Vankaya, Chikkudukaya, Cauliflower Kura (curry)

A MIXED VEGETABLE CURRY WITH BRINJAL, INDIAN BROAD BEANS AND CAULIFLOWER (ANDHRA STYLE)

I always like to have my lunch very simple like one subji and rice or roti. I hardly make two curries, rice rasam for week days lunch. If I have rice in the afternoon I prefer to have roti or any thing light for dinner. This curry is one of the perfect combination with rice or roti. I usually make this with the combination of brinjal and broad beans. But in winters when we get cauliflower can mix cauliflower to this curry. Other then cauliflower you can mix potato to the same curry. If you want to make this as a side dish pappu charu or pesara pappucharu or any tadka dal is the best combination with this curry 

INGREDIENTS:-

Indian broad beans--250gms (Avarakai,phali,sem

Eggplant(brinjal)---1 big or 250gms

Cauliflower  ----  1 small flower

Onion---1 big chopped

For seasoning:-

Mustard seeds --- 1/2 tea sp

Cumin seeds ---  1 tea sp

Uard dal --- 1tea sp

Few curry leaves

Oil--tebsp

Fenugreek powder :--  1/4 tea sp

Chilli powder ---  1 tea sp

Turmeric powder  --- 1/4 tea sp

Fresh ground coriander,cumin powder --- 1 tea sp

METHOD:-

1. Cut brinjal in to bite size pieces, beans in to 1 inch pieces and cauliflower in to small flowerets. Choop onion very finely.

2.  Heat oil in a fry pan and add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,uard dal, fenugreek powder and curry leaves let them crackle then add onion fry onion till soft and add beans. Add salt and turmeric powder sprinkle very little water cover with a lid and let it cook for 5 min

3.  Now open the lid and add cauliflower, brinjal pieces mix well and  again cover with lid and cook in a low flame till done stir in between.

4.  Just before you removing from fire add chilli powder,coriander and cumin powder stir well and remove from fire and serve hot with roti or rice

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Chilkadadumpa,Bendakaya Pulusu

SWEET POTATO AND OKRA IN TAMARIND GRAVY

Iam going to start This edition with a simple and healthy dish. Which is a very favorite at home and is a must once in a week day lunch. I usually make this tamarind base gravies with a stir fry like Cabbage or carrot or with beans. This Pulusu is a traditional Andhra recipe which we can make different vegetables. 

INGREDIENTS:---
Chilakada dumpa(sweet potato)  ----  2 medium
Bendakayalu (okra)  ---  10

Tomato --- 1 big chopped

Red chilli powder -- 1 tea sp
Turmeric powder --- 1 tea sp
Salt to taste
Jaggery --- 1 tab sp grated

Tamarind -- 1 big lemon sized(about 5 gms or 1 tab sp Tamarind pulp)

For seasoning:---
Oil --- 2 tab sp
Red chillies -- 2 broken
Mustard seeds -- 1 tea sp
Fenugreek powder -- 1/4 tea sp
Asafoetida -- 1/4 tea sp
A few curry leaves
                                                                               

METHOD:-----
Scrub and wash sweet potato to remove any mud on it and cut in to half inch rounds. Cut okra in to one inch pieces

1. Soak tamarind in water and extract juice with 1 cup water if using tamarind pulp mix with 1tab sp tamarind pulp with 1 cup water.

2. Cook Sweet potato in 1 cup water with salt and turmeric till half cooked.
Heat one tab.sp oil in a pan add okra pieces and fry in a medium heat for few minutes and add okra pieces to sweet potato pieces. 

 3.  Then add tamarind water to the vegetables add red chilli powder mix well and cook till raw smell of the tamarind disappears and gravy becomes thick it will take about 10 - 15 min.

 4. Now add jaggery mix well and cook 5 more min. check and adjust the salt.

If you feel like gravy is not enough thick mix 1 tea sp rice flour in little water and add this to Pulusu in this stage.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds let them popup then add fenugreek powder,asafoetida and curry leaves fry for few sec and add this to Pulusu.
Serve hot with steamed rice, muddapappu and any stir fry with few drops of ghee.
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Chikkudukaya Velluli Karam Kura - Indian Broad Beans Stir Fry With Garlic Flavor

My second recipe under Stir fries for this week is a seasonal vegetable. Which is very much available in winter and very popular in Andhra cuisine. Chikkudu kaya we make a few verities of curries and stir fries with this vegetable.  Usually we make this stir fry with plain rice and dal or sambar.   

