In-Laws Visit

I have my in-laws with us for over 2 months now. And I am all excited learning the new items from my Mother-In-Law. Basically I am from Telangana(a part of A.P) and my in-laws are from Andhra. So I am learning new techniques from her. As soon as I get a chance I will definitely share my new experiances with you all....

Till then...

Have fun and Have a nice time

Mooli Dal

Hi all... have you ever tried Mooli dal. Its very tasty. We were moving to a different place, so my aunt made lunch for us. Which included Mooli dal on that day. Mooli dal was really tasty. So here is the simple recipe of it.

Some google info about Mooli is below:
Mooli radish (or daikon) is a long white Japanese vegetable. It's highly nutritious, containing vitamin C, potassium and calcium. It is crisp with a mild peppery flavour. It can be eaten raw or cooked (stir-fried or lightly steamed).

Ingredients
Radish - 1 (Washed, Peeled and Chopped)
Toor Dal - 1/2- 1 cup (or your daily measure)
Turmeric - 1/4 Table Spoon
Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 1/2 Table Spoon
Tomato - 1
Green Chillies - 2-3 in No.(Also can add Red Chilli Powder)
Chana Dal - 1 Table Spoon
Oil
Salt to Taste
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Table Spoon (Optional)
Coriander Powder - 1/2 Table Spoon (Optional)
Asafoetida - a pinch (Optional)
Coriander Leaves (Seasoning)
Curry Leaves (Seasoning)

Method of Preparation
1. Wash the toor dal and add Radish pieces, Tomato, Cumin Seeds and Turmeric to it. Add enough water and pressure cook it until the dal is done.



2. After the dal is cooked. Take a vessel/kadai on stove top. Ofcourse switch on the stove. :)

3. Add oil and let it heat. Add Mustard seeds to it. Let it Splutter.

4. Then add Chana Dal, Curry Leaves, Green Chillies and Asafoetida. Let it stay for about 30 seconds.

5. Add the cooked dal to the above. Add salt and red chilli powder if needed.

6. Let it cook for few seconds. Add the seasoning and serve it with rice/roti.

Cooking Time: 20 minutes (Including 15 minutes of Dal cooking)
Category: Side Dish (Lentils)

Terminology
Cumin Seeds - Jeera(Hindi), Jeelakarra (Telugu)
Radish - Mooli(Hindi), Mullangi(Telugu)
Coriander Powder - Dhania Powder
Asafoetida - Hing(Hindi), Inguva(Telugu)
Toor Dal - Kandi Pappu(Telugu)
Chana Dal - Senaga Pappu(Telugu)

Tomatillo Pachadi

Ingredients

Tomatillo - 6-8 (small)
Carrots - 1
Green Chillies - 2-3 (depending on spice level)
Red Chillies - 2
Turmeric - 1/4 Table Spoon
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Table Spoon
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Table Spoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
Urad Dal - 2 Table Spoons
Chana Dal - 2 Table Spoons
Oil
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation
1. Take a kadai, switch on the stove and keep on top of it. Add oil to it.

2. Let the oil get heated and add mustard seeds, jeera, Asafoetida.

3. Add Urad Dal, Chana Dal, Green Chillies, Red Chillies and fry for few seconds.

4. Now add Chopped Tomatillo and Carrots to the above.

5. Add Turmeric and mix it with spatula. Cover it and cook it for 5 minutes or till the carrots and tomatillo are cooked.



6. Add salt at the end and let it cool.

7. Grind the above and garnish with coriander and serve.



Method of Preparation: 15 minutes
Category: Side Dishes (Chutneys)

Gongura Rice

Its been long time that I actually posted something on my blog. I swtiched my job and was busy adjusting with new place. So here I am back with my recipes again. I was trying this second time last sunday. As my experimentation with gongura goes on, my love it is also increasing. :) Nice ha.... so lets see the simplest recipe of the gongura rice.

Ingredients
Gongura - 1-2 Bunches
Red Onions - 2 medium sized or 1 big size
Green chillies - Cut vertically 3-5 (depending upon the spicy level)
Coriander Powder - 1/2 - 1 table spoon (Optional)
Cumin Seeds - 1 table spoon
Oil
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation
1. Take a vessel, and add oil to it.

