New Delhi: Pongal 2026 brings the joyous spirit of Tamil Nadu’s harvest festival, celebrated from 13 to 16 January with gratitude to the sun god and Mother Nature for bountiful yields. Families across India, especially in the south, light hearths on Thai Pongal day, letting the Pongal pot overflow as a symbol of prosperity and abundance. This vibrant four-day affair, marked by kolam designs, cattle adoration on Mattu Pongal, and communal feasts, pulses with cultural rituals that unite communities in festivity. Amid the rhythmic pongal cooking sounds and aromatic spices, traditional Pongal sweets steal the show, offering a sweet embrace to the harvest blessings.​

Imagine the creamy allure of Pongal desserts that melt in your mouth, promising a burst of jaggery sweetness and ghee richness with every spoonful. These Happy Pongal 2026 delights, from Sakkarai Pongal to luscious payasams, elevate your celebrations with authentic Tamil flavours. Ready to dive into these must-try treats that make Thai Pongal unforgettable?

Sakkarai Pongal reigns as the heart of Pongal 2026 sweets, a divine dish blending newly harvested rice and moong dal into a creamy pudding sweetened with jaggery, enriched by ghee, cardamom, cashews, and raisins for an irresistible nutty crunch and aroma that evokes temple prasadams and family gatherings. Cook rice and moong dal in water and milk until soft and mushy, stir in melted jaggery syrup, ghee-fried nuts, and cardamom powder for glossy perfection.

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Paal Payasam captivates with its velvety milk base simmered to pudding-like silkiness, infused with subtle sweetness from sugar or jaggery, garnished with ghee-roasted cashews and cardamom that deliver comforting warmth ideal for Pongal’s festive close. Sauté rice or vermicelli in ghee, simmer slowly in milk until thick and fragrant, sweeten with sugar, and top with fried nuts.

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Pasi Paruppu Payasam, or moong dal........

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