Broad beans are rich sources of vitamin A and C it helps in bone development. It helps to maintain the blood presure, and helps to control the cholesterol levels and many more health benefits. 

INGREDIENTS:-----

Chikkudu kayalu  ---  250 gms

Turmeric powder   --- 1/4 tea sp

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder  ----  1 tea sp

For seasoning:-----

Oil  --- 1 tab sp

Mustard seeds  ---  1/2 tea sp

Urad dal   ---  1 tea sp

Cumin seeds  --- 1/2 tea sp

Dry red chillies  -- 2 broken

Garlic --- 12 crushed

Curry leaves one spring

METHOD:---

1. Wash and tare the chikkudu kayalu one in to four pieces.

2. Add salt, turmeric powder and cook till soft remove from heat,drain the water and set a side.

3. Now heat oil in a frying pan add mustard seeds let them splutter then add urad dall, broken red chillies, crushed garlic, cumin seeds, curry leaves fry for a while then add boiled chikkudukayalu stir fry for five minutes.

Serve with plain rice rasam or with rice, dal  as a side dish.

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Dondakaya Ullikaram Kura - Ivy Gourd Stir fry with onion and coconut

This small green lovely vegetable is all time favorite in my home. Recently I came to know that is vegetable is good for diabetic patients. It helps to normalize the blood sugar levels. It prevents kidney stones because this small vegetable is rich in Calcium.   
                       Dondakaya -- Ivy gourd or Gherkins in English, this is a popular vegetable in India. It is eaten as a side dish by stir frying or stuffed it with masala and saute or as a chutney (dipping). this small green colored vegetable is rich in beta-carotene.we make some delicious stir fry dishes with different flavours.This Ivy gourd stir fries are good combination for rice and dal.

INGREDIENTS:---
Ivy gourd -- 1/2 kg(500 gms)
Oil --- 1 tab sp
Garlic cloves --- 5 crushed
Mustard seeds -- 1/2 tea sp
Urad dal --- 1 tea sp
Cumin seeds -- 1/2 teasp
Curry leaves -- 1 spring
Salt -- 1 teasp
Turmeric powder --1/4 tea sp
For Masala:--
Onion  -- 1 big cut in to cubes
Garlic   -- 5 cloves
Dry coconut  --- 1 tab sp
Red chilli powder  --- 1 tea sp
Grind all masala ingredients in to a coarse paste and set a side.
METHOD:---

1.Wash tindora and remove the tip and tail and cut in to length wise peaces,each gourd will cut in to 6 long peaces.

2.Cook them in 1/2cup water and turmeric,salt to taste cook till tender. Strain if any extra water and set a side,

3. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds let them pop up then add cumin seeds,uard dal,curry leaves now add cooked tindora stir for 5 minuites

4. After 5minutes add ground masala stir for 3-4 minutes or fry till aroma comes out.

Serve hot with plain rice and dal.
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Vankaya Pachadi

My second recipe under chutney's, spreads and dips is again a chutney from Andhra cuisine. Brinjal/ eggplant/ vankaya Pachadi is one of the all time favorites in Andhra homes. Not only as a chutney eggplant is a favorite vegetable at home. I used green small variety eggplants for this chutney you can use any variety eggplants for this chutney. 

Let's check the recipe
INGREDIENTS:---
Eggplants  --- 5 
Green chillies --- 8 or reduce according to your taste
Coriander seeds  --- 1 tab sp
Cumin seeds  ----  2 tea sp
Urad dal  ---  1 tea sp
Tamarind --- 1 inch piece
Garlic  ---  6 cloves
Oil  --- 1 tab sp
Turmeric powder  ---  1/4 tea sp
Salt to taste
METHOD:----
1. Heat few drops of oil in a pan add coriander seeds, urad dal and fry till golden then add cumin seeds and fry for a while remove and set a side.
2. Wash and wipe the eggplants, cut them in to small cubes.
3. Now heat remaining oil in the same pan add green chillies and fry for a while then add eggplant pieces and fry till eggplant pieces are tender, remove and let them cool.
4. soak tamarind in two tab sp of water.
5. First grind coriander seeds, urad dal and cumin seeds in to a fine powder.
6. Then add fried green chillis and eggplant pieces and run the mixe for two seconds.
7. Add tanarind, turmeric powder, garlic cloves, salt to taste and grind in to a coarse paste.
Remove the vankaya pachadi in to a clean and dry bowl and serve with dosa, idli, pongali or with plain rice and few drops of ghee.
Even I like this as a spread on my toast....
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Pandumirapakaya, Tomato Pachadi

