Tuesday, May 4, 2010

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.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

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.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

AP Tomato Pappu

Difficulty Rating 3 (Special Ingredients needed, Pressure cooker needed)

1 cup Toor Dal
6 Tomatoes (chopped)
¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds (optional)
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
4 cloves Garlic (crushed)
¾ tsp Chilly powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
4 Green Chillies (slit lengthwise) (optional)
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds (optional)
1 sprig Curry leaves (optional)
1 tsp Asofoetida powder (optional)
1 sm bnch Coriander - finely chopped for garnish (optional)

1. Wash dal, add 5 cups of water, turmeric, ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp of oil, and pressure cook till soft (about 3-5 whistles). Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds (1tsp), as they start spluttering add curry leaves, garlic, green chillies and asofoetida powder.
3. Lower the flame and add chopped tomatoes.
4. Cover and cook on medium heat till the tomatoes turn soft. Add chilly powder, salt, coriander powder and allow to cook for 2 min.
5. Add dal. Add water if the consistency of dal is thick. Cook for 4 mts on medium flame. Switch off.
6. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with steamed rice, a dollop of ghee accompanied with potato fry or papads.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Methi (Fenugreek leaves) Chutney

Difficulty Rating 3 (Grinding required, Special Ingredients needed)

3 cups Fresh methi leaves (one small bunch) (or 4 frozen cubes)
¼ cup Sesame seeds
8 Dried red chillies
2 tsp Tamarind juice
½ tsp Urad dal
¼ tsp Salt or to taste
1 tsp Oil
1. In a pan, heat half teaspoon of oil.
2. First add and toast dried red chillies, then sesame seeds and urad dal, until golden. Remove them.
3. In the same pan heat another half teaspoon of oil and sauté methi leaves for few minutes.
4. Put them all on a plate and wait to cool.
5. When they are cool enough to touch, take them in a blender, add tamarind juice and salt. Puree them to smooth paste. If necessary add few tablespoons of water for smooth blending.
6. Remove and serve this chutney with upma or with rice and dal.

Tomato pachadi

Difficulty Rating 4 (Grinding required, Special Ingredients needed)

4 Large Tomotoes
2 Green chillies
2 Red chillies
1 in Tamarind
2 pods Garlic (optional)
2tsp Oil
Salt to taste

For the powder
2 tsp Corriander seeds
2 tsp Sesame seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds

1. Dry roast the ingredients for powder.
2. Allow to cool and grind in a mixer.
3. Heat oil in a pan and fry the tomato red and green chillies.
4. Add salt tumeric powder and tamirind and cook till the tomato are soft. Remove from flame.
5. Allow to cool and grind to a smooth paste.
6. Add the powder and mix well.
7. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped corriander.
8. This spicy pachadi goes well with rice, rotis, idlis, and dosas.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Royyala Iguru (Shrimp in thick gravy)

Difficulty Rating 4 (Difficult prep, Grinding required, Special Ingredients needed)

1 lb Shrimp
3 Onions finely chopped
5 to 6 Green chililes (slit into two halves) (optional)
2 sprigs Curry leaves (optional)
Sm bunch Coriander leaves a (finely chopped)
1 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp Chillie powder (or to taste)
Salt to taste
3 TBsp Oil
1-2 cups Water
2 tb sp Poppy seeds
6 Cloves
3 Cardamom
Small Cinanmon stick
2 TBsp Coriander seeds
3 TBsp Cashew nuts
1″ Ginger
3 cloves Garlic
1. Grind poppy seeds, cloves, elaichi, cinanmon stick, coriander seeds, cashew nuts, ginger, and garlic to smooth paste.
2. Wash shrimp with water and little turmeric powder. Add ground masala paste, chillie powder, a pinch of turmeric, and salt, leave aside for 15 min.
3. Heat oil, add chopped onions, a pinch of turmeric, curry leaves, green chillies and fry till onions turn soft.
3. Add prawns and mix well. cover with a lid for 6 mts and let it cook in low flame.
4. Remove the lid, add water, cover and cook till the prawns turn soft. salt can be added at this point if not sufficient.
5. Once the prawns turn soft, cook in high flame till the gravy turns thick.
6. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice or chapathis.

