Andhra Thali Menu for Ugadi – Mudda Pappu, Bendakaya Vepudu & Traditional Recipes

Name: Andhra Thali Menu for Ugadi – Mudda Pappu, Bendakaya Vepudu & Traditional Recipes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Toor Dal; Salt to taste; 2 cups Water; 100 gms Lady's Finger; 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder; A Pinch Turmeric Powder; 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds + Urad Dal; Curry Leaves (few); Salt to taste; 1 tbsp Cooking Oil

Published: Apr 15, 2012 · Modified: Feb 12, 2026 by Srivalli · 23 Comments

This traditional Andhra Thali menu is a festive vegetarian meal served during Ugadi and special occasions. The thali includes Mudda Pappu, Bendakaya Vepudu, steamed rice and other classic Andhra dishes arranged as a complete meal.

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Ugadi or Telugu New Year is an important Festival in Andhra Pradesh and in all Telugu Speaking families across globe.

The Special Ugadi Festival Spread

Andhra Thali consists of elaborate traditional vegetarian Andhra Thali menu from the Andhra Cuisine. The elaborate festival or wedding thali will have about 12 to 13 dishes. Mudda Pappu (thick toor dal) is one of the most important dishes on the thali.

In our house too, we celebrate Ugadi with much enthusiasm and excitement. Amma always has her cleaning done few weeks ahead and plans on her menu. I used to remember her Ugadi Festival Thali Menu used to have so many dishes. Over the years, we have now arrived with a final set of dishes as part of the menu.

After marriage, I learnt the different dishes that Athamma makes for Ugadi, that are different from my parents tradition.

Tradition behind Ugadi as observed in my Parents home:

Ugadi is the day when we remember our forefathers and celebrate by making their favorite dishes. This is the tradition and culture followed in my parents' place. They cook their elders favorite dishes, offer new cloths. So this day according to our traditions, Amma makes dishes that her elders used to love and offer to them.

Check out the Ugadi Special Dishes prepared on the day.

A Small intro on how this post came into happening:

As part of the Blogging Marathon, I had announced Thali Theme and BM was into its 15th edition. When I started blogging in 2007, there as blog event on Regional Cuisines of India. I was so keen to take part in it as I love all our Indian Thalis from different states.

I love the idea of making thalis. It's more of the way our Indian food is presented on a plate. Each state has its own special thalis and it represents the culture and the food habits of the locals.

Though I couldn't participate in all the states, I loved doing the Thalis from Rajasthan and a Bengali simple thali. Everyone at home loved these dishes. Knowing my family's love for Thalis, I always plan thalis for each meal.

On this day of Ugadi, Amma normally makes Sweet Poli. Amma makes the Poli only during Ugadi as she always makes a huge batch to disturbe to neighbors. For the offering, she normally makes Mudda Pappu, 7 varieties of vepudus (Dry sautes or fries with vegetables) Semiya Payasam, Sakkara Pongali, Pachimirapakaya Pappu, Rasam, and curds.

Ugadi is always a day of never ending cooking and eating. I have always helped Amma with her preparation and after my marriage, I ended up keeping my Ugadi spread to a minimum and leaving to help her. I end up serving a breakfast brunch, I will be sharing soon.

Details on what gets done in a typical Ugadi or Telugu New Year's Lunch Thali:

Sharing below the dishes that are mostly prepared for the Thali.

The first is the Mudda Pappu. Though this is a simple cooked Toor dal, the way it is pressure cooked and served, makes it all the different.

Mudda Pappu ~ Andhra Mudda Pappu

How to make Mudda Pappu

Dry roast the dal till it turns a slight colour. Allow to rest and then wash with water.
Pressure cook with water for a couple of whistles. Mudda Pappu Dal is not mushy. The dal will have to retain its shape a bit

You can pressure cook without roasting as well.

Sometimes we temper it with a bit of ghee, mustard, and urad dal. Though this is completely one's choice.

Normally, we serve mudda pappu with steaming rice and ghee along with Avakai/ Mango pickle on the side. One can enjoy the dal with little bit of spicy Mango pickle thick dal with little salt is quite bland.

Mudda Pappu is the first dish you serve on a Andhra special lunch Thali.

Other dishes featuring Vegetables are the different dry sautes

The other dish that I am going to share today is Bendakaya vepudu

As I said Amma makes about seven different dry sautes or vepudu on this day. It is a tradition to cook these dry vegetables in odd numbers. We have featured 3 different dry vegetables on today's Ugadi Thali.

We decided to make bendakaya vepudu (Lady's Finger/ Okra Fry), Goru Chikkudukaya Vepudu (Cluster Beans Fry) and Vankaya vepudu (Brinjal Fry).

Bendakaya Vepudu is almost the same as what I had posted previously. Only point to note here is, we add only minimum spices to the dry sautes or Vepudus

Method to prepare:

Wash and wipe dry the Lady's fingers. This makes it non-sticky and crispy when fried. Cut it into fine pieces. Heat cooking oil in Kadai. Add seasonings items. Once they splutter, add curry leaves, then chopped Okras.

Fry well so that the oil coats the veggies well. Simmer it without covering. If you cover the pan, the Lady's finger becomes soft and sticky. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and salt to taste. Mix well. Simmer it for 10 to 15 mins. Once you see it's nice and crispy, you can remove it from the flame.

A typical Andhra Thali will have the following courses:

Fried Snack, Mixed Rice, Pachadi, Masala Kura, Vepudu, Pulusu, Annam, Pappu, Avakai, two types of Sweets (One offered at the beginning and the other at the end) Perugu, Majiga. We always serve the meal on a Banana leaf.

Andhra Thali Menu List - Dishes Included in This Ugadi Thali:

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