My recipe for this week under chutneys, dips and spreads is a chutney recipe from Andhra cuisine.  Pandu mirapakayalu are fresh ripe red chillies we make a pickle with this red chillies every year in season. December and January is the season for this red chillies and tomatoes. We make pickles with these both vegetables saparately and these two pickles will stay for year. 

We mix this red chillies with Gongura that is called pandu mirapakaya - gongura pachadi, Pandu mirapakaya - tomato pachadi. Pandu mirpakaya tomato pachadi will stay for one month out side, after that can store it in the fridge for six months.

For this Pandu mirapakaya - tomato pachadi always use fully ripe tomatoes so that pickle will get a beautiful red color. I used garlic for tadka, you can use asafoetida in the place of garlic. Red chillies what I get here are really very hot, so i used 150 grams. you can increase the red chilli quantity according to your taste. You can add red chilli powder but that gives a normal tomato pickle taste. I have given 1 cup oil that is more then enough. By next morning the oil you added to the pickle should come up on the top. If you didn't see the oil on top you can heat a tab sp oil again and add it on the top of the pachadi.   

So let's check the recipe....
INGREDIENTS:---
Tomato  ---  250 grams
Ripe redchillies  --- 150 grams
Tamarind  ----  25 grams
Turmeric powder  ---  1/2 tea sp
Fenugreek powder ---  1/4 tea sp
Mustard powder  ----  1 tea sp
Salt  ---  2 tea sp
Oil  ----  1 cup
Mustard seeds ---  1/2 tea sp
Dry red chillies  --- 3 broken
Garlic cloves  ---  8 crushed
METHOD:---
1. Wash and wipe red chillies with a clean kitchen towel and set a side to dry totally. Means there should be no moisture in red chillies.
2. Take red chillies with one tea sp salt and grind in to a fine paste. Make sure you should not any water to this red chilli paste.
3. Wash and wipe the tomatoes, cut them in to four pieces add salt and mix well and leave a side for 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes you can find some juice from tomatoes,now add this tomato juice to tamarind and soak tamarind.
5. Now heat 1/2 cup oil in a pan add tomato pieces, keep stiring in between and cook till oil comes out from the sides.
6. Switch off the heat and let the tomato cool down to room temperature.
7. Now take tomato, soaked tamarind with little juice(if require you can add more juice but not water)  and red chilli paste in to a mixer jar and grind in to a fine paste.
8. Take out red chilli and tomato paste from mixer jar in to a bowl. Add fenugreek powder, mustard powder, turmeric power mix well to combine every thing.
9. Heat remaining 1/2 cup oil in a pan add mustard seeds let them popup then add dry red chillies and garlic cloves fry for a while and switch off the heat, let it cool down to room temperature.
10. Add tomato and red chilli paste to the seasoning (tadka) and mix well to combine every thing, Check and adjust with salt.
Store in a clean and airtight bottle..
Serve this Pandumirapakaya, tomato pachadi with dosa, idli, vada. or with hot plain rice with a drop of ghee....

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Raw Banana Tawa Fry (Aritikaya chops)

Another edition of Blogging Marathon this is 70th edition. We few bloggers doing this Marathon almost from five year and we reached this mile stone. Now we become like a good family and I am very happy to be in this family. Thanks to Sri Valli for this beautiful family.
                                                                Like every month this month also we have some themes my theme for this week is Tawa fried recipe. Actually I was suppose to start my themes from first week but could't do because of health reasons. So I have started my posts from second week with tawa recipes.
                                                                When I have selected this theme the first recipe came to my mind is this tawa frided vegetables. My mother use to make this chops as a side dish with pappucharu or tomato pappu or dosakaya pappu this is the perfect combination. For today recipe I used raw banana other then this you can make this chops with potato, yam and eggplant, ridge gourd. when you are using eggplant or ridge gourd no need to boil the vegetable before you fry them on tawa
                                                      I used red chilli paste for this recipe for red chilli paste soak few dry red chillies in warm water remove from water add a table spoon water and grind in to a smooth paste. In the place of this red chilli paste you can add red chilli powder that will give a different flavor That's totallr your choice.
                                                                         

