Ugadi is considered as a major festival in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It is said to be the first day of the springtime month and brings the dawn of a new year. The Ugadi festival celebration begins with cleaning the house, putting colourful Rangolis outside the house, wearing new clothes and putting torans of raw mango leaves on the house doors and offering pooja with traditional food that is native to our culture.

For Ugadi, the most auspicious dish is the Ugadi Pachadi which is prepared with raw mango, neem, tamarind and jaggery. Each ingredient that goes into the Pachadi has its own significance and it's important for everyone to understand it. The ingredients being the Neem Buds or flowers, it signifies bitterness and sadness in our lives, the Jaggery signifies the sweetness and happiness, the Pepper signifies the anger and Salt signifies the fear in us. Lastly the Tamarind Juice signifies the disgust and sourness and the most important ingredient, the Raw Mango signifies tangy taste and surprises in life.

Ugadi is a great time for family to get together for lunch, traditionally on a Banana Leaf. The typical dishes that are served on the Banana leaf are the Pickle, Dal Vada, Kosambari, Palya (poriyal), Obbattu (Puran Poli), Obbattu Saaru, Mavinakayi Chitranna (Raw Mango Rice), Semiya Payasam (Semiya Kheer), Steamed Rice, Udupi Rasam and Tempered Curd.

Below are the traditional Ugadi Recipes that people usually cook for the festival, and these are so easy and healthy at the same time. Do try these recipes and tell us how you liked them.