Ugadi 2026: 8 traditional dishes prepared on the day of festival

The festival of Ugadi marks the beginning of a new year in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka. And like any other Indian festival , Ugadi is also incomplete without the classic feast, which reflects tradition, seasonality, and symbolism. This year, it will be celebrated on 19 March, Thursday and it is believed that on this day Lord Brahma, the creator in Hindu mythology, began the creation of the universe, and it symbolises renewal of life, hope and positivity, and spiritual reflections. Take a look at the traditional South Indian dishes prepared on Ugadi.

It is the most important dish prepared on Ugadi and is often called the symbolic dish of the festival. It is a condiment made with jaggery, tamarind, neem flowers, raw mango, chilli, and salt, and represents the six tastes of life. Each ingredient symbolises different emotion—joy, sorrow, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust, as a reminder to embrace life in all its forms. (Image:

Instagram/sahithipusarla)

Popularly known as Tamarind Rice, it is a on-pot meal prepared with tamarind pulp, turmeric, curry leaves, peanuts, and mustard seeds. All of these are sauteed in pan to which cooked rice is added and is often offered as prasad and enjoyed during family feasts.

Known as obbattu in Karnataka and bobbatlu in Andhra Pradesh,it is a flatbread made with cooked chana dal combined with jaggery and cardamom, which is stuffed in whole wheat flour dough, rolled into a paratha and cooked on a tawa with ghee.

The festival also marks the arrival of raw mangoes and mango rice is a delicious way to celebrate the season. It is made with grated mangoes, which are cooked in a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, and peanuts and then cooked rice is added to it. It is a tangy and refrehsing dish.

It is a light and healthy salad made with soaked lentils (usually moong dal or chana dal), cucumber, grated coconut, and lemon juice. It is a refreshing summer dish, valued for its health benefits.

Popularly known as kheer, it is a sweet dish made with milk, jaggery or sugar, and ingredients like vermicelli, rice, or lentils. It is generally topped with ghee-roasted nuts,

It is a traditional mixed vegetable curry cooked with coconut, curd, and mild spices. While it is a clasic dish of Kerala, it is also prepared in many South Indian homes during festivals.

It is a lentil-based curry, where toor dal is cooked along with veggies in tamarind puree and is topped with a tempering of peanut oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried red chillies.

Images Courtesy: istock