So let's check the recipe.....
INGREDIENTS:---
Raw banana ---  1 
Red chilli paste ---  1 tea sp
Ginger garlic paste -- 1 tea sp
Turmeric powder ---  1/4 tea sp
Gram flour ---   1 tab sp
Fine samolina ---  1 tab sp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
                                                                          

METHOD:---
1. Peal and slice raw banana in to thin long pieces. Place them in a pan and cover with water, add a big pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder, cover with a lid and cook till banana pieces are half cooked.
2. Drain the water and spread banana pieces on a kitchen towel to remove the extra moister.
3. Mix red chilli paste, ginger garlic paste, a pinch of turmeric powder, salt, gram flour add a tea sp of water mix well to make a paste.
4. Spread this red chilli paste on boiled banana pieces eveny
5. Roll this spiced banana pieces in fine samolina and set a side.
6. Heat a tawa and sprinkle little oil and place banana pieces on it and fry till golden.
Serve with dal and rice or you can serve this banana chops as a starter.
                                                                          

                                                                       

                                                                            

                                                                           

                                                                  

                                                                             

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Goru Meetilu or Goru Mitai

My final recipe for this week under Indian Sweets is again a traditional sweet from Andhra cuisine. Goru Meetilu is a traditional sweet which specially made for deepavali in some regions of Andhra Pradesh. The name Goru meetilu is because we give shape for this sweet with our thumb finger nail, goru means nail in Telugu. We are giving the shape with thumb finger nail and dipping them in the sugar syrup to make them sweet. Meeti or mitai means sweet ,actually meeti is not  a Telugu word I don't know how they adopted. Will do a bit investigation on that.

The main ingredients for this recipe is maida, rava, and sugar. Here in this recipe I used chiroti rava whis is fine upma rava. You can use normal upma rava also. The original recipe calls for upma rava because we don't get chiroti rava in Andhra Pradesh.

Next ingredient is sugar in some homes they mix half sugar and half jaggery or only with jaggery. But some how my choice is sugar so choosing the sweetener is your choice.

You can use whole wheat flour in stead of maida or you can mix half maida and half wheat flour. only thing if you use wheat flour you get a little dark color.

Now let's check the recipe.

   

INGREDIENTS:---

Maida (all purpose flour)  ---  200 grams

Chiroti rava or upma rava  ---  3 tab sp

Soda- bi- carb --  a big pinch

Salt   ---  a big pinch

Ghee  ---  50 grams melted

Sugar  ---  150 grams

Cardamom powder  --- 1 tab sp

Ghee  ---  1 tea sp

Milk --- 1/2 cup

Water  ---  1/2 cup

Oil for deep frying

METHOD:---

1. In a mixing bowl take maida, rava, soda-bi-carb, salt,  ghee and rub with your fingers to give a crumb texture to the flour.

2. Add half cup milk and half cup water to the flour mixture and knead in to a stiff dough. Knead this dough for five minutes, cover with a cloth and set a side for half an hour.

3. Now make small balls out of this dough and roll them in to a finger shape.

4. Press the dough fingers in the center, now take the dough finger in between your index finger and middle finger and press with your thumb finger to make impression by this time you get a shape on the top leave a small gap and do the same to give goru meeti shape,

5. Do the process with all the dough and set a side.

6. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and  keep the heat in low and drop this goru meetilu slowly one by one in to the hot oil.

7. Fry goru meetilu in a low heat till golden, remove from oil and set a side.

FOR SYRUP:----

8. In a thick bottom pan take sugar add 1/2 cup water mix well till sugar dissolves in water.

9. Cook this sugar water in a medium heat till you get a two thread consistence, add ghee and cardamam powder mix well and add fried goru meetilu and mix well to coat the sugar syrup all over the goru meetilu.

10. Mix well and remove the gori meetilu from sugar syrup and spread them on a plate and let them cool.

Store Goru meetilu in a air tight container.

