Chakari Pongali/Sweet Pongal

I made this pongali on the bhogi day.I love this combination of jaggery,moong dal and rice.Very easy to make and very tasty dessert.

Ingredients:-

Raw rice 1 cup

Moong dal (pesara papu) 1/4 cup

Jaggery 1/3rd cup

Elachi 1

Cashew few

Raisins few

Badam 4 (soak and blanched)

Ghee 3 tbsp

Method:-

Soak moong dal for 2-3 hours.

In a pan take ghee and fry cashew,raisins and badam separately.Keep aside.

Pressure cook rice and dal,approx for 4-5 whistles

In a deep bottom pan take jaggery and 1/2 cup of water.

Bring it to boil.Then add the cooked rice and dal.

Mix throughly and add the cashew,elachi,raisins and badam.

The left over ghee after frying the dry fruits can also be added to the pongali.

Let all the water dries up and jaggery is thoroughly mixed with the rice.Then switch of the stove.

Kala Koora

సంక్రాంతి శుభాకాంక్షలు

Happy Sankranthi to my readers and to all my friends.

Kala koora is one the delicacies made on sankranthi that is on the second day of the festival.Kala Gura is made with different seasonal vegetables.|This recipe is my sisters mother-inlaws.

Ingredients:-

Soorakaya/Bottle gourd 5-6 (peeled and chopped into 1' thick pieces )

Brinjal 4 (chopped into thick long pieces)

Tomatoes 2 (chop each tomato into 4 pieces)

Cauliflower 5-6 florets

Potatoes 2 (Chopped into thick pieces)

Tamarind (fresh) 2 pieces

Chikudikaya/Indian broad beans 5-6 (Slice into 2 pieces)

Onion 2 chopped finely

Green chillies 3 silted

Curry leaves few

Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil 2 tbsp

Method:-

Take a deep pan,add oil.When hot add onions,green chillies and curry leaves.

Fry until onions are pink in colour.Now add all the veggies,turmeric powder,red chilly powder and salt.

Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 5-6 minutes.

By now the veggies are soft.Add 1/2 glass of water.

Let it come to boil.Now simmer and cook till the veggies are very soft and the curry is semi dry.

Dappalam

Andhra is famous for its pulusu,be it chapala pulusu or any other pulusu.Dappalam is a mixture of many veggies cooked in tamarind gravy and is very famous in andhra.Sometimes besan or channa dal is added to get the thickness in the pulusu.

My elder sister is married into a typical Andhra family from Vijayawada and she cooks this dappalam very often.I love this with plain rice or hyderbadi bagara rice (not a weird combination though).This is my sister recipe....

Ingredients:-

Soorakaya/Kadhu/Bottle Gourd 1 cup (big pieces)

Brinjal 2 chopped into thick pieces

Drum stick 2

Tomatoes 2

Lady finger 4 chopped into big pieces

Green chillies 2 sliced

Channa dal 4 tbsp (soaked for 3-4 hours)

Tamarind small lemon sized

Jaggery a small piece

Mint leaves few

Coriander leaves few

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Seasoning

Mustard seeds few

Hing little

Curry leaves few

Oil 2-3 tbsp

Method:-

Soak channa dal for 3-4 hours and pressure cook until soft.Mash it and keep aside.

In a deep pan take oil and add all the seasoning.When they spultter add all the veggies and green chillies,mint leaves,coriander.

Add salt and turmeric powder.Mix well.Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes.Now the veggies will become soft.

Remove pulp from tamarind and add it to the veggies.Also add jaggery.

Add 2 glass of water.Let it come to boil.

Then add the mashed channa dal,cook until the veggies are soft (say for another 5-6 minutes).

Serve hot with rice and vadiyalu or else serve like i do with bagara rice.

Bendakaya perugu kura (Dahi bendi fry)

Ingredients:-

Lady's Finger 500gms
Onions 2 chopped
Green chillies 3 chopped
Dry red chillies 2
Mustard seeds 1/2tsp
Sour curd 1 cup
Curry leaves few
Red chilly powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Salt as taste
Oil 3 tbsp

Method:-

Wash and wipe bendi with a dry cloth until dry.Chop them into pcs.

Heat oil,add mustard seeds,dry red chillies and curry leaves.Then add onions and green chillies.

