Wednesday, May 30, 2012

SPICY PUFFED RICE | KARAM BORUGULU | MARAMARALU MIXTURE

My mom used to stock up a big container of Spicy puffed rice as it is a simple snack which can be had any time of the day.It is also a tradition at our house to serve a kind of spicy puffed rice or any kind of spicy snack to guests after lunch.While we make various varieties of spicy puffed rice, I am sharing a basic version of spicy puffed rice which can be prepared either with green chillies or red chili powder.However, my most favorite variety is garlic based one which I would try to post later.
The most simple and tastiest way to enjoy this spicy puffed rice is to top it with finely chopped onions,grated carrot and coriander.A generous squeeze of lemon would definitely add a special taste to it. Now straight to the recipe of this popular south Indian snack.
SPICY PUFFED RICE | KARAM BORUGULU:
(yields 6-7 cups)
Ingredients:
5-6 cups Murmur/Puffed rice
1/3 cup Groundnuts
1/3 cup Fried gram(Dalia)
4-5 Green chillies,cut into lengthy and thin pieces
1/4-1/3 tsp Citric acid crystals
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 cup Curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2-3 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Method:
  • Clean the murmur and keep them aside.Use fresh and crisp murmur for the recipe.
  • Dry roast ground nuts and remove the skin and keep them aside.
  • Clean and dry the curry leaves on a kitchen napkin.
  • Heat oil in a big kadai and crackle mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
  • Add slit green chillies and fry until they are crisp.
  • Add fried gram,roasted ground nuts,curry leaves and fry well for a couple of minutes.
  • Now add turmeric powder,Salt and citric acid crystals in to it and mix well.Immediately switch off the flame.
  • Add murmur and mix well until the masala coats the murmur.
  • Now switch on the flame again and roast the murmur for 2-3 minutes on low flame.This will make murmur more crispy.Now switch off and let it cool down completely.
Store in an air-tight container.It stays good for 15-20 days and also up to a month.
Serving Suggestions:
  • You can serve the murmur as it is or top it with finely chopped onions and a dash of lemon juice.
  • For beach style murmur masala,you can mix the murmur with grated carrots,finely chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander,a dash of lemon and mix well and serve immediately.Garnish with fine sev.

Notes:
  • There is no hard and fast rule with the measurements in the recipe.Alter the ingredients according to your wish.
Variations of Spicy puffed rice:
  • Use 1 tsp Red chili powder instead of green chillies in the recipe.You can even add few red chillies in the tadka.
  • You can add cashews or pitikballu/hitikbele(skinned avarekalu) while frying groundnuts for a varitaion.

Monday, May 28, 2012

AVAKAYA | ANDHRA SPECIAL MANGO AVAKAYA PICKLE RECIPE

If you ever speak to an Andhrite about their local cuisine you would either hear Avakaya or Gongura as their first preference.Andhra people prefer their food spicy and hence they have various varieties of pickles which they eat on daily basis.'Avakay (Raw Mango pickle)' can be considered as the king of pickles of Andhra.Though we prepare lots of other varieties of pickles we prepare Avakaya in a larger quantity.Traditionally any Andhra meal would ideally start with pickles like Avakay or any other vegetable pacchadi.(chutney)
During my childhood when the entire family meets during vacations,avakaya is mixed in a big bowl with either muddapappu (mashed up cooked toor dal) or spiced up pappula podi(fried gram powder) and dollops of ghee and is served to the entire family in the form of muddalu(rounds) during lunch.We add garlic pods to this pickle which when marinated gives a very nice taste to the pickle. I always search for garlic pods in avakaya pickle as they taste very nice with curd rice.One can even add kala chana or methi seeds to the pickle according to their preference.We added methi seeds this year to our Avakaya.
ANDHRA AVAKAYA PICKLE RECIPE:
(makes approx 1 kilo)
Shelf life: 1 year

