Tamil New Year, also known as Puthandu or Varusha Pirappu, is a traditional festival celebrated by Tamil people in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry, as well as in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and other Tamil communities around the world.
The Tamil New Year festival usually falls on April 14th every year and marks the beginning of the Tamil calendar year. It is a time of new beginnings and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy by Tamils all over the world.
On Tamil New Year, people typically wear new clothes, visit temples, offer prayers, and exchange greetings and gifts with friends and family. Special dishes are prepared, and a festive atmosphere prevails throughout the day. Traditional decorations, such as kolams (rangoli), are also created in front of homes to welcome the new year.
Overall, Tamil New Year is an important cultural and religious celebration for Tamils around the world, and it is a time for family gatherings, joy, and new beginnings.
On this auspicious day of Tamil New Year, people prepare and enjoy a variety of delicious traditional dishes with their family and friends. Here are some of the popular recipes that are typically prepared on Tamil New Year that you can try:
Sakkarai Pongal - This sweet dish is a traditional Tamil Nadu delicacy that is made with rice, jaggery, and milk. It is usually prepared during festivals and special occasions.
Medhu Vada - This crispy and fluffy vada is a popular South Indian breakfast item that is made with urad dal, onion, and spices. It is best served with coconut chutney and sambar.
Payasam - This creamy and delicious dessert is made with rice, milk, sugar, and nuts. It is usually served at the end of a meal or during festivals.
Lemon Rice - This tangy and flavorful rice dish is made with cooked rice, lemon juice, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and peanuts. It is perfect for a quick and easy meal.
Thakkali Kuzhambu - This tangy and spicy tomato-based curry is a popular Tamil Nadu dish that is usually served with rice. It is made with tomatoes, tamarind, onion, garlic, and spices.
Thengai Sadam - This fragrant and flavorful coconut rice is a simple and easy dish that is perfect for a quick meal. It is made with cooked rice, grated coconut, and spices.
Pori Urundai - This crispy and crunchy snack is made with puffed rice and jaggery. It is usually prepared during festivals and special occasions.
Aviyal - This mixed vegetable dish is a popular Tamil Nadu recipe that is usually served with rice. It is made with a variety of vegetables like drumsticks, yam, beans, carrot, and cucumber, cooked in a coconut-based gravy with spices.
Kadalai Paruppu Sundal - This savory snack is made with chickpeas, coconut, and spices. It is a healthy and delicious option to serve during Tamil New Year.
Murukku - This crispy and crunchy snack is a must-have during festivals in Tamil Nadu. It is made with rice flour, urad dal flour, and spices, which are mixed together to form a dough, and then deep-fried.
Rasam - This tangy and spicy soup is a staple in Tamil Nadu cuisine. It is made with tamarind, tomato, garlic, and spices, and is usually served with rice.
Sambar - This lentil-based curry is a popular South Indian dish that is usually served with rice. It is made with lentils, vegetables, tamarind, and spices, which are cooked together to form a thick and flavorful curry.
Vazhakkai Podimas - This simple and easy dish is made with raw banana, grated coconut, and spices. It is a healthy and delicious option to serve during Tamil New Year.
Poli - This sweet flatbread is a popular Tamil Nadu dessert that is usually served during festivals. It is made with maida (all-purpose flour), chana dal (split Bengal gram), jaggery, and ghee (clarified butter).
Sakkarai Pongal:
Ingredients:
1 cup raw rice
1/2 cup moong dal
1 cup jaggery, grated
1/4 cup ghee
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
A handful of cashew nuts
A handful of raisins
Instructions:
Dry roast the moong dal until it turns golden brown.
Cook the rice and roasted moong dal in 5 cups of water until soft and mushy.
In a separate pan, melt grated jaggery with a little water to form a syrup.
Strain the syrup to remove any impurities.
Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked rice and dal and mix well.
Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashew nuts and raisins until golden brown.
Add the fried cashew nuts and raisins along with cardamom powder to the rice and dal mixture.
Mix well and serve hot.
Medhu Vada:
Ingredients:
1 cup urad dal, soaked in water for 4-5 hours
2-3 green chillies, chopped
1 inch ginger, grated
A handful of curry leaves, chopped
Salt, to taste
Oil, for frying
Instructions:
Grind the soaked urad dal to a fine paste using little water.
Add chopped green chillies, grated ginger, chopped curry leaves and salt to the urad dal paste and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan.
Wet your hands with water and take a small portion of the batter and make a hole in the center to form a doughnut shape.
Slide the vada into the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar.
Payasam:
Ingredients:
1 cup rice, soaked in water for 30 minutes
1 cup jaggery, grated
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp ghee
A handful of cashew nuts
A handful of raisins
Instructions:
Cook the soaked rice in 2 cups of water until it is soft and mushy.
In a separate pan, heat ghee and fry cashew nuts and raisins until golden brown.
Add grated jaggery to the pan and mix well.
Cook until the jaggery is melted and forms a syrup.
Add cooked rice to the pan and mix well.
Add coconut milk and cardamom powder to the pan and mix well.
Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Serve hot or cold.
Lemon Rice:
Ingredients:
1 cup rice, cooked and cooled
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 dry red chillies
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
A handful of curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste
Instructions:
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chillies.
Once they start to splutter, add curry leaves and turmeric powder and mix well.
Add cooked rice to the pan and mix well.
Add lemon juice and salt to the pan and mix well.
Serve hot.