Saute till they are pink in colour then add bendi, salt and turmeric powder.

Cook on a low flame.Cook till bendi are tender.

Add curd and mix throughly.Don't saute with a laddle but holding both the sides of the pan rotate it.

Once all the curd is dried add red chilly powder.

Serve hot.

Brinjal and curd curry 2

 

I blogged about brinjal and curd recipe before,the recipe i blogged was kashmiri dahi baingan.That recipe i did from sanjeev kapoors book and this is from a writer who is from andhra and the book is called Kantamani Vantakalu by Mrs.Kantamani which is in telugu.

 Ingredients:-

Brinjal/Egg plant  1/2 kg

Curd 1 cup

Onions 2 chopped

Green chillies 2 silted

Dry red chillies 2

Tamarind juice 2 tbsp

Red chilly powder 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves few

Oil 3 tbsp

Method:-

Take oil in a pan.Add mustard seeds,red chillies and curry leaves.When mustard seeds spultter add onions and green chillies.

Add tamarind juice to the curd and mix it well.

Once onions are fried add brinjal,turmeric powder and salt.

Cover and cook till brinjals are tender and cooked.

Now add curd mixture and mix well.

Cook till the curry is dry and serve hot as a side dish.

PS:-By adding tamarind juice to the curd,curd won't break when cooked.

Mokkajonna Garelu/Corn Vada

Ingredients:-

Corn 2 cups
Udad dal 1/2 cup (soaked for 2-3 hours)
Green chillies 2
Ginger 1" pc
Onions 1 chopped finely
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:-

Grind corn,soaked udad dal,green chillies and ginger into coarse paste.(don't add water)

Then add chopped onions and mix well.Heat oil in a deep frying vessel and the oil should be very hot.

Wet a plastic sheet with little water and take a lemon sized balls and flatten it on the sheet and make a hole in the center so that vada cooks evenly.

Slowly drop the vada in the oil and cook till golden colour and serve hot.

Ponnaganti/Water Amaranth and Pesarapappu(moong dal) Curry

Ingredients:-

Ponnganti/WaterAmaranth 2 bunches.
Pesara papu 1/2 cup
Onion 1 chopped
Green chillies 2 slited
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste


Tempering/Seasoning

Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Udad dal 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp
Red chilly dry 1 broken into pcs
Curry leaves
Oil 2 tbsp

Method:-

Soak moong dal for 1 hr.

Pluck water amaranth leaves from the stems and wash thoroughly.Chop them and soak in the water until use.

Heat oil and add all the tempering ingredients.

Add onions and green chillies.Saute till onions are fried.

Then add the leaves and soaked moong dal.

Add turmeric powder and salt and mix well.

Cover and cook until water dries.(no need of adding water as the water amarnath leaves enough water to cook)

Once the water is dried add the red chilly powder and saute for a while.

Serve as a side dish to rice.

Gunta Ponganalu

Ever since i am here ponganalu has been daily snacks to school for my kids.Usually these prepared with the left over dosa/idly batter but i use the fresh batter,infact the dosa batter which i prepare twice a week is used to prepare ponganlu or punugulu.Ponganalu is the healthier version of punugulu which are deep fried.I have bloged about punugulu here and here.To prepare this you need ponganalu gunta which is widely available and now prestige has a non-stick ones.

Ingredients:-

Dosa batter
Onions 1 finely chopped
Green 2 chillies finely chopped
Ginger 1/2" pc finely chopped
Coriander leaves few finely chopped




Method:-

Apply oil to each depression and let it get hot while you prepare the batter.
Mix onions,green chillies,ginger and coriander leaves to the dosa batter.
Add salt and mix well.
Once the ponganalu gunta is hot enough pour each small laddle full of batter.
Now reduce the flame to low and cover with a lid.
After 5 minutes flip over and cook it 2-3 minutes without lid.

Serve hot/cold with chutney.I served with karivepaku podi (curry leaves powder)

Aratikaya perugu pachadi / Raw Banana and Curd Chutney

My mom is very fond of chutnies.She makes quite a few varieties of chutnies and aratikaya perugu pachadi is one of her favorites.Here goes her recipe...

