Grand South Indian Vegetarian Feast for a Community

Step 1: Prepare Sweet Pongal (Sakkarai Pongal)

Set up a traditional clay pot over a wood fire. Wash 1.5 kg of rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Pour 3 liters of water into the clay pot and bring to a boil. Add the washed rice to the boiling water. Once the rice starts to cook, add 3 liters of milk. Continue to cook until the milk boils over, which is considered auspicious. Add 500g of moong dal (split yellow lentils) along with more rice (total 2 kg rice and moong dal mix) to the pot and stir. Crush 1 kg of jaggery on a stone grinder and add it to the cooking Pongal. Stir well until the jaggery dissolves. Add 100g of cashews, 50g of raisins, and 20-30 cardamom pods. Stir in 150ml of ghee. Decorate the pot with fresh turmeric leaves/roots and flowers. Remove the cooked Pongal from the fire and let it rest.

Step 2: Prepare Vegetables for Curries and Sides

Wash all vegetables thoroughly in a large basin with water. This includes tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, green beans, okra, raw bananas, drumsticks, radish, carrots, small red chilies, and small onions. Separate and drain the vegetables. Chop 3 kg of tomatoes and 3 kg of onions into fine pieces. Grind fresh turmeric on a stone grinder to make a paste. Slice 1.5 kg of carrots and 1.5 kg of radish into rounds. Shred 1 kg of cabbage finely. Dice 1 kg of potatoes and chop 1.5 kg of small eggplants into quarters.

Step 3: Cook Mixed Vegetable Curries (3 pots)

Set up three large cooking pots over separate wood fires. Add approximately 300-350ml of cooking oil to each pot and heat. To each pot, add a mix of whole spices (bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, dried red chilies). Sauté until fragrant. Add small red chilies and curry leaves, then stir. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until soft and pulpy. Add chopped potatoes, turmeric powder, and chili powder, then stir well to combine. Add chopped carrots, drumsticks, and green beans, then stir. Pour in about 3-4 liters of water and bring to a boil. Add chopped okra and chickpeas, then stir. Add shredded cabbage and spinach, then season with salt to taste. Add more water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Stir in 1 liter of coconut milk and 200ml of tamarind pulp. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and the curry thickens. In the remaining pots, repeat the process with the rest of the vegetables, adding raw bananas, eggplants, and radish, adjusting spices and liquids as needed for each curry. Cook until all vegetables are tender and the curries are well combined and flavorful. Remove the cooked curries from the fire.

Step 4: Prepare Fried Vegetable Sides

Set up four large woks over separate wood fires. Heat cooking oil in each wok for frying. In one wok, deep-fry diced potatoes until golden brown and tender. Add green peas and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and spices as needed. In another wok, deep-fry chopped eggplants until tender and slightly browned. Season with spices. In a third wok, stir-fry shredded cabbage until tender-crisp. In the fourth wok, stir-fry chopped spinach until wilted and cooked through. Season all fried vegetables with a tempering of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, chopped onions, green chilies, ginger, and garlic, along with turmeric and chili powder, as shown in the video for various dishes.

Step 5: Prepare Fried Raw Banana Slices

Slice 1 kg of raw bananas into thin, even pieces. In a bowl, mix the banana slices with 200g of red chili paste, 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder, and salt to taste, ensuring all slices are well coated. Heat cooking oil for deep frying in a large wok over a wood fire. Carefully place the marinated banana slices into the hot oil and deep-fry until golden brown and crispy, approximately 3-5 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil.

Step 6: Prepare Lentil Patties (Vadas)

Take 1 kg of soaked and ground mixed lentil batter. Mix in 200g of finely chopped onions, 50g of finely chopped green chilies, 1 sprig of chopped curry leaves, 1/2 bunch of chopped coriander leaves, and salt to taste. Form small, flat patties from the mixture. Heat cooking oil for deep frying in a large wok over a wood fire. Carefully place the patties into the hot oil and deep-fry until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 4-6 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil.

Step 7: Prepare Papadums

Heat cooking oil for deep frying in a large wok over a wood fire. Carefully place papadums into the hot oil, one or two at a time, and fry until they puff up and become crispy, about 10-15 seconds per side. Remove quickly with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil.

Step 8: Prepare Spaghetti with Coconut Milk

Bring 2 liters of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Break 500g of spaghetti into smaller pieces and add to the boiling water. Cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the spaghetti. In a separate pot, heat 1 liter of coconut milk. Add the cooked spaghetti to the coconut milk and season with salt to taste. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until heated through.

Step 9: Serve the Feast

Clean and prepare large banana leaves by wiping them clean and placing them on a flat surface. Serve generous portions of cooked white rice onto the banana leaves. Add a portion of the sweet Pongal. Arrange the fried lentil patties and fried raw banana slices. Ladle various mixed vegetable curries and the fried potato with peas, fried eggplant, fried cabbage, and fried spinach onto the leaves. Serve a bowl of yogurt/curd alongside. The community gathers to enjoy the meal, eating traditionally with their hands.

• Cooking over wood fire imparts a unique smoky flavor.

• Prepare ingredients in advance for large-scale cooking.

• Adjust spice levels according to preference.

• Different types of lentils can be used for Pongal and patties.

• Other seasonal vegetables can be added to the mixed curry.

• Spaghetti can be replaced with vermicelli or other noodles for a different texture.