Tuesday, 25 February 2014

TAKKALI PAPPU



NOTE:
Andhra food is generally spicy and delicious to eat.Their dal or Pappu is staple in their diet and made from a variety of vegetables added to toovar dal..Simple to cook the Pappu when mixed in hot rice with dollops of ghee and pappads is mouthwatering.

U need:
Toovar dal: 1 cup cleaned and soaked
Red tomatoes: 3 medium sized chopped fine
Green chillies slit: 3 minced fine
Garlic pods: 3 chopped fine
Red chillies: 2 broken
Onion: 1 medium diced fine
Ghee: 3 tabslp
Turmeric powder:1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Jeera: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: few
Asefodita: 1/4 tsp
salt to taste
Method:
1. Wash toovar dal and pressure with 1 chopped tomato, turmeric powder,1 tsp of minced green chillies till soft and well cooked.Remove the cooked dal and pour this into a kadai and simmer on gas. Add salt.
2. Heat 2 tablsp ghee. When hot add asefodita,mustard seeds,jeera and broken red chillies and curry leaves. Sauté.Add the remaining green chillies and  chopped tomatoes and continue cooking till the tomatoes are well cooked  Pour this tadka into the simmering dal and continue to cook for another 7 to 8 mins.The dal has to be creamy in texture.
3.Transfer the dal into a serving bowl.Heat the remaining ghee. When hot add the minced garlic and sauté. Add finely diced onions the and stir well till the onion turns light pink.Pour this tadka into the dal,cover with a lid.
4.After 10 mins,remove the lid,garnish with some more green chillies(optional) and coriander leaves.
The spice from the dal comes from the green chillies.So please adjust the chillies to your taste.

Monday, 24 February 2014

TOMATO-DATES-RAISINS SWEET CHUTNEY



NOTE: Chutneys of India. The variety we get in our country is vast. The Recipe I am going 
              write below is from my favourite city Calcutta.Here too this chutney is made in 
              different ways and I am giving one version.Sweet and spicy.
              Served with hot moong dal  khichidi &fried aubergines it is divine in taste!!!!             
              
U need:
 Ripe red tomatoes: 2oo gms clean and chopped fine
Dates : 1 cup (seedless) chopped fine
Raisins: 1/4 cup
Red chillies: 3
Kala jeera,jeera,methi seeds,mustards seed mix: 1 tsp( 5 spice mix)
Sugar: 3/4 cup
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Oil: 1 tablsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a kadai. When hot add the 5 spice mix and saute.Add broken red chillies and saute further.
2. Now add the chopped tomatoes and chopped dates.Stir well. Now add the raisins and cook on low heat for few mins till the tomatoes are slightly mashed. Now add the red chilli powder.
3. Add the sugar and cook till the it melts and simmer till the chutney starts to thicken.
4. Add salt and stir. Simmer for few mins. Switch off the gas.The chutney should be thick.
5. Cool and serve this chutney with khichdi.

Note: Instead of adding broken red chiilies directly you can lightly dry fry 2 red chillies, 1/2 tsp jeera and powder.Add this powder in the chutney ,stir well and serve.

Sunday, 23 February 2014

HINGWAALI ALU DUM



Note: Alu Dum world famous Potato dish which is prepared differently in kitchens of India.  In Calcutta itself this dish is prepared in different ways. I am giving you this recipe where Asefodita is added to give that extra zing.
Sugar can be adjusted to taste.

U need:
Medium sized potatoes: 200 gms
Onion: 1 medium minced very fine
Ginger: 2"piece peeled and minced very fine
Asefodita: 1/2 tsp
Slit green chillies: 2
Dhaniya-jeera powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 3/4 tsp
Jeera:1 tsp 
Red chilli powder:1&1/2 tsp( deghi mirch powder is good)
Cloves:3
Cinnamon stick: 2 medium broken to two
Green cardamom: 3
Oil: 3 tablsp+2 tablsp to fry potatoes
Salt to taste
Sugar:3/4 tsp
Beaten curd: 2 tablsp
Coriander leaves: 2 tsp

Method:
1. Clean and pressure cook potatoes.Cool and peel skin.Cut into quarters.
2. Heat 2 tablsp oil and fry the potatoes till light brown.
3 In the same kadai add 3 tablsp oil. Add asefodita,jeera,cinnamon,cloves and cardamoms and slit green chillies.Saute for few sec.Now add the minced onions and continue frying.
4. Add the minced ginger. In a small bowl add the beaten curd.To this add the turmeric,red chilli powder and dhaniya -jeera powder.Mix well and add this to the frying onions.Continue cooking till the curd is absorbed and the masalas cooked well. Add the fried potatoes.Stir.
5. To this add salt and sugar and continue frying for another 5 to 6 mins.Add 1 &1/2 cups water and simmer gently.Add 1 tsp coriander leaves.Simmer till the gravy thickens.
6. Transfer the Alu Dum to a serving bowl.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rotis or khichdi.
Note: Chilli you can use Kashmiri chilli powder instead of deghi mirch.