Goru meetilu will stay for a month. 

                                                                               

make small balls out of this dough and roll them in to a finger shape.

Press the dough fingers in the center

now take the dough finger in between your index finger and middle finger and press with your thumb finger to make impression

by this time you get a shape on the top

leave a small gap and do the same to give goru meeti shape,

Do the process with all the dough and set a side.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan and  keep the heat in low and drop this goru meetilu slowly one by one in to the hot oil.

Fry goru meetilu in a low heat till golden, remove from oil and set a side.

Now make the sugar syrup as I said in the recipe method above and fold the Goru meetilu in the sugar syrup to coat well.

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Bellam Boondi or Boondi Mitai

Now coming to the second sweet under my Indian Sweets theme this is my childhood favorite. A typical andhra sweet which is made with besan and jaggery . Bellam Boondi or Boondi achu or Boondi mitai is the names for this sweet.freshly made boondi folded in to thick jaggery syrup then poured in to greased plate then cut in to desired shapes or you can make in to small balls but you have to give the ball shape when it is hot other wise the sweet boondi will get dry.
                                                                         

                                                                      Making the boondi is a bit different for this sweet, not like boondi laddu. Fry boondi in to golden color then only the boondi will stay crisp. So the first point is use coarsely ground gram flour for this boondi. Finely ground gram flour will give a soft texture to boondi. Second point is add half portion rice flour to besan means if you took 1 cup besan then add half cup rice flour, so that boondi will turn crisp and stay crisp for long time.
                                                                          

 For this recipe we have to make three thread or hard ball consistency syrup with jaggery. If you want a detail recipe please check my recipe for jaggery syrup   
                                                                       Be careful with the syrup if you made a two thread consistency then the boondi mitai won't stay crisp and the boondi will go soggy. So be patience when start making the syrup and don't leave the syrup on the stove. This Bellam boondi or Boondi mitai will stay for long means it will stay for a month at least. So try to make this for this Deepavali
                                                                       

Let's check the recipe...
INGREDIENTS:---
Gram flour (besan, Senaga pindi) ---  3 cups
Rice flour ----  1 and half cup
Cooking soda ---   a big pinch
Ghee  ---  1 tab sp
Salt - --- a big pinch
Water  ---  2 cups approximately ( it may take less water so check and add water)
FOR JAGGERY SYRUP:--
Grated jaggery ----  4 cups
Cardamom powder  ---  1 tea sp
Ghee  ---  2 tab sp
                                                                         

METHOD:---
1. Take a mixing bowl add besan, rice flour, soda mix well with your hand to combine well.
2. Add little by little water and mix in to a thick batter this batter should be like a thick dosa batter.
So check and add little by little water if the batter turn in to a thin consistency the boondi will drink oil.
3. Add ghee to the batter mix well this will give boondi a nice aroma.
4. Now heat oil in a deep frying pan in a high flame. To check the if oil is hot enough, drop few drops of batter with a spoon, if the drops came up immediately then the oil is ready to make boondi.
 So heat of the oil is most important, if the oil is hot enough then you get perfect bubbles of boondi.
And one more thing if the oil is hot enough when you drop batter in to the oil  the boondis will come up immediately other Wise the batter will sit in the bottom of the oil and they stick together and you do not get perfect boondi. So heating of the oil is most important.
The second point is if you over heat the oil then your boondi will come up very fast and they turn red very fast and do not cook properly . 
5.  Hold a skimming ladle (one with holes normally we use to remove deep frying) above the hot oil and pour a soup ladle full batter  so that the batter will drop in to the hot oil trough the holes.
With in few seconds you can see the boondi coming up in the hot oil.

                                                              

6. Fry this boondi till golden, remove and place them in a strainer to remove extra oil if any.

Prepare boondi with all the batter and set aside.

NOW START MAKING THE SYRUP:-

7. Take grated jaggery in to a thick bottom pan, add 1/4 cup water let the jaggery melt.

8. Remove the jaggery from fire and strain to remove the dirt if any.

9. Bring back the jaggery water to the same thick bottom pan and cook till you get a three string syrup.

Keep a plate with water in the side and drop few drops of jaggery syrup in the water if you bring to gether the the syrup which is in the water that should form like a ball.

Then the syrup is ready.