Ingredients:
4 cups Mango pieces of 4-5 medium raw sour Mangoes (pickle variety,see the notes)
1 cup Mustard seed powder(ground from 1 cup mustard seeds)
1 cup Red chili powder(see notes)
1/3 cup Garlic pods
1 tbsp Methi seeds
1 cup (minus 3 tbsp) Salt(use salt less than 1 cup)
1 1/2 cup Sesame oil
Method:

cleaning the mangoes:
  • Wash and wipe the mangoes with a dry cloth.You really need to have sharp thick knife to cut into 1" thick mango wedges with the inner shell in tact as shown in the pictures.Here in India the shop keepers does this job during the mango season.
  • If the inner shell is in tact this will increase the shelf life of pickle.Take a sharp knife and scrub the inner shell to remove a thin white layer over it.This is another important step you should keep in mind otherwise the pickle gets spoil.
  • Now take a dry cloth and wipe the pieces from all the sides ensuring that they are cleaned and dried well.
  • Spread them over a dry cloth while you are preparing the spices for the pickle.

for making pickle:
  • Keep ready the sterilized and sun dried jars ready before you start pickling.
  • Grind mustard seeds(approx 1 cup)to a fine powder.
  • Remove the extra outer layers of garlic and keep just one thin layer intact with the pod.
  • Now take a big bowl and mix the mustard seeds powder,red chili powder and salt until everything is mixed well.

  • Add the mango pieces to it and mix well and apply the mixture all over the mango pieces with your hands.Using your hands for this step is better than mixing it up with ladle.
  • Add methi seeds and garlic pods to the mixed mixture and mix well.If you are using kala chana instead of methi seeds add them at this time.Use either methi seeds or kala chana in the recipe.

  • Add 1 1/4 cups of oil to the spice coated mango pieces and mix well.
  • Put the masala coated mango pieces and all the remaining masala in the sterilized jar add 1/4 cup oil over it and cover it with lid and keep it aside for 2-3 days.

  • On day-1 check it some oil might have started floating over the pickle.Now taste the masala mixture in the pickle,it should be perfect and slightly salty as the pickle has to be yet marinated for a day or two before its usage.But if you feel the salt is less add a tsp or 2tsps of salt to it and mix well.I don't think it would be necessary if you follow the measurements accurate.
  • Mix with a clean and dry ladle all over and repeat the same process on day-3.
  • On the day-3 if you see the oil is floating on the pickle up to an 1/2" height then it is perfect.Otherwise add extra sesame oil over the top until the oil floats on top.
  • Store it in a clean air-tight tupperware/ceramic/glass container.This way your pickle stores for long with freshness in it and even the mango pieces do not get soft and also would not change the color.
Serve it with hot rice and ghee.You can serve it with muddapappu(mashed up cooked toor dal) or pappula podi(spiced up fried gram powder) and ghee which are classic combos with avakaya.
Notes:
  • Use pickle variety mangoes which are sour and also cut them in to the pieces with the inner shell in tact.
  • You can add 1/3 cup Kala chana in the recipe and avoid 1 tbsp methi seeds.You can use whatever you want,but use only one variety.
  • Use red chili powder which is specially used for pickles as this variety gives a nice and bright red color to the pickle and also it is not very spicy.My MIL brought a brand called 'Three Mangoes' which is good for pickles.It is not very spicy and also gave beautiful bright red color to pickle giving a fiery look.
  • Always transfer a small portion of pickle into a small jar and use a clean and dry spoon.
  • Increase the amount of sesame oil as required in the recipe.The basic thumb rule is to make the oil float over the pickle after 3 days.So feel free to add extra sesame oil.
  • This pickle stays good for an year.
  • You can easily double or triple the recipe,the basic rule is to use 4 cups of mango pieces with 1 leveled cup(1 cup minus 3 tbsp) salt,1 cup red chili powder and 1 cup mustard seeds powder.
Check out my earlier Mango pickle posts:

Friday, May 25, 2012

GODHUMA RAVA UPMA | BROKEN WHEAT VEGETABLE UPMA

I don't use broken wheat at home as TH is allergic to it and hence I don't prepare Lapsi rava upma.I make regular Upma only when I am alone as he is not fond of even simple upma.Semiya upma occurs frequently in out breakfast menu when I run out of ideas and need something quick.Though he likes Kharabath I do not make on regular basis because of its ghee dosage.
I made this upma recently when my in laws were here last week.I used a finer variety of Lapsi rava as I don't like the very coarse texture of lapsi.I added lot of vegetables to upma to add nutrition to it,it is your wish to make it simple plain upma or to add some zing by adding some veggies and masala to upma.
Godhuma Rava Upma | Lapsi Upma:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
1 cup fine Lapsi Rawa/Broken wheat rawa
2 medium Onions,sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped vegetables(carrots,beans,capsicum,peas)
3-4 Green chillies,slit
1/4 cup grated fresh Coconut
2 tbsp chopped fresh Coriander
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder(optional)
1/2" Ginger,chopped
a sprig of Curry leaves
8-10 Cashew nuts,broken
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Chana dal
2 tsp Urad dal
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2-3 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Ghee
Method:
  • Dry roast lapsi rawa(sooji) in a kadai until the nice aroma starts from it.Remove it from the pan and let it cool.You can even roast rawa in a tsp of ghee which also gives a nice flavor to upma.
  • Microwave the vegetables for 2-3 mins,just par boil them.
  • Heat oil in a thick aluminium kadai(which is ideal for making upma) or non-stick kadai and crackle mustard seeds.
  • Add chana dal,cashew nuts and urad dal and roast until they turn golden brown.
  • Add slit green chillies,chopped ginger and curry leaves and fry them until they wilt.
  • Add sliced onions and fry them until they are pink in color.Add turmeric powder to it.
  • Add microwaved vegetables to it and fry well.
  • Mean while boil 3 cups of water(1c rawa:3c water) in another vessel until it reaches the boiling point.
  • Pour the hot boiling water into the upma kadai where onions and vegetables are fried and let it boil again.
  • Add required amount of salt to it.
  • Now pour the lapsi rawa with one hand and keep stirring with another hand using a ladle,make sure you make this process very quickly otherwise you will end up having lumpy upma.
  • Once everything is mixed,keep the lid on and cook it on low flame for 2-3 mins.
  • Add ghee,coriander,grated coconut and lemon juice to it and mix well.
  • Cover it and let it sit for 4-5 mins before you serve.
Serve it hot with some boondi/chips/cucumber and coconut chutney.
Notes:
  1. Roasting the rawa ensures that the upma will not become sticky and also gives a nice flavor,so do not skip this step.
  2. Boiling the water separately and adding it to upma is also another key step to get nice and soft upma.
  3. If you want the upma to be very soft add 1c rawa:3c water,if you want it bit dry then add it in the ratio of 1c rawa:2 1/2 c water.
  4. You can add extra ghee while serving it.
  5. You can add 1/4 tsp of Garam masala to add extra zing to upma.Add after roasting the veggies.
  6. For a Vegan version avoid ghee in the recipe.
Variations:

  • Instead of Lapsi rawa you can use bansi(kesar) rawa or regular rawa and follow the same recipe.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

PALLI AVAKAYA | GROUNDNUT AVAKAY | RAW MANGO PICKLE with GROUNDNUT POWDER

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I am posting here another mango avakaya recipe.While we prepare lots of regular varieties every year as I had highlighted in my earlier post, this year we tried preparing a different type of pickle. Groundnut avakaya is not very common and is prepared in northern part of Andhra Pradesh. If you are a pickle lover, you must try this one for sure. The flavor and taste of groundnut powder in this pickle is truly amazing and we loved it to the core and in fact finished most of what we prepared in the first week itself. The only problem with this pickle is the shelf life which is less. When prepared carefully, it would stay for 15-20 days and for a month if refrigerated.I have lots of pickle recipes lined up and I promise to post one pickle recipe every week.
Palli Avakaya | Groundnut Avakay | Mango Pickle with Groundnut powder:
(makes approx 3 cups)
Shelf life: 15-20 days

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups Mango pieces(pickle variety,see the notes)
1/2 cup Groundnuts
1/2 cup Red chili powder(see notes)
1/2 cup (minus 1 tbsp) Salt(use salt less than 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup Sesame oil
Method:

cleaning the mangoes:
  • Wash and wipe the mangoes with a dry cloth.You really need to have sharp thick knife to cut into 1" thick mango wedges with the inner shell in tact as shown in the pictures.Here in India the shop keepers does this job during the mango season.
  • If the inner shell is in tact this will increase the shelf life of pickle.Take a sharp knife and scrub the inner shell to remove a thin white layer over it.This is another important step you should keep in mind otherwise the pickle gets spoil.
  • Now take a dry cloth and wipe the pieces from all the sides ensuring that they are cleaned and dried well.
  • Spread them over a dry cloth while you are preparing the spices for the pickle.
for making pickle:
  • Keep ready the sterilized and sun dried jars ready before you start pickling.
  • Dry roast ground nuts until slight golden in color and cool it.Remove the skin and grind groundnuts to a fine powder.
  • Now take a big bowl and mix the groundnut powder,red chili powder and salt until everything is mixed well.
  • Add the mango pieces to it and mix well and apply the mixture all over the mango pieces with your hands.Using your hands for this step is better than mixing it up with ladle.
  • Add 1/4 cup oil to the spice coated mango pieces and mix well.
  • Put the masala coated mango pieces and all the remaining masala in the sterilized jar add 1/4 cup oil over it and cover it with lid and keep it aside for 2-3 days.
  • On day-1 check it some oil might have started floating over the pickle.Now taste the masala mixture in the pickle,it should be perfect and slightly salty as the pickle has to be yet marinated for a day or two before its usage.But if you feel the salt is less add a tsp or 2tsps of salt to it and mix well.I don't think it would be necessary if you follow the measurements accurate.
  • Mix with a clean and dry ladle all over and repeat the same process on day-3.
  • On the day-3 if you see the oil is floating on the pickle up to an 1/2" height then it is perfect.Otherwise add extra sesame oil over the top until the oil floats on top.
  • Store it in a clean air-tight tupperware container or glass bottle.This way your pickle stores for long with freshness in it and even the mango pieces do not get soft.
Serve it with hot rice and ghee.
Notes:
  • Use pickle variety mangoes which are sour and also cut them in to the pieces with the inner shell in tact.
  • Use red chili powder which is specially used for pickles as this variety gives a nice and bright red color to the pickle and also it is not very spicy.
  • Always transfer a small portion of pickle into a small jar and use a clean and dry spoon.
  • Increase the amount of sesame oil as required in the recipe.The basic thumb rule is to make the oil float over the pickle after 3 days.So feel free to add extra sesame oil.
  • This pickle stays good up to a week.It stays good for 10-15 days if refrigerated.
  • You can easily double or triple the recipe,the basic rule is to use 4 cups of mango pieces with 1 leveled cup salt,1 cup red chili powder and 1 cup groundnut powder.

Check out my earlier Mango pickle posts:Link

Monday, May 21, 2012

Thati Nungu Payasam | Easy Tadgola(Palm fruit) Dessert - EASY SUMMER DESSERT

As a kid, I always looked forward to the summer vacations, as that was the time to meet up my cousins and have lots of fun.Summer vacations are also associated with lots of memories for me.The usual number would be 25-30 of us who gathered at our granny's place in bangarpet and if the number exceeded 60 , we used to meet at my dad's ancestral house. It was a large gathering every summer an hence the fun element was even larger.While we kids are busy playing,watching movies and finishing our summer assignments, the adults(the ladies of the family) used to be busy in the kitchen cooking various varieties .In summers our place used to be flooded with bags of mangoes and buckets of tadgola fruits and one room would be dedicated for the mangoes to ripen.It is just impossible to resist the temptation, when some one passes that room given the sweet aroma of the ripening mangoes.It used to be fun to chose one's own fruit every day and we all cousins used to sit together and enjoy the king of fruits messing up our hands.
Apart from mangoes, Tadgola is another fruit which we enjoy in the summer.Tadgola or Toddy Palm fruit is called 'Nungulu' or 'Munjalu' in Telugu and it is a natural body coolant and is quite good for summers.While those skins are peeled, we kids used to pick the tender tadgola fruit and pop them into our mouth leaving the hard ones aside.If the tadgola fruit is very hard it gets used in this quick and easy dessert.As the mangoes are also available in this season, generally it is paired with tadgola so that it can be served to such a large group.

Thati Nungu Payasam | Palm Fruit Dessert:
(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:
500 ml Whole Milk
7-8 Tadgolas(Nungulu)
10-12 Almonds,soaked for 1 hr
3-4 tbsp Sugar
few strands of saffron(for garnish)
Method:
  • Soak almonds in water for an hour or two and peel off the skin.Grind it to a paste using some milk.

  • Boil milk and simmer it for a while to become thick until the milk reduces to half the volume for approx 15 mins.
  • Add ground almond paste and sugar to it and stir continuously and boil on low flame for 2-3 mins.Check for the sweetness,if required add extra tbsp of sugar to it.Cool it until it comes to room temperature.

  • Peel off the skin of tadgolas and cut into small pieces and keep them aside.
  • Mix the chopped tadgolas with cooled milk mixture and refrigerate for 2-3 hrs before serving.
Garnish with saffron and serve it chilled.

Variations:
  1. You can play with the flavors and add cardamom powder to the milk mixture.
  2. You can make the dessert rich by adding condensed milk instead of sugar.
  3. Add a couple of tbsps of fresh cream just before serving to make the dessert rich.
  4. You can make Badam milk using MTR badam milk mixture and add chopped tadgola to it for a quick and east version.

Mango-Tadgola Dessert | Mamidipandu-Nungu Payasam:

Ingredients:
recipe ingredients same as above
1 ripen Mango,finely chopped

Method:

  • Just follow the above procedure for tadgola dessert and add finely chopped ripen mango(preferably alphonsos) to it along with tadgola fruit.Adjust the sweetness according to your taste buds.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Lauki Chana Dal Recipe | Sorakaya Senagapappu Kura | Bottlegourd Chana Dal

I usually make either paratha or kofta or akki roti with bottle gourd as TH does not prefer bottle gourd in curries.As my in-laws are here now I had a chance to prepare this curry for lunch .I like the slight sweet taste of the vegetables like bottle gourd,ridge gourd after they get cooked and chana dal adds a nice bite when cooked.This is a simple recipe which goes well with rice and roti.
Lauki chana dal Recipe | Sorakaya Senagapappu Kura:
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 medium Bottle gourd(roughly 2 1/2 cups chopped)
1/2 cup Chana dal
2 medium Onions,chopped
2 Tomatoes,finely chopped
2-3 Green chillies,slit
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
3/4 tsp Red chili powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Garam masala (optional)
a sprig of Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
a pinch of Asafoetida
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Method:
  • Soak chana dal for 1 hr.Drain and keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a small pressure cooker or thick kadai and crackle mustard seeds.
  • Add hing,slit green chillies and curry leaves and fry for 30-40 secs.
  • Add chopped onions and fry until they are translucent.
  • Add chopped bottle gourd pieces and fry for 2-3 mins.Add chopped tomatoes and soaked chana dal and again saute for a minute.
  • Add coriander powder,red chili powder,garam masala,turmeric powder and salt fry for a minute.
  • Add 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 1-2 whistles.If you are using kadai cover it and cook for 8-10 mins until bottle gourd is cooked.Chana dal should be firm to touch but it should be cooked.
  • once the pressure is down(if using cooker) cook on high flame for a minute or two and switch off the flame.
Serve it hot with Rice/Roti.

Notes:
  • You can replace bottle gourd with ridge gourd or white pumpkin and follow the same recipe.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

PESARA AVAKAYA | MOONG DAL AVAKAYA - ANDHRA MANGO PICKLE with MOONG DAL POWDER

Its SUMMER time and so is the season for mangoes. While lots of mangoes are consumed directly as any other fruit, raw mangoes are pickled and preserved for consumption through the year. I usually get my stock of pickles from my MIL and since this year they are visiting us in this season , the entire week was spent in preparing various pickles based on mangoes. Yes, your guess is correct - you will see lots of varieties of mango pickle varieties in my blog from now on.
While I am not an expert in making pickles , with some help from my MIL, I tried making some last year which is posted on my blog . See the following posts - North Indian style Aam ka Achar and also Mukkala Pacchadi(Tiny mango pieces pickle).
This year we prepared, various varieties of Andhra's special pickles such as Avakay,Allam Avakay, Mukkala Pacchadi, Maagaya, Pesara Avakay, Nuvvu Avakay, Bellam Avakay, Verusenaga Avakay and North Indian style Aam ka Achar.Pickle varieties like Avakay, Allam Avakay, North Indian Aam achar, Maagaya and Bellam Avakaya stays for the entire year and also needs at least a week to ten days to age. We hence prepare other varieties like Mukkala pacchadi, Pesara avakay, Nuvvu avakay to start the mango season, which can be consumeed in just 2 days post its preparation, however its shelf life is just 10-15 days, so we prepare them in small portions.

Coming to today's post -Pesara avakay is quite distinct in taste compared to the regular avakay with a dominant flavor of moong dal. In this avakay moong dal powder is used instead of mustard powder and hence a different taste.Pesara avakay when mixed with hot rice and ghee is just awesome.
PESARA AVAKAYA RECIPE:
(makes approx 3 cups)
Shelf life: 15-20 days

Ingredients:
2- 2 1/2 cups Mango pieces of 2 medium mangoes (pickle variety,see the notes)
1/2 cup Moong dal
1/2 cup Red chili powder(see notes)
1/2 cup (minus 2 tbsp) Salt(use salt less than 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup Sesame oil

Method:

cleaning the mangoes:
  • Wash and wipe the mangoes with a dry cloth.You really need to have sharp thick knife to cut into 1" thick mango wedges with the inner shell in tact as shown in the pictures.Here in India the shop keepers does this job during the mango season.
  • If the inner shell is in tact this will increase the shelf life of pickle.Take a sharp knife and scrub the inner shell to remove a thin white layer over it.This is another important step you should keep in mind otherwise the pickle gets spoilt.
  • Now take a dry cloth and wipe the pieces from all the sides ensuring that they are cleaned and dried well.
  • Spread them over a dry cloth while you are preparing the spices for the pickle.

for making pickle:
  • Keep ready the sterilized and sun dried jars ready before you start pickling.

  • Dry roast moong dal until slight golden in color and cool it.Grind moong dal to a fine powder.
  • Now take a big bowl and mix the moong dal powder,red chili powder and salt until everything is mixed well.

  • Add the mango pieces to it and mix well and apply the mixture all over the mango pieces with your hands.Using your hands for this step is better than mixing it up with ladle.

  • Add 1/4 cup oil to the spice coated mango pieces and mix well.
  • Put the masala coated mango pieces and all the remaining masala in the sterilized jar add 1/4 cup oil over it and cover it with lid and keep it aside for 2-3 days.

  • On day-1 check it some oil might have started floating over the pickle.Now taste the masala mixture in the pickle,it should be perfect and slightly salty as the pickle has to be yet marinated for a day or two before its usage.But if you feel the salt is less add a tsp or 2tsps of salt to it and mix well.I don't think it would be necessary if you follow the measurements accurate.
  • Mix with a clean and dry ladle all over and repeat the same process on day-3.
  • On the day-3 if you see the oil is floating on the pickle up to an 1/2" height then it is perfect.Otherwise add extra sesame oil over the top until the oil floats on top.
  • Store it in a clean air-tight tupperware container or glass bottle.This way your pickle stores for long with freshness in it and even the mango pieces do not get soft.
Serve it with hot rice and ghee.
Notes:
  • Use pickle variety mangoes which are sour and also cut them in to the pieces with the inner shell in tact.
  • Use red chili powder which is specially used for pickles as this variety gives a nice and bright red color to the pickle and also it is not very spicy.
  • Always transfer a small portion of pickle into a small jar and use a clean and dry spoon.
  • Increase the amount of sesame oil as required in the recipe.The basic thumb rule is to make the oil float over the pickle after 3 days.So feel free to add extra sesame oil.
  • This pickle stays good up to 15-20 days.It stays good for a month if refrigerated.
  • You can easily double or triple the recipe,the basic rule is to use 4 cups of mango pieces with 1 leveled cup(1 cup-4 tbsp) salt,1 cup red chili powder and 1 cup moong dal powder.