Beerakaya Pachadi

Ridge Gourd Chutney

This is my submission for the event-Food In Colors – Green at Tongue Ticklers.

Ingredients:

Ridge gourd or beerakaya-1
Green chillies-5
Cumin seeds-1teaspoon
Tamarind-small berry sized
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Garlic cloves-2
Salt-1 tablespoon
Oil-1 tablespoon

For Seasoning: Red dry chilli pieces-4, curry leaves-a few and urad dal or black gram-1 teaspoon.

Method:

1. Peel off the ridge gourd and cut it into small pieces. There is no need to peel it finely. Leave a little bit of skin as it helps to thicken the chutney and gives it a nice colour.
2. Heat the oil in a vessel and add the slitted green chillies, cumin seeds, tamarind, garlic and turmeric powder.
3. Fry them on a medium flame until they turn light brown in colour and transfer them into a bowl. Now add the ridge gourd pieces to the oil and cook them until the oil separates.
4. Transfer them into the mixer jar and add the fried ingredients and salt. Grind them into a paste.
5. Heat the oil and add the dry chillies, curry leaves and urad dal and fry for a few seconds. Add it to the ground chutney and serve it with hot rice or dosa.

Gongura Pappu

Ingredients:

Toor dal-2 cups
Erra gongura (tender red sorrel leaves)-2 cups
Chopped green chillies-4
Chopped onions-2
Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
Red chilly powder-1 tablespoon
Garlic cloves-2 or hing-a pinch
Salt-1 tablespoon
Oil-2 tablespoons

For Seasoning:
1 teaspoon mustard seeds, one teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon urad dal, 1 teaspoon gram dal, ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 3-4 dry chilly pieces and a few curry leaves


Method:

1. Wash the dal and cook until it becomes soft.
2. Add gongura leaves, chopped green chillies, half of the chopped onion, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt to it and cook it for eight minutes on medium flame.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add the dry chillies, garlic, gram dal, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, remaining chopped onion and curry leaves.
4. Fry them until they turn brown in colour and add it to the cooked dal.
5. Serve it with hot rice and papad.

Aratikaya Vepudu

Ingredients:

Plantains-2
Chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Curry leaves-a few
Salt-1 tablespoon
Oil-4 tablespoons




Method:

1. Peel off the plantains and cut them into small cubes.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and curry leaves.
3. Fry them for a few seconds and add the cubed plantains.
4. Fry them until they turn brown in colour on a medium flame.
5. Lower the flame and add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt.
6. Mix well and turn off the stove…transfer it into a serving bowl and serve it with hot rice and majjiga pulusu or rasam...

Coriander Leaves Powder

I gave this recipe a try after reading it here, http://rakskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/09/coriander-thokku.html
I made a few changes…it was really yummy…we enjoyed this powder with hot rice and ghee… Thank you Raks Kitchen for sharing this wonderful recipe…




Ingredients:

Fresh coriander leaves-2 cups
Gram dal or channa dal-2 tablespoons
Dry red chillies-6
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Tamarind-a small berry sized
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Salt-1 teaspoon
Oil-1 teaspoon







Method:

1. Wash and dry the coriander leaves on a towel under the sun or a fan for ten minutes. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the red chillies on a low flame.
2. Add the cumin seeds, gram dal and turmeric powder. Fry them until they turn brown in colour.
3. Add tamarind and fry it for two seconds and turn off the stove.
4. Allow the fried ingredients to cool and grind them into a coarse powder after adding the salt.
5. Now add the coriander leaves and grind it into a coarse powder. Serve it with hot rice and ghee or with dosa or idly…

Note: If we store in a dry jar, it keeps two weeks…

Baby Potato Fry

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes-15
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Garlic-3 cloves
Salt-1 tablespoon
Oil-5 tablespoons

Method:

1. Boil and peel off the baby potatoes.
2. Grind the cumin seeds, garlic along with chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder into a coarse powder.
3. eat the oil in a pan and add the baby potatoes.
4. Fry them on a medium flame until they turn brown in colour.
5. Add the ground powder and mix it properly. Serve it with hot rice and dal or sambar…

Menthikura Tomato Curry

Ingredients:

Tomatoes-5
Menthikura (fenugreek leaves)-1cup
Mulakkada mukkalu (drumstick pieces)-6
Onions-2
Green chillies-4
Ginger-garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Salt-a tablespoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Oil-2 tablespoons


For seasoning: Dry chilli pieces-4, mustard seeds-1 teaspoon, Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon and urad dal-1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Wash and cut the tomatoes into small pieces.
2. Cut the onions and green chillies.
3. Heat the oil in a vessel and add the dry chillies, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urad dal.
4. Fry them for a few seconds and add the cut onions, chillies and ginger-garlic paste.
5. Fry them until they become soft and add fresh fenugreek leaves, drumstick pieces.
6. Fry them for two minutes and add the cut tomatoes.
7. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and cook it on a medium flame after adding a cup of water.
8. Once the curry becomes thick, turn off the stove and serve it with hot rice.

