Sunday, September 30, 2007

Majjiga Pulusu

Majjiga Pulusu or Kadi





Ingredients:

Thick buttermilk-2 cups
Chopped green chilli-1
Chopped onion-1

A bit of ginger
Dry red chilli-1
Curry leaves-few
Seasoning ingredients-1 tablespoon (mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chenna dal, fenugreek seeds)
Fenugreek leaves either fresh or dry-1 teaspoon (I used dry leaves)
Tamarind pulp-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
Salt-1 tablespoon
Oil-1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a vessel and add dry chilli pieces and seasoning ingredients.

2. Let them splutter and add curry leaves, fenugreek or methi leaves, crushed ginger, onions and green chilli.

3. Fry them for two minutes and pour the buttermilk and add the turmeric powder, salt and tamarind pulp.

4. Boil for two minutes on medium flame.

5. Serve with plain rice or kichidi.

Note: Tamarind pulp prevents the buttermilk from curdling.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Mixed Vegetable Curry


Ingredients:

Peeled and diced potatoes- 1 cup
Diced carrots-2
Tomatoes-2
Fresh peas-1/4 cup
Green chillies – 4
One finely chopped onion
Salt-1 tablespoon
Chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves-few (optional)
Coriander and cumin powder-2 tablespoons
Chopped coriander-1 tablespoon
Garam masala powder-1 tablespoon
Ginger-garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Oil-2 tablespoons



Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion and green chilli until they become transparent.


2. Add turmeric powder, coriander and cumin powders, ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a while.


3. Now add curry leaves and mixed vegetables, chilli powder, salt and a cup of water.


4. Cook them for 8-10 minutes on medium flame. Add the garam masala powder.


5. Turn off the stove and garnish with the chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapathis or rice.

Note: You can mix any other vegetables of your choice.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Banana Vada

Aratikaya Vadalu



Ingredients:

Gram dal or channa dal-2 cups
Raw plantains-2
Chopped green chilli-2
Chopped coriander leaves-1 tablespoon
Mint leaves-few
Ginger and garlic paste-1 teaspoon
One small chopped onion
Garam masala-1 teaspoon
Salt-1 teaspoon
Oil for deep fry





Method:

1. Soak the gram dal for two hours and cut and boil the plantains until they become soft.

2. Wash the dal and grind coarsely into a paste. Takeout the skin and smash the boiled pieces.

3. Make a dough by mixing mashed bananas, coarsely grinded dal, green chilli, coriander and mint leaves, salt, chopped onion, garam masala powder and ginger and garlic paste.

4. Heat oil in a frying pan and take small balls of dough and pat on a plastic sheet into circular shapes.


5. Fry them until brown and serve hot with any sauce.


My daughter enjoys having vada with sauce but the problem is with my son. How to make him taste them? Flash….. I cut a burger bun into two halves and toast it slightly. Took out the buns and arranged lettuce, purple cabbage, cherry tomatoes and cheese layers on them. Then placed the vada along with sour cream and chilli sauce. I then closed the buns and served it to my son. He had it happily and my problem was solved:)



Two in one recipe…….




Yummy veggie burger…..with banana vada…..


Note: Not all vada are suitable for the burger.

This is my entry for JFI-Banana hosted by Mandira of Ahaar.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Wood Apple or Elephant Apple Chutney

Velagapandu Pachchadi in Telugu



The wood-apple, it may be called elephant apple, monkey fruit, curd fruit, kath bel and other dialectal names in India. It is a favorite fruit to elephants as well as to Lord Vinayaka and has medicinal value. The fruit is round to oval, with a hard, woody, grayish-white, scurfy rind. The pulp is brown, mealy, odorous, resinous, astringent, acid or sweetish, with numerous small, white seeds scattered through it. The rind must be cracked with a hammer. The scooped-out pulp, though sticky, is eaten raw with or without sugar, or is blended with coconut milk and palm-sugar syrup and drunk as a beverage, or frozen as an ice cream. It is also used in chutneys and for making jelly and jam. The jelly is purple and much like that made from black currants. There are 2 forms, one with large, sweetish fruits; one with small, acid fruits. For more details, visit the following site:


http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/wood-apple.html




Ingredients:

Wood apple-1
Green chillies-5
Grated jaggery-1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Salt-1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Curry leaves-few
Oil for seasoning-1 teaspoon
Seasoning ingredients-1 teaspoon (urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, channa dal, fenugreek seeds and dry red chilli pieces).


Method:


1. Wash and break the wood apple using a hammer and takeout the pulp.

2. Grind the pulp along with jaggery, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, salt and green chillies into thick paste.

