Ugadi Special Meal (Mango Rice, Chana Dal Vada, Kosambari & Beans Fry)
Celebrate Ugadi, the South Indian New Year, with this complete festive meal featuring tangy mango rice, crispy chana dal vadas, refreshing kosambari salad, and simple beans fry. This traditional vegetarian spread is healthy, flavorful, and perfect for festival cooking at home.
Steps
- Soak 1 cup chana dal and 1/2 cup moong dal separately in water for at least 2 hours
- For mango paste: blend 1 tsp cumin, red chili, green chili, ginger, mustard seeds, coconut, and half chopped mango into a coarse paste
- Grate the remaining half mango and set aside
- For kosambari: drain soaked moong dal and add to a bowl with grated carrot and chopped cucumber
- Add cilantro to kosambari, then make tempering with oil, chopped green chili, mustard seeds, and curry leaves
- Add tempering to kosambari along with 1 tbsp grated coconut, salt, and lemon juice; mix well and set aside
- For beans fry: heat oil in pan, add chana dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and onion; sauté 1 minute
- Add chopped green beans and grated carrot to pan; cook until tender
- Add salt, 1 tbsp grated coconut, and cilantro to beans; sauté and set aside
- For mango rice: roast peanuts in pan and set aside
- In same pan, add oil, chana dal, and curry leaves; cook until dal turns brown
- Add turmeric, ground mango-spice paste, and sauté 30 seconds
- Add grated mango, salt, cilantro, and coconut to pan
- Mix in cooked rice and roasted peanuts; set aside
- For vada: grate ginger, garlic, and green chilies; add 1 tsp pepper powder
- Drain soaked chana dal and blend with spices using hand blender to slightly coarse texture
- Transfer vada mixture to bowl and add chopped dill, onion, cilantro, and salt; mix well
- Shape mixture into small balls, flatten into rounds
- Heat oil for frying and fry vadas on medium heat until half cooked, then flip gently
- Continue frying until golden brown, remove and drain on paper towels
- Serve mango rice, beans fry, kosambari, and vadas together