Mixed Vegetable Pulao (Rice cooked with Vegtables)

Difficulty Rating 3 (Grinding required, Special Ingredients needed)

3 cups Rrice
Bunch Coriander leaves
3-4 Green chillies
2 tsp Coconut, shredded
3 medium Onions (sliced fine)
½ Onion (chopped)
Few sticks Cinammon
Few Cardommom seeds
Few Cloves
1 ½ tsp Red chilli powder
Salt to taste
2 cloves Garlic
1 in Ginger
Ghee or melted butter for frying
1 cup Cauliflower flowerets.
Some Mixed frozen vegetables like beans, carrots and green peas.

1. Cook the 3 cups of rice in your rice cooker as you would normally do.
2. Grind together the 1/2 onion, coconut, garlic, ginger
and coriander in the blender, to make a smooth paste. Keep aside.
3. Fry the onions in the ghee or melted butter. Also add the cloves, cinnamon and cardommom.
4. When onions are browned properly, add the red chilli powder and fry for 30-45 seconds.
5. Now add all the vegetables, including the cauliflower and sprinkle some water on it.
6. Keep covered and cook on a low flame till the vegetables are cooked. Keep sprinkling water periodically
7. When the vegetables are done, transfer the vegeables to a big mixing dish, add all the boiled rice, salt to taste and the blended masala.
8. Mix thoroughly. Serve with Raita.

Mixed Vegetable Curry

Difficulty Rating 3 (Difficult prep, Grinding required, Pressure Cooker helpful)

1 Potato (cut into cubes)
2 Bell peppers (any color) (cut to thin slices lengthwise)
1 Carrot (cut into cubes)
1 cup Green peas - (boiled)
7 Cherry tomatoes (cut into two halves) (or 1 large slicing tomato cubed
4 Medium size Onions (sliced lengthwise)
5 Cloves
1 Elaichi (cardamom)
1 inch Cinnamon stick
2 inch Ginger
2 Garlic pods
3 Bay leaves (optional)
½ tsp Coriander powder
½ tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Chilly powder (or to taste)
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tbsp Butter/Heavy Cream
1 cup Water
Salt to taste
2 tsps Oil
1 sprig Coriander leaves (finely chopped for garnish)

Note: You can substitute the same quantity of any vegetables you have on hand for the ones listed here.

1. Pressure cook vegetables in 2 cups of water till 3 whistles or boil them until they are all soft but not mushy. Once cool, remove and drain excess water.
2. Heat 1 tsp oil, add half the onions and fry till soft and light brown in color. Remove from flame, allow to cool and grind to smooth paste along with cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and garlic. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tsp oil, add bay leaves, fry for a minute.
4. Add remaining onions and fry till soft and golden brown.
5. Add ground onion paste, chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt to taste and fry for 2-3 min on medium flame.
6. Add boiled vegetables, green peas, and tomatoes and mix well.
7. Add 1 cup of water and bring it to boil, reduce the flame and allow to cook till the gravy is thick.
8. Once the gravy is thick add garam masala, butter/cream and mix well.
9. Switch of the flame, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with naan, roti, chapathis or rice.

Poha Upma

Difficulty Rating 2 (Special Ingredients needed)

2 cups Atukulu/Rice flakes
3 Tbsp Cooking Oil
2 Tbsp Peanuts
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Split Urad dal (optional)
1 tsp Channa dal (optional)
1 pinch Asafoetida/Hing (optional)
1 sprig Curry leaves
1 medium Onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup chopped)
Salt to taste
½ tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp Chilli powder or 2 green chillies, finely chopped
2-3 tsp Lemon juice

• 1. Take a big bowl of hot tap water (about 6 cups). Add atukulu to water, mix gently and leave it for 5 mts to soak.
2. After 5 mts, drain atukulu in a strainer and leave it aside. Do not press or squeeze the atukulu with hands.
3. Heat oil. Add peanuts and fry for 2-3 mts or till the peanuts are toasted. Take care not to burn them.
4. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, and let them splutter. Add urad dal, and chana dal. Fry for for a minute or till the dals turn light golden brown in color. Add hing powder and fry for a few seconds.
5. Add curry leaves, chopped onions, salt and turmeric. Fry on medium flame for about 5 mts till the onions turn soft and then add chilli powder. Mix well.
6. Add drained atukulu to the fried onions and mix gently to coat with the spices and onions. Adjust salt and chilli powder if required.
7. Turn the flame to low and allow to cook for 2 mts. Just before turning off the heat, add lemon juice and mix gently.
8. Serve hot.