With today being Ugadi/ Gudi Padwa, there is a lot of excitement in the air in the city. The people of the city are gearing up for the celebrations while on the other hand there are many people away from home on this special occasion.

For all of those away from home, don’t worry because we have 3 recipes that you can make, they will (almost) make you feel right at home on this special day.

Poori with Shrikhand

(As pictured)

Poori is an Indian bread made of wheat flour and deep fried. Poori with Shrikhand is one of the essential dishes in the menu for Gudi Padwa.

Ingredients required to make Shrikhand:

3 cups Curd / Yogurt, not sour

1/4 cup / 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (according to taste)

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi powder)

10 – 15 almonds & cashew nuts, roughly chopped

How to make Shrikhand:         

Take a deep and broad bowl and place a large strainer on it.

Spread a clean muslin cloth over it and add plain curd in the centre.

Wrap the muslin from all over the sides and tightly tie it.

Hang it until the water from the curd drains and place an empty container below it to collect the whey.

Transfer the thick strained curd into a bowl and add cardamom powder and powdered sugar to it.

Mix it properly using a hand beater or spoon until smooth.

Add chopped almonds and cashew nuts and mix well.

Refrigerate this atleast an hour before serving.

To make Amrakhand, add mango puree to this mixture.

Serve this with Hot Pooris to make a perfect dish.

Pulihora / Puliyodharai / Puliyogare (Spicy Tamarind Rice) with Pulikachal

This is a tangy-spicy South Indian rice item which is known for its long shelf life and makes a great travel food. Serve this with any raita of your choice to make a perfect lunch or dinner.

Main Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked rice

Sesame or Gingely oil

Ingredients for the Spice Mix:

2 teaspoons Tamarind Paste

1/2 teaspoon Jaggery

1/4 cup Raw Peanuts, roasted

Salt, as needed

Water, as needed

Ingredients To Roast and Grind:

2 tablespoons Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal)

4 Dry red chilli

3 teaspoons Fenugreek Seeds (Methi)

1 teaspoon Whole Black Pepper Corns

For the seasoning: 

1 tablespoon Mustard seeds

3 Dry red chilli

1 tablespoon Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal)

1/2 teaspoon Asafoetida (hing)

1-1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)

8 Curry leaves

5 tablespoon Sesame oil

How to make Pulikachal:

Soak the tamarind in the water for atleast an hour and extract the juice from it.

Take all the ingredients under Roast and Grind and dry roast them until they turn golden brown; after they cool completely, grind them into a fine powder.

Take a heavy bottomed pan and add the mustard seeds, red chillies and allow it to crackle and roast for a few seconds.

Add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder, salt, curry leaves and asafoetida to this and add enough water to make this thin and keep boiling it from 20 minutes or until the volume reduces to half.

Add jaggery and the ground spice powder and let this mixture boil until it starts to thicken.

Turn off the heat and let this mixture cool down.

Add roasted peanuts to this and keep it aside.

How to make Puliyodharai / Puliyogare:

Take this Pulikachal and add it to two cups of steamed rice and mix it according to how much tangy/spicy you want it to be.

The Puliyodharai / Puliyogare – Spicy Tamarind Rice is now ready to be served.

South Indian Poli (Obbattu/ Bobbattu)

Ingredients for the dough:

2 cups Whole Wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)

2 tablespoons Cooking oil

Ghee, for serving

Ingredients for the filling:

1 cup Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal)

1 cup Jaggery

1/2 cup Fresh coconut , grated

1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder.

How to make this:

Make the dough for this by mixing all the ingredients required with some oil and water and knead it properly in order to make a perfect dough.

Cook the chana dal with 1-1/2 cups of water until soft and is well cooked.

Heat ghee in a pan on medium heat, add the jaggery and sugar and stir until the jaggery and sugar dissolve completely.

Stir in the cooked lentils, coconut and cardamom to the jaggery mixture until well combined.

Continue stirring the mixture until the filling mixture begins to thicken and leaves the sides of the pan.

At this point turn off the heat and allow the filling mixture (puran) to cool completely.

Roll out the dough into 3 inch diameter circles and place a portion of the filling (puran) mixture into the center of the circle. Bring edges of the circle towards the center and fold over to cover the entire filling; making sure the edges are all sealed well by pinching them together if there is any opening.

Flatten the stuffed dough; dust the dough over a little flour and roll gently into a 5 to 6 inch diameter circle taking care not to put too much pressure as the filling can come out of the dough.

Preheat an iron skillet on medium high; place the rolled poli’s onto the skillet to cook until golden brown on both sides and repeat this process for the rest.

Serve this with ghee for better flavour.

So what are you waiting for? Bring your hands together and make these yummy recipes on this special day!