Thotakura pappu (Amaranth leaves Dal)

• Thotakura pappu is a very common dal in the Andhra house holds. I remember my mom making this dal at least twice a week. After moving to U.S Amaranth leaves have become like a childhood memory for me. I don’t see them that often in the Indian grocery stores here. But when i do find them, I don’t miss a chance in making this dal.

• Pappu (dal) with some kind of greens or veggies is very common in Andhra. Pappu with hot rice, a dollop of ghee and avakaya (mango pickle) on the side are sure to please your taste buds. Simple and clean flavors which takes me down the memory lane.

• Preparation is very simple. Take the amaranth leaves with toor dal, onion, green chille and tomato to a pressure cooker. Cook until soft and finally do the tempering. It can’t get any simpler than this.

Recipe:

• Toor dal: half cup
• amaranth leaves- a bunch
• onion- 1/2
• Red juicy tomato- 1
• Green chille- 3 to 4
• Tamarind paste- 2 tsp
• and salt.

Procedure:

Cut the onion, green chille and tomatoe into small pieces. Wash the Amarath leaves, drain the water and chop them. Now take the toor dal, amarath leaves, green chille, onion and tomato with a pinch of turmeric in a vessel. Cook it in the pressure cooker till soft.

Once cooked, mash a bit and do the tempering with a tsp of oil, few mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp chana dal, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.

Add the tempering to the cooked dal mixture. Now add the salt and tamarind and return the dal mixture to the stove and cook for another five minutes.

Serve the pappu with hot rice.

Stuffed Bittergourd (Kakarkaya pottalu)

I assume most of you out there are not a big fan of bitter gourd like i was. Though its extremely bitter, it has tons of nutritional values to it. It stimulates digestion and is also very good for diabetes people.

A while back i asked Ven, how come most of the things which we like (sweets, fried items) are not healthy and the things which we don’t like (like certain type of veggies, fruits, whole wheat products) are healthy. He replied by asking me: why do you like something when you know its not healthy for you. I think we all know that, but we end up leaning towards the unhealthy stuff.

As of know my priorities and my eating habits are changing for good. Now my perspective is-just give a try and try getting use to it. You may not love it, but i am sure you will eventually like it. One vegetable i have adapted this kind of strategy is bitter gourd.

when ever my mom made stuffed bitter gourd, I used to eat the stuffing and just the seeds in the bitter gourd. But now i eat all of eat. If i am running the kitchen, In addition to just cooking i need to eat them to set a good example at least for the people around me.

 

 

 

Recipe:

Bitter gourd(Karela/Kakarkayi)- Medium size 2

Medium sized onion-1 (chopped to tiny pieces)

dalia powder/chanaga pappu powder- 4 tbsps

grated dry coconut - 1 1/2 tbsps

red chille powder- 1/2 to 1 tsp

and salt as desired

Procedure:

My mom’s version of cooking the Bittergourd:

My mom used to cook the whole bitter gourd in a pot with some salt, turmeric and tamarind. Once cooked she used to pan fry(not deep fry) the bitter gourd with a teaspoon of oil till its roasted on all sides. And then cut in the center and stuff the dalia and coconut mixture.

My version of cooking Bittergourd:

Cut the bitter gourd in to thin round circles. Pop them in the microwave and cook for good three minutes. Now in a pan put a teaspoon of oil and fry the bittergourd on both sides till golden brown. Sprinkle some salt and keep a side.

In the same pan, add some more oil and add the chopped onion. Cook until soft and then add the dalia, coconut, red chillie powder and salt. At this point the mixture will be dry, sprinkle few tablespoons of water which will help you make round balls out of it. Finally add the chopped coriander leaves and turn off the stove.

When the mixture is warm enough to handle, make round balls out of it. And serve this with the pan fried bitter gourd and hot rice.

Note:

If you want to take away at least little bit of bitterness from the BG, cook them in water with some salt, tumeric and tamarind. Drain and cut into small circles and pan fry them.

This recipe requires very little oil because we cook the BG in microwave/water. 

Recipe: Amma

 

Patties with leftover Pongal

One of the best breakfasts of a South Indian house hold is Pongal. It tastes best when eaten hot. But when it sits for few hours, pongal tends to become thick. I feel that leftover pongal can be really boring to eat at times.

My mom used the leftover pongal to make patties. We used to have the pongal patties as a snack after school.

Its a very simple recipe which takes hardly ten minutes to make.

Recipe:

About 2 cups of pongal
Rice flour- 3 tablespoons
Green chillies (chopped)- 3
Onion (chopped)- 1/2
few coriander leaves
Salt and pepper

In a plate take 2 tbsps of rice flour, little bit of salt and pepper. Mix and keep it on the side.

