Ugadi Bevu Bella (Ugadi Pachadi)
A small ceremonial mixture of neem flowers, jaggery, raw mango, tamarind and pepper eaten on Ugadi to symbolise the mix of sweet, bitter and sour experiences of the year ahead.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 60 kcal
Equipment
- •Mixing bowl
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 60 kcal
- fat
- 0.2 g
- carbs
- 14 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 0.5 g
- calories
- 60 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the neem flowers gently in water. Pat them dry with a clean cloth.
- 2
Warm the jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) with a splash of water until it melts into syrup. Let it cool slightly.
- 3
Add the neem flowers, melted jaggery, diced raw mango and tamarind pulp to a bowl.
- 4
Add the chopped green chilli, crushed black pepper and a pinch of salt.
- 5
Stir everything together gently to balance all six traditional flavours.
- 6
Serve a small spoonful to each person as the first taste of the Ugadi new year.
Chef's tips
Use only a few clean neem flowers because they taste very bitter. Balance the sweet jaggery and sour tamarind so no single flavour dominates.
Ingredient substitutions
- raw mango → a few drops of lime juice if raw mango is out of season
Storage
Best made fresh on the day; does not store well.
Reheating
Not applicable.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding too many neem flowers, which makes the mixture far too bitter.
Serving suggestions
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