How to prepare Ugadi Pachadi?,Dry Bevu Bella Recipes

Yugadi/ Ugadhi Festival is celebrated by the people of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the people of Maharashtra term the same festival, observed on the same day, Gudi Padwa.



Ugadi is a New year festival for Telugu and Kannada people. Also called as Gudi padva in Maharashtra.
1 of making pachadi.
Ugadi pachadi is a combination of 6 tastes/flavors( Shadrachulu) each standing for a special character a man experiences in life. That is salty, spicy, tangy, bitter, sour and sweet. The significane of making this pachadi is for us to understand that life is a mixture of all emotions, good /bad/happy/sorrow and we have to face each one equally.
In Karnataka it is called as Bevu Bella where fresh neem leaves are mixed with jaggery pieces.


Salt - 1/2 tsp - For Saltness( Uvarppu)- To represent scareness
Red chilli powder/Black Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp( Spicy/Hot) ( Kaaram)- To represent Angry
Raw Mango - Few cut into small pieces - For Tanginess( Pulippu)- To represent excitement.
Neem flowers( Methi seeds) - 2 tsp - For Bitterness( Kasappu)- To represent sorrow.
Tamarind( Lemon Juice) - One small lime size- For Sour( Thuvarppu) - To represent Mischieveness.
Jaggery( Honey or Sugar) - 2 - 3 tbsp - For Sweetness ( Inippu)- To represent Happiness.

Soak tamarind in water for 20 minutes and extract a dilute pulp . Mix in jaggery until it melts. Add mango pieces, salt and chilli powder. Mix well and add neem flowers. Mix and have a tbsp or 2 .

Dry Bevu Bella

Ingredients

Fresh tender neem leaves

Jaggery proportionate to the number of neem leaves.

Preparation

Mix tender leaves and jaggery and serve dry.

Another preparation during Ugadi is the Neem flower pachadi or Veppam poo pachadi.