Ugadi Pachadi

It is a tradition to start the New Year with a taste of a variety of flavors signifying the fact that life can be a collection of different experiences –happy and unhappy, ugly and beautiful, good and bad – of all kinds of moods.
½ Cup of tamarind (if it is very black the chutney looks dark)
2 Cups of water
1 Small green mango peeled and cut into small pieces 
1 Small apple (peeled and cut into small pieces)
1 Ripe banana cut into small pieces
1 Tablespoon of fresh shredded coconut 
20 Seedless grapes cut into half
¼ Cup orange rind 
1 Teaspoon Neem flower (Vepa flower) fresh or dried 
2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1/8 Teaspoon of salt

Soak the tamarind in water and squeeze juice out of the pulp in to a glass bowl,
Mix all the above ingredients in the tamarind juice. It is ready for serving.

Note: If neem flower is not available, use chopped lemon peel or chopped orange peel or grated bitter melon (kakarakaya) for bitter taste.
Happy Ugadi! 


Chimmili (sesame seed balls)

2 1 Cup white sesame (skinless) seeds
½ Cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons maple or any pancake syrup

Roast the sesame seeds in dry pan until light brown in low heat. Transfer them to a bowl and let them cool completely.
Blend the seeds in a blender or pulse for thirty seconds in high speed mixing once. Add brown sugar and blend or pulse for another thirty seconds. It is O.K if you have few seeds left. Remove the powder from the blender in to a bowl and mix the syrup and powder. Make 12 to 14 lime size balls.

Note: This is a very quick sweet to make with only three ingredients. You can add few finely chopped pistachio nuts. If you don’t have any syrup add 2 tablespoons more brown sugar. Add few drops of milk or water to make balls.
This sweet is usually made for Nagula Chavithi and Pongal in some parts of India.
   
 

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