Kakarakaya Karam

I love Kakarakaya (bitter gourd) in a form. Be it fry, pulusu or this karam.  I like to eat this karam with hot rice and ghee.

Ingredients:-

Kakarikaya 7-8. Chopped into small rounds

Udad dal 1 tbsp

Channa dal 1tbsp

Coriander seeds 1/2 tbsp

Tamarind small pc

Garlic 2-3 pcs

Dry red chillies 6-8

Dry roast all the ingredients except kakarikaya and tamarind.

In a pan take 7-8 tbsp of oil. Fry kakarikaya in hot oil till kakarikaya turns crispy. Now take out kakarikaya from oil and along with dry ingredients,tamarind and salt, grind into coarse powder.

Red chillies and tamarind can be adjusted according to once taste buds. First grind dry ingredients and add kakarikaya to get the kakarikaya crumbs.

Rasam

When you google it you will get n number of rasam recipes but its always the recipe which is passed on to your  mom is used the most. This rasam is a comfort food for me. When you just want to eat something simple, something pipping hot, something for your sour throat or sometimes to go with rice and  mutton fry or sometimes just you want to drink a soup. My elder daughter just loves it. She won't  wait to eat it with the rice. Once the rasam is done, she takes it in a big glass and drinks it. I don't use store brough rasam powder and i never make rasam powder and store it. I always make rasam powder only for that day, fresh.

When i got married my sister took  all the ingredients in a small zip lock bag and told me to keep it as a ready reckoner. Here is my mom rasam recipe:-

Ingredients:-

Tomatoes  1 lbs
Tamarind small lemon size ball
Coriander leaves few
Garlic 1 crushed
Salt to taste

Rasam powder

Tur dal/kandi pappu 1 tsp
Red chilly 3
Pepper corn 10-15
Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Grind the above ingredients into a coarse powder.

For seasoning

Oil 2 tbsp
Rai 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves few
Hing a pinch

Method:-

Take out tamarind juice and discard the pulp.

Take chopped tomatoes in a bowl. Add salt,rasam powder,crushed garlic and coriander leaves. Mash it with one hand (wash your hands thoroughly).

In a pan take oil. Add all the seasonings. Once they flutter add the mashed tomatoes. Saute for a while and add the tamarind juice.

Let it come to boil and once froth starts forming switch off the flame and add more coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice or just have it like soup.

Whole chicken roast indian style

It's been many times i wanted to do a full chicken roast but never had a courage to do. As thanksgiving is celebrated here each every food stores sold full Turkey or chicken that too with a good discount. The other day i went to a store with my friend and saw whole chicken was on sale. So brought two and gave one to my friend and brought one home. I googled a lot and checked youtube videos for indian version of this roast and found nothing which suites our taste. Then i took few ideas from here and there and made my own stuffing. I baked and at the end grilled a bit too...so i got those black spots on the chicken. We all enjoyed eating this and gave a part of it to my friend too.

Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

Whole chicken
Salt as per taste
Oil 4 tbsp
Food colour
Lemon 1
Coconut masala 2 tbsp

Clean chicken in and out for couple of times. You can peel the skin if you want to. But i baked with skin. Rub salt generously in and out of the chicken. If possible rub salt under the skin too.

Then rub chicken with lemon juice in and out. And rub 2 tbsp of coconut masala on the top of the chicken.Apply colour and brush the chicken with oil in and out. Let it rest for 1 hour.

For stuffing:-

Baby potatoes 5-6
Coconut masala 5-6 tbsp
Onions 2 sliced
Green chillies 3 sliced
Mint leaves few
Egg 2
Oil 2 tbps
salt to taste

Coconut masala:-

Freshly grated coconut 1/2 cup
Cinnamon 2 small pcs
Cloves 2
Shahi zeera 1/2 tsp
Khus-khus 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder 1/4 tsp
Elachi 1
Pepper powder 1/4 tsp
Ginger and garlic paste 2 tbsp

Grind the above masala into fine paste.