2. Add Jeera and Green chillies after the oil is heated.

3. Add onions and let it fry till golden.

4. Add Gongura and fry for less than a minute or so. Add Salt to it.

5. Add the cooked rice to the above. Serve hot with curd and any spicy curry.

Preparation time: 10 minutes (apart from rice cooking)
Category: Rice varieties

Terminology/Synonyms
Gongura = Sour Greens
Cumin Seeds = Jeera

Note:
Shall post some pictures soon.

Alu, Brinjal, Tomato Curry

This is another simple curry which I did other day. Looks colorful isn't it !!! Its a combination of Alu(Potato), Brinjal and Tomato Curry. Cook it normally as any other regular curry and with a little of water, curd (optional) and dhania powder added. Fast and easy to make and yummy to eat.. try it in your own way.... Happy eating..

Beerakaya PapuKaya (Kura/Curry)

These are some simple recipes I wanted to share with you all.


Ingredients
Beerakaya - 2-3 in number
Chana Dal/Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1 small
Onion - 1 small (Optional)
Coriander Powder - 1/2 Table spoon (Optional)
Green Chillies - 2 or 3 (Optional)
Chilli Powder - 1 Table spoon(varies depending upon your spicy taste)
Turmeric - 1/4 Table spoon
Oil
Jeera - 1 small Table spoon
Salt to taste
Curd - 1-3 table spoons (optional)
Curry Leaves
Coriander - chopped to decorate

Method of Preparation
1. Soak Chana dal/ Moong dal in water for 5-10 minutes. Chop everything and keep it ready

2. Add oil in a kadai/vessel. let the oil get heat.

3. Add jeera and optionally mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and green chillies.

4. If you add mustard seeds, let it splutter then add all the ingredients except curd.


5. Add water to above, cover and cook until 5-8 minutes or until the ridge gourd is cooked.

6. Add curd and garnish with coriander and serve it hot with Rice or roti.




Time for Preparation: 10 - 15 minutes
Category: Curries

Terminology
Beerakaya - Ridge gourd
Coriander Powder - Dhania powder
Jeera - Cumin Seeds

Dondakaya Annam (Tindora Rice)

Ingredients
Rice - 2 cups
Tindora (Dondakaya) - 20 (or more depending on rice quantity/taste)
Onions - 2 small or 1 Big
Jeera – 1 Table Spoon
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 Table spoon
Bay leaves - 2 in no.
Cinnamon Sticks - 2 in no.
Green Chillies
Biryani/Pulav Masala - 1-2 Table spoons
Garam Masala - 1/2 - 1 Table Spoon (Optional)
Oil
Salt to Taste

To Decorate:
Coconut powder
Coriander leaves chopped

Method of Preparation
1. Chop the tindora as you do for Masala curry. (Cut one side without splitting into two, and do the same on the revese side. When you are done, it will be like 4 pieces intact).

2. Take Oil in a kadai and let it heat.

3. Add Bay leaves, Jeera, Cinnamon Sticks, Ginger Garlic paste to the oil and fry for one minute.

4. Add onions to the above and fry for 3 minutes or until they become translucent.



5. Add Tindora, Cover it and cook for about 5 minutes or till they become tender.



6. Add the masala’s and salt at this point.

7. Add Rice and fry for a minute or two.



8. At this point, transfer the contents to the pressure cooker/ rice cooker. Add water according to the rice quantity. (Generally if Basmati: 2 – 2and1/2 cups)

9. Just before rice is done, add the coconut and coriander to the rice and mix it once.

10. Take it in a vessel and serve hot with Raita.



Preparation/Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes (Including 10 minutes)
Category: Main Coarse (Rice Varieties)

Note: Be sure that the Tindora is cooked properly at Step 5. Tindora should be almost done at this step. To make sure the tindora is tender take a stick/spoon and try to cut it at the edge/piece of the tindora, if it cuts easily then this indicates Tindora is cooked otherwise not.

Pudina Pulav (Mint Rice)

This is the recipe I learnt from my another cousin Srilatha. The other day she visited us, and she made this in 15 minutes. Easy and fast to make and yummy to eat.
So here is the recipe.



