5 Ugadi Dishes Which You Can Add To Your Menu on This Ugadi Festive.....

5 Ugadi Dishes Which You Can Add To Your Menu on This Ugadi Festive.....

Ugadi is one of the most important festivals of Southern India. It is celebrated as a New Year in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It usually falls in month of March or April. The observance of Ugadi is determined by a lunar calendar that is traditionally followed by the people in these states.

Like all the festivals in India, Ugadi too is celebrated in great fervor and gaiety. Preparations for this festival begin weeks before the actual day. People buy decorations and other amenities well in advance. They clean their households and even purchase new items for their homes.

As it is popularly believed that the day you spend Ugadi is how you spend the next 365 days, friends and families get together to celebrate the festivities. People decorate their homes and draw beautiful rangolis in their driveways and floors. They wear new clothes and begin the day by greeting one another. Special Indian sweets and other delicacies are prepared on this auspicious day.These delicacies are first offered to God and then consumed. Some of the important dishes cooked on this auspicious day are:

Bobbatlu

Especially during festivals, people come together to prepare and enjoy this scrumptious Indian dessert called Bobbatlu. It is a traditional flatbread like dessert made using chana dal, all-purpose flour, ghee, jaggery and salt. It is made using basic ingredients available in every household. It is served during breakfast with some milk. Not only do people enjoy feasting on Bobbatlu, the mothers and grandmothers also enjoy cooking this tasty dish.

Ugadi Pachadi

While it is most popularly known as Ugadi Pachadi, it is also called Bevu Bella in some areas.It is a special preparation made by using tender mango pieces, neem flowers, jaggery and tamarind, salt, green chilli. It is drunk as it is or cooled for better taste. It tastes sour, bitter, sweet, salty and spicy at the same time. The jaggery signifies the sweet, happier moments of life while the neem flowers denote the bitter, unhappy moments of life. The salt resembles the unfavorable conditions of life while the green mangoes and tamarind is for theemotions and love. The mixture of all the six basic tastes conveys that people should take all the tastes with equal, even-mindedness throughout the year coming ahead. It is believed that life is a mixture of all, like the Ugadi Pachadi.

This traditional preparation also appreciates the great heritage and culture it carries. This dish is a must in every household celebrating the festival of Ugadi.

Sunnundalu

One cannot ever celebrate a south Indian festival without Sunnundalu. This traditional Indian sweet is sure to mark its presence in any South Indian festival. It remains so special that the sound of ‘Sunnundalu’ rings jingle bells in peoples’ ears. They are round, tiny laddus made using rice, urad dal, sugar or jaggery.  The ingredients are blended into a fine powder and then molded into laddus using some hot ghee. These Sunnundalu are loved by everyone, especially the children. During Ugadi, they can be seen running around the house feasting on Sunnundalu. Usually, a huge batch of Sunnundalu is prepared since they have a long shelf life. One can attest that people wait for Ugadi only to feast on these mouth-watering desi and traditional Indian sweets.

Boorelu

This is also a very interesting dish abundantly consumed on the day of Ugadi. It is a deep-fried dessert which is stuffed by a mixture of ingredients including chana dal and jaggery. The outer shell is made using a batter that is made by blending soaked rice and urad dal. Many times, the left-over stuffing from Bobbatlu is used to make Boorelu. They are stuffed and shaped into decent sized laddus. They have a crunchy outer texture and a soft filling inside. These laddus are so delicious that there is no particular time to enjoy them. People also end up eating them at midnights during those desperate cravings.They are enjoyed by everyone in the family, especially by children. They are shared amongst neighbors and other relatives. Now, who doesn’t enjoy a wholesome deep-fried dish?

Pulihora

While a plethora of traditional Indian sweets are prepared during festivals, a couple of savory Indian dishes are also prepared. The most famous dish amongst them is Pulihora. There are many variations of Pulihora that include using lemons and tamarind. However, during Ugadi, green, unripe mangoes are used. Since Ugadi is a festival of Spring, people harvest the newly grown mangoes to prepare this mouth-watering dish. In South India, most households have mango trees in their backyard and kids usually climb up them to pluck raw mangoes for preparing Pulihora. A special tempering of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, groundnuts, curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal and grated raw mango is mixed in freshly cooked rice. People enjoy this dish for lunch or as a snack.

Festivals are a time of joy, celebration and delicious food. Every festival in the country is celebrated grandly. Ugadi is also one such festival that is celebrated in great band and banter. The food especially Bobbatlu, Ugadi Pachadi, Sunnundalu, etc. make Ugadi one of the most delicious festivals. The smell of fresh morning flowers, the sound of aarti and the rich taste of Ugadi Pachadi have certainly etched some beautiful memories in all our lives.

As the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka celebrate Ugadi, Desiauthentic offers great deals on authentic, traditional Indian sweets as a festive treat. Come, celebrate with us this great festival of joy, tradition and most importantly, desi authentic food!

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