Friday, December 31, 2010

పచ్చి చింతకాయ పచ్చడి/PACHHI CHINTAKAYA PACHHADI/RAW TAMATEND CHUTNEY



INGREDIENTS

Chinthakaayalu/ Green Tamarind/ Raw Tamarind - 5 big ones
Green chillies - 5
Red chillies - 5
Coriander Seeds/ Dhaniyalu - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek Powder/ Menthi podi - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil - 2 tbsp (Preferably Sesame oil however any oil is fine)
Asafoetida/ Inguva - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Method

Wash chintakaayalu and cut them length wise and discard seeds if any.
Heat oil in a pan and add Mustard seeds, when they splutter add Coriander seeds , Red chillies and lastly add Fenugreek powder and Asafoetida.
Grind green chillies and the above fried seasonings with out adding oil.
Add chopped Raw tamarind to the above paste and grind .
Now add turmeric, Salt and grind once again.
Add the rest of the oil to the paste and mix well.
Tasty chintakaaya pachadi is ready.

This goes with hot rice ..
It tastes great with Kandi Podi.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

గోధుమ- బియ్యప్పిండి దోస: Goduma-Beyappindi dosa- Wheat & rice flour crêpes

Preparation time: 20 minutes. Serves: Upto 8 small dosas. 


Ingredients:
1 rice cooker cup- Whole wheat flour
1/4 rice cooker cup- Rice flour
1 Tbsp- Semolina (Soojia rava)
1/2 Tbsp- Chickpea flour
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp- Yogurt
2.5 rice cooker cup- Water

Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients, make sure to break up any lumps and let the batter stand for 10 minutes.
The batter should be of pouring consistency (explained further in step 3), add more water if it is too thick.

2. Place the pan on heat and smear oil. To test the heat, pour a drop of batter onto the pan, if it sizzles, the pan is hot enough to pour dosa.

3. Mix the batter thoroughly and scoop into a ladle. Pour it onto the pan.

The batter sizzles upon touching the hot pan and flows/spreads out on its own into a circle. If the batter doesn't flow quickly but sits in a lump, it means it is too thick, add more water until flowing consistency is achieved.
4. Let the dosa cook until it is done. The surface of the dosa initially looks moist/wet/translucent, but turns solid & changes colour when it is done.
5. Carefully insert a spatula/turner under the dosa from its corners, to pry it off the pan. Also check if the underside looks browned. If the dosa is too fragile/breaking up/lumping up, it needs more time to cook.


6. When one side is totally cooked/browned, turn over the other side and let it cook.






Serve hot with any pacchadi or podi.

Suggestions:


Traditional cooks comfortably pour dosa onto a pan and then pour drops of oil onto its corners. My dosa gets stuck at the centre when I used this method. Hence, I invented this alternate technique of first smearing oil over the pan, and then pouring the dosa over the oil. This way, my dosa doesn't stick at the centre. You can settle on whichever method suits you best!

Variations:
1. This is a mix & match dosa. You can adjust the proportions of wheat flour/rice flour/semolina flour to taste. If the ratio of semolina flour-rice flour increased, this same recipe converts into Rava dosa recipe.
2. You can add vegetables into the batter. I added a blended tomato, onion and green chillies, and garnished with cilantro. (Make sure to adjust the water since blended vegetables add moisture to the batter). This makes the dosa more nutritious, tastier and appetizing to look  at. Alternatively, you can add fine chopped tomatoes & onions instead of blending.
3. If you want to make the dosa spicy, you may add whole cumin seeds, red chilli powder, turmeric or asafoetida as per taste.
4. If the dosa seems to continually break up for no reason:
- the pan might not be hot enough.
- you might be attempting to turn over the dosa while it is still uncooked.
- you may increase the amount of chickpea flour since it is a binding agent. However, it won't be necessary as wheat flour too has a binding nature.
5. If you add less water to the batter whereby it doesn't flow as smoothly, the dosa comes out thick like an Utappam.

Culture & Health:
Dosa is a standard breakfast/snack item in Andhra cuisine. This dosa has the added advantage of being very easy to prepare, needs little prior preparation, a kind of 'instant' dosa. Wheat flour/rice flour & vegetables provide a balanced diet. It can be made with very few drops of oil for the health conscious. Moreover, the batter flows easily into a circle & doesn't need practice/technique to spread unlike the minappindi dosa.