Ingredients
1-2 cups Rice
Mint 1 to 2 bunches
Green Chillies 4 - 5 small
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 Table Spoons
Cumin seeds 1 - 2 Table Spoons
Salt
Onions 1 big
Pulav masala 1 Table Spoon

Preparation

1. Soak rice for at least 30 minutes in water.
2. Grind washed mint leaves and Greens chillies into paste
3. Chop the onions finely small pieces

Method of cooking
1. Put oil and ghee nearly 2 tablespoons combined , let it heat through.
2. Take cumin seeds in hand and crush them in between hands to release the flavor and drop it the oil
3. Add ginger garlic paste fry it for a minute
4. Add onions and fry at least for 2 minutes



5. Then add pudina green chilli paste and pulav masala and fry another 2 minutes (you should smell the pudina and pulav masala)
6. At this point Transfer everything to your rice cooker add drained rice and fry for two minutes



7. Add salt
8. Add water



Optional
1. Fry some cashews before hand and decorate on the top
2. Add couple of spoons of ghee on top of the rice.

Preparation/Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Category: Main Coarse (Rice Varieties)

Note:
1. Soaking rice is not a must, but doing so gives good taste. However the water quantity should be very less when compared to normal times.
2. Shall Post some pictures soon.

Another Quick Snack

Hi all.... I was having this snack when we were with some friends and when she told me the recipe I was surprised ....its so easy to make... so here we go..

Ingredients
Tortilla - 1 or 2
Oil - To deep fry

Method of Preparation
1. Cut the Tortialla's using Pizza Cutter or knife into diamond shaped or any desired shape.




2.Take a kadai and pour oil in it. Let the oil become heat.

3. Add the tortialla's pieces and fry them for 2-5 seconds. You will see the color changing in seconds.


4. Remove it and serve them with little bit of salt and chilli powder if desired. Or else you can serve as it is.



Things to do:
I want to try this by baking instead of deep fry. I am not sure of the baking temparature so I am not posting it. I will definitely experiment it and post my comments in this recipe again. Any suggestions or comments please welcome.

Gongura Curry

Ingredients
Gongura Leaves - 1 or 2 Bunches
Onions – 1 big
Garlic - 3-4 in number
Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 1 Table Spoon
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil - 3-5 Table Spoons
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation
1. Blanch the leaves of Gongura and clean them. Chop them if desired.

2. Take a kadai/vessel and put it on stove. Add oil to the kadai.

3. When the oil is heated, add the Jeera, Green chillies and Garlic. Let the garlic turn slightly golden color.



4. Add the Onions and fry them till they become transparent or light brown. Add the turmeric.



5. Add the gongura leaves and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the gongura is cooked properly.

6. Gongura curry will be ready to serve.

Gongura Recipes

Hi folks.....

I was quite busy with parties and work so could not post any new recipes. But this time I am going to post recipes on Gongura (Sour Greens).

I made Gongura Dal(Pappu), Gongura Curry with Onions, Gongura Pulusu. Will post the recipes soon with pictures.. till then enjoy.

Gongura Leaves Blanched


Gongura Leaf

Onion Chutney

This recipe is from a Telugu daily paper called "Eenadu". I thought this is a real simple recipe. So tried it at home and loved it. Try it and tell me how it is...

Ingredients
Onions - 4 big chopped
Tamarind - small piece
Oil
Turmeric - 1/2 Table Spoon
Chilli Powder - 1 Table Spoon
Coriander Powder - 1 Table Spoon
Methi Powder - 1/2 Table Spoon
Salt to Taste

Jaggery - (Optional)

Tadka/Popu:
Oil
Mustard Seeds
Chana Dal
Urad Dal
Red Chillies
Curry Leaves

Method of Preparation

1. Soak Tamarind in little bit of water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the Juice out of it and keep it aside.

2. Fry Onions in little bit of oil for a minute or two or until they are tender.



3. Add Turmeric, tamarind pulp to the onions and mix well.


4. Add all the rest of powders and grind it in a mixer for once or twice. Make sure that onion do not become totally paste.

5. Do tadka with all the ingredients mentioned under Tadka/Popu.

6. Add tadka to the onion mixture. and your Chutney is ready.





Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Category: Side Dish (Pickles/Chutney's)

Variations

If you like sweet in food, then add jaggery while grinding. I used red onions so I did not use jaggery, but if yellow onions are used then use jaggery as it gives nice taste to it.

