Happy Puthandu 2025: Traditional Tamil Recipes To Celebrate The Harvest Festival

From Manga Pachadi to Payasam, these traditional dishes are an inseparable part of Puthandu and are enjoyed by a large Tamil population every year. Here’s a list of some of the traditional dishes which one can relish during the festival.

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Puthandu 2025: Traditional Tamil Recipes 

1. Manga Pachadi: Adding a fruity zing to the menu is the sweet and tangy Mango Pachadi. For this dish you would need raw mangoes, jaggery, betel leaves and spices. It is served as a side dish and represents the cyclical aspect of life. The raw mango represents the previous year, and the sweetness of jaggery symbolises hope for a prosperous new year.
2. Payasam: The day of positivity and new beginnings just can’t start without a sweet dish, and Payasam is the South Indian-style Kheer that is enjoyed during the festival. This creamy rice pudding called Aval Payasam is traditionally made from rice, jaggery, nuts, and boiled milk.
3. Masala Dal Vada: This mouth-watering snack is prepared from chana dal, urad dal, chopped onion, salt, a teaspoon of asafoetida, green chillies, curry leaves and oil as required. Over time, different variations of the recipe are made, like adding oats and vegetables to make it as healthy and delicious. It is served with sambar, coconut chutney, or rasam.
4. Paruppu Vadai: Another preferred dish during festive occasions is Paruppu Vadai. Made with a mixture of soaked and ground lentils, spiced with green chillies, ginger, and curry leaves, these crispy lentil fritters are extremely loved by the Tamil people. It comes in various sizes and shapes, adding a delightful punch to the Puthandu feast.
5. Manjal Poosanikai Sambar: This is a simple yet appetising dish which is extremely loved by people of all ages. While Sambar is a staple addition to people’s menus in Tamil Nadu, Manjal Poosanikai Sambar is made with pumpkin and toor dal, offering a zing to the dish. It is enjoyed with boiled rice and oodles of ghee on special days such as Tamil New Year.
6. Arachuvitta Rasam: Also known as Kalyana Rasam, this traditional dish is made by grinding dal, rasam spice, and peppery tamarind water. This is a must-have dish on the occasion and is known to have many digestive properties which soothe the tummy after savouring wholesome dishes.
7. Kalkandu Sadam: Similar to Kheer, this traditional sweet dish requires rice, jaggery, milk, water, ghee, moong dal, and dry fruits of your choice.