Trivia:
Wheat flour dosa is my peddamma's recipe, she makes it plain with a tiny bit of rice flour and salt, it is awesome in its simplicity!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

రవ ఇడ్లి/ Rava Idli/ Steamed Semolina cakes

(Makes 8 to 10 idlies)

INGREDIENTS:

Rava/sooji/semolina------1 cup (rice cooker measure)
Fresh curd/perugu/yogurt---1and 3/4 cup
Water----------------------1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Cashews ------------- 6
Cooking soda----------1/4 tsp



Seasoning:

Avalu/mustard seeds---------1/2 tsp
Bengalgram dal/sengapappu--1tbs
Split black gramdal------------1/2tbs
Curry leaves------------------few
Red chillies -------------------1 or 2 (cut in to pieces)
Oil----------------------------1 tbs.

METHOD:

1.Heat oil in a pan and add seasonings.
2.When it is done add curry leaves and rava.
3.Fry rava lightly and let it cool.
4.Take curd add rava, salt, water and cooking soda mix well(you can add more water until you get idli batter consistency) and keep aside for 10 minutes.
5.Grease idli moulds pour batter and steam for 10 minutes
6.Rava idli is ready to eat.

You can store fried rava mixture. You can add yogurt and water to the mixture when ever you want to make idlies.
Eat with chutney or chutney powder.

Variations: You can add grated carrots and tomato slices in it.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Inguva kharam pettina Vankaaya / Egg plant with Asafoetida
















INGREDIENTS:


Brinjal / egg plant long ones.....2
Red Chilly Powder.....................3 t sp.
Asafoetida....................................3 t sp.
Salt................................................2 t sp.
Oil for shallow frying.
Water............................................2 t sp.
METHOD:
1.Take all three-red chilly powder, salt, asafoetida mix together,with water and 1 t sp of oil. Make a paste of it, but not very thick.
2.Cut Brinjal into 3'' long pieces. Then cut each piece in length wise, but not fully cutting and separating them apart. Also cut it in another direction of the length. Again not cutting at the bottom of the piece. It makes a spaces in between both the cuts.
3.Now in all the pieces fill with this paste generously and after filling, tie with a thread. so that they are secured when dropped in oil.Keep them aside.
4.Depending upon the size of your sauce pan, heat oil and few at a time fry the masala filled brinjal pieces. It is better few at a time.
5.This does not take much time to fry, also consumes less oil.
6.Serves 4 persons.

Ravva Dosa / Samolina Pan Cake






INGREDIENTS:

Ravva / Sujji / Semolina............1 cup.
Rice Flour.....................................1/2 cup.
Plain Flour / Maida.....................2 tbl sp.
Onion..............................................1
Green Chilly...................................4 or 5
Water...............................................4 cups.
Cilantro.
Salt.
Oil.

METHOD:

1.Mix ravva/semolina, plain flour and rice flour together with water. Keep aside for 1/2 hr.
2.Cut Onion into small pieces. Also cut green chilly and cilantro. Mix all tree together.
3.Now after the batter is soaked 20 minutes to 1/2 hr, add salt, mix well.
4.Keep frying pan on flame, heat it and smear with 2 t sp of oil. The pan must be oily and hot to get the dosas to be prepared easily.
5.Mix the batter well, and let the semolina settle at the bottom. Taking only from the top liquid form of the batter, using the ladle start pouring from out wards to in wards, making into form a round dosa. Do not spread it as we do for other dosas, where we pour batter in the center and spread it out wards.
6.Now sprinkle few of cut onion,chilly, cilantro on dasa. Let it cook and become little brown and crispy. You can check it lifting it from sides. Do not turn. Take out from fire into a plate.
7.As you are making these dosas, the liquid starts finishing. So, then you must add more water as per requirement and mix well. Now again taking the top liquid only prepare dosas again. If needed add little salt too.
8.Eat it hot with any chutney you like. They are simple to make. and no advanced preparation required.
9.This batter makes 10 to 12 dosas. Some times more, depending on the size you make.