Note: Adding more fenugreek leaves causes bitterness to the curry.

Cauliflower Pickle

This is my submission for the event-Think Spice...Think...Fenugreek, hosted by http://kittensinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-turn-think-spice-think-fenugreek.html

Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets-4 cups
Red dry chilli powder-5 tablespoons
Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds-1 tablespoon
Garlic cloves-6
Lime or lemon juice-4 tablespoons
Salt-4 tablespoons
Oil-1 cup

Method:

1. Wash and keep the cauliflower florets in warm salt water for two minutes.
2. Drain the water and wipe them with a dry towel and lay them on a cloth under the sun or under the fan for ten minutes to make sure they are not wet.
3. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind them into a powder.
4. Gind the garlic into a coarse paste.
5. Take a big bowl and add the cauliflower florets, chilli powder, salt, fenugreek powder, turmeric powder, garlic paste, lime juice and oil to it.
6. Wipe your hands with a dry towel and mix all the ingredients thoroughly and transfer them into a clean dry bottle.
7. Cover it for one or two days and mix it again.
8. Serve it with hot rice or chapathis. This pickle keeps for two weeks.

First Blog Anniversary, Gavvalu & Chekodilu

Hi Friends! It’s been one year since I have started my blog…Thank you all friends for your sweet comments and suggestions…I have learnt a lot of things through blogging and got some awards from some of our friends, Prajusha of http://www.icookipost.com/




And http://kitchenflavours.blogspot.com/search/label/Awards%20and%20Celebrations

Thanks again to you Prajusha and Kitchen flavours!

Gavvalu (Sweet Shells)

Ingredients:

Maida or plain flour-4 cups
Sooji-2 tablespoons
Greated jaggery-2 cups
Cardamom powder-5
Salt-a pinch
Oil for deep fry

Method:

Making the shells…


1. Mix the maida and sooji in a big bowl and salt.
2. Make into a tough dough using two tablespoons ghee or oil and sufficient water.
3. Let it leave for 15 minutes and divide into small berry sized balls.
4. Apply oil on a wooden shell maker and place a ball on it and press it with your thumb to make a shell.
5. Do the same with the remaining balls and heat the oil in a wok or kadai on a medium flame.
6. Fry all the shells until they turn brown in colour and melt the jaggery in a heavy bottmed vessel.
7. Filter the melted jaggery liquid to avoid sand or small stones in jaggery. Transfer it into the previous vessel and boil it until you get a thick syrup.
8. To check whether the syrup is ready, take little bit water in a bowl and add a spoon of syrup. Then the syrup forms into a soft ball.
9. Add cardamom powder and turn off the stove. Mix the fried shells with the syrup and let them cool.
10. Now the delicious gavvalu are ready…store them in an air tight container…

Chekodilu

Ingredients:

Rice flour-2 cups
Maida-2 cups
Azvine-1 teaspoon
Sesame seeds-1 tablespoon
Salt-1 teaspoon
Ghee-1 tablespoon
Oil for deep fry

Method:

How to make the rings…

1. Sieve the flours together ina mixing bowl and keep aside.
2. Heat four cups of water (use the same cup that you measured the flours) in a thick bottomed vessel ona medium flame.
3. While boiling add salt, slightly crushed azvine, sesame seeds, one tablespoon ghee and one tablespoon oil.
4. Lower the flame and add the flour to the boiling water by continuous stirring to avoid forming lumps.
5. Allow it to cool for 1 hour.
6. Apply oil on your palms and take a small ball of dough.
7. Make a rope using your palms and make a ring with your right pointer finger.
8. Finish making the rings and heat the oil in a frying pan.
10. Let them cool and store in an air tight container. These crispy rings will keep for one week…

Happy Ganesha Chaturthi!