New York’s Staten Island. January is an amazing time of year for the Earth because of the night sky and gradually more light-filled days. The Tamil community on Staten Island will be commemorating these seasonal delights this week with Thai Pongal, their annual Hindu harvest festival.
As we celebrate the harvest and give thanks to the sun for its everlasting benefits, Indra Emmanuel, president of the Ilankai Tamil Sangam, wished you happiness, prosperity, and peace this Thai Pongal.
For many Sri Lankans, the non-profit organization with its headquarters in Clove Lakes serves as a cultural center.
Since Staten Island has had the greatest concentration of Sri Lankans outside of old Ceylon for roughly thirty years, this festival is an important cultural occasion for the locals.
This week, all borough residents are welcome to join the Staten Island Tamil community in celebrating the annual Pongal holiday. (Source: Dr. Rajaraam and Mohan.)Tamil School on Staten Island, Sri Lanka
The feast this year will take place on Saturday, January 18, at the Port Richmond High School Auditorium, located at 85 St. Joseph’s Ave. Dinner is served at 7:30 p.m., while appetizers are served from 4:30 to 5 p.m. The hosts ask that people RSVP to Bala at 347-235-2604 or Kohulan at 917-596-9415, but admission is free.
The Hindu temple’s members will gather for a Pot Pangal service outside the temple at 9 a.m. on Saturday at 1318 Victory Blvd., Sunnyside. “Everyone is welcome,” Emmanuel says.
The New Asha Sri Lankan restaurant in Tompkinsville serves mutton rolls, wade, and a round fish cutlet. The oval-shaped object in the upper left is called a “vade,” which are lentil-based fritters. (Silvestri, Pamela; Staten Island Advance)Chad Cheriel LC took the picture.-
The yumminess of Thai Pongal
According to the Hindu calendar, the harvest festival begins in the middle of January. The festival marks the beginning of the end of winter and the passage of the sun as it moves north, as the longer days imply. One of the main characters in the celebrations is the god Surya.
Pongal, a savory meal made with daal, is a symbol of prosperity and reflects the tradition in eating. Sakkarai, its sweet counterpart, has the comforting tastes of cardamom, coconut, and jaggery, which is a crystallized form of sugary sap that resembles molasses.
From Tompkinsville’s Ceylon Curry: Daily specials could include slow-cooked chicken (bottom left), fried leeks with hot peppers, potatoes stewed with fresh curry, or swordfish in curry (top left). (Silvestri, Pamela; Staten Island Advance)Chad Cheriel LC took the picture.
Rice pudding, fried lentil doughnuts, and vade are additional foods to celebrate the event.
The Port Richmond festival offers these and other traditional meals. There are a few borough restaurants that serve Sri Lankan food all year long, including Tompkinsville’s Michelin-starred Sagara Food City, Ceylon Curry, Dosa Garden, and New Asha.
Other choices are Randiwain Bulls Head and Lakruwanain Stapleton.
Pamela Silvestri is the cuisine editor for Advance/SILive.com. Her email address is [email protected].
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