Ingredients:-

Aratikaya/Raw banana 2
Green chillies 4
Curd 1 cup
Salt to taste

For seasoning

Oil 1tbsp
Udad dal 1/4 tsp
Rai 1/4 tsp
Red chillies 2 nos
Curry leaves few

Method:-

Cut banana into 3 pcs and boil until soft.Drain water and peel the skin.Cut them into small pieces.
Take 1/2 tsp oil and fry green chillies.Remove them and in the same oil fry the cooked banana for 4-5 minutes.
Once cool grind green chillies,banana and salt into smooth paste,preferably in stone mortar and pestle.Lastly add curd and mix well with a spoon.

In a small kadai take the remaining oil.When hot add the rai,udad dal,red chillies and curry leaves.When udad dal turns light brown colour add it to the chuntey.

Serve chutney with rice and sambar.....

Gongura Pachadi (Red sorrel leaves pickle)

Ingredients:-

Gongura (red sorrel leaves) 1 kg
 Dry red chillies 250 gms
Cumin (jelakara) seeds 4 tsp
Coriander seeds (daniyalu) 4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds (mentulu)4 tsp
Oil 7 tbsp
Garlic (velipayalu) 4
Turmeric (pasupu) a pinch (chitikadu)
Hing (inguva) a  pinch (chitikadu)
Salt as per taste

Seasoning
Channa dal (senagapappu) 4 tsp
Mustard seeds (avalu) 4 tsp
Udad dal (minapappu) 4 tsp

Method:-

Wash gongura leaves and live in the sun to dry till water evapourates.
Take a pan with 2 tbsp of oil.Add red chillies,coriander,fenugreek,cumin and fry.Let it cool and make a coarse powder.Keep aside.
In the same pan remove oil and fry gongura leaves on a low flame.The leaves changes its colour and the quantity is reduced to half.
Once the leaves are cool enough,grind them with 3 garlic,turmeric powder,salt and the powder which you made it before.Don't grind it into smooth paste ,it should be coarse.
Then in a another pan take the remaining oil.When oil is hot add the seasoning,remaining garlic (crushed) and hing.
Then add the gongura paste and saute for a 2 minutes.

This pickle can be stored for one year.

PS:-I have scheduled few post after this and i am off for a month or so as i am relocating to india.Will come back soon.................

Simple Beans Fry

Ingredients:-

Beans 250gms
Onion 1 chopped
Red chilly powder 1tsp
Fresh grated coconut 3 tbsp
Turmeric powder
Salt as per taste


Seasoning:-

Oil 2-3 tbsp
Rai 1 tsp
Udad dal 1 tsp
Dry red chillies 4
Curry leaves few

Method:-

Chop beans and keep aside
Take oil in a frying pan add all the seasoning,when they are fried add beans and turmeric powder.
Sprinkle 3 tbsp of water and salt.
Cover and cook till beans are soft and water is evaporated.Check if beans are not soft enough can sprinkle another 2-3 tbsp of water.
Lastly  add red chilly powder and grated fresh coconut.Mix throughly.

Serve it as a side dish along with rice and sambar/rasam

Gongura Kheema (Sorrel and minced meat)

Gongura is also known as red sorrel leaves and gongura pachadi is very famous in andhra cuisine.Gongura is also knowns as puntikura,sorrel leaves,ambaadi,pitwaa,pulichakeerai,nalitaa saga and pandi.Most famous is gongura pachadi(gongura pickle) and gongura mamsam (Gongura mutton).Other varities are gongura kheema,gongura pappu (Gongura dal) and gongura royyalu (gonruga prawns).

I usually pick 3-4 bunches of gongura every time i see them at the market.With that i make pickle,dal and kheema/mutton.We just love the taste of gongura.I always have gongura pickle in my fridge,when it gets over i buy priya gongura pickle.Will be shortly posting gongura pickle as well.

