Bendakaya (okra) Curry

Difficulty Rating 2 (Special Ingredients needed)

25 Lady’s fingers (okra) Wash, dry and cut into 1 ½ to 2 “pieces.
3-4 Tbsps Oil
½ tsp Mustard seeds (avalu)
1 tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)
big pinch (Fenugreek) methi seeds (about 10) (optional)
8-10 Curry leaves (optional)
3 medium Onions (about 2 cups finely chopped)
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tsps Chilli powder (adjust)
1 lime size Tamarind (soaked in ¼ cup of water and pulp extracted)
2 Tbsps Grated jaggery or 3 tbsps of sugar
1 garlic clove
1 tsp Cumin seeds (crush together coarsely with the garlic)
2 Tbsps freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnish (optional)

1. Heat oil. On low flame, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start popping, add methi seeds, and curry leaves for 30 seconds. Do not burn them.
2. Add chopped onions, turmeric and salt. On fry the onions till they turn light brown. Add chilli powder mix for a minute.
3. Add the okra (bendakaya) pieces, mix gently with the onions. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on low flame till the okra turns a little soft.
4. Add tamarind juice, jaggery/sugar, 2 cups of water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 more minutes till the gravy turns slightly thick or reaches your desired consistency. (Generally in andhra it is slightly watery).
5. Just before turning it off, add the crushed garlic and cumin seeds, adjust salt and chilli powder and let cook for a couple more minutes. Turn off the flame, garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
6. Serve hot with steamed rice, pappu and ghee.

Brinjal (egg pant) Curry

Difficulty Rating 4 (Special Ingredients needed, Grinding required)

10 Small Indian Brinjals or 1 large American Brinjal
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
4 medium onions chopped (makes about 4 cups of chopped)
8 to 10 Green chillies (adjust)
8 tsps grated coconut flakes
2 tsp coriander powder
4 tbsps oil

For popu
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
8 to 10 curry leaves (optional)
1 tsp cooking oil

1. Cut the Brinjal into long thin strips and soak in salt water.
2. Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a pan and throw in the cumin seeds. Let them crackle, then add chopped onions, green chillies, salt and turmeric. Cook on medium flame till the onions turn soft and golden in color. Allow to cool. Grind with coriander powder and coconut.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsps of oil in a vessel, and on medium flame fry the brinjals stirring occassionaly till soft but not mushy and the edges start turning golden brown.
4. Add the ground paste to the fried brinjals, and gently mix in with ¼ cup of water. Let it cook on medium flame till the desired gravy consistency is reached. Adjust salt.
5. While the gravy cooks, take a pan, heat 1 tsp of oil, and fry mustard seeds, jeera, and curry leaves for few seconds till they crackle. Add this to the gravy and stir gently.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice/rotis

Rice Rava Upma

Difficulty Rating 3 (Special Ingredients needed, Pressure Cooker Needed)

2 cups Rice ravva,
5-6 Tbsp Oil
½ Tbsp Mustard seeds (avalu)
½ Tbsp Cumin seeds (jeera)
1 cup Moong dal (pesarapappu)
10-12 Curry leaves
3-4 Dried red chillies (tear into pieces)
1 Medium onion (finely sliced).
6 Green chillies (slit into halve lengthwise)
5 cups Water
Salt to taste

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. On low flame add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter.
2. Add moong dal, increase the flame to medium heat and fry till light golden brown (about 2-3 mts). Take care not to burn them while frying.
3. Turn the flame to low again. Add curry leaves, dried red chillies, and saute for a few seconds. Then add sliced onions, green chillies, salt and saute for 2 - 3 minutes.
4. Add water, adjust salt. Increase the flame and bring to a good boil. (Check the taste of the water. It should taste salty. If it isn’t salty then adjust.)
5. Reduce heat to low and slowly add the rava to water and mix it continuously so it combines well with the water and doesn’t form lumps.
6. Put the pressure cooker lid on. Increase heat to high and pressure cook till 3-4 whistles. Turn off the flame. Allow the pressure to release before you open the lid.
7. Serve with mango pickle or tomato pickle or any other pickle of your choice on the side.