Almost all cultures have good luck foods. Some of the good luck ingredients that are a must in my family on New Year’s Day are rice, sugar, milk, black-eyed peas, and flowers of the neem leaf. Neem flowers taste quite bitter and I get them in dry form from India.
A side condiment that is a must on New Year’s Day is Pachadi, a combination of five different ingredients. Pachadi at my home is made of semi-ripe mango slices, roasted neem flowers, brown sugar or molasses, a bit of spice, and salt. The mangoes are cooked first along with a cup of water. A pinch of salt is added. Molasses is mixed in next for sweetness. This is boiled for a few minutes until the mix thickens a little. Then, about a tablespoon of neem flowers are roasted in clarified butter (ghee). One or two red hot chillies are added to the roast, the mix is poured in to the cooked mango pot. It should appear in consistency like a light batter. With a blend of five distinct tastes that is usually made only once a year, we all look forward to having it. The combination of these tastes symbolize the spicy, sweet, sour, bitter and salty nature of life in general.
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