Happy Ugadi Wishes.

This is first time I am celebrating Ugadi after wedding. Ugadi is the Begining of the Telugu new year.Ugadi is a special day as the first season of the year that is the "Vasantha - rithu" , the First month of the year that is the "Chaitra masa", and first day of the lunar month comes on this day, hence it has a special importance as marking the commencement of the new year.

Some other facts from the internet....

On this day, it is the practice among the rural folk to eat what is called "Ugadi Pacchadi (Ugadi Chutney). This Chutney is made from neem flowers, mango juice, honey sugar and other ingredients with different tastes. The inner significance of this preparation is to indicate that life is a mixture of good and bad, joy and sorrow and all of them have to be treated alike. All experiences have to be treated with equanimity. Every one should make a resolve that he will face calmly whatever happens in this year, accepting it with good grace. Welcome everything. Consider everything as for one’s own good. Men should rise above sorrow and happiness, success and failure. This is the primary message of the Ugadi festival.


When the Pandavas lived, the time scales were determined on the basis of the longitude which passed through Lanka. When we take this as the basis, we come to the conclusion that the period which we now call kali yuga started in the year named Pramadi, in the month named Sravana and in the fortnight named bahula and on the day called Ashtami. According to the English calendar, this would be described as February 20th, 3102 B.C. years before the advent of Christ. In order to bring out this aspect of the commencement of a new yuga on February 20th, 3102 B.C., our ancestors have been calling that day as Ugadi or the day of a new era. As this was the commencing day of a new yuga, it was called the Ugadi. Ugadi is also the day on which Krishna gave up his mortal body in a sacred place of pilgrimage called Prabhasa near Dwaraka.


Auspicious days like Ugadi should be used for making resolutions to change our way of life and to purify our behaviour by giving up all bad qualities. Ugadi is a festival that teaches lessons in selfless service. It is not intended for feasting. It is a sacred day when wholesome wisdom should dawn and enlightenment should blossom in the hearts of the people. Ugadi teaches man the lesson that he should perfect himself as an embodiment of divinity.

So Wishing everyone a "HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS UGADI"

Festivals are so much fun when it comes to cooking and also eating......ummm... so what is cooking in my kitchen today? My Ugadi special prasadam

Ugadi prasadam Kadala Parupu Payasam and venn Pongal

Kadala Parupu Payasam / Sanaga Pappu Payasam

To make this you will need :

Chana Daal / Sanaga Pappu - 1 cup

Rawa (sooji / semolina) - 1/4 cup

Raisins - 8-10

Chasews - 8-10

Jaggery or sugar - 1/2 cup

Cardamom (elaichi) - 4-5

Grated coconut or Coconut milk - 1/2 cup

Method:

In a Pressure cooker, cook the daal till soft. remember the daal shouldn't be too mashed up.Alternatively you can also microwave the daal with 1 cup of water. Keep it aside.

Now in a big pan roast the sooji till the raw smell goes off.Keep it aside.

In a small pan roast the raisins and cashew in ghee till golden brown in colour. Keep aside.

In a seperate pan now take some ghee. Once the ghee melts add the daal and sooji to it. Add 3/4 glass of water to it. Put the crushed cardamom in the daal. In a seperate pan now melt the jaggery in 1/2 cup of water. Once the jaggery melts completely, add it to the daal and cook well.

Add some water if need. The consistency shouldnt be too thick nor too watery, orelse your sooji n daal wont cook well. Let the payasam boil for 2-3 minutes. Off the gas and top it with roasted cashew nuts and raisins.

Your Ugadi special Parupu Payasam is ready!

Prasadam Venn Pongal

Venn pongal is the ultimate confort dish as such. Normally you add so many things to it for variation and to add flavour. But when making pongal for prasadam the only flavour added to it is on the home made ghee, whole peppercorns and salt.Check out the prasadam recipe.

You will need :

Raw Rice - 1 cup

Moong daal - 1/3 cup

Salt to taste

Whole peppercorns - 1 1/2 tsp

Cashews - 6-7 roasted in ghee

Jeera (cumin seeds) - 2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method:

In a microwave boil, take one glass rice and 1/3 glass daal. Add 3 glass of water to it and cook for 15 mins on high. Alternatively u can cook the rice n daal in pressure cooker or rice cooker.

In a big pan add some ghee and put in the jeera and peppercorns . Roast it in medium till the jeera splutters a bit. Now add the rice and daal in the pan and mix well. Add some salt and a glass of water to the pongal and mix well. Let it cook it the water evaporates a bit and the pongal becomes a bit thick.The pongal should look completely mashed.Top with some ghee.

your pongal prsadham is ready.