Make your own UGADI PACCHADI

A dish made on the day of Ugadi!

Ugadi pacchadi is a dish made on the day of Ugadi – the Hindu New Year! This is made and offered as prasad to Bhagawan and is the first thing to be consumed on this day. This is especially popular in the southern part of India.

What is the significance of this Ugadi pacchadi you ask?

This is made of 6 main ingredients and these ingredients represent the 6 basic tastes.

These 6 tastes, called the shadruchi (‘shad’ – 6 and ‘ruchi’ – taste) according to Ayurveda, represent the many flavors of life. We face many situations and life can be full of happy and/or sad things. But we have to accept all things equally. We should be willing to welcome and face and win over any sort of situations. This is the message of this dish – Ugadi pacchadi. This is why it is consumed first thing in the morning after shower and Pooja; think of it as a new year resolution in one sense!

How to make it?

Take the following ingredients:

			Jaggery – ¼ cup Tamarind – 1 marble size ball Neem flowers – 1 tablespoon full
			Black pepper powder – ¼ teaspoon Salt – ¼ teaspoon Raw mango pieces – ¼ cup Water – 1 cup

• • Optional:
    • roasted dalia (fried gram dal) powder – adds a little thickness
    • almond/cashew pieces or powder and raisins – for taste
    • banana, cut into small slices – for taste
    • somph (fennel) powder – for taste
    • fresh coconut pieces – for taste
• Soak the tamarind in some warm water and squeeze to make pulp and melt the jaggery in the tamarind pulp water
• Add the rest of the ingredients and mix
• Optional ingredients are just for taste and/or better texture

Variations…

• Some use neem leaves instead of neem flowers
• Some use green or red chilli instead of black pepper for spice
• Some even offer and consume a much more simple version of this – just neem leaves with jaggery

How do you consume it?

• Wake up early in the morning on the Ugadi day
• Shower and dress
• Make the Ugadi pacchadi
• Do pooja to Bhagawan, say your daily shlokas and offer the Ugadi pacchadi as prasad to Bhagawan
• Now eat the prasad, Ugadi pacchadi, and think of its significance as you eat it; and make a resolution this new year!
• Then you can go about with the rest of the day and festivities!

Extras… Learn More…

• Explore more on shadruchi by reading more about it. Think of all the foods/flavors you eat. Can you categorize each dish or ingredient into the 6 tastes?
• Neem leaves and flowers have many health benefits. Can you find out what makes it so healthy? Also, any other uses to different parts of neem tree (one hint – neem twig)?