Sumangali Prarthanai | mangali pondugal - food , procedure

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Sumangali prarthanai

The term “Sumangali” is given to Married women living with her husband and “Prarthanai” is prayer. Sumangali Prarthanai is a traditional ritual performed in South Indian Brahmin (Tamil brahmin) homes before auspicious ceremonious occasions like a marriage, upanayanam - sacred thread ceremony, shashtipoorthi,sadhabishegam, etc. some families even do before seemandham or grahapravsesham too. Even without any occasions, some families do pondugal to pray ancestors.   

Why Mangali pondugal

Special poojai are performed for women by women.  The tradition behind performing the Mangali pondugal poojai is to seek blessings from the family ladies who passed away as sumangalis. Every family has its traditional way of performing the poojai and sumanangali prarthanai food.

Auspicious time for sumangali prarthanai

Sumangali prarthanai is not performed on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Also, it is not performed during Tamil months such as  Margazhi. Day of sumangali prarthani should not be Ashtami, Navami, pradamai, amavasai and pournami, Raghu kalam, and emagandam. Muhurtha naal ( day) is fixed for the pooja.

 

Number of Pondugal

   The total number of pondugal ilai (banana leaf) - Swamy ilai + married ladies+ Kanya ponnu (a girl who didn't attain puberty) must be odd.  Typically total count will be 5/7/9.  If the host’s daughter(s) is/ are married they are a must for pondugal. Daughter-in-law comes under the host category so they cant be pondugal. Other podungal will be typically hosting family and friends ladies.

Who cant be podungal?

The only brahmin married lady living with her husband can be pondugal. Sumangali should not have periods on that day. Also, no one from pondugal’s family should have passed away  within one year (Varushaptigam is not done)

Day before function

First, we finalize the pondugal list. The day before Sumangali Prarthana poojai someone from the host family visits all the pondugal and gives turmeric, sesame oil, and shikakai to the ladies who are invited for pondugal. As traditionally pondugal take oil bath (use oil and shikakai we give) and apply turmeric powder while taking bath.  Pondugal washes and dry 9 yards saree and wear it for the poojai.

Arrangements before inviting pondugal

Host buy one 9 yards saree for Swamy. It is typically given to the host’s married daughter. If the host doesn't have a daughter saree is given to elderly women. On the day of mangali pondugal host take a hair bath and wash the Swamy saree and dry. Place two kuthu vilakku and light. Put two kolam and keep palagai on top. Also, put kolam on two palagai. Behind one palagai We keep a mirror and keep Santhanam kumkum. Place saree tied up, blouse bit on palagai.  Keep gold chain and garland for saree. Place Kanya ponnu thambulam and dress on other palagai. Keep water in sombu next to it and keep Swamy ilai in front

Swamy ilai

banana leaf | swami ilai is kept in front of the palagai. Some families keep two banana leaves.

Who will eat in Swamy ilai?

After all the pondugal finish their meal host eats in the swamy ilai. If the host has daughter-in-law(s) they share the swamy illai food.

Sumangali prarthana meal

No onion no garlic elaborate meals are prepared for the pondugal. Person cooking should take hair bath before cooking and shouldn't eat anything while cooking.

Serve illai and then invite pondugal

Host wash and dry swami ilai and all the podungal banana leaves. Serve food in swamy ilai first then to all pondugal ilai. After first serving host steps out to invite pondugal home. Further serving is done while eating

Inviting pondugal

All the pondugal (married ladies + Kanya ponnu) are invited inside the home at the same time. Host wash pondugal legs then give turmeric kumkum and flower to all pondugal. According to our family, the traditional host holds a pondugal hand and pronounces an ancestor sumangali name, and invites home. Do the same for all the pondugal

neivedhyam

The host will do neivedhyam and show karpooram to the swamy ilai and all the people from the host’s family will pray and put flowers on the swamy ilai and do namaskarams to that.

No food before mangali pondugal sapadu. All the pondugal can only drink liquid diet

After sumangali prarthanai food

After the meal, the host offer neer mor,  panagam, a mix of sukku (dry ginger) podi and jaggery to all pondugal. then host give thambulam to all the pondugal (vethalai, pakku, kumkum, rupee, manjal, marudhani, coconut, mirror, comb, saree, or some gift in a tray). Swamy 9 yards saree is given to host’s daughter or other elderly pondugal. They wear a 9-yard saree

Sumangali Prarthanai | mangali pondugal food 

• Firstly,  chop and keep all vegetables ready
• Cook rice
• If you are using frozen coconut thaw them 

Soak

• chana dal for sweet kosumali
• urad dal for vadai
• Chana dal and moong dal for payasam
• Moong dal for carrot kosumalli
• toor dal for pitlai and rasam 
• chickpea for pitlai
• toor dal and chana dal for kootu

To Saute 

• Chana dal, red chilli, coriander seeds, and  urad dal  till they turn golden brown for Vazhakai poriyal
• Coriander seeds, chana dal, red chilli, fenugreek seeds, coconut for pitlai
• Chana dal, red chilli, and coriander seeds for thani kootu