Thursday, October 21, 2010

మామిడికాయ పచ్చడి/ Mamidikaaya Pachadi/ Mango Chutney



INGREDIENTS:
Mamidi kaya/Raw mango----1 Small
Green chillies---------------4
Red chillies-----------------4 to 6 (as per sourness of mango)
Salt to taste
Fenugreek /menthulu---------1/4 tsp
Avalu/mustard seeds---------1/2 tsp
Oil/Nune----------------1/2 tbs
Turmeric/pasupu---------1/4 tsp
Heeng/inguva/asafoetida----1/2 tsp

METHOD:
1.Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, when they splutter add
fenugreek,red chillies,and heeng. Let it cool.
2.Clean and cut mango into small pieces.
3 Grind green chilies, red chillies, seasoning and salt together.
4.Make paste add mango pieces, turmeric and grind.(do not make a smooth paste)


It tastes great with Rice.

కొబ్బరి అన్నం/ Kobbari Annam/ Coconut Rice




INGREDIENTS:
Rice---------------------------3 cups(cooked)
Coconut/pachi kobbari----------1 cup (grated)
Green chillies-----------------3 (chop length wise)
Salt to taste.
Bengal gram /sengapappu---1tbs
Split black gram/minapappu---1/2 tbs
Avalu/mustard seeds----------1 tsp
Heeng/asafetida---------------1/4 tsp
Curry leaves-----------------few
Oil----------------1tbs

METHOD:
1. Heat oil in a big pan.
2. Add mustard seeds, when it splutters add dals.
3. Add chillies, curry leaves and finally heeng.
4. Now add grated coconut and fry.
5. Add salt to it and mix well.
6. Add cooked rice to the mixture and mix well.
7. Remove from fire.
8. Serve hot.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

దిబ్బ రొట్టె: Dibba Rotte- Black gram pancake



INGREDIENTS:
Black gram/minapappu-----1 cup
Idly rava/cream of rice------2 cups(if grinded in mixer or in wet grinder add 3 cups)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Soak dal in water for about 2 hours.
2. Grind dal by adding water to make smooth batter.(like idly batter)
3. Wash rava and squeeze and add it to the batter.
4. Add salt and mix well.
5. Take a deep pan add oil and heat it.
6. Pour batter of two to three big serving spoons in pan and cover with lid and cook on low flame.
7. Poke with fork and check if it is done
8. When it is done eat with any chutney.
9. On one side it will be brown and crispy and on another side it tastes like idly.

Note: No need to ferment and thickness of the roti is about 2".

దోసకాయ కూర: Dosakaaya Kura- Yellow Cucumber curry



INGREDIENTS:

Medium size dosakaya/cucumber----1
Bengal gram/senagapappu-------1 tbs (soaked in water)
Minapappu/black gram ------------1/2 tbs
Avaalu/mustard seeds----------------1tsp
Red chillies/yendu mirapakayalu-----2
Curry leaves--------------------few
Oil-------------1/2 tbs
Salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Soak bengal gram dal for half an hour.
2.Peel cucumber and taste a piece, discard it if it tastes bitter.
3.Cut into small cubes.
4.Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, when it splutter add black gram,
red chillies(cut in to two pieces)and curry leaves.
5.Then add cucumber, bengal gram and little water.
6.Add salt and cover with lid cook in low flame.
7.Stir in between.
8.when it is done eat with rice.

Monday, October 18, 2010

కొబ్బరి పచ్చడి: Kobbari Pacchadi- Coconut chutney

INGREDIENTS:
Fresh Coconut grated..............1 cup.
Red Chilly.....................................25 to 30.(depending the quality)
Split Bengal Gram.......................3 tbl.sp.
Cumin Seeds..................................2t sp.
Mustard...........................................2 t sp.
Green Chilly.....................................3 or 4 for flavour.
Tamarind..........................................big lemon size.
Jaggery...............................................optional.
Coriander seeds................................if desired only.
Turmeric...........................................1/2 t sp.
Salt for Taste.
Oil........................................................2 t sp.
Curry leaves........................................optional.
Asafoetida.
METHOD:
1.Take fresh coconut, grate it. or use the shredded coconut available in stores.
2.Heat oil, put split bengal gram, all seeds of cumin, mustard, coriander. Fry them light, then add red chilly. Roast few more minutes. Add green chilly, curry leaves, put off the heat. add asafoetida, turmeric. Let it cool.
3.Soak tamarind in enough water, just to become soft.
4.In a mixer grinder, put all those dry roasted ingredients, powder it. Now add coconut, jaggery grind again with salt. Do it, till it becomes soft. If needed add water. you can use the same water in which tamarind is soaked. When it is nice and fine take out into a bowl.
5.Eat it putting ghee in hot rice. This is a must in our families twice a month.
6.Instead of tamarind the raw mango can be used. That too tastes well, in a different way.