3. Keep a pan on the stove and heat the oil and add the curry leaves and seasoning ingredients.

4. Add the paste to the seasoning and let it cook for two minutes on low flame.

5. Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Note:
Wood apple has its own unique taste (e.g. bitter guard) and not everyone might like it.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Sweetened Rice

Paramannam





Ingredients:

Rice -1 cup
Sago or sabudana or Saggu biyyam-1 tablespoon
Gram dal or channa dal-1tablespoon
Water-1 and half cup
Milk-1and half cup
Ghee-2 tablespoons
Cashew nuts-5 coarsely pounded
Cardamom powder-1/2 teaspoon
Grated Jaggery-1/2 cup
Sugar-2 tablespoons

Method:


1. Heat milk and water in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium flame. Meanwhile wash and soak the rice, sago and channa dal in water.


2. When the milk starts to boil, reduce the flame and add the soaked rice, sago and channa dal.


3. Let the rice cook until it becomes soft and add the ghee.


4. Now mix the rice with jaggery, sugar and let it cook until the jaggery melts.


5. Add the cashew nut powder and cardamom powder and turn off the stove.


Note:
Don’t add the jaggery before the rice has cooked softly otherwise the milk will curdle. (sometimes jaggery contains salt).

Friday, September 21, 2007

Green Moong Dal Vada

Pesara Pappu Garelu


Ingredients:
Splitted green moong dal or pottu pesara pappu-2 cups
Green chilli-3
Cumin seeds or jeera-1 teaspoon
Curry leaves-few
Ginger-small piece
One small chopped onion
Cloves-4
Cinnamon-small piece
Salt-1 teaspoon
Oil for deep fry



Method:

1. Soak the moong dal over night or at least for three hours.

2. Wash the dal and remove the skin.

3. Keep some soaked dal aside in a small bowl and grind the remaining dal into paste by adding green chilli, ginger, salt, cumin, cloves and cinnamon.

4. While grinding use a little water and make sure that the batter is not loose.

5. Add chopped onions, curry leaves and soaked dal to the batter.

6. Heat oil in a kadai or frying pan on the stove.

7. Spread a wet napkin on the platform and take lemon sized batter and pat it on the napkin into circular shapes.

8. Fry them in the oil at medium flame until they turn brown.

9. Garelu will be very crispy when they are hot. So, serve them hot with chutney, sauce or as they are.

10. As I made garelu on Ganesh Chaturthi, I didn’t add ginger, onion, cloves and cinnamon.


Note: If you are a non-vegetarian, try them with chicken or mutton curry. They taste very nice. Since I have turned to vegetarian, I had them as they were.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Steamed Rice Flour Balls or Undrallu

Undrallu-healthy and easy to digest.

Ingredients:


Rice flour-2 cups
Water-2 cups
Ghee-2 tablespoons
Salt-1/4 teaspoon
Gram dal or channa dal-2 tablespoons (Soaked)

Method:


1. Boil two cups of water in a heavy bottomed vessel and add salt, gram dal and ghee.


2. After boiling the water, remove the vessel from the stove and add the rice flour and mix it into soft dough.


3. Make sure that there are no lumps and let the dough cool.


4. Make the dough into balls of desired size by applying oil on your hands.

5. Steam them in an idly cooker for eight minutes and let them cool.


Note: Undrallu taste very nice with ghee and mango pickle.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Modak or Kozhukattai or Modakam

I have prepared kozhukattai or modak, garelu, paramannam and undrallu on Ganesh Chaturthi. Now I am going to share with you, my modak recipe. This is the first time I prepared kozhukattai with the filling that we normally use for poornalu.


Modak or Kozhukattai or Modakam

This is my entry for Festival Event - Ganesh Chaturthi hosted by Latha Narasimahan of The 'yum' blog.



Ingredients:

For covering:
Rice flour-2 cups
Water-2 cups
Ghee-2 tablespoons
Salt-a pinch


For filling:
Channa or gram dal-1 cup soaked about half an hour
Grated jaggery-1/2 cup
Cardamom powder-1 teaspoon




Method:

1. Boil two cups of water in a big vessel along with salt and ghee.

2. After boiling the water, remove the vessel from the stove and add the rice flour and mix it into soft dough. Make sure that there are no lumps.

3. Boil the soaked gram dal for five minutes and allow it to cool.

4. Grind the soaked dal, cardamom powder and jaggery into smooth paste. Make small balls and keep them aside.

5. Take the rice flour dough and pat it into a bowl–like shape. Fill it with dal and jaggery filling and close the top.

6. Steam the kozhukattai in a idli cooker for eight minutes and let them cool.

7. Take out the kozhukattai and serve it on a plate. Delicious kozhukattai are now ready….


Note: You can make the filling with roasted peanuts, sesame seeds or coconut.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

Vinayaka Chavithi Subhakankashalu!





Suklam baradharam vishnum sasivarnam chaturbhujam

Prasanna vadanam dyaayed sarva vignopasaantaye.



Friday, September 14, 2007

Indian Gooseberry Pickle

Indian gooseberries are enriched with vitamin-C. In India, we get them in the winter season. My mother makes this pickle in a different way. She first deep fries the berries and then mixes them with all the ingredients. I have made it with a little change and want to share with you.

