Grand Vegetarian Feast for Old Age Home

Step 1: Prepare Vegetables and Pongal Ingredients

Gather all fresh vegetables including onions, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, cabbage, raw bananas, drumsticks, carrots, radish, okra, and brinjal. Wash them thoroughly. Also, prepare rice for Pongal.

Step 2: Cook Sweet Pongal

Place a clay pot over a wood fire. Wash 2 kg of rice and add it to the pot with 5 liters of milk. Allow it to boil and overflow, signifying good fortune. Crush 1 kg of jaggery and add it to the Pongal. Stir in 100g each of cashews and raisins, 2 tbsp of cardamom, and 200g of ghee. Cook until the Pongal is thick and creamy.

Step 3: Chop Vegetables

Chop 4 kg of tomatoes, 4 kg of onions, 2 kg of carrots, 2 kg of drumsticks, 2 kg of radish, 2 kg of cabbage, 2 kg of potatoes, 2 kg of brinjal, and 1 kg of spinach. Dice the potatoes and brinjal, shred the cabbage, and slice the carrots and radish.

Step 4: Prepare Sambar and Rasam Base

Place four large cooking pots over separate wood fires. Add 500ml of oil to each pot. Once hot, add 2 tbsp mustard seeds, 2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, 5-6 bay leaves, 5-6 star anise, 10-15 dried red chilies, and a handful of curry leaves to each pot. Sauté until fragrant.

Step 5: Cook Sambar and Rasam

To two of the pots, add 1 kg chopped onions and 1 kg chopped tomatoes. Sauté until soft. Add 100g garlic ginger paste, 2 tbsp turmeric powder, 3 tbsp chili powder, and 4 tbsp sambar powder. Mix well. Add a portion of the mixed vegetables (drumsticks, carrots, radish, green beans, raw banana, okra, brinjal, potatoes) to each pot. Pour in 200g tamarind pulp and sufficient water. Add 500g lentils (dal) to one pot for Sambar and cook until vegetables are tender and dal is cooked. The other pot will be for Rasam.

Step 6: Prepare Potato & Peas Curry

In a separate large pan over fire, sauté diced potatoes and peas with onions, green chilies, curry leaves, and spices (turmeric, chili powder, garam masala) until cooked and well combined.

Step 7: Prepare Brinjal Curry

In another large pan, cook diced brinjal with onions, green chilies, curry leaves, and spices (turmeric, chili powder, garam masala) until the brinjal is soft and tender.

Step 8: Prepare Cabbage & Lentil Stir-fry

In a large pan, sauté shredded cabbage and 200g lentils (chana dal) with onions, green chilies, curry leaves, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds until the cabbage is tender-crisp.

Step 9: Prepare Spinach Stir-fry

In a large pan, cook 1 kg spinach with onions, green chilies, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and dried red chilies until the spinach is wilted and tender.

Step 10: Fry Raw Banana

Slice 2 kg raw bananas. Marinate them with 3 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp turmeric, and salt to taste. Deep-fry the marinated banana slices in 1 liter of hot oil until golden brown and crispy.

Step 11: Prepare and Fry Vada

Prepare a batter from 1 kg chana dal, green chilies, onions, curry leaves, coriander, and salt. Form into small patties and deep-fry in 1 liter of hot oil until golden brown and cooked through.

Step 12: Fry Papad/Appalam

Deep-fry 100-200 pieces of papad/appalam in 500ml of hot oil until puffed and crispy.

Step 13: Serve the Grand Feast

Lay out fresh banana leaves. Serve generous portions of white rice, sweet Pongal, vada, fried banana, okra/chickpea curry, cabbage & lentil stir-fry, spinach stir-fry, potato & peas curry, brinjal curry, sambar, rasam, curd/buttermilk, and pickle. Enjoy the meal with friends and family.

• Ensure all vegetables are thoroughly washed and chopped to uniform sizes for even cooking.

• Adjust spice levels according to preference; for large gatherings, a moderate spice level is usually preferred.

• Maintain consistent heat under the large cooking pots to prevent burning and ensure proper cooking.

• Different types of lentils can be used for the Pongal or Vada.

• Other seasonal vegetables can be incorporated into the mixed vegetable curry.

• For a richer flavor, use coconut milk in some of the curries.