గవ్వలు: Gavvalu- Sweet fried flour nuggets

INGREDIENTS:


Plain flour......................1cup.
Sugar................................1 t sp.
Jaggery.............................1/2 cup.
Semolina...........................1 tbl sp.
Oil.......................................deep frying.
METHOD:
1.Take myda(plain flour). Seive for no lumps. Add 1 t sp of sugar, and semolina. Mix nicely with hand ans with water make a fine dough.It should not be very tight or too soft. Make sure it is good. keep aside.
2.Take a fork or if available use the small board which is meant for the purpose of making gavvalu. Taking a marble size of dough press it on your three fingers with your thumb finger.
Take the fork in your left hand, on its back side press this and role it. It takes a shape of 'Gavva',Shell shape is formed. with few groves on its back side and a hole sort of a thing in the front. Prepare all in the same way. Keep them on a dry cloth.
3.Take jaggery, put little water, keep it on stove. After it melts slowly stir it. when it comes to boil, keep checking it. The syrup must not be over cooked. To get a correct consistency follow the test.
The syrup testing is, take a little in the ladle, drop into a bowl of some water. If the syrup is not spreading in the water,and you can take with fingers try to make a ball, it should be firm. It is called (ball consistency) 'unda paakam'.Keep the flame on low.Maintain the syrup consistency.
4.Keep oil in a pan , heat it. when it is medium hot, slowly drop these prepared(shells) gavvalu few at a time in to the oil. Remove them before they become dark in colour.Drop them in to the syrup. Stir it nicely, so that the syrup will go into the groves too. And take from the syrup, spread them in a plate to dry.
5.As and when you are frying, put them in the syrup, and take out, if the syrup start getting thicker, add little water and warm again to keep the consistency in same way, till all finished. 
6.These are good nick knacks for children to eat as much. They are not harmful like Candys. 

రసం/ చారు: Tomato Rasam/Charu- Tomato-Tamarind soup




INGREDIENTS:

1.Tomato.......................1 big
2.Tamarind....................lemon size.
3.Coriander powder......2 t sp.
4.Black pepper powder.....2 t sp.
5.Red Chilly powder...........3 t sp.
6.Jaggery...............................big lemon size.
7.Fenugreek powder............2 t sp.
8.Curry leaves
9.Turmeric.
10Salt.
11.Ghee....................................2 t sp.
12.Mustard seeds....................2 t sp.
13.Asafoetida ...........................1 t sp.

METHOD:

1.Cook tomato in hot water. when it becomes soft, peel off the skin. keep it aside to cool.
2.Soak the tamarind, take out the pulp.
3.Take a vessel put 2 cups of water, add the tamarind pulp, salt, turmeric and with curry leaves cook for some time.
4.Take the peeled tomato, put it in the mixi grind it to a pulp. Take out.
5.After the tamarind juice boiled nicely getting the flavour of it add , this tomato pulp to it.
6.Add all powders and jaggery to the rasam. Boil it again.
7.Take a small pan put ghee, when it is hot add mustard (hing) asafoetida


టమేట దోస/ ఉతప్పం: Tomato dosa/utappam- Tomato crepe







INGREDIENTS:

1.Rice flour.....................1 and 1/2 cup.
2.Tomato.........................1 big size.
3.Ginger...........................1" piece.
4.Green Chilly..................5 to 6. depending the pungency.
5.Garlic Cloves.................3 or 4
6.Cumin seeds..................1 t sp.
7.Salt for taste
8.Cilantro.

METHOD:

1.Cut tomato, ginger, chilly, garlic into pieces.
2.Put all above items, salt and rice flour in to a mixer. with little water grind it into soft batter. 
3.If required add some more water. Remove any small pieces left with help of a sieve. The batter must be fine. Keep this batter for 15 mts aside. Add cut cilantro to the batter.
4.Take dosa pan heat well. Taking one full ladle of batter put it on the pan, spread it evenly.Put oil around the dosa. Let it cook on medium flame. Turn it cook the other side.
5.Eat it  hot with coconut chutney.
6.Can make green dosas using spinach, mint or carrots instead of tomato.