10. Now add ghee and cardamom powder to the syrup mix well, reduce the flame.

11. Pour the prepared boondi in to the jaggery syrup give a good stir and switch off the heat

12. Mix boondi with jaggery syrup well to coat the syrup all over the boondis 

13. In the mean while grease a plate with ghee and pour the jaggery coated boondi in to the greased plate, spread it evenly (this job you have to do very fast other wise then boondi will become hard and you can not give it a nice shape.)

Now take a big knife and make marks to break the boondi mitai in to desire shapes.

Set a side to set, when the mitai is set break it in to desire shapes, remove from the plate and store it in a air tight container.

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Mirapakaya Bajjilu (Andhra style Mirchi bajji)

My second recipe for this month regional recipes theme is a very popular snack recipe from Andhra cuisine. I never saw a single person who dosen't like mirchi bajji in Andhra pradesh. Mirapakaya bajji and punugulu are the favorite tea time snacks in Andhra pradesh. Specially in Vijayawada you can find a mirchi bajji shop in every corner. Near by my house there is a tiffin center (we call this bajji shops as tiffin centers). This tiffin center will start at 6 A.M. for morning breakfast they have idli, Atlu (dosa, these dosas are not like hotel dosa crisp and golden color, but soft and spongy dosas,) and pesrattu. For evening tiffin you can find this mirchi bajji's and punugulu with coconut chutney and ginger chutney. All the time this tiffin center will be filled with crowd and you have to wait for at least for 10 minutes to get your batch of bajji and punuguku.So I am going to post that favorite snack from Andhra cuisine.
Lrt's check the recipe
                                                     

INGREDIENTS:--
Green chillies   ---- 10 Any big variety mirchis
Besan (chick pea flour, sengapindi)
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder --- 1/2 tea sp
Baking powder – 1 pinch
Water for making batter 
Oil for deep frying
Onion  --- 1/2 cup finely chopped
Lemon  --- 1 no.
FOR FILLING:--
Vaamu (ajwain, carom seeds)  ---  1 tea sp
Putnalu (fried gram, daliya) ---  1/4 cup
Salt to taste 
Tamarind paste  ---  1 tea sp
Water  ---  2 teasp to mix the filling
Asafoetida  ---  a big pinch (optional)
METHOD:---
1. Dry roast vaamu(ajwain), don't over roast just heat them remove and set a side now heat fried gram also a little bit and add to vaamu, grind these two with a little salt in to a fine powder.
2. Add tamarind paste and little water to make thick paste and set a side.
3.  Now slit the green chilli its entire length and remove seeds.
4. Take vaamu and fried gram mixture and stuff this mixture in to green chillies.
5. In the mean while make a batter with chick pea flour, salt to taste , red chili powder, and baking powder then add water and make a batter like fitters batter or thick dosa batter.
6. Heat oil in a deep frying pan, now dip the stuffed chilies in this batter and slowly drop them in to hot oil and fry till nice golden color.
7. Remove from oil and set a side to cool a bit so that you can hold them to slit again.
8. Now slit the mirchi bajji length wise again and stuff with finely chopped onion and sprinkle witha few drops of lemon juise.
Serve this Andhra special mirapakaya bajji (mirchi bajji) witha hot cup of tea or coffee...
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Majjiga Pulusu

Majjiga Pulusu is a buttermilk base gravy which is a South Indian version of Kadi. There are many variations for this recipe in Indian cuisine. In south India it self there are many variations for this recipe. This one is a traditional recipe from Andhra cuisine (of course from Indian cuisine). This majjiga pulusu is a every day recipe in Andhra cuisine. Means this is not a special dish which we serve in a special thali like festival feast. I don't know some how we don't make this for festival feast. But we make this for occasions like family gatherings and other occasions. 
                                                            Majjiga Pulusu is one of my all time favorite side dish with rice, dosa, idli, and upma. My mother used to make this when ever she have left over sour curd. That left over sourcurd makes this majjiga pulusu more delicious. My mother's recipe is little different then other recipes. She use both green chillies and red chilli powder to make this pulusu little spicy side. She never use coconut in the masala, Amma said that coconut will give a sweet flavor to the majjiga pulusu. For today recipe I used okra but you can use other vegetables like ash gourd, bottle gourd, taro root(arbi, chama dumpa), but no tomato for this recipe.
Let's check the recipe.....
                                                             

