Ugadi specials in Chennai

CHENNAI: Ugadi also known as Samvatsaradi (beginning of the year), is New Year’s Day according to the Hindu calendar and is celebrated in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Goa. The day is observed by drawing colourful patterns on the floor called muggulu, mango leaf decorations on doors, buying and giving gifts, giving charity to the poor, oil massages followed by special baths, preparing and sharing a special food called pachadi.

The pachadi is a notable festive food that combines all flavours – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and piquant. In the city, Wild Garden Cafe at Amethyst will be hosting a specially curated 12-course Ugadi lunch menu by Andhra Deli on March 22 at The Folly, Amethyst.

The menu includes Ugadi pachadi, boorelu (fried rice flour balls stuffed with channa dal and jaggery), ulli garelu (lentil and onion dumplings), mamadikaya pulihora (spiced rice with raw mango), dosakaya pachadi (yellow cucumber chutney), dondakaya cashew vepudu (stir fried ivy gourd with cashews), bangaladumpa battani vepudu (roasted potatoes with green peas), gutti vankaya (stuffed and roasted eggplant), bezawada style sambar, tomato rasam, chicken fry with Guntur style masala, roasted prawns with pepper masala, mutton curry with poppy seeds masala, fish curry, payasam and more.