A bittersweet slice of life

Ugadi — the day when everyone looks forward to gorging on the yummy pachadi, that’s dished out by moms and grand-moms. In fact, Ugadi pachadi is such an important part of the festival that it is synonymous with the Telugu New Year. The lip-smacking dish is said to reflect the different shades of life with its shadruchulu (six tastes). “Ugadi is incomplete without the pachadi.Since this is a New Year, the whole idea is to taste everything fresh and have a newer beginning. On the day, we decorate our house with fresh mango leaves, wear new clothes, prepare Ugadi pachadi and offer it to God. Then, we taste the dish,” explains Hymavathi, a home-maker, adding, “We believe that the first taste we sense — sweet, sour or bitter — is what the year holds in store for us.”
The dish of six tastes: So what makes this pachadi so irresistible? “We use fresh ingredients found in this season — raw mangoes, fully blossomed neem flowers, jaggery, tamarind, pepper/mirchi and salt,” explains Rajya Lakshmi, a 65-year-old resident from Dwaraka Nagar. “The flavours of the dish are just like the emotions we experience in life — surprise, sadness, happiness, disgust, anger and fear,” shares Hymavathi. And with time, the pachadi too has gotten its share of customisations. “The taste of this pickle varies from house to house, since there is no fixed formula. While I still follow the authentic way of preparing it, I’ve seen people add new flavours, fruits and taste-makers to customise it,” Rajya Lakshmi adds.
Medicinal benefits: But this quintessential Ugadi dish is more than just all-taste. It also has several health benefits. Expounding on this, Dr DS Satyanarayana, an Ayurvedic physician, says, “Since this is the time the season changes from winter to summer, the pachadi helps improve immunity. The ingredients used in the dish, such as neem flowers, mangoes, tamarind etc., help purify blood, balance heat levels and create digestive fluids. These, in turn, improve body’s resistance to common diseases.”