Ugadi Lunch Platter

For me New Year is always Ugadi and I look forward to this day each year. 1^st of Jan is fun no doubt but Ugadi is auspicious and a time for family bonding. This year it started on quiet a low note, but I was so glad my cuz Swetha was here to spend the day with me and Appaji. She agreed to assist me to churn out a lunch platter quite close to what Mum would do each year. The most special dish Obbatu was missing ofcourse :) coz I was in no mood for something complicated. Badam Halwa was the next thing which excited both Swet n me and we DID IT ! I hate to pat our own backs :P but it came out really well :) Thanks Nithya and Shwet (for stirring the badam mix constantly :)! I almost burnt my fingers trying to measure the sugar consistency but managed to pour , stir, mix, add etc. at all the right times :) Besides the sweet, the dishes on my lunch platter were Puliogre, Beans Palya, Kosambri, Tellee Saaru Anna, Curd Rice and Majjge. Apaaji seemed happy and contented and my efforts def did not ruin this new start of the hosa varusha.

Did you know that the name Ugadi is derived from Yuga Aadi (Yuga + Aadi means "Beginning of New age"). The ages starting from a major reference point are Golden age, Silver age, Copper age and Iron age and also known as Sathyayuga, Treta yuga, Dwapar yuga and Kaliyuga. The very end of Iron age i.e. the Kaliyuga is referred to hell or "Naraka" or the age of Ignorance . Seems our Puranas and Bhagavath Gita mention that the Kaliyuga is "the night of the Brahma”, the creator of new world and the Sathyayuga is the “Day of Brahma". My best guess is the guys who wrote our Puranas misunderstood this Yuga as Kaliyuga instead of Koolyuga. Coz infact we do seem to be the KOOLEST ppl in existence whereas they were old and purana :D

This day is associated with the symbolic eating of Yugadi Pachadi, indicating that life is a mixture of different experiences (sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise), which should be accepted together and with equanimity. This mixture consisted of the following:

Neem Buds/Flowers for bitterness
Raw Mango for tang (Strange, coz I don’t see any mangoes yet anywhere..cud be due to global warming J as we all keep saying these days)
Tamarind Juice for sourness
Green Chilli/Pepper for heat
Jaggery and ripe banana pieces for sweetness
Pinch of Salt for saltiness

So , hope you guys ate your Bevu-Bella in the right quantites ( I always eat more bella, honestly) and may this year bring you the exact same ratio of good times and tough times.

Hosa Varushada Shubhashayagalu.