Flavourful Ugadi

Derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuga’ (age), and ‘adi ’ (beginning), Ugadi is celebrated in Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Here are a few traditional recipes that you can relish with your family and friends

Mamidikaya Pulihora
Ingredients
4 cups fresh cooked rice
1 cup grated raw mango
1 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of hing
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp urad dal
50 gm raw peanuts 
3 whole red chillies
5 sliced green chillies 
2 sprigs of curry leaves 
1 bunch of chopped coriander leaves
4 tsps of oil 
Salt to taste 

Method
Heat oil in a pan, add whole red chillies and mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Then add chana and urad dal along with raw peanuts and sauté it. Now, add hing, green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric powder and grated raw mango. Add salt to taste. Sauté it for a few minutes till the mango is cooked a little. Finally, add cooked rice and toss it well. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve. 

Mamidikaya Pulihora

Daddojana
Ingredients
2 cups of rice
2 green chillies
1 piece of ginger
Salt to taste 
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 tbsp oil
A pinch of hing
1 sprig of curry leaves 
½ cup milk, boiled and cooled 1½ cups of curd 
1 bunch of chopped coriander leaves 

Method
Boil rice. Let it cool and then mix with curd and salt. Finely chop green chillies and ginger. Heat oil and fry mustard seeds, urad and chana dal, and hing. Add curry leaves, chopped green chillies and ginger. Sauté for two minutes. Now, turn off the flame and add this to the rice mixture. You can also add milk. Mix well, garnish with coriander leaves and serve. 

Daddojana

Ugadi pachadi
Ingredients
2 tbsp raw mango, finely chopped
25 gm jaggery
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1tsp neem flowers
1 tsp grated dry coconut
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp muskmelon seeds
Salt to taste

Method
Add 1½ cup of water and jaggery in a bowl. Stir well till the jaggery is completely dissolved. Now add tamarind paste, neem flowers, grated dry coconut, poppy and muskmelon seeds. Mix all the ingredients and finally add salt according to taste. 

TIP: You can also add finely chopped almonds, cashew nuts, watermelon seeds and soft pistachio (chironji) to the pachadi.

Shrikhand
Ingredients
100 gm hung curd
50 gm castor sugar
5 to 6 almonds, finely chopped
5 to 6 cashews, finely chopped
5 to 6 pistachios, finely chopped
10 to 15 threads of saffron soaked in milk
1 pinch cardamom powder

Method
In a bowl add hung curd and castor sugar. Mix well. Now add all finely chopped dry fruits, almonds, cashewnut and pistachio, and cardamom powder. Mix all the ingredients.Finally add the soaked saffron strings and mix well. Keep it in the freezer for at least two hours before serving. Garnishing dish with finely chopped dry fruits and serve chilled. 

Shrikhand

Mawa Puranpoli
Ingredients
1 cup chana dal
1 cup jaggery
½ cup ghee
1 cup maida
100 gm mawa
1 tbsp oil

Method
To make the puran, wash and pressure cook split bengal gram till you get four to five whistles. Keep aside the pressure cooker and allow it get cool till the pressure gets released. In a mixer jar add the boiled split bengal gram and jaggery and make a fine paste. Heat two table spoons of ghee in kadai or non stick pan. 

Once the ghee is hot add the fine paste. Cook the mixture on low flame until the paste is golden brown and the rawness of the split bengal gram is gone.
Now add mawa. Mix well and cook for another four to five minutes or till the paste becomes a solid lump. 

Switch off the gas and keep the paste aside.In another bowl add maida and oil. Mix them and by adding sufficient water make soft dough. Rest it for 15 to 20 minutes.Divide the dough into equal portions and make roti of two to three inches. Place a portion of puran mixture in the center. Bring the edges of the roti together towards the center and join them to seal it. 

With the help of a rolling pin gently make a puranpoli. Heat non stick tawa. Place the puranpoli on it. Cook it like any paratha and apply ghee on both sides. Serve hot with ghee and milk.

Mawa Puranpoli