Thakkali Kuzhambu:
Ingredients:
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp sambar powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
A handful of curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste
Instructions:
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
Once they start to splutter, add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they turn soft and mushy.
Add turmeric powder, sambar powder, red chilli powder, curry leaves and salt to the pan and mix well.
Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.
Thengai Sadham:
Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice, washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes
1/2 cup grated coconut
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp urad dal
2 dry red chillies
A handful of curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste
Instructions:
Cook the soaked rice in 2 cups of water until it is soft and fluffy.
In a separate pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and dry red chillies. Once they start to splutter, add grated coconut and curry leaves and sauté for a minute.
Add cooked rice to the pan and mix well.
Add salt to the pan and mix well.
Serve hot.
Pori Urundai:
Ingredients:
3 cups puffed rice
1 cup jaggery, grated
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp ghee
A handful of roasted peanuts
Instructions:
Dry roast the puffed rice until it becomes crispy.
In a separate pan, melt grated jaggery with a little water to form a syrup. Strain the syrup to remove any impurities.
Add cardamom powder to the jaggery syrup and mix well.
Add the roasted peanuts and puffed rice to the syrup and mix well.
Grease your palms with ghee and shape the mixture into small balls.
Allow the balls to cool and then serve.
Aviyal:
Ingredients:
1 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, potato, yam, brinjal, pumpkin, drumstick), chopped
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies
A handful of curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup yogurt
Salt, to taste
Instructions:
Cook the chopped vegetables in a pot of boiling water until they are soft.
In a blender, grind grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies and curry leaves to a fine paste.
Add the coconut paste to the cooked vegetables and mix well.
Add turmeric powder, salt and yogurt to the pot and mix well.
Cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot with rice.
Kadalai Paruppu Sundal:
Ingredients:
1 cup chana dal (Bengal gram), soaked in water for 2 hours
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 dry red chillies
A handful of curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste
Grated coconut (optional)
Instructions:
Drain the soaked chana dal and pressure cook with enough water and salt until soft.
Drain any excess water. In a separate pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chillies.
Once they start to splutter, add curry leaves and sauté for a minute.
Add the cooked chana dal to the pan and mix well.
Cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Garnish with grated coconut (optional) and serve.
Murukku:
Ingredients:
2 cups rice flour
1/2 cup urad dal flour
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
Salt, to taste
Oil, for deep frying
Instructions:
In a bowl, mix rice flour, urad dal flour, melted butter, cumin seeds, asafoetida and salt.
Add water little by little and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and pliable. Heat oil in a deep pan for frying.
Take a portion of the dough and shape it into a cylindrical tube. Using a murukku press, press out the dough onto a greased surface.
Cut the pressed dough into small pieces and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Drain the excess oil and serve.
Rasam:
Ingredients:
1 tomato, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp rasam powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
A handful of curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste
Tamarind juice, extracted from a small lemon-sized ball of tamarind
Coriander leaves, for garnish
Instructions:
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent.
Add chopped tomato and cook until they turn soft and mushy.
Add turmeric powder, rasam powder, curry leaves and salt to the pan and mix well.
Add tamarind juice to the pan and mix well.
Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.
Sambar:
Ingredients:
1 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, potato, yam, brinjal, pumpkin, drumstick), chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 tbsp sambar powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
A handful of curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste
Tamarind juice, extracted from a small lemon-sized ball of tamarind
Instructions:
In a pressure cooker, add the chopped mixed vegetables, onions, garlic, and tomato.
Add enough water to cover the vegetables and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles or until the vegetables are soft and cooked.
Once the pressure has been released, open the pressure cooker and mash the cooked vegetables slightly with the back of a spoon.
In a separate pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves.
Let them splutter for a few seconds. Add the sambar powder and stir well for a minute.
Add the mashed vegetables to the pan with the tempered spices and mix well. Add the tamarind juice and enough water to get the desired consistency.
Add salt to taste. Let the sambar simmer for 10-15 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice, idli, or dosa.
Vazhakkai Podimas:
Ingredients:
2 raw bananas (vazhakkai)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 dry red chillies
A handful of curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste
Grated coconut (optional)
Instructions:
Peel and grate the raw bananas. In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chillies.
Once they start to splutter, add curry leaves and sauté for a minute.
Add the grated raw bananas to the pan and mix well.
Add salt and cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
Garnish with grated coconut (optional) and serve hot.
Poli:
Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 cup maida (all-purpose flour)
A pinch of salt
Water, as needed
2 tbsp oil
For the stuffing:
1 cup chana dal (Bengal gram)
1 cup jaggery
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp ghee
Instructions:
To prepare the dough, mix maida, salt and water to form a soft, pliable dough. Add oil and knead well. Set aside for 30 minutes.
To prepare the stuffing, pressure cook the chana dal until soft. Drain any excess water.
In a separate pan, add jaggery and a little water. Heat until the jaggery dissolves.
Add the cooked chana dal to the pan and mix well. Cook on low heat until the mixture thickens.
Add cardamom powder and ghee to the mixture and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool.
Roll out small balls of dough and stuff them with the chana dal mixture. Roll out the dough to form a flat disc.
Heat a tawa and cook the poli on both sides until golden brown.
Serve hot.
They are delicious, easy to make, and perfect for celebrating this Tamil New Year with your family and friends.
This Tamil New Year, have a tasty treat with these special dishes by your side. Whenever you need any of the ingredients to make the dishes, you can always order them from desicart.co.uk and get them delivered right to your doorstep so that you don't feel you're a long way from home.