   
INGREDIENTS:--
Sour curd (yogurt)  ---  1 and half cup
Onion  ---  1 medium sliced
Okra (bendakayalu)  ---  8 cut in to two inch pieces
Green chillies  ---  3 slit
Curry leaves  ---  1 spring
Oil  ---  1 tab sp
Mudtard seeds  --  1/4 tea sp
Cumin seeds  ---  1/4 tea sp
Fenugreek seeds  --- 10 seeds
Dry red chillies  --- 2 broken
Asafoetida  ---  one big pinch
Red chilli powder  --- 1/2 tea sp or according to your taste
Turmeric powder  --- 1/4 tea sp
Salt to taste
FOR MASALA PASTE:--
Toor dal  --  1 tab sp
Coriander seeds  ----  1/2 tea sp
Cumin seeds  ---1/4 tea sp
Fenugreeek seeds  --- 6 seeds
Green chillies  ---2
METHOD:---
1. Soak toor dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds in enough water for one hour and grind with green chillies in to a fine paste.
2. Beat curd till smooth and add this ground masala paste and one and half glass of wtaer mix well.
3. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, slat to taste to curd mixture mix well and set a side.
4. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds let them splutter then add cumin seeds broken dry red chillies, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, fry for a while then add sliced onion and cook till onion slices turn in to transparent. Then add green chillies and okra pieces and sprinkle with a very little salt cover and cook till okra pieces become tender.
5. Now add curd mixture mix well check the seasoning ad adjust and bring to a full boil in a high flame and reduce the heat to low, let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Switch off the heat ad serve majjiga pulusu with rice and Aritikaya bjji or masala vada...

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Munaga Aavakaya (Drumstick Pickle)

This is my second pickle recipe for Pickles and preserves theme for this month Blogging Marathon. We Andhra people will make pickles with almost all vegetables. Not only with vegetables we make pickles with non-veg, like eggs, fish, chicken, shrimps. In vegetable pickles eggplant, gongura, ivy gourd, cauliflower, carrot, mixed vegetable, bitter gourd and many more like this. most of the pickles are in  spicy version. Of course we make some pickles like ginger pickle a dn bellam aavakaya and one more mango pickle with little sweet with using jaggery. But most of the pickles are spicy pickles. This Drumstick pickle is one of them... 

So lets check the recipe......

INGREDIENTS:--

Drumsticks(munakkayalu) --- 4

Tamarind juice  ---  1 cup (soak 50 grams of tamarind in warm water and extract tick juice with one cup of water.

Red chilli powder  ---  100 grams

Salt --- 75 grams

Turmeric powder  --- 1 tea sp

Mustard powder  --- 50 grams

Fenugreek powder  -- 1 tea sp

Oil  ---  120 ml (peanut oil or sesame oil)

Garlic ---  20 to 25 cloves

Mustard seeds  ---  1 tea sp

Dry red chillies  --  3 broken

Asafoetida  --- 1/4 tea sp

Lemon juice  --  1/3 cup

Curry leaves  --- 2 springs

METHOD:--

1. Clean and cut drum sticks in to two inch pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry drumstick pieces in the oil till they turn in to light golden and cooked. 

3. Remove drumstick pieces from oil  in to a big mixing bowl and let them cool.

4. Add salt, red chilli powder, mustard powder, fenugreek powder, turmeric powder mix well and set a side for one hour.

5. Now heat the same oil in which we fried drumstick pieces and add mustard seeds, dry red chilli pieces, garlic cloves, curry leaves and asafoetida fry for a while.

6. Then add tamarind juice cook till oil leaves from the sides of the pan (like pulihora paste).

7. Now add lemon juice and switch off the heat and let it cool completely.

8. Now add this seasoning to drumstick pieces and mix well to combine every thing.

9. Now cover this pickle with a lid and set a side for two days .

10. After two days remove the lid now you can see the oil on the top of the pickle.

Mix well and check and adjust the seasoning.

Store this pickle in a clean jar and store it in a clean and dry place.

This will stay for one year in room temperature.

If you feel oil is less in the pickle you can heat 1/2 cup more oil  and add it to the pickle on the third day.

Enjoy munaga aavakaya with hot steamed plain rice. 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#64