Amla or Indian Gooseberry Pickle
Usirikaya Pachchadi or Nellikai Pickle







Thi is my entry for RCI Karnataka hosted by Asha of Foodies Hope.



Ingredients:

Indian gooseberries-10-12 (cut into pieces and remove the seeds)
Chilli powder-1 cup
Salt -¾ cup
Turmeric powder-1 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds-2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds-2 tablespoons
Garlic paste-3 tablespoons
Lime juice-1/2 cup
Oil-2 cups









Method:

1. Wipe the cut gooseberries with a dry towel and keep them aside in a bowl.

2. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds and powder them.

3. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, garlic paste, and fenugreek and mustard powder to the gooseberry pieces.

4. Now add the lime juice and oil and mix well. Store it in a dry jar.

5. It lasts for one month and goes well with rice, dosa and chapathis.

Note: Make sure that your hands are not wet while making the pickle.

Spinach Dal

(Palakura Pappu)









Ingredients for boiling:

Toor Dal-1 cup
Chopped spinach or Palakura – 1 cup
Green chillies – 4 sliced into halves
One finely chopped onion
Tamarind pulp-1-2tablespoons depending on the sourness of the tamarind
Salt-1 tablespoon
Chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Water-sufficient to cook the daal finely

For Seasoning:

Dry red chilli-2 (cut into pieces)
Garlic-4-5 cloves
Curry leaves-8
Mustard seeds-1/2 teaspoon
Jeera-1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal-1/4 teaspoon
Channa or gram dal-1/4 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds-1/4 teaspoon
Oil-2 tablespoons
Ghee-2 tablespoons






Method:

1. If you want to pressure cook, take all the ingredients (mentioned under boiling) into the cooker and cook until the dal become soft.

2. If you are cooking in a vessel, first cook the dal till it becomes soft. Then add onions, green chillies, spinach, and tamarind pulp and let it cook for a while. Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt.

3. For seasoning, take a pan and heat the oil and ghee in it. Add dry red chilli pieces and garlic cloves and fry them for a while.

4. Now add mustard seeds, jeera, fenugreek seeds, channa dal, urad dal and curry leaves. Add the seasoning to the cooked dal.

5. Let the dal cook for two more minutes after seasoning to get a tasty dal and serve with rice or chapathis.

Note: To clean the spinach, wash it with cold salted water.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Ravva Pongadalu















Ingredients:

Sooji or upma ravva – 2 cups
Rice flour- 1 cup
Yogurt – 1 cup
Green chillies – 2 finely chopped
One finely chopped onion
Chopped Ginger – 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds or jeera-1 teaspoon
Chopped coriander leaves
Salt-for taste
Grated carrot-2 tablespoons
Oil-1cup
Water – sufficient to make a thick batter like idly batter
Baking powder – a pinch (optional)


































Method:


1. Take all the above ingredients into a bowl and mix them into a thick batter using sufficient water.

2. Keep the batter aside for 20- 30 minutes.


3. Place the pitted pan or pongadalu pan on the stove on medium flame.


4. Add one teaspoon oil in each pit and let it heat for a while.


5. Now pour one tablespoon batter in each pit and cover the pan.


6. Lower the flame and let them cook till they turn into brown colour.

7. Turn the pongadalu to other side and add some oil if necessary.


8. Leave them until they turn into brown colour.


9. Now take out the pongadalu carefully into a plate.


10. Serve hot with sauce or chutney.



Note: Generally we use idly or dosa batter to make pongadalu but this version is an instant one.

Monday, September 10, 2007

10 Easy Steps To Make Mysore Pak...

Mysore Pak
















This is my entry for RCI Karnataka hosted by Foodie's Hope - Asha.



Ingredients:
Gram flour or besan – 2 cups
Sugar – 4 cups
Ghee – 2 cups
Water – 2 cups
Baking powder – a pinch (optional)



Method:

1. Place a thick bottomed vessel or non stick pan on the stove and pour a tablespoon of ghee into it.

2. Sieve and fry the gram flour in the pan until a nice aroma fills the kitchen.

3. Pour the flour into a plate and keep it aside. Grease a plate and keep it aside.

4. Now in the same pan, pour the sugar along with two cups of water and start boiling.

5. When the syrup forms into one string consistency, lower the flame and add the flour slowly and keep stirring.

6. At the same time heat the ghee in another vessel on low flame.

7. After all the flour has been mixed into the syrup, pour a little amount of ghee and stir till the flour absorbs the ghee.

8. Continue the same procedure till all the ghee in the vessel is mixed into the flour.

9. Now add the baking powder and stir. Then bubbles arise in the mixture and the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan.

10. Pour the mixture onto the greased plate immediately and allow it to cool. Cut into desired shapes using a warm knife.



















Note: If you use the ghee in continuous intervals, instead of using all at once, you will get crunchy Mysore Pak.

Hi Friends!!

Hey everybody! I have just started a new blog and I hope that all of you will support and encourage me.... I will be posting my first recipe soon.
-Vijaya :)