Methi Brinjal Curry

Ingredients
Brinjal - Chopped
Methi leaves - Chopped
Spring Onions (Optional)
Tomato

Powders:
Turmeric powder
Chilli Powder
Coriander Powder
Salt to Taste

For Tadka/Popu:
Oil
Mustard seeds (Optional)
Cumin Seeds - 1 Table Spoon
Chana Dal - 1 Table Spoon
Urad dal - 2 Table Spoons
Mint leaves - 4-5
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method of Preparation

1. Chop the brinjal, Methi leaves, Spring Onions Tomato and keep aside.

2. Take a kadai(Vessel), pour little oil in it. Wait until the oil is heated.

3. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal, urad dal, mint leaves asafoetida. Can add garlic cloves also.

4. Add Methi leaves and spring onion to the tadka.



5. Let it fry for a minute or so. Add Brinjal to it.

6. Add turmeric, Chilli powder and Coriander powder to the above. Mix it and let it cook for 5 minutes or till brinjal is done.

7. Add Tomato and Salt to taste at the end.



8. Your methi brinjal is ready for lunch or dinner. This can be served with Chapati or Rice.



Preparation Time: 10-20 minutes(depends on the tenderness of brinjal)
Category: Main Coarse (Curries)

Variations:
1. Can add chopped garlic to tadka.

2. Can add Curry leaves. Curry leaves give good smell as well as good taste to food.

Palak Paneer

This is a well tried recipe from me. I did this many times. This is a good addition to the menu if you expecting any guests or simply a special meal just for you for pleasing ourselves.

Ingredients
Palak - 1 bunch
Tomatos - 2 large
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 table spoons
Dhania powder - 1 table spoon
Jeera powder - 1 table spoon
Onions 1
Green chillies 3
Paneer 200 gms
Salt to Taste
Oil or Butter - 2 tbsp
Cream - 1 tbsp for garnishing

Method of Preparation
1. Boil water in a vessel and turn off the flame, now put the palak leaves in it keep it covered for 10 min or u pressure cook it for 1 whistle without adding water to the palak. When done, blend it with very little water along with green chillies. Palak Pulp is ready.

2. Boil tomatoes in water on high flame for 10 min. Peel off the skin and chop it. Put that in the blender and blend it. Tomato pulp is ready.

3. Heat 2 tbsp oil/butter in a vessel. Add Jeera and add Chopped Onions and let it turn transparent or little brown.

4. Add ginger-garlic paste to the above.

5. Add Jeera powder, Dhania powder, tomato pulp stir well.

6. Now add palak pulp, salt and cover and cook for 7-10 mins.

7. Put off the flame and add paneer pieces and garnish with cream. Serve hot with chapati, naan or paratha.

Preparation Time: 15- 20 Minutes
Category: Main Coarse (Gravy Curries)

Note:
1. Tomato pulp should be half of palak pulp i.e. in the ratio 1:2.

2. Chillies are to be ground with palak to give little teekhapan (hotness) otherwise it does not taste so well.

3. If you want you can fry the paneer pieces and then add to the gravy (without frying will also do).

4. If you think the gravy is too thick then add little warm water to it. Don't make it thin or else u loose the taste and charm of it.

5. Shall Post some pictures soon.

Quick Snack - PaniPuri - Ready to Eat

As I was feeling to have something in the mid period of the day which is between afternoon and evening ... haha.. which is around 5:30 and 6:30. It is too late for Snack time and too early for dinner time. so I wanted to have something which neither fills my stomach for long time nor too light that I wish to have some thing else again in few seconds, I thought of pani puri. Pani Puri's and pani puri masala can be brought from any Indian store. The Chick Peas in the following picture is from a canned tin. Add water to Pani puri Masala. Chop Onions very small and there you are..... ready for a fast and easy, wonderful snack.

Phulka / Roti

The Roti recipe is added for my friend who asked me to publish the recipe so that it is easy to explain with pictures rather than just speaking.

Ingredients
Atta - Godhuma pindi (In Telugu)

Method of Preparation
1. Mix the atta with very little salt and water, To make it thick batter as shown below.


