumin, curry leaves, ghee (clarified butter), mung beans, and salt.

In South India, it is commonly eaten for breakfast with coconut chutney and Indian filter coffee.

[2][4][5] Sakkarai (sweet) pongal is made with jaggery, cardamom, cashews, and sometimes ghee, golden raisins, nutmeg, and salt.