Ugadi 2022: Lip-smacking traditional recipes to ring in the Telugu New Year

Ugadi, celebrated on the first day of Chaitra, the Hindu lunisolar calendar month, marks the beginning of the new year for people in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. The same day is celebrated as the first day of Chaitra Navratri in North India and as Gudi Padwa, the Marathi New Year, in Maharashtra. (Also read: Ugadi 2022: All that you need to know)

Celebrated with much enthusiasm, on this day, people clean their houses, wear new clothes, and offer prayer in temples. The houses are decorated with colourful rangoli designs, torans made of mango leaves and traditional food typically served on a banana leaf is enjoyed.

The highlight of the festival is Ugadi Pachadi, a kind of chutney which is a concoction of jaggery, tamarind, chilli, salt, neem flowers and raw mangoes, and combines all flavours – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and piquant, signifying that one must be ready to embrace all kinds of flavours or experiences in the coming year.

Dal vada, kosambari, palya (poriyal), obbattu (Puran Poli), mavinakayi chitranna (raw mango rice), semiya payasam (vermicelli kheer), puliyogare (tamarind rice), udupi rasam and tempered curd are some other dishes that are part of Ugadi spread.

On the occasion of Ugadi 2022, here are some dishes that you can make at home and enjoy with your family.

1. Ugadi Pachadi

Recipe by Dayal Singh Negi chef at Foodya, Noida Sector 63

Ingredients:

• Tamarind pulp

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• ¼ cup jaggery chunks/syrup

• ½ cup chopped raw mango

• ¼ cup neem flowers (can be substituted with sprouted methi seeds)

• A pinch of salt

• 1 cup of warm water

Method:

• Soak some tamarind fruit in ¼ cup of warm water for about 10 minutes.

• Strain the tamarind decoction into another container, and add ⅓ cup of water.

• Add Jaggery to the mixture and blend well. To this, add some black pepper and salt.

• Add the chopped raw mango and neem flowers to the mixture and stir well. It is optional to use dried fruit or chopped bananas.

• The traditional Ugadi Pachadi is ready to serve.

2. Quinoa Puliyogare

Recipe by Lopamudra Banerjee, Lifestyle & Weight Management Coach, Founder of World Of WOW Fitness

(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa

• 2 cups water

For Tempering

• 2 tsp canola oil

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 tsp urad dal

• 1 tsp chana dal

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• 2 tsp peanuts

• 1/4 tsp asafoetida

• 1.5 tbsp puliyogare powder

• Few curry leaves

• Salt as per taste

Method

• Add 2 cups of water to 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a pot and set it on high to cook. Once the water starts boiling switch off the heat and cover the pot with a lid for 5-6 mins.

• Remove the lid and scoop out the quinoa on a plate and put it under the fan to avoid overcooking and to get a fluffy texture.

• Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan

• Add mustard seeds and let it splutter

• Then add the urad dal, chana dal, and peanuts and sauté for few seconds

• Next add the turmeric powder and asafoetida and continue to sauté

• Now add the curry leaves and sauté for few seconds

• Finally, add the puliyogare powder and sauté and mix well. Switch off the heat.

• Now add the cooked quinoa to this sauteed mixture and mix well

• Adjust the salt as per taste.

• Mix well and serve with a cup of cucumber raita and roasted appalam.

3. Coconut rice

Recipe by Nutritionist Pritika Bedi, Founder Healthsake

Ingredients

• ½ cup boiled rice

• ½ cup crushed coconut

• 2-3 tbsp coconut oil

• ½ tsp mustard seeds

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• ½ tsp urad dal

• ½ tbsp chana dal

• 1 tbsp cashews chopped

• ½ green chili chopped

• 1 tsp ginger chopped

• ¼ tsp asafoetida/hing powder

• 5 to 6 curry leaves

• ¼ cup coriander leaves chopped

• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a pan on medium flame. Add mustard seeds. When it starts to sputter, add cumin seeds, urad dal, and chana dal.

• When it turns light golden in colour, add cashews, green chili, red chili, ginger, hing, curry leaves, and saute for few seconds.

• Add the coconut and saute till coconut turns light golden in colour.

• Add boiled rice in the pan and sprinkle some salt according to the taste and toss till combined.

• Add chopped coriander leaves on the top.

• Coconut rice is now ready.

• Serve hot.

4. Maavu Bella Halwa

Recipe by Prakash Kumar D, Executive Chef, The Woodrose Club by Brigade Group

Ingredients:

• Ripe mango – 300 g (dices into cubes)

• Palm jaggery – 100 g

• Water – 150 ml

• Corn flour – 25 g

• Ghee – 4 tsp

• Almonds – 1 tbsp

• Pista – ½ tbsp

• Cardamom powder – 1 pinch

Method:

• Add the mango to a blender and grind into a smooth paste and keep aside (do not add water).

• In a medium sized bowl add the jaggery and 100 ml water and mix until fully dissolved and set aside.

• Add the cornflour to 50 ml water and mix until a smooth consistency is achieved.

• On low heat add 1 tsp ghee to a nonstick pan. Add in ½ tablespoon of diced almonds, sauté until it turns golden brown and remove from the pan.

• Add in the blended mango and cook on low flame for 5 to 6 minutes stirring continuously.

• Strain in the jaggery and continue to stir until the mixture thickens.

• Add the corn flour while stirring constantly.

• Add the remaining ghee 1 tsp at a time and mix well until the ghee leaves the sides.

• Add in the fried almonds and mix well. Add cardamom powder. Mix well and remove from the flame.

• Transfer the mixture to a pre-greased baking tray, level the mixture with a knife or spatula and allow to cool.

• Dice cooled Maavu Bella Halwaand and serve with Almond and Pista garnishing.

5. Paneer Stuffed Aloo Tikki With Raw Banana

Recipe by Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa

Ingredients

For the tikki

• Raw bananas – 3 medium

• Ginger (finely grated) – 1 tbsp

• Green chilli finely chopped – 1 medium sized

• Coriander leaves finely chopped – 1 tbsp

• Sendha namak – 1 tsp

• Jeera powder – ½ tsp

• Red chilli powder – ½ tsp

• Oil to shallow fry the tikkis

For the filling

• Paneer grated – ¾ cup

• Roasted jeera powder – ¼ tsp

• Finely chopped coriander leaves – 1 tsp

• Finely chopped green chilli – 1 tsp

Method

• Cut bananas lengthwise and cook on medium flame till banana is cooked. Let it cool completely wheel the peel comes off (like a riped banana)

• Grate/mash the bananas with hand or a fork and set aside

• In a small pan, heat some oil and fry ginger, green chilies till brown. Add this and the rest of the ingredients except oil to the banana mash and mix gently to make a consistent mixture

• Divide it into 10-12 equal portions, make circles and keep them aside in a plate

• Mix all the ingredients for filling. Taste salt; adjust as per your need

• Make tikkis out of banana mixture, flatten it into a disk, and then make a cup out of it, using the centre of your palm

• Fill in a tbsp of paneer mixture into it, and then seal the edges, use the sides of your thumb and index finger to seal it completely and form a ball out of it. Flatten it gently to form a tikki and they are ready to fry.