Phulka

2. Keep aside the above for 15-30 minutes.

3. Prepare small rounds from it as shown below




4. Now take a belan and press it to make round shape. ( For the starters, just try to make it flat and equal, you will slowly pick up round shape as you prepare more :) )


5. Take a pan(Penam - Telugu). put the prepared roti from above step on it. Once a small bubbles start appearing turn the roti.

6. Wait until the other side of the roti is done. This can be indicated by the air bubbles on the roti.



7. When the second side it ready then put the first side on flame as shown in figure. As I have Electric stove, I use this little piece to make phulka's which make phulkas come out good, with the same effect as on gas.



8. Apply butter/oil/Ghee if desired and serve with Curry

Variations:
1. Can add little oil, warm water

2. Rice Floor instead of atta for making the roti, to come out with smooth and nice. but if you try the above or the rice floor for making chapati, apply oil/ghee to it. Otherwise there are many chances for the roti to become like papad in few seconds. :)

Masala Idli's

This is a recipe from Indira's Mahanandi site. The only difference is I chopped the carrot instead of grating it. But it tastes real good. Thanks Mahanandi for the wonderful Recipe.

 

Recipe:
To the idli batter add the following:
Grated/chopped carrot
Peanut powder
Green Chillies
Coriander 

Pizza Margarita

Dont mistake by the name that it contains some kind of alcohol or anything. Pizza Margarita is the pizza name. I learned this from one of my cousin, Hema. The pictures are also from her Kichen. Thanks Hema for nice recipe.

Ingredients
To make crust
All Purpose Floor - Maida - 4-5 cups
Yeast - 1 packet
Sugar - 1 Table Spoon
Salt to Taste
Water - to make batter
Olive Oil - 3 Table Spoons

For Toppings (Topings can be varied according to your own taste)
Tomato Paste - Mandatory
Mozarella Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Onions
Tomatos
Green Peppers (Capsicum)
Yellow Peppers
Basil Leaves
Olives
Mushrooms
Jalepenos dipped in Vinegar

Method of Preparation
For Batter:

1. Add Yeast to 3/4 cup warm water. The water will bubble up a lot. Then add a table spoon of Sugar, Salt and 2 table spoons of Olive Oil.

2. Mix it well. Add the all purpose floor to the mix. Make sure it wont form lumps. Keep it covered with wet cloth or wet kichen towel(paper towel). Keep it in warm place like oven/Microwave so that the temparature is maintained at a contant level.

3. Keep the above until the batter doubles.

Pizza Preparation:
1. Take the pizza pan, apply butter to the surface and sprinkle the all purpose floor on the pan.

2. Spread the all purpose floor through out the pan and Dust it.

3. Keep the pan aside. Now take the batter on a flat surface. Spread all purpose floor and press it with hand or belan to make it round shape. It can also be made in any shape desired. press it to make thick or thin depending upon the type of pizza you desire.

4. Spread the flattenned batter (kind of big roti) on the pizza pan.


5. Take a little olive oil and apply it through out the surface of the pizza batter.

6. Spread the Tomato Paste. Add the sliced garlic, at this point if you want. Sprinkle Salt and pepper to taste.



7. Now arrange the green pepper, yellow pepper, onions, mushrooms, olives and basil on the pizza.



8. Now Spread the Mozarella and Cheddar cheese one by one.



9. Preheat the Oven to 400 degrees. Put the pizza pan inside the oven for 15 minutes(if it is medium sized pizza, add more minutes or till it is done for large pizza's).

10. Remove from the oven and serve hot.



Preparation Time: 15 minutes Baking time
+ 15 minutes preparation time
+ 15-60 minutes waiting time.
Category: Main Coarse
Servings: 4 persons

Variations:
1. Do not put normal Jalepenos from store as it will be too hot that you cannot eat it. Try using the Jalepenos dipped in Vinegar which will give us the same taste when we order from outside.

2. For Cheese Pizza you can avoid all the toppings except for Tomato Paste and Cheese.

3. If the Yeast is not active, the bubbles will not come when you add it to warm water. Sugar is food for yeast. So by adding sugar the yeast will still help batter to become double the quantity.

4. Fry onions in a very little Olive oil if it is yellow onions. Since Red Onions are sweet we dont need to do this procedure.