Vepam Poo Pachadi

A belated happy tamil new year to all of you. I had fun this tamil new year because my in-laws were around and it was a proper family affair. I also had to cook less because we split up the dishes. I got Pushnika Sambhar, Vepampoo Pachchadi and Aama Vadai. The recipe of Aama Vadai I have already posted here. The pic above is from last year -


Vepam Poo Pachadi: This is a traditional tamilian dish made on new years day. It has all the tastes possible - bitter/sweet/sour/spicy and I guess the idea is to start your year with all these tastes including bitter which is a result of the neem flowers or vepam poo.

Ingredients:

1. Tamarind - 1 hand full
   
2. Jaggery - 2 tsps
3. Salt
4. Dried red chillies - 2 or 3
5. Gingelly oil - 1 tsp
6. Rice flour - 1 1/2 tsp
7. Neem flowers - 2 tsps
8. Curry leaves - 4 or 5
   

Directions:

1. Soak tamarind in 1 1/2 cup of water and extract the pulp.
2. Roast the neem flowers in a little spray of oil until brown. Let it cool and grind it roughly into a powder in a pestle and mortar or just using a spoon
   
3. Heat gingelly oil and to it add mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds sputter and to it add the tamarind pulp and boil until the smell of raw tamarind goes away.
   
4. Add the salt and jaggery to the boiling pulp and bring to a simmer.
5. Mix the rice flour in 2 tbsps of water and add to the mixture above. Boil until the it reaches a thicker consistency and bring it off the stove.
6. Mix in the crushed neem flowers and enjoy hot!