Ugadi, also known as Yugadi, marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year especially in states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. It is also celebrated as Gudi Padwa in the state of Maharashtra. The festival falls on the first day of the month of Chaitra. In 2023, Ugadi will be celebrated on March 22. To mark the occasion, a drink called Ugadi Pachadi is prepared in all households. Here’s everything you need to know about this auspicious drink.
Ugadi Pachadi is a special drink that is first offered to the deities for blessings and then to guests, family and friends to mark the beginning of the new year. The drink is a blend of six different tastes—sweet, sour, salty, astringent, spicy and bitter. It is believed that these six tastes signify six emotions that we all go through in life—happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear and surprise. So, Ugadi Pachadi is basically a taste of life in a glass. Here’s a list of the six ingredients of Ugadi Pachadi, and the emotions they signify:
1. Sweet jaggery for happiness
2. Astringent raw mango for surprise
3. Bitter neem flowers for sadness
4. Sour tamarind for disgust
5. Salt for fear
6. Spicy pepper for anger
Although there are variations from region to region, this basic concept behind Ugadi Pachadi remains the same everywhere. Most Ugadi Pachadi recipes also call for coconut, while others include cashews, raisins and fried bananas. The fact is, this drink might have auspicious connotations, but it is perfect for summers too. A closer look at the ingredients will convince you that it is quite detoxifying and will keep you hydrated too. So, making a jar or two of Ugadi Pachadi to mark the new year and the coming of summer is a must. Here's the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 tsp tamarind
¼ cup jaggery, grated
½ cup raw mangoes, finely chopped
2 tbsp neem blossoms or flowers
¼ tsp black pepper powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups water
Method:
1. Soak the tamarind in half cup water for an hour. Then, squeeze the pulp and mix it in the water as much as possible. Remove seeds, if any.
2. Add the tamarind pulp extract into a jar.
3. Now add the remaining water and jaggery, mix well until the latter dissolves completely.
4. Once the jaggery dissolves, add the salt, black pepper, raw mangoes and neem flowers.
5. Mix well and offer this Ugadi Pachadi to the deities first, then your family and guests as prasad.
