Puthandu is the Tamil New Year celebration of hope, joy and everything blissful that a new beginning has to offer. The festival is rich and bountiful of traditions that are very unique to its essence and have a deeper remaining. This year, Puthandu 2022 will be celebrated on April 14, Thursday.

On the occasion, feasts are organized for all dear family and friends, different Prasadams are made as an offering to the deities. Food is a very internal part of the festivities and the celebration, fruits and vegetables are kept in the pooja thali because they signify deeper values. Puthandu 2022 Date in India: When Is Varusha Pirappu? Know History, Significance and Traditions Related to Tamil New Year.

Every item that is made on the occasion of  Puthandu is exceptionally delicious, from Pirappu Payasams to Neem rasam and even Bondas. A whole thali of scrumptious items is made. But Puthandu is incomplete without the Mangai Pachadi.

The Mangai Pacahadi is a simple offering that celebrates the essence of the festival which is simplicity, refreshment and balance. Mangai Pachadi is not just a dish, it symbolizes balance because every flavour put in the dish is very well thought out, the excess or absence of which can affect the flavour it all, just like life where you need to balance the sweet with the sour. Mangai Pachadi is a dish that brings out the nostalgia in people and memories of the homes and rituals that they moved away from a little but something that will always remind them of their roots.

The Dish is simple but needs some special ingredients. The following is the list of steps of how you can make Mangai Pachadi:

Watch the Recipe here:

Mangai Pachadi Recipe

Ingredients:

1 and a 1/2 Raw Mango (Chopped)

1 tbsp Chilli Powder

1/2 cup Jaggery

1 Small Onion (chopped)

A Pinch of Turmeric

A Pinch of Salt

For Tempering the Mix:

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Mustard Seed

3-4 Dried Red Chilli

A Pinch of Hing

A Few Neem Leaves

How To Make Mangai Pachadi:

  1. To cook the mango, peel it, cut it into large pieces, and add water and turmeric

  2.  During the cooking of the mango pieces, let's prepare the jaggery syrup in a separate bowl or pan. 3.

  3. Add the jaggery to a vessel along with 2 tablespoons of water, bring it to a boil, and let it dissolve in the water. Our mango pieces would have been cooked by now.

  4. Now add the jaggery juice to the cooked mangoes using a strainer to remove the dust in the jaggery juice.

  5. Also, add a pinch of salt and mix well. Bring the package to boil

  6. Additionally, you can add 1 tsp of rice flour mixed with 2 tbsp of water to Pachadi. This will make the dish thicker. Simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.

  7. Put oil in a separate pan and when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the curry leaves and broken chillies and fry for 10 seconds.

  8. Put the seasoned ingredients into the pan. Then in the same pan fry the neem flower till they turn golden brown and add these to the package

The Mangai Pachadi is ready, serve it with the rest of your feast and enjoy every delicious bite.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2022 12:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).