Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Capsicum Patoli (Capsicum Curry)

Ingredients:

  • Capsicum - 5 Nos.
  • Chana dal (SenagaPappu, Bengal gram) - 1/4 Cup
  • Moong dal (PesaraPappu, Greengram dal) - 1/4 Cup
  • Toor Dal (Kandipappu, red gram) - 1/4 Cup
  • Chopped Onion - 1 No.
  • Ginger - 1in. piece
  • Green Chillies - 2 0r 3
  • Oil - 4 tbsp.
  • Salt to taste

Seasoning:

  • Oil
  • Urad dal (Minapappu, Split black dal)
  • Mustard seeds (Aavalu)
  • Dried Red chillies - 1 No.
  • Curry leaves - 5-6 Nos.

Preparation:

Soak Chanadal, Moongdal and Toor dal for 1 hour. Coarsely grind chanadal, moongadal and toordal along with ginger, green chillies and salt. Make sure to put as little water as possible while grinding.

Heat oil in a pan and add uraddal, dried red chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once they start spluttering add the chopped onions and fry till transparent. Add the chopped Capsicum and let it cook with closed lid for a while. Now add the above ground paste and close the lid. Let the patoli cook for about 10 mins. Then remove the lid and fry the curry, until it comes like powdery texture. Add oil if necessary in between. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Patoli is a traditional andhra dish. This same Patoli can be done with other veggies like bachalakura, drumsticks (mulakkada), goruchikkudikaya (Cluster beans), beans and scallions (spring onions).

Monday, April 14, 2008

Ugadi and Sri Rama Navami


Ugadi (Yuga Aadi....start of new life) is the beginning of a new Hindu lunar Calendar year. Its the start of a new year for the people of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. We celebrate Ugadi with great joy and happiness. We do the puja and wish everyone good luck in the year. We have a myth or belief that whatever we do on that day we continue doing it the whole year.
For Ugadi we believe that we experinece life as a smooth blend of six flavors (shadruchulu) viz. bitter, sweet, tart, sour, hot, and salt. The Ugadi pachadi comprises all the six flavors. We enjoy the tatse of Ugadi pachadi first thing in the morning before even a cup of coffee :-)

I like the Ugadi Pachadi very much. Its made from the raw mangoes for which this is the perfect season ie spring season. Also its the season for Neem Tree which has very good medicinal values and which makes the air healthy...

Starting from Ugadi the celebration continues till 9 days and this 9 days function concludes with Sri Rama Navami, the celebration of Sri Rama’s birthday, Pattabhishekam and the Kalyanam.

Sri Rama Navami is a Hindu festival celebrated all over the India. In Andhra Pradesh it is celebrated with a great devotion in Seeta Rama Temple at Bhadrachalam of Khammam district as " Sri Seeta Rama Kalyana Mahotsav "

As offering of Naivedyam to lord Sri Rama " Vadapappu " and " Panakam " are prepared. In temples panakam is served as Prasadam.

Ugadi Pachadi:

Ingredients:
  • Neem Flower (vepa Puvvu)
  • Raw Mango ( 1 cup pices)
  • Sugarcane - 1 small piece
  • Green Chillies - 1 No.
  • Tamarind pulp
  • Banana
  • Salt to taste

Method: In the tamarind pulp add the neem flower and cut mango pieces. To this add peices of banana, sugarcane, green chillies and salt to taste. Offer it as prasadam to god and taste it.

Panakam:

Ingredients:

  • Jaggery (powdered) - 2 tbsp.
  • Water - 2 cups
  • Ginger - small piece
  • Cardommom powdered - 2 Nos.
  • Black Pepper (crushed) - 4 Nos.

Preparation: Mix the jaggery in water and dissolve it well. Add the ginger, cardommom and ground black pepper. Serve it chilled. It tastes very good.

Vada Pappu:

Soak 1 cup of Moong Dal. (Pesarapappu) in 3 cups of water for half an hour. Dtrain out excess water and offer it as naivedyam to Lord Sri Ram along with Panakam.

You can add some shredded coconut, shredded mango or Lemon Juice, salt and green chillies to the Vada pappu and eat it. It tastes really nice.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Guthi Vankaya Kura (Bagara Baingan, Stuffed small eggplant curry)

Ingredients:
  • Indian eggplants (small) - 10 Nos.
  • Groundnut powder (palli Podi) - 4 tsp.
  • Seasame seed powder (Nuvvula Podi) - 2 tsp.
  • Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp.
  • Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
  • Red chilly Powder - 1tsp
  • Dhaniya Powder - 1tsp
  • salt to taste
  • Oil

Preparation:

Make a paste out of Coriander leaves, palli podi, nuvvula podi, salt, red chilly powder, dhaniya powder.

Make cross shaped cut on the eggplants not all the way through. Fill in the eggplants with the above paste. Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a pan and put the brinjals in it. sprinkle some water, cover it and cook until the brinjals are tender. Stir in between. Add the ramining paste left after filling. Let it cook (covered) on a low flame for about 15 mins. While stirring make sure the brinjals are not broken. Add water if the paste thickens. Check for salt.

