Delicacies to relish for Gudi Padwa and the Chaitra month

Puran Poli

Gudi Padwa is incomplete for Maharashtrians without the delicious Puran Poli/Obbattu. This is a sweet dish made of jaggery sweetened stuffing of chana or tur dal, in wheat and refined flour casing. It is a great source of proteins, fibre, folate, and helps reduce cholesterol.

Shrikhand

Shrikhand is a kind of Indian version of ice cream and quite popular in the hot summer. The technique uses primary hung curd which is prepared by straining the curd in a muslin cloth overnight to get rid of water, leaving behind smooth and rich curd. This curd is sweetened and flavoured with cardamom or with fruits and dry nuts. Shrikhand acts as a probiotic which enhances gut bacteria and overall health.

Bevu Bella

Bevu means Neem, Bella means jaggery. Eating neem and jaggery signifies balanced happiness and sadness for the rest of the new year. It is also known as Ugadi Pachadi in other southern parts of India, which is a cool refreshing drink made of tamarind pulp, jaggery, and neem flowers, although there are variations including mango pieces, dry fruits, and coconut pieces. Neem is a rich source of antioxidants which helps in anti-aging, preventing cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Huggi

One of the traditional sweet dishes from the state of Karnataka which is also very humble and easy to make. Whole wheat grain is soaked overnight and pressure cooked; jaggery, cardamom, and dry fruits are added to it and served. It is enjoyed with ghee and milk. Whole wheat grains have a good source of Vitamin B in their germ layer which is needed for the health of skin and hair growth.

Mango Rice

One of the delicious ways to incorporate mango in a meal is by making Mango rice. Raw mangoes are either grated or cut into small pieces and mixed in a tadka of spices along with rice. The result is tangy, spicy, and slightly sweet rice. Mangoes have an abundance of Vitamin C, which is necessary for carrying out various metabolic reactions in the body.

Payasam

Payasam or Kheer can be made from almost all cereals and pulses. For the payasam in Ugadi, rice and moong dal are mixed in combination, cooked with milk, jaggery, and dry fruits. Rice and moong dal complete each other in supplying essential proteins to our body, making it a wholesome food.

Chaitra Navratri

Celebrated over the course of 9 days in worship of Goddess Durga, a different array of foods are prepared such as Sabudana Khichdi, Barnyard millet rice (Sama ke chawal), Waterchestnut Halwa (Singhara halwa), Amaranth Roti (Rajgira Roti), etc.

Sabudana Khichdi

A humble recipe made from soaked Tapioca beads (sabudana), potato, and peanut, all of which are tossed in a spicy tadka. The dish is loaded with simple and complex carbohydrates along with proteins from peanuts which act as a great source of energy.

Singhara ka Halwa

Singhara flour is slightly toasted in ghee, to which a sugar or jaggery solution is added and cooked. For garnishing, cardamom and dry fruits are used. Singhara is a non-starch, zero-fat aquatic vegetable that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Most importantly, it has cool potency which calms the body during the hot weather season.

Definitely, the new year brings with it a lot of mouthwatering and healthy dishes to our plate to savour and enjoy. These dishes also remind us that as a balance of flavours and variation in ingredients is important to make a great dish, similarly a balance of all emotions is equally important to have a great life along with a sound body.

If you want to buy homemade pickles and chutneys, you can check out our Farmdidi pickle store online.