As the summer season kicks in, people across many regions of India usher in the new year based on the solar cycle of the lunisolar hindu calendar. And with a sense of hope, excitement, and opportunity, Tamil people of India and beyond borders celebrate Puthandu, which is theTamil new year that falls on the April 14 this year.
It is that time of the year when you reflect on the past, recognise the challenges and plan your goals for the future while gearing up to start afresh on a clean slate with a sense of balance and harmony. The tradition of welcoming the New Year with the 'arusuvai' or the six-taste philosophy based on Ayurveda incorporates sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, salty, and astringent flavours mandatorily into the festive meal for Puthandu as way to bring balance and harmony to the body and mind.
While the elaborate feast utilises the seasonal produce like mangoes, raw banana, jackfruit, rice, etc. in their preparations, the bitter neem leaves or its flowers are the unusual ingredient used to make a mandatory dish called pachadi. The bitter neem leaves or its flowers known as vepumpoo is a crucial component of the vepumpoo maanga pachchadi (neemflowers and mango pachadi), which is a must-have dish for Puthandu. It is a condiment made with neem flowers, raw mango, jaggery, tamarind and more. It is served as a prasadam after prayers. the pachadi can be paired with rice or any rice-based dishes to relish fully.
The significance of bitter neem (Azadirachta indica) and how it makes way to the culinary preparations during Puthandu is intriguing. It is fascinating to see how bitterness is welcomed with reassurance about life during this festival. The pachchadi is more than just a dish. It represents the bittersweet nature of life and is a powerful metaphor for the new year. If your family is from the Tamil communities in India, you might be familiar with this time of the year when elders of the households remind us that life is full of ups and downs, sweet and sour, and often garnished with a touch of bitterness. The bitterness of neem is an essential part of this metaphor, reminding us to embrace the bitterness of life with the same acceptance and gratitude as the sweet moments, right from the start of the year.
Having said that, neem leaves and neem flowers are also popularly known for their anti-bacterial properties and used widely for their health benefits. In fact, at the crack of dawn on the day of Poothandu, neem leaves are added to the bathing water to cleanse off impurities and kickstart the day with a festive vigour.
After prayers and offerings are made, vepampoo maanga pachadi is distributed. The ingredients used are based on the six-taste philosophy that includes jaggery for sweetness, neem flower for hint of bitterness, tamarind for sourness, raw mango that is astringent, red chilli or black pepper for spicy heat and salt to complete the taste.
Neem flowers are known to provide relief from gut problems like bloating and constipation. Many households also make vepampoo rasam (neem flower rasam), which is a soupy broth for the Puthandu meal and any time of the year as well, since it aids digestion and is also known to control phlegm and reduce bile secretion, which may work for headaches sometimes. The rasam is paired with steamed rice or had on its own as a tart beverage with a hint of bitterness.
It is also said that by reducing blood sugar levels and enhancing overall immunity, these delicate blooms serve as a natural remedy for those struggling with diabetes. That's not all, neem flowers may also be used to improve hair quality and treat acne-prone skin with a cleanse. Having said that, there are other dishes made with this pale white neem flowers such as vepampoo podi (neem flower chutney powder) and vepam poo thogayal (neem flower chutney) that pair beautifully with piping hot steamed rice, dosas, idlis and more.
Here is a recipe of Vepampoo pachadi to welcome the new year by embracing the six-taste philosophy:
Ingredients:
2 finely diced raw mangoes (peel them if desired)
1/2 cup of jaggery (or to taste)
2/3 cups of water
2 tablespoons of neem flowers
2-3 broken red chilies
1/2 teaspoon of mustard
1 sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
2 tablespoons of ghee
Instructions:
⦁ Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a pan, fry the neem flowers until they become crisp. Set them aside.
⦁ In the same pan, add another tablespoon of ghee. Put some mustard and let it splutter. Then add curry leaves, red chilies, turmeric, and diced mangoes. Add water and let it cook.
⦁ Prepare the jaggery syrup in a seperate pan with a glass of water by bringing it to a boil until the jaggery dissolves.
⦁ Once the mango is cooked, combine the jaggery syrup with it and add salt. Continue to boil until it thickens. Remove from heat.
⦁ Finally, sprinkle the fried neem flowers over the pachadi just before serving.