In a vessel mix the pongal with a tablespoon of rice flour, green chillies, onion, coriander and salt. Make medium size patties with it. It might be little sticky. Now dust both sides of the patties with the rice flour, salt and pepper mixture.

In a pan put few teaspoons of oil and fry the patties about 3 minutes on each side. It should have a nice crispy texture on the top. But it will be still soft inside.

Serve immediately with coriander chutney.



Note: While frying, you need to put a good amount of oil.

A simple drumstick, potato & green pepper curry

Munnakayi, bangala dumpa & capsicum koora

Drumstick, potato & green pepper curry with garlic vadiyalu

Drumstick is one of my favorite vegetables. My mom generally made two different things with the drumstick. One was drumstick pulusu (sambar) and the other is drumstick koora (curry) with potato and cauliflower. Its a very simple curry which goes well with hot rice. Because i ran out of cauliflower i replaced it by green pepper.

While picking drumsticks look for smooth greenish skin in the pods. Avoid the ones which look hard,where the flavor will be strong and bitter.

In U.S we don’t find fresh drumsticks that often. But when we do find it tends to be little pricy.But my love for drumstick makes me buy the frozen ones. Though they are ok in taste it satisfies my craving for drumstick.

Recipe:

fresh drumstick/munnakayi - 2 (cut into one inch long pieces)
or Frozen drumstick - about 12 pieces
Potato -1
green pepper-1
small onion-1
green chillies- 3 to 4
tomato-1
tamarind
cilantro

Procedure: Cut the onion, green pepper,tomato and potato into small chunks. Cut the drumstick into one inch long pieces.

Now take a pan, put one teaspoon of oil and fry the potato till it gets a nice brown crust on top of it and cooked through. Keep it a side.

In another pot do the tempering with one tespoon of oil, mustard seeds, half teaspoon chana dal and quarter teaspoon cumin. When they are lightly brown add the chopped green chillies followed by onion. Cook till onion becomes little soft then add a pinch of asfatedia( hing), green pepper, drumstick and tomato. Put half cup of water, some salt and cook for about ten to fifteen minutes till the drumstick becomes tender. Once everything is cooked through add the cooked potato, some tamarind/ lemon juice and chopped coriander. Stir till everything is blended together.Taste and reason accordingly.

Serve the curry with chapathi or rice.

Note: If frozen dumstick is used, thaw it in the microwave.
You can also replace cauliflower for green pepper.

Recipe: amma

Black chickpeas (Nalla chanagala) Guggullu

Do you have a lot of dry beans hanging in for months or probably for a year in your pantry? If the answer is yes, then try making this simple and healthy guggulu.

Chick pea provides a good source of protien for vegetarians like me. A lite and a healthy snack to munch in the evening.

• Dry black chickpeas( nalla sanagalu/ kala chana)- 1cup ( soak over night and cook in pressure cooker till soft, but still holding its shape)
• Two green chilles chopped
• Half onion chopped
• Few Cilantro( coriander) leaves
• Fresh lemon juice
• Grated coconut- 2 tsps
• Curry leaves

Cook the dry chickpeas and do a quick sauté by adding two teaspoons of oil, few mustard seed, half teaspoon of chana dal, green chille, hing and onion. Cook till onion becomes little soft. Then add the cooked black chick peas and salt and finish it of with grated coconut and fresh lemon juice.

Note: You can skip the onion if you are making for prasadam.



Tips:
Add the cooked black chickpeas in spinach sambar or dal.

Ridgegourd peel chutney (Beerakaya tokku pachadi)

• 

  Beerakaya pachadi (Ridge gourd chutney) with combination of white & brown rice.

  Ridge gourd is one of my favourite vegetables. It’s so soft and sweet that it just melts in your mouth. Not just the inside part, I happen to love the skin too. Though it has that rough look and texture it makes a very good pachadi(chutney) when cooked with the right Indian spices.

  This picture was indeed taken a couple of months back. Actually when my mom was here she used to make it very often. That’s when I took this picture.

  

  -
  Recipe:

  Peel of Ridgegourd (Beerakaya)-1 cup
  Urad dal- 2 tsps
  Cumin and coriander seeds- ½ tsp each
  Dry red chillies- 6 to 8 (adjust acc to your spice level)
  Garlic pods- 2
  Little bit of tamarind soaked in water and
  Salt to taste

  Wash the ridge gourd, peel and chop the skin discarding the pointed edges.

  In a pan put 1 tsp of oil and fry the urad dal, cumin, coriander and red chilies till light brown color.
  Remove and in the same pan add 2 tsps of oil and fry the ridge ground till it becomes little soft.

  Now in a mixer add the dry spices and grind to a powder. Then add the ridge gourd, tamarind, garlic pods and salt and grind to a smooth paste.

  If you mixer rejects to grind add little bit of water (not too much) that will work.

  Serve the pachadi with some rice and ghee.