Ugadi Thali (Karnataka) With Holige/ Obbattu Saaru

I am going to start my second week recipes for this month with the theme of Thali's. Today Iam going to showcase a Festival feast from Karnataka. Ugadi is the first day of lunar calender which is celebrated as a New year day in Kannada and Telugu communities. The main dish for this festival is Bevu - Bella(Bevu means neem flowers, Bella means jaggery) which is a paste (pachadi) made with neem flours, jaggery, raw mango pieces and tamarind juice. This is known as Ugadi Pachadi in Telugu community also. After Bevu - Bella Ugadi Habbada Oota( Festival feast) takes main part which includes many delicious dishes from Karnataka cuisine.

  Here what I have served in My Karnataka style Ugadi Thali...

Obbattu/ Holige

Holige saru

Hurlikai Palya (beans stir fry)

Gasagase payasa ( poppy seeds payasam)

Heerekai Tovve - (Ridge gourd dal)

Badanekai palya  --- (Eggplant stir fry)

AAmbode  ---  bengal gram vada

Southekai Kosambari  (moong dal and cucumbar salad)

Kempu chetney - Fresh Red chilli chutney

Tuppa  --- Ghee

Curd

Obbattu saru or Holige saru is a important dish in Ugadi feast for Kannada families. It's a type of thick rasam made with channadal cooked water, tomatoes and masalas. This Holige saaru is served with a palya (stirfry vegetables), tove ( cooked moong dal with ridge gourd) Holige or Obbattu with ghee along with other dishes.

Holige or obbattu is a very popular sweet for almost all festivals. This obbattu is very mush similar to our bobbatlu in Andhra cuisine, Poli in Tamilnadu cuisine, Bhakshaylu in Telangana cuisine and puran poli in Maharastrain cuisine, but with a very little variations . 

Some people use half and half tour and channa dal to make holige poorna  with grated fresh coconut and jaggery and use the same poorna ball to make the obbattu saaru along with channa dal boiled water.So there are few variations in this recipe.  

INGREDIENTS FOR HOLIGE OR OBBATTU SAARU :----

Channa dal  ---  2 tab sp

Channa dal boiled water    --- 1 cup

Jaggery   ----  1 tab sp

Tamarind   ----  1 gooseberry size soaked in luke warm water or about one tab sp of tamarind paste.

Salt to taste

FOR RASAM POWDER:---

Fenugreek seeds  ---  1 tea sp

Coriander seeds  --- 2 tea sp

Cumin seeds  ---  1/2 tea sp

Poppy seeds  --- 1 tea sp

Grated dry coconut  -- 3 tab sp

Dry red chillies  ---  5

If you like to add onion then slice one onion and fry with a few drops of oil and fry till raw smell goes out then add to the rasam powder along with tomato and coriander leaves.

Tomato   ---  2 medium chopped

Coriander leaves ---  1/4 cup chopped

Curry leaves  ---  2 springs

FOR SEASONING:----

Oil  ---  1 tab sp

Mustard seeds  --- 1 tea sp

Asafoetida  ----  one pinch

METHOD:----

1. Heat a fry pan and dry roast all rasam powder ingredients one by one. Remove from pan and let it cool to room temperature  and grind in to fine powder.

2. Now heat little oil in the same pan add tomatoes, curry and coriander leaves (add onion now and fry if you using) fry till raw smell goes,set a side to cool.

3. Add tomatoes to rasam powder, boiled channadal with little water and grind in to a smooth paste.

4. Now boil one cup channa dal boiled water and one cup plain water in a sauce pan, make tamarind juice with one cup water and add it to boiling water bring to a full boil.
5. Now add rasam spice paste, salt to taste, mix well and boil for 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Add jaggery to the rasam mix well and boil for few more mintes.
7. Heat oil in a small pan add mustard seed let them splutter then add asafoetida and add this seasoning to saaru, switch off the heat, sprinkle with some more chopped coriander leaves cover with a lid and let it sit till you serve.
Serve with steamed plain rice, obbattu, tovve and palya...
Enjoy the festival meal.... 
 Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#74

Chintakaya Pappucharu (Raw tamarind sambar)

Pappucharu is a recipe from Andhra cuisine which almost sounds like sambar. But with little variations, main difference is Andhra pappucharu doesn't contain any sambar powder or rasam powder. The consistency of this pappucharu is thin then sambar and we use onion, tomato and any one variety vegetable. Like drumstick, okra, cucumber but not mixed vegetables and no eggplants. Onion and tomato is must for this recipe.You can make pappucharu only with onion and tomato with out any other vegetables. Now i am going to post a pappucharu recipe with out tomato for our BM theme no Tomato gravies for this week.  

Today I am going to replace tomato with raw tamarind pickle or you can use fresh raw tamarind. I used raw tamarind pickle because we don't get fresh raw tamarind trough the year. We make this raw tamarind pickle every year in the season and store it for whole year. We can use this tamarind pickle for making chutneys, rasam, pappucharu instead of tamarind pulp. 

How to make Raw tamarind pickle..

Raw Tamarind  --  500 grams

Salt  ---  100 grams

Turