Ugadi Recipes

Even the most oblivious person would know the basic idea and ingredients of the traditional Ugadi recipe. But do you know what the other traditional recipes cooked on this festival are? If you are just being introduced to the Telugu, Kannada style of cooking, you are in luck since these recipes have a healthy twist to boost the burst of flavours and give you a guilt-free indulgence.And if you are a hard core traditionalist, this festive season, why not begin a new tradition as well? Try these traditional recipes with a healthier, low GI rice and better, cold pressed oil.

1. Mavinakayi Chitranna
‍Chitranna is the common name for the special rice preparations in all the South Indian languages. Mavinakayi (or raw mango) chitranna just adds that eruption of flavour with the tangy raw mangoes that are in season at this time of the year.
‍Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked Telangana Sona Low GI rice (leftover rice works best)
• 1 raw mango (grated)
• ½ teaspoon Urad Dal
  
• 1 teaspoon Chana dal
  
• ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
• 2 Green Chillies (slit)
• 2 sprigs Curry leaves
• ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon asafoetida
• Salt to taste
• Coriander (Dhania) Leaves a small bunch (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon Deccan Mudra cold pressed sunflower oil

Instructions:

• Leftover day-old rice works best for this recipe but if you don’t have it on hand or prefer freshly cooked food, cook your Telangana Sona Low GI rice preferably in a rice cooker, spread it out in a wide plate and allow it to cool completely. This ensures the rice doesn't get sticky and clumpy.
• Heat Deccan Mudra cold pressed sunflower oil in a kadhai. Add the mustard seeds, chana dal, split urad dal and roast on medium flame until the dals turn golden brown in colour.
• Add in the curry leaves, asafoetida, and slit green chillies; sauté just for a few seconds until the aromas of the asafoetida and curry leaves are released.
• Add the grated raw mango, turmeric powder and sauté until the mangoes become a bit tender. This will take about 2 minutes.
• Add the cooked rice, salt to taste and stir well to combine.
• After 2 to 3 minutes, stir in the chopped coriander leaves, mix it well and switch of the gas.
• Transfer Mavinakayi Chitranna to a serving bowl and serve hot.

Recipe adapted from Archana Doshi’s recipe. Check out the original recipe here: https://www.archanaskitchen.com/mavinakayi-chitranna-recipe-spiced-raw-mango-tempered-rice

2. Bobbatlu:
‍How can you talk about recipes from Karnataka and not mention the quintessential puran poli. Quite a few states seem to have a version of this traditional Indian recipe with variation in both dal and sweetening agent, but here is the traditional Kannadiga version with ghee replaced with the even healthier Deccan Mudra cold pressed sunflower oil.
‍Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
• cup all purpose flour (maida)
• 4 to 5 tablespoons or ¼ cup Deccan Mudra cold pressed sunflower oil
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
  
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• water as required
• Deccan Mudra cold pressed sunflower oil for roasting
• 1 cup chana dal or 195 grams chana dal
• 2½ cups water for pressure cooking
• 1 cup jaggery
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder (optional)

Instructions:

• Sift 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup all purpose flour (maida), ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon salt and knead into a soft dough with about ⅓ cup of water. 
• Add 5 tablespoons of oil and continue kneading until all the oil is absorbed and the dough becomes soft and pliable. Add more water if required.
• Cover and keep aside. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile pressure cook pre-soaked chana dal along with 2.5 cups water for 6 to 7 whistles on medium flame.
• Strain the boiled chana dal and grind it along with 1 cup jaggery, 1⁄2 teaspoon cardamom powder and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons or more water if the mixture is too dry to grind easily.
• Heat 1 tablespoon Deccan Mudra cold pressed sunflower oil in a pan.
• Add the ground chana dal and jaggery mixture.
• On a low flame stirring non-stop, cook the mixture till it starts to leave the edges of the pan.
• Then switch off the flame and keep aside. Let the stuffing mixture cool down.
• Make medium sized balls from the mixture and keep aside. Cover them so that they do not dry out.
• For each bobbatlu, place the chana dal stuffing ball in a flattened dough ball, bring together the edges and press at the center. Then flatten the center and gently roll the stuffed dough ball between your palms. Then roll like the normal chapati but a little more gently.
• Heat a tawa and roast the bobbatlu on each side adding oil as required.

Recipe adapted from Dassana Amit’s recipe. Check out the original recipe here:https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/puran-poli-recipe-bobbatlu-holige-recipe/