In pan take oil. Add onions and green chillies. Saute for a while. Add mint leaves and coconut masala. Saute until oil oozes out. Add small baby potatoes (skin peeled). Sprinkle water and cover. Cook until the potatoes are soft. Lastly add two eggs. Mix well and let the curry dry a bit.

Stuff this potato mixture into the chicken. Close the end of the chicken.

                                                  chicken before going into the oven.

Pre-heat oven and bake the chicken for 45 minutes on 175 degree celcius.Take it out from the oven and drain the water collected on the tray. Then bake for another 20 minutes on 200 degree celcius. Again drain the water on the tray.

Grill of 5-8 minutes. Serve hot.

                                                The inside of the chicken after it is cooked.

Happy Holidays

Prawn Pulao

I am not much fan of sea food,the only fish i eat is Rogu,its a river water fish.I just love the taste of it.After coming here i never brought fish as mostly we get sea water fish which i don't like.But after coming here we are getting frozen prawns and kids love the fry i make.I blogged about the prawns fry here

The other day husband was not at home and daughter wanted to eat biryani and it was pretty cold out and i didn't dare to go out and get chicken.I had frozen prawns so i made this prawn pulao.This recipe i got it from my most treasured book "Kantamani Vantakalu".I carry this book where ever i go,it traveled with me which ever country i had been to. In school i didn't had telugu language and i the learnt only telugu alphabets.This book i am talking is in Telugu and i take my daughter's help to read it for me when husband is not around.Here is the recipe


Ingredients:

Prawns 1kg
Basmati rice 1 kg
Onions 4
Green chillies 8
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Milk 1 cup
Bay leaf 1
Cloves 6
Cinnamon 6 small pieces
Elachi 4
Mint leaves few
Coriander leaves few
Red chilly powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil 1 cup

Method:

Wash prawns and mix prawns with little salt,turmeric powder and red chilly powder.On a medium heat let the prawns cook in its water until dry.

In a deep bottom pan pour oil.Add 3 cloves,3 cinnamon, elachi 2, bay leaf, onions and green chillies.Once onions and chillies are fried throw in mint leaves.Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for a while until you think ginger garlic is cooked.

Then add the dried prawns mix well.

Add the rice to prawns.Mix well.Add enough salt.

Now pour  1 1/2 litre water (including milk).

Grind the rest left out cinnamon, cloves and cardamom into fine powder.

When the rice is half cooked,sprinkle the above masala powder and let the rice cook in low flame until done.

Serve hot.

Kheema balls fry

Kheema balls fry is quite easy to make and goes very well as snacks along with drinks or just evening snacks.I made this to eat along with pachi pulusu and rice.Here goes the recipe

Mutton kheema 1/2 kg
Ginger and garlic paste 1 tbsp
Clove 1
Cinnamon 1/2' pc
Khus khus 1/4 tsp
Green chillies 2
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:-

Wash kheema and drain all the water.

Add all the ingredients and make it into fine paste.

Apply oil to your palm and make small balls and deep fry them in batches.

PS:-If the paste is runny just add roasted channa dal powder (putnalu podi)

That's all isn't it easy :D

Chinta Chiguru Mamsam (Tender tamarind leaves with Mutton

I love summer for few things which we get only during or beginning  of the summer.Apart from mangoes,munjulu,gongura we get chinta chiguru (tender tamarind leaves).Got back my childhood memories when i saw chinta chiguru at weekly market here.My school was in the middle of a big campus which had so many trees like mangoes,guave,tamarind etc..When we went for our report card we used to pluck these leaves and eat it raw.We used to jump high to pluck the tamarind leaves from the trees.It was such a bliss to eat it fresh and raw.No need of washing just we used to pluck it and eat it

I love the tangy and sour taste of the leaves.This week market i brought the leaves and made mutton curry with it.Here goes the recipe:-

Ingredients:-

Mutton 500gms
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Chinta chiguru (tender tamarind leaves) 1/ 2cup (can increase based on your taste buds,want more tangyness then add more)
Onions 2 chopped
Green chillies 2 chopped
Clove 1
Cinnamon 1
Red chilly powder 1 tbsp
Oil 3 tbsp
Garam masala powder 1 tbsp
Salt a pinch

Method:-

In a pressure cooker take mutton,ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder and salt.Mix well add 1 small glass of water and pressure cook until mutton is tender and soft.