Ingredients:-

Kheema (mutton minced) 250 gms
Gongura (sorrel leaves) 1 bunch (chopped)
Ginger garlic paste 1 1/2tbsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Red chilly powder 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Dry red chilly 2 nos
Garlic 1 crushed
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves few
Oil 3 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Make a paste of the following ingredients:-

Onions 2 chopped
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Coriander seeds 1 tbsp

Method:-

Take 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker.Add cumin seeds.When they splutter add the onion paste.
Fry till the onion leaves the raw smell and it is well fried.
Then add ginger garlic paste.Again saute till the ginger garlic paste is well fried and leaves the raw smell.
Add turmeric powder,red chilly powder,garam masala powder and salt.
Now add kheema and mix thoroughly.Add enough water and pressure cook until you get 3-4 whistle.
In another pan take 1 tbsp of oil and add curry leaves and red chillies.When they are fried add crushed garlic.
Saute for a while and add chopped gongura.Fry for 10 minutes.Water is not needed here.
Then add the cooked kheema along with water.Mix thoroughly and cook till the water get dried.
Serve hot with rice or with roti.

Peanut Ladoo

Ingredients:-

Peanuts 1 cup
Jaggery 1cup (grated)
Ghee 2 tbsp

Method:-

Roast peanuts and remove skin.Keep aside.
Take jaggery in a thick bottom vessel and add 5 tbsp of water.Let the jaggery melts.
Now make a thin syrup.
When syrup is done*.Switch off the stove and take the bowl down on the floor.
Add ghee and peanuts.Mix thoroughly and take the peanuts in a flat plate.
Wet your hands and make ladoos into your preferred sizes.These ladoos can be stored for long.

*To check whether the syrup is done or not take a bowl with water.Pour a teaspoon of syrup into the water.With your fingers gather the syrup into a ball.If a ball is formed then the syrup is ready.

Aratikaya Vepudu/Raw Banana Fry

Ingredients:-

Raw banana 2
Onions chopped 1
Garlic flakes 2
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds ½ tsp
Black gram 2 tsp
Red chilly whole 1 (break into pcs)
Red chilly powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste
Curry leaves a few
Oil- 3 tsp

Method:

1. Peel the raw banana and cut it into round cirlces
2. Boil these cubes in a bowl by adding salt and turmeric
3. When the raw banana circles are cooked, drain the water and keep them aside.
4. Take pan and add oil. Let it heat up.Add mustards, cumin seeds,black gram,red chilly and curry leaves.
6.Add onions and fry till pink in colour.
7.Fry well and add banana.
8. Saute well and fry till raw-banana is turned into golden brown.
9. Crush garlic with red chilly powder and add it to the banana.
10.Saute well and serve as a side dish.

Dhaniya Chicken

Ingredients:-

Chicken 1/2 kg

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Coriander powder 2 tbsp

Onions chopped 1

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Red chilly powder 1 tbsp

Curd beaten 1 cup

Oil 2 tbsp

Salt as taste

Method:-

Saute oil till pink in colour in a pan with oil.Add chicken,ginger garlic paste,salt and turmeric powder.

Mix thoroughly.Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.Then add red chilly powder and coriander powder.

Cover and cook for 4-6 minutes.Then add curd.Cover and cook till chicken is soft.

If required add little hot water and cook until oil comes out.

Serve hot with rice or parathas.

Kura karam / Curry Powder

Apart from garam masala powder, molaga podi,and other powders,curry powder is also must in all most all kitchens of south india.This powder is actually a mix of spices and each household has its own proportions so the end result will often differ from home to home.


I mainly use this powder for brinjal stuff fry,ladyfinger stuff fry and ridge gourd.


Ingredients:-


Channa dal 1 cup
Udat dal 1 cup
Pepper 4 tbsp
Coriander 4 tbsp
Red chillies 10
Fenugreek 1 tbsp
Cumin 2 tbsp


Method:-


Roast all the ingredients with 1 tbsp of oil separately.When cool grind them into fine powder.Store in a air tight container and use when required.

Bendakaya Mamsam / Lady finger mutton curry

Ingredients:-

Mutton 500gms

Lady finger 250 gms

Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp

Coriander powder 1 tbsp

Onions 2 chopped

Green chillies 2 chopped

Tomatoes 2 chopped

Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder 1 tsp

Oil 4 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Method:-

Cut ladyfingers into big pcs

Take 2 tbsp of oil,when hot add ladyfingers and fry until they are brown in colour.Remove and keep aside.

Now take the remaining oil in a pan/cooker,add onion and green chillies.

Fry till pink in colour.Add mutton pcs and salt.Saute for 3-4 mintues.

