Ugadi Pachadi/ Ugadi Chutney And Pesarapappu Boorelu

Ugadi is the new year for Telugu people. Ugadi is also celebrated in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa states of India on the same day and in Tamil Nadu and Kerala states on April 14. Ugadi means Yuga and Aadi. Yuga means Era and Aadi means Start. In Hindu purana's, it was told that Lord Bhrama started creation on this day and 1 year on earth equal to 1 day for Bhrama. Ugadi falls on "Chitra Shuddha Padyami" on every year.

In Purana's there was a story about Ugadi. It was said that Somakasura, a demon stoles the Vadas from Lord Bhrama and hides in sea. Then Lord Vishnu turns himself into Matsya, which means fish one of the 10 Avatras and slay him and return vedas to Lord Bhrama on "Chitra Shuddha Padyami". Images shows Lord Vishnu as half man and half fish in this Avataram.

On Ugadi, people will clean their houses and decorate with mango leaves, take head bath, wear new cloths and a special dish "Ugadi Pachadi" is made and offered to god and then consumed and distributed among friends and relatives. Ugadi Pachadi contains "Shadruchulu", which means "Six Tastes".
The Ingredients used are:  Neem Flower For Bitterness, Which stands for Sadness.
                                            Ripe Banana and New Jaggery for Sweetness, which stands for                                                          Happiness.
                                          Tamarind Juice for Sourness, which tastes  for Disgust.
                                          Salt for Saltiness, which stands for which stands for Fear.
                                          Green Chili for hot taste, which stands for Anger.
                                          Unripe Mango for Tang, which stands for Surprise.

 On Ugadi, people will gather to listen to "panchangam", know as "Panchanga Sravanam". Panchangam is Hindu calender and Sravanam means heard. Panchangam will contain forecast of upcoming events in country and people life's depending on their rasi. Panchangam is very important to all the Hindus as it is connects to "Jyotisha/Astrology". People and Astrologist refer panchangam to see good time(Muhurtam) to start works, for functions and marriages.

Every village will have "Grama Devathalu"(Village Goddess). Everyone in that village will offer naivedyam to the Goddess. In old days, Women from villages, who are married and went to other places(Addapaduchulu) will come to their villages to offer naivedyam to villlage goddess. My Mother's Mom's (Ammama) village have grama devatham, Satamma Thalli. My grand mom will offer naivedyam every year to village goddess on Ugadi. They tell that village goddess are very powerful and protect villages.

Festival time means God, Puja and lot's of food and fun. In Andhra, along with Ugadi pachadi, some other traditional food will be prepared such as Pulihora, Burelu, Garelu and Paravannam as naivedyam. 

Let's see how to prepare Ugadi Pachadi:

We Need

• Banana's -  6
• Brown sugar/Bellam/ Jaggery - 1/4 cup
• Neem Flower - 2  tbsp
• Salt - pinch
• Ripe Mango - 2 tbsp
• Green Chili - small one
• Tamarind pulp - 2 tbsp
• Sugar cane - 1 tsp (optional)
• Coconut - 1 tbsp
• Gulla Senagapappu/Roasted Bengal Gram - 1/2 cup

Preparation:

• Great jaggery and mash bananas.
• Chop green chili, sugar cane, coconut and mango into small pieces.
• Mix all the ingredients and adjust tamarind and salt to taste and serve.

Let's see how to prepare Pesarapappu Boorelu:

We Need

• Urad dal/Minnapappu - 1 cup
• Raw Rice - 2 cups

Preparation

• Soak urad dal and rice over night and grind into paste.

We Need

• Pesarapappu/Split Moong dal - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Cardamom powder -  1/2 tsp

Preparing Poornam/Filling 

• Soak dal for 30 minutes and grind to thick paste by adding little water.
• Pour moong dal batter into idli plates and steam cook for 15 minutes.

• Let the idli's cool and chop make them into pieces and grind them into crumbs.
• Add sugar and cardamom powder and make into small balls.

Let's prepare Boorelu:

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Mix dosa batter with little water(if required) into thick dosa batter consistency(not too thick and not to0 thin). If you like crispy boorelu make dosa batter little thin. Add salt.
• Dip pooram/filling ball in batter and drop into hot oil and fry till golden brown.
• Serve hot. 
• We can store them 3 to 4 days as we are not adding coconut.

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Madatha Kaja

                         

Madatha Kaja is a traditional sweet of Coastal Andhra. Madatha means folding in Telugu Language. This sweet will have folding's and crispy outside and juicy inside.   

 These days my 3 yr old kid asking me, to prepare kaja. Whenever she tells her dad, "Amma kaja chestadi", i remember the day, i fell in love with this beautiful, mouthwatering sweet. I finished my 7th grade and for summer holidays i went to Karnataka to my aunt's house. I felt like i am in a different world surrounded with nature. Mountains, river with very sweet and clear water, as we can see a coin if we drop in the river, greenery everywhere and animals. Banjara women, i saw them for the first time,they are very beautiful with their mirror worked costumes and silver jewelry.
                          
  One day my aunt  told me that she will prepare kaja and i am very surprised to hear that, wondering how she will prepare kaja at home. At that time for me, kaja is a store bought sweet, no one can make that at home. With my anxiety i went into kitchen and started watching her and in half a hour she prepared kaja. That  was the day, i fell in love with my "sweet" kaja. 
With few ingredients we can make this sweet and it tasty very good when it is fresh and hot. We can also store them in a air tight container for up to a month.  

Prepare dough with all purpose flour and rest it for 20 minutes and divide into
three equal parts and roll them into thin chapatis.

Apply ghee and rice flour to a chapati and place another on top of it and repeat
with the remaining one and roll as shown.

Cut the roll and press it gently as shown and deep fry them on low heat.

Make little thick sugar syrup(no need to reach string consistency) and soak
fried kaja in syrup for 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour/Maida - 1 cup
• Sugar - 3/4 cup ( If want more sweet add up to 1 cup)
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Water - 4 to 5 tbsp (For syrup)
• Water for making dough - More or less 1/2 cup
• Oil to deep fry
• Ghee - 3 Tsp
• Rice flour - 1 Tbsp

Preparation:

• Mix all purpose flour and 2 tsp ghee in a bowl.
• Add water little by little and make flour into soft dough and keep aside for 20 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal parts and roll them into large thin chapatis by dusting with little rice flour.
• Then apply ghee on top of one chapati and sprinkle some rice flour and spread it all over the chapati and place another chapati on it and repeat the same process and place another chapati.  By applying ghee and rice flour we get layers. ( We can also mix ghee and rice flour in a bowl and apply that paste on chapati)
• Now roll the chapati stack and cut the roll into small pieces.
• Noe gently press each roll and  deep fry them in oil on medium to low heat till kaja's turn golden brown. (Cook on low to medium otherwise inside will be raw)
• While start preparing kaja, take sugar and water in a pan and boil till the syrup thickens but not reach string consistency. While adding kaja's syrup may thicken and crystallize, add little water and boil again. Syrup must be warm while adding kaja.
• Soak the fried kaja's in sugar syrup for 10 minutes.
• Serve them hot or store in air thigh container.

                      

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