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.
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.
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.
NOTE: We all know that Radish white or Red is very good for health and its leaves have plenty of nutrients required by our body. Whenever you buy radish try to buy with leaves.Here is a simple Mooli and leaves Curry which does not need too many masala and tastes just Yum!!!!!
White Radish is better as they are less pungent.
U need:
Fresh White Tender Radish with leaves : 2 bunches
White onion: 1 peeled and sliced( can use red onion too.white tastes better)
Garlic pods: 2 minced fine
Green chillies: 3 minced fine
Oregano seeds(omam): 1/2 tsp
Jeera: 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee: 3 tablsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Asefodita powder: 1/4 tsp
Method:
1. Clean and dice the radish and the leaves.The leaves should be diced fine.Wash well the leaves and the radish. Drain on a colander.
2. Heat ghee in a kadai.When hot add the omam seeds,jeera and saute. Add the garlic and fry till the garlic turns light borwn.Add the green chillies. Now add the sliced onion and continue frying.
3. Add the radish with the leaves.Stir well.Add turmeric,asefodita and toss well.Cover with alid and cook till the radish is cooked.Add salt.
4. Stir well for another 5 mins till the curry is dry.Transfer to a serving bowl.
5. Serve hot with hot phulkas and dal.
Note: Left over boiled vegetables at times make us wonder what new dish can we make from
them .Here is a simple medley of left over cooked veg and some fresh palak with a
twist. Green tomatoes used instead of red tomatoes. Served with carrot rotis tastes
YUM!!!!!!!!!!!
U need:
Left over mixed vegetables:2 cups either boiled or chopped
Fresh palak: 1 bunch cleaned and chopped fine.
Peeled small onions : 1/2 cup chopped fine
Ginger paste: 2 tsp
Garlic paste: 1 tsp
Green tomatoes pureed: 1/4 cup
Chola masala: 1 tsp
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
Roasted jeera powder: 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
Fresh cream : 1/4 cup beaten
Green chillies: 2 slit
Oil: 3 tablsp
Method:
1 Cook the chopped palak and puree to paste..
2. Heat oil in a kadai. When hot add the green tomato puree and sauté well.To this add the garlic paste.Now add the minced shallots ( small onions) and continue stirring. Add ginger paste.
3. Add the dry masalas one by one and sprinkle some water as you stir. Once the paste is cooked add the mixed vegetables.
4. Sauté well.Add salt and 1 cup water.Cover and cook till done.Open the lid and add the palak puree. Mix well and simmer further till the gravy is thick.Add the beaten cream. Simmer for a minute.
5. Transfer the curry to a serving bowl garnish with slit green chillies and serve with carrot rotis and red tomato chilli chutney.
For carrot roti stuffing:
Finely chop carrots: 2,Onion: 1 small,coriander leaves: 3 tsp,green chillies:2 and salt.
Use this as stuffing inside the rotis.
note: Dhoklas from Gujarat,the eternal favourite of us Indians.Presenting to you this dish with a twist.Tastes Yum!!!!!!!!!!!
U NEED:
Besan(Chick pea flour): 1 cup
Fine sooji: 2 tsp
Ginger-Green chilli paste: 3 tsp
Pinapple juice: 1/2 cup
Eno's fruit salt: 1 packet ( lemon flavour tastes good)
Grated Coconut: 2 tsp
Sugar: 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil: 2 tablsp
Asefodita: 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Water: 1/4 cup
METHOD:
1. In a bowl add in the besan, sooji,salt,sugar,pineapple juice, 2tsp ginger-green chilli paste and mix well.Add some plain water to have a thick batter consistency.
2. Now add the Eno's fruit salt and beat the batter lightly till it rises.Quickly pour into a greased plate and steam cook the dhoklas for 10 to 12 mins or until done.
3. In a small kadai heat oil.When hot add the mustard seeds,asefodita and saute.Add the 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste and 1/4 cup water.Quickly pour this mix over the dhoklas.Garnish with grated coconut and minced coriander leaves.
note: Dried green peas and paneer is a great combination as good as fresh peas and paneer.Here I have used Meat masala powder for the gravy and the dish tastes just yum.We can use non-veg tandoori masala power,chicken 65 masala powder for vegetarian dishes too.Try this vegetarian recipe at home and mail to me your comments at sumathy4@yahoo.co.in
Sometimes these masala powder may have salt.So adjust salt as needed.
RECIPE:
Dried green peas : 1 cup soaked for 3 hrs and pressure cooked till done.
Fresh paneer: 1 cup diced
Meat Masala powder: 2 tsp (here I have used National Meat masala)
Turmeric powder:1 tsp
Green chillies minced: 2 tsp
Onion chopped fine: 1/2 cup
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Tomato paste: 1 tablsp
Bay leaf:1
Jeera: 1 tsp
Curd: 2 tablsp
salt to taste
Kasoori methi: 1 tsp slightly roasted and crushed.
Ghee: 2 tablsp
Method:
In a bowl add the curd,1/2 tsp meat masala powder,paneer pieces,pinch salt and mix well.Marinate for 15 mins.
Heat ghee in a kadai. Add the bay leaf and jeera. Saute for a min.Now add the tomato paste and stir well.Add chopped onions. Continue stirring.
Add the minced green chillies,ginger-garlic paste,turmeric and stir well.Add the Meat masala powder and garam masala. Sprinkle some water and continue stirring for 2 to 3 mins.If need you can add some extra ghee.
Now add the marinated paneer along with the marination.Continue cooking till the curd is cooked and oil starts oozing out.
Add the cooked dried peas along with the liqued. and simmer. Add salt if needed.Simmer till the curry is cooked and the gravy thickens.Add kasoori methi.
Transfer to a serving bowl.Add a dash of fresh cream,some finely chopped coriander and serve hot with rotis and parathas.
