Regional Flavours For The New Year! Four Festive Dishes to Try Today

As various regions of India ring in the new year today, each state brings its unique culinary and cultural traditions to the table. From Tamil Nadu’s Tamil Puthandu and Odisha’s Pana Sankranti to West Bengal’s Pohela Boishakh and Kerala’s Vishu, it’s a day of celebration, rituals—and of course, food. Here are four festive recipes from across the country to honour the occasion:

From Tamil Nadu: Manga Pachadi
This sweet and tangy raw mango dish symbolises the bittersweet nature of life. Made with raw mango, jaggery, betel leaves, and spices, it’s served as a side and represents the transition from the old year to the new.

From Odisha: Pana for Pana Sankranti
A refreshing drink with spiritual significance, Pana is poured over a Tulsi plant as a symbolic offering before being shared.
Ingredients: Wood apple (bela), grated coconut, cottage cheese (chhena), banana, jaggery, black pepper, and water.
Health Benefits: Naturally cooling, aids digestion, hydrating, and packed with nutrients.

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From West Bengal: Luchi-Cholar Dal & Mishti Doi
Pohela Boishakh is incomplete without fluffy, deep-fried luchi served with spiced cholar dal cooked with coconut and cumin. Finish with mishti doi, a rich, caramelised yoghurt dessert that’s creamy, tangy, and irresistibly indulgent.

From Kerala: Vishu Kanji
This mildly sweet rice porridge, part of the Vishu Sadhya, is made with coconut milk, mochai (hyacinth beans), and unakkalari rice.
Steps: Roast and cook mochai, grind rice coarsely, combine with coconut milk, add cooked beans, and simmer to desired consistency. Garnish with grated coconut and serve hot.

Celebrate the diversity of India’s new year festivals with these simple, flavour-packed regional dishes that bring both nostalgia and joy to your plate.

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