How To Make Ugadi Pachadi? Check Emotions Associated With Its Taste
Ugadi Special: Ugadi or Yugadi marks the beginning of a New Year as per the Hindu calendar. The festival is celebrated with much fervor, and enthusiasm in South Indian states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
Traditionally, a dish named Ugadi Pachadi is the highlight of the festival in the Telugu states. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Ugadi Pachadi is the Elixir to usher in the new year.
A customary food prepared on the Telugu New Year, Ugadi Pachadi is a paste made from jaggery (sugar), neem buds, tamarind juice, and raw mango. The paste blends several sweet and sour tastes.
It is the first dish one has to eat on the day of Ugadi after offering it to the deities. Apart from the health benefits of this festive drink, Ugadi Pachadi also signifies that one has to accept both sweet and bitter experiences in life with equal stride.
The six ingredients that are added in Ugadi Pachadi and which correspond to the taste and emotions are:
Tamarind – sour taste – unpleasantness
Jaggery – sweet taste – joy or happiness
Raw mango – tangy, astringent – surprise
Neem flowers – bitter – sadness
Black pepper – spicy, hot – anger
Salt – salty – fear
Substitutes
The summer is the season of blooming neem flowers and also mangoes. So in India, neem flowers are easily available on Ugadi. If you live outside India, then use bitter ingredients like soaked methi seeds or methi powder instead of neem flowers. Instead of black pepper powder, you can also use red chili powder or green chilies.
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How is it made?
Firstly, tamarind pulp is made by soaking tamarind in water for a few minutes. To the tamarind pulp, the rest of the ingredients are added and mixed.
There are no set proportions for making the recipe and you can always add the six ingredients less or more, as per your choice. This Ugadi Pachadi recipe gives you a balanced Ugadi Pachadi with all the six tastes coming through. Generally, new tamarind and new jaggery are used.
The Cuisine is from Andhra Pradesh in South India. The course is determined as a side dish. Ugadi Pachadi can be classified as Gluten-Free and Vegan. The difficulty level in preparing this recipe is Easy. Preparation Time and total time to make the dish takes less than 10 minutes.
Ugadi Pachadi Ingredients
1 teaspoon tamarind
¼ cup water – for soaking tamarind
⅓ Cup water – to be added later
¼ cup chopped jaggery
⅓ Cup finely chopped unripe mangoes
2 tablespoons neem flowers
¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
¼ teaspoon salt or add as required
Ugadi Pachadi Recipe:
1. Soak 1 teaspoon tamarind in ¼ cup water for about 40 minutes to 1 hour. Then squeeze the tamarind pulp and keep it aside. In a bowl, add this tamarind pulp.
2. Then add ⅓ cup of water to it.
3. Add ¼ cup chopped jaggery to the above mixture.
4. Mix very well with a spoon so that the jaggery dissolves.
5. Then add the finely chopped raw mangoes. You can also add bananas, roasted chana dal, dry fruits, and coconut.
6. Then add the neem flowers. If you do not have neem flowers, then you can add soaked methi seeds or methi powder.
7. Add ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder. You can also add green chilies or red chili powder instead of black pepper powder.
8. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt or add as required and mix it very well.
9. Offer Ugadi Pachadi as naivedyam (Offering) to your deities. Then serve it to your family.
10. Ugadi Pachadi recipe can be doubled or tripled.
11. You can add less or more of any of the 6 ingredients.
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