- 1
Let's prepare the tamarind juice, which will be the star ingredient in this recipe. For that, take one tablespoon of tamarind paste in a bowl and mix it with 1 cup of warm water.
- 2
The mixture should be smooth and well combined, so you might have to whisk or stir and break down all the lumps in the paste.
- 3
Tamarind juice, with its sour-tangy taste, is the basis for this recipe. It balances out the sweetness of jaggery and the raw mango's tartness.
- 4
Add some sweetness to the sour tang of tamarind juice.
- 5
Add two tablespoons of jaggery to the prepared tamarind juice. Jaggery, being an unrefined sugar, imparts an intense caramel-like sweetness; hence, it is preferred over refined sugar in Indian cuisine in terms of flavour and health.
- 6
Mix the ingredients well so that jaggery dissolves properly in tamarind juice. This is because, without proper mixing, the sweetness cannot come out uniformly in the recipe.
- 7
Now, it's the turn of some colourful and fresh inputs to the mixture.
- 8
Add one teaspoon of finely chopped raw mango, which adds a tart crunch to the dish.
- 9
Raw mangoes are generally used in Indian cuisine to give a refreshing tang that complements the tamarind.
- 10
Next, add one teaspoon of neem flowers.
- 11
These little fragrant flowers are known for their bitter taste, which is meant to symbolise that all our good and bad things are a bit bitter in life.
- 12
Add one tablespoon of chopped banana next.
- 13
The sweetness of banana perfectly contrasts with other flavours and adds a creamy texture.
- 14
Add a pinch of salt to the mixture to flavour it further.
- 15
Salt is what we call a flavour enhancer that balances out the sweetness and tanginess coming from this dish.
- 16
Mix in 1 teaspoon of roasted and crushed fenugreek seeds powder.
- 17
Fenugreek seeds have a slightly bitter taste, adding depth to the overall flavour profile.
- 18
Roasting the seeds before crushing them releases the essential oils of the seeds and intensifies the aroma.
- 19
They make an excellent addition to this dish.
- 20
Now, let's add a little more texture and flavour to our dish.
- 21
Stir in 1 tablespoon of grated coconut with a sublet sweetness and delightfully crunchy texture.
- 22
Coconut will fit into the recipe perfectly with all its ingredients and enhance the tropical feel of the dish.
- 23
Then add a pinch of red chilli powder. It's the ingredient that gives a little heat, an unexpected kick that balances the sweetness and tartness of tamarind and jaggery.
- 24
Mix all these well until everything is evenly combined.
- 25
Garnish it with some fresh coriander leaves to complete the dish. The bright green colour coupled with the fresh aroma does a lot to enhance the look and flavour of the dish.
- 26
Serve this mixture on Ugadi Pachadi with other traditional Ugadi menu dishes.
- 27
This tamarind preparation, its flavours and texture, is meant to represent the rich cultural heritage and culinary diversities of India.
- 28
The dish celebrates Ugadi, revels in new beginnings, the sweetness of life, and acceptance of bitter moments.
- 29
Enjoy this refreshing dish, savouring the delectable right m lange of tart tamarind, sweet jaggery, and freshness of the other ingredients that make it apt for this festival.