In a another pan take oil.Add clove and cinnamon.

Then add onion and green chillies.Saute until onion change colour.Add chinta chiguru and salt.

Cover and let the leaves cook in its water.

Leaves get cooked in 5-7 minutes and they change colour into dark green.

Now add the cooked mutton,red chilly powder and garam masala powder along with water in which the mutton is cooked.If there is not much water left in the cooker then add a 1/2 glass of water.

Mix well and let the curry get cooked for 10 minutes.

Serve hot with rice.

Pachi Pulusu

My husband loves this pachi pulusu.I was not aware of this dish until i got married.My m-law used to cook this and intially i didnt like the taste.Slowly i started liking this taste and it is best eaten with meat balls fry.Very simple to make and can be prepared in 5-10 minutes.This recipe calls for very few ingredients and no cooking.

Ingredients:-

Til/Nuvullu/Sesame seeds
Onion 2
Green chillies 2
Tamarind lemon size

For seasoning:-


Oil 1tbsp
Rai 1/4tsp
Zeera 1/4 tsp
Red chillies 2
Salt as per taste
Onion 1 chopped finely

Method:-

Fry nuvullu/sesame seeds until they change colour.Then grind onions,green chillies and fried sesame seeds into fine paste.

Take out tamarind pulp and add 2 glasses of water.Then add the onions,green chillies and til paste.Add the chopped onions and salt.

Reason with rai,zeera and red chillies.

Mix well and serve with hot rice and meat balls.

Koyagura/thotakura Kheema -- Mutton mince cooked with Amarnath leaves

I always cook meat with veggies,be it ridge gourd,french beans, potatoes, tomatoes,spinach, Sorrel leaves (gongura), capsicum etc.The recipe i am writing today is the combination of meat with green leafy vegetable.

Ingredients:-

Mutton 500gms
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste

 Koyagura/thotakura/Amarnath leaves 2 punches.(cleaned and chopped)

Onions 2 choppedGreen chillies 2 chopped
Clove 1
Cinnamon 1
Red chilly powder 1 tbsp
Oil 3 tbsp
Garam masala powder 1 tbsp
Salt a pinch

Method:-

In a pressure cooker take mutton kheema,ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder and salt.Mix well add 1 small glass of water and pressure cook until kheema is tender and soft.

In a another pan take oil.Add clove and cinnamon.

Then add onion and green chillies.Saute until onion change colour.Add the greens and salt.

Cover and let the leaves cook in its water.

Leaves get cooked in 5-7 minutes.

Now add the cooked mutton,red chilly powder and garam masala powder along with water in which the mutton is cooked.If there is not much water left in the cooker then add a 1/2 glass of water.

Mix well and let the curry get cooked for 10 minutes.

Serve hot with rice.

Check for more kheema recipes here

Chakalu

Ingredients:-

Rice flour 1 cup

Channa dal/senagapappu 2 tbsp (soaked overnight)

Curry leaves few

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Ghee/butter 1 tbsp

Oil for deep frying

Water warm to make the dough 1cup

Method:-

Drain water from the soaked channa dal.Pat dry them.

Take flour,salt,channadal,curry leaves and ghee in a big bowl.With warm water make a thick dough similar to puri dough.

Take a small lemon size dough and press it on a plastic sheet into a round 2''circle.

Make with the rest of the dough.

Heat oil and deep fry in batches until light golden colour.

Once cool store in a air tight container.

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