Once completely cooked, remove the lid and then fry for some time. Serve hot with rice, chapatis, naans, Pulav or fried rice.

Pappu Charu (Lentils and Vegs Stew)



Ingredients:
  • Toor Dal (Red Gram)- 1/2 Cup
  • Tamarind
  • Jaggery - Small lemon sized.
  • Tomato
  • Diced Bottle Gourd (Sorakaya) - 1 Cup
  • Drumsticks (Mulakkaya) 4-5Nos.
  • Small Onions 4-5 Nos.
  • Coriander leaves
  • Pinch of turmeric
  • Red chilly Powder - 1tsp.
  • Salt to taste

Seasoning:

  • Oil
  • Mustard seeds (Aavalu)
  • Asefotida (Inguva)
Preparation:
Cook Toor dal in pressure cooker. Mash it properly.
In a saucepan put tamarind water and add salt, turmeric, red chilly powder, jaggery and all the vegetables. Let it cook until the vegetables are cooked well.
Add the mashed dal to it. Cook it for a long time say at least for 30 mins. Do the tadka and garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.

Spring Onion (Scallion Stew) Sambar (Ulli Kadala Sambar)


Ingredients:
  • Toor Dal (Red Gram)- 1/2 Cup
  • Spring Onions - 5-6 Nos.
  • green Chillies - 2-3 Nos.
  • Tamarind
  • Coriander Leaves
  • Jaggery small piece
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of turmeric

Powder:

  • Chana dal (Senagapappul, Bengal gram) - 1tbsp.
  • Coriander Seeds - 1tbsp.
  • Dried red chillies - 2Nos.
  • Black Peppers (Miriyalu) - 4 Nos.
  • Rice - 1/2 tbsp.
  • Dried Coconut - small piece (alt. can use dry coconut powder)

Seasoning:

  • Oil
  • Mustard Seeds (Aavalu)
  • Asefotida (Inguva)

Preparation:

Cook Toor dal separately in pressure cooker. Mash the dal properly.

Cut spring Onions (stems) into very small pieces. Leave the Onion in the end as it is. In a saucepan put tamarind water and add the chopped spring onions and the onions. Add chopped green chillies to it. Add salt to taste and a pinch of turmeric. Let it cook for sometime untill the leaves are well cooked. Add the mashed dal to it. Cook it for some more time.

Heat very little oil in a pan and fry the ingredients for powder. Fry till golden brown. Powder these to make sambar powder.

Add little water to the sambar powder to make it a paste and add the paste to the sambar. Add the small Jaggery piece. Do the tadka with Aavalu (mustard seeds) and inguva (Asefotida). Garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.

Bisibele Bhath

Ingredients:
  • Rice - 1.5 Cup
  • Toor Dal (Kandipappu, Red gram) - 3/4 Cup.
  • Tamarind Paste - 2 tsp.
  • Oil - 1/2 Cup
  • Turmeric - pinch
  • Salt to taste

Vegetables:

  • Potato (Diced) - 1 Nos.
  • Cauloflower - 6-8 florets
  • Green peas - 1/2 cup
  • Carrot (Diced) - 1 No.
  • Chopped Beans - 8-10 Nos.
  • Chopped Tomato - 1 No.
  • Chopped Onion - 1 No.
  • Chopped Green Chillies - 2-3 Nos.

For Powder:

  • Fenugreek Seeds (menthulu) - 1/4 tsp.
  • Black Pepper (Miriyalu) - 1/4 tsp.
  • Urad Dal (Minapappu, split black dal) - 2tsp.
  • Chana Dal (senagapappu, split bengal gram) - 2tsp.
  • Coriander Seeds (Dhaniyalu) - 2tsp.
  • Mustard Seeds (Aavalu) - 1tsp.
  • Jeera (Cumin)- 1/2tsp.
  • Dried Red Chillies - 2-3 Nos.
  • Cardomom (Elaichi) - 2Nos.
  • Cloves - 8-10Nos. (Less for less spice)
  • Cinammon Stick - 1in.
  • Marathi Mogga - 1 No.

Seasoning:

  • Ghee
  • Mustard seeds (Aavalu)
  • Asefotida (Inguva)
  • Chopped Corinader Leaves
Preparation:

Cook the rice and toor dal separately. Cook the vegetables ( Potato, GreenPeas, Cauliflower, Beans, Carrot, Tomato) separately in microwave or Pressure cooker. Set Rice, dal and Vegetables aside.

Heat a little bit of oil in a pan and add all the ingredients for the powder. Fry them for 5 min. Let it cool completely. Powder the above mixture. Add a little bit of water and let it sink in for some time. Add some more water and grind it to a paste. keep it aside.

Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and green chillies and fry till transparent. Add chopped tomatoes and fry till cooked. Add the rice, dal, cooked vegetables, salt and turmeric powder. Mix well and add tamarind paste and the above paste. Let it cook for 10-15 mins on a low flame.

For seasoning, heat ghee and add mustard seeds and Inguva and add it to bisibele bath. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve hot with Potato chips or Saggubiyyam (Rice) vadiyalu. Serves 4 people.