Then add ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder,coriander powder and red chilly powder.

Saute for another 3-4 minutes.

Add tomatoes and mix throughly.Let it cook for 4-5 minutes.

Add enough water and pressure cook till the mutton is soft.(in my cooker i cooked mutton for 4 whistle)

Open cooker when the pressure is gone,add fried lady finger to the mutton gravy.

Cook for 2-3 minutes till the gravy is thick.Remove from fire and serve hot with hot rice/parathas/rotis.

Chegodilu --- Indian Cooking Challenge

Chegodilu is mostly done in the telangana region in andhra.This is a wonderful snack which i used to eat when i was kid.I had a neighbour ammamma(granny) who used to make this during dusheera and diwali.We kids used to wait for her to give this snack during festivals.

I made very less quantity when i did this for first time as i was not sure of the making.They came out very well.Few days back i again made it for the Indian cooking challenge.The recipe is given my valli and i have not done any changes.

Ingredients:-

Rice flour 1 cup

Water 1 cup (a 1-2 tbsp can be added)

Yellow moong dal/Pesarapappu 3 tbsp

Cumin 1tsp

Sesame seeds 1tsp

Red chilly powder 1tsp

Ghee 1 tsp

Oil for deep frying

Method:-

Soak moong dal for 1/2 hr in water.Then strain it and keep aside

Boil 1 cup of water,add moong dal,salt and ghee.

Then slowly add rice flour continuously stirring the water with a laddle (pappu guti)

Remove it from the stove and stir again.Cover it for 10-15minutes.

Once cool add chilly powder,cumin and sesame seeds and with hand make a dough similar to chapati dough.

Heat oil in a pan.Once the oil is hot enough,put the stove on a low flame.

Grease hand with oil and take a lemon sized ball.Roll the ball in between palms to form a thick rope.

Bring the ends together and press it.It resembles a ring.

Now slowly leave the rings into the hot oil.When leaving the rings in the oil the flame should be high.

Once they raise up in the oil put the flame to medium until they are golden brown in colour.

Remove it on a tissue or kitchen towel and once cool store them in a air tight container.

Black Eyed Beans Masala Vada (Bobarala Masala Vada)

Ingredients:-

Black eyed beans/Alasand/Bobaralu 1/2 kg
Green chillies 4 nos (finely chopped)
Clove 2
Ginger small pc
Garlic 2
Onion 1 or 2 (finely chopped)
Curry leaves few (finely chopped)
Mint leaves few (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves few (finely chopped)
Salt as per taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:-

Soak beans for 2-3 hours.

Keep aside 1/4 of the beans.Take the rest of the beans and add cloves,ginger,garlic and salt.

Grind it into smooth dough without adding water.

Now add chopped onions,green chillies,curry leaves,mint leaves,coriander leaves and beans which was kept aside.

Mix throughly and make small patties and deep fry.

Recipe source:-Kantamani Vantakalu by Mrs.Kantamani

Event Participation:http:My legume love affair at monsoonspice,event started by Susan

Gongura Mutton-- Mutton cooked in sorrel leaves

Ingredients:-

Mutton 1/2kg
Red sorrel leaves/gongura 1 1/2 cup
onions, finely chopped 2
Green chillis slited 3
Coriander pwd 1 tbsp
Cumin pwd 1tsp
Garam masala pwd 1tbsp
Oil 4 tbsp

For marination:
Curd 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Salt as per taste
Red chilli pwd 1 tbsp
Juice of small lemon



Method:-

*Marinate mutton pieces in curd, salt, turmeric pwd, chilli pwd, ginger garlic paste and lemon juice and keep aside for half an hour.

*Pressure cook till the mutton is half cooked

*Heat oil in a vessel,add onions and green chillis and saute till transparent.

*Add the sauted onions to the half cooked mutton and cook on high heat for 3-4 mts.

*Add coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder and mix well. Add a cup of water and adjust salt.

*Bring to a boil and reduce heat and cook for another 10-12 mts.

*Add the washed gongura leaves by roughing tearing them and mix well.

*Close the cooker with a lid and cook till the mutton pieces are soft and well cooked and the leaves have blended well with the mutton masala base.

*Serve hot with rice or roti