January 1 might have been the calendar New Year, but most people in the South celebrate it in April. In Karnataka, the festival sees elaborate rangoli decorations outside homes, welcoming you into mango and neem leaf lined doorways to bring in the new year during spring. The food, most importantly, is cooked to prepare you for life. Made using ingredients that contribute sweet, salty, sour and bitter flavours, it signifies that life ahead also will consist of the same. If you’d like to try, here are the places that are ringing in the New Year with some special dishes for Ugadi.
Ugadi Habbada Shubhaashayagalu! Enjoy Ugadi Feasts At These Restaurants
Ugadi Special At Karnatic
Ugadi at Karnatic is a simple and rustic affair with a humble and satisfying spread to ring in the holiday. Start off with their specials like bendakai vepudu (ladyfinger fry) and their menasinakai bajji (fried chilli fritters) and then, move on to the magical tastes of chitranna (lemon rice) and puliogare (tamarind rice). Trust us when we say their akki roti will leave you spellbound. End things on a sweet note with their payasam and the obbattu (flatbread stuffed with jaggery).
Price: INR 499 for unlimited thali
Must Try: Menasinakai bajji, chitranna and obbattu
Timings: 12:00 PM-11:00 PM
Zomato Rating: 4/5
Contact No.: 088673 25951
Dakshin At ITC Windsor
Dakshin, ITC Windsor specialises in South Indian fare, so it’s no surprise that they have dishes on their menu to have the perfect feast to celebrate Ugadi. From Bevu Bella (Neem flower buds mixed with jaggery), Bendekkai Saaru (a type of sambar made of okra), and Kaazhu Gojju (black chickpeas to mysore brinjals cooked with tomatoes and onions), they have it all. And of course, there will be Obbatu to make it extra special.
Price: INR 3,500 (plus taxes)
Must Try: Tarkari saaru, Kaazhu Gojju and Obattu
Timings: 12:30 PM-3:00 PM and 7:00-11:00 PM
Zomato Rating: 4.3/5
Contact No.: 080 6140 1223
Oota Bangalore
The chefs at Oota have curated a traditional Ugadi spread. For the starters they have delicious options like kadlekai kosambri (boiled groundnut salad), alsande kalu vade (black eyed peas fritters), and balekai bajji (raw banana fritters) The lipsmacking mains come in a thali which includes hirekayi palya (ridge gourd), gorikayi palya (cluster beans), Udupi badnekayi sambar and other favourites with Obattu and sorekayi payasa (bottle gourd kheer) for dessert.
Price: INR 975 (plus taxes)
Must Try: Alsande kalu vade, balekai bajji and sorekayi payasa
Timings: 12:00 PM-3:00 PM and 7:00 PM-10:30 PM
Zomato Rating: 4.8/5
Contact No.: 080 4521 7761
Karavalli At The Gateway Hotel
For those who prefer the center of the city for a festive lunch, hit up Karavalli for a delightful Ugadi feast that will leave you tantalized and sorted, for life. Available delights include the bevu bella (a cooling drink made from neem and jaggery), there's also a southekai pachadi (a Mangalore style cucumber and coconut preparation) and the infamous Mysore Sambar that you can devour with mounds of bisibelebath and plain rice. Bring a sweet end to the festive spread with the Kadlebele Payasa.
Price: A la carte
Must Try: Bevu bella, southekai pachadi and kadlebele Payasa
Timings: 12:30 PM-3:00 PM and 6:30 PM-10:30 PM
Zomato Rating: 4.3/5
Contact No.: 080666 04545
Yauatcha
Want to gorge on some yummy Asian food for Ugadi? Head to Yauatcha for their craftily deigned delectable Ugadi menu that combines Cantonese flavours and classic South Indian Spices for a memorable meal. With five courses, each with a distinctive flavour of South Indian spices that seamlessly blends with Yauatcha’s signature Cantonese flavour profile, you can be assured this Ugadi feast won't leave you disappointed. Some noteworthy dishes include the Asian red curry, coconut and water chestnut dumpling and golden fried prawns which are Yauatcha's ode to the local crowd-favourite bhaji with a modern Cantonese touch.
Price: Starting at INR 1,700
Must Try: Asian red curry, coconut and water chestnut dumpling and golden fried prawns
Timings: 12:00 PM-11:00 PM
Zomato Rating: 4.4/5
Contact No.: 092222 22800