Grind

• Pulse sugar candy, coconut, and cardamom powder
• Coconut for payasam
• Coconut and green chilli for Cucumber pachadi
• Urad dal with little cold water for vadai
• Cooked dal, jaggery, and coconut for paruppu poli
• grind sauteed ingredient with little water for pitlai
• coconut, cumin seeds,  green chilli with little water for kootu
• grind sauteed ingredients,  little water for thani kootu
• coconut and little water for thani kootu
• coarse grind Vazhakkai poriyal sauteed ingredients

Pressure cook

• Toor dal and chickpea for pitlai
• bitter gourd, turmeric powder, and salt for pitlai 
• Chana dal with turmeric powder for sweet kosumali
• Raw mango, turmeric powder, salt, and water for mango pachadi
• Moong dal and chana dal with turmeric powder  for payasam
• toor dal for rasam and paruppu
• Beans with little water, oil, and salt
• Potatoes with turmeric powder and water

Tempering

• Mustard seed in ghee  for Cucumber pachadi and  Mango pachadi
• Cashews  and raisins in ghee for Payasam
• Mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and cumin seeds in ghee for Rasam
• Urad dal, mustard seeds, and red chili in coconut oil for Beans poriyal
• Mustard seeds, green chilli in ghee for carrot kosumalli
• urad dal, mustard seeds, and red chilli in coconut oil for kootu
• Mustard seeds in sesame oil for Instant mango pickle
• chana dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves in coconut oil for thani kootu

For a detailed recipe link with ingredients and instructions pls. Click on the image 

Cook Kalyana sapadu

Mango pachadi

• Prepare jaggery water and filter
• Boil cooked mango, jaggery water, chili powder, and cardamom powder 

Checkout other pachadi recipes in TMF

Cucumber pachadi

• Add chopped cucumber, ground coconut, salt, curd to a vessel and mix well
• Finally add tempering and mix well

Sweet kosumalli

• After the dal is cool, mix cooked dal, pulsed ingredients, and serve immediately

Carrot kosumalli

• Take grated carrot, soaked dal, salt, tempering, and lemon juice, mix well

Paruppu Payasam

• Prepare jaggery water and filter
• Boil cooked dal, jaggery water, ground coconut, cardamom powder, salt, and sugar
• Finally, add sauteed cashews and raisins

Checkout other payasam recipes in TMF

Sooji Appam

• Knead the poori dough and set it aside for half an hour
• Prepare Kesari and let it cool completely
• After Kesari is cool heat oil
• Roll poori and stuff Kesari; deep fry in hot oil
• Filter oil and serve sooji appam

Check out other poli varieties in TMF

Pavakkai pitlai

• Temper and saute cooked pavakkai
• Add sambar powder,  tamarind paste, water, and other required ingredients for pitlai; boil 
• Furthermore, add the ground pitlai paste  and boil
• Finally, add dal and boil

Check out  sambar, kuzhambu recipes, coconut-based recipes, kootu recipes in TMF

Paruppu rasam

• Saute tomatoes
• Boil tamarind, rasam powder, salt, and other ingredients 
• Add cooked dal and bring to a frothy boil
• Finally, add the tempering and turn off the rasam

Check out other rasam varieties in TMF 

White pumpkin kootu

• Cook pumpkin, with salt, turmeric powder, ground kootu paste, till pumpkin turns soft
• add cooked dal and boil
• finally, add the tempering

Thani kottu

• Boil tamarind water, turneric powder, and salt till tamarind raw smell goes off
• add the ground paste and cook for 5 minutes
• Furthermore add ground coconut, jaggery, and hing; cook for 5 more minutes
• finally, add the tempering, mix well and turn off the stove

Checkout other kootu recipes in TMF

Vazhakkai podi kari

• cook raw banana with enough water, salt, and turmeric powder till it turns fork-tender; transfer to a colander and cool
• Temper mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves  in coconut oil
• saute vazhakkai for 2 minutes
• add enough ground kari podi and saute for 2 minutes

Beans poriyal

• To the bean poriyal tempering, add cooked beans and coconut and prepare poriyal

Check out beans paruppu usili, beans thengai podi usili, potato-based recipes, and  poriyal recipes in TMF

Instant puli sadam

• Use tamarind paste and other required ingredients for instant puli sadam; prepare instant pulikaichal
• Finally, mix rice and keep it aside 

You can also prepare Puliyodarai and prepare traditional puli sadam. Check out other variety rice recipes in TMF

Medu vadai

• Refrigerate the vadai batter for 30 minutes
• Heat oil
• Mix all the ingredients for vadai and fry vadai
• Fry appalam in hot oil and keep aside

Check out other vadai recipes in TMF

Instant mango pickle

• In a mixing bowl add chopped mangoes, red chilli powder, salt, and fenugreek powder
• Finally, add the tempering and mix well

Check out other pickle varieties in TMF

• Add salt to the  dal and mix well
• Serve the meal with a dollop of ghee