Welcome the New Year with Ugadi pachdi, puran poli and other delicacies

A toran of mango leaves, the smell of fresh jasmine and marigold flowers, families in traditional wear – it’s time to celebrate the traditional New Year across the country.

It’s Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Yugadi in Karnataka, Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Thapna in Rajasthan and Sajibu Nongma Panba in Manipur. And what’s a festival celebration in India without the family bonding over some traditional dishes?

India welcomes the New Year with these super-irresistible delicacies. Let their delicious aroma begin to tingle your senses as you read!

Oliga / obbattu / puran poli

3 different states, 3 different names and 1 delicacy. This sweet is prepared with maida, toor dal and jaggery, its yumminess enhanced by a dollop of ghee and some fresh coconut milk or just plain milk!

Chitranna

Lemon rice or mango rice always features on the festive thali in Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This tangy rice is an all-time favourite!

Sannas

These spongy steamed savoury rice cakes are often prepared in Konkani homes. They are ideally had with various spicy side dishes and chutneys.

Ratalyacha kheer

This sweet dish is made of coconut, jaggery and sweet potato, and is a festive must-have on Gudi Padwa. It is sometimes garnished with a hint of cardamom or nutmeg powder. In some communities, this dessert is also known as kanangachi kheer.

Senagapappu saggubiyyam

This traditional South Indian sweet dish is prepared for festivals like Ugadi in Telugu homes. Apart from the coconut milk and jaggery used in regular payasams, the star ingredients of this recipe are chana dal and sago.

Shrikhand

This simple yet irresistible sweet dish, made of strained yoghurt, is synonymous with Maharashtrian cuisine. And with the onset of the mango season, amrakhand (or shrikhand blended with mango pulp), features on the Gudi Padwa festive menu. The taste is nothing less than divine!

Kosambri

A kind of traditional salad, kosambri is a part of any celebratory meal.  Soaked lentils are added to either finely chopped cucumbers, or grated carrot or a combination of both. Also called koshimbir in Maharashtra, the salad is sometimes tempered with mustard seeds and usually garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

Obbattu saru / bobbatlu rasam

In  Telugu and Kannadiga homes, obbattu saaru is made from the liquid left over from cooking the toor dal used in obbatu or oliga. Made from fresh masala powder, its consistency is somewhere between a typical sambar and rasam. It is an excellent accompaniment to plain white rice.

Aam panna

This green mango sherbet is both tasty and healthy, as it is said to cool the body. This tangy traditional Maharashtrian drink is something you’ll always want more of!

Vankaya vepudu

Eggplant curries are a staple in Telugu homes, and festive meals  are incomplete without them. The blend of fresh ginger, garlic and coconut gives them a nice flavour and an inviting aroma.

Chana usal

Made with sprouted black gram, chana usal is an essential Gudi Padwa dish. The boiled chana is cooked with a medley of spices. An accompanying coriander paste makes the usal especially tantalizing.

Ugadi pachdi

Ugadi is incomplete without Ugadi pachdi, made of jaggery, raw mango pieces, neem flowers, and tamarind. In Maharashtra, this is a paste of jaggery, salt, crushed neem leaves, and mango juice with a touch of pepper. It symbolically represents the flavours of life, both the happy and not-so-happy moments. Everyone is offered this dish to signify that one must accept life’s experiences as they come. This dish is also very healthy since it has neem leaves. So it serves the twin intentions of starting the new year on both a healthy and a positive note.

And now, with Google’s help, I’m going to sign off with some festive wishes:

Yugadi habbada shubhashayagalu! (Kannada)

Gudipadvyachya hardik shubhechha (Marathi)

Telugu samvatsaradi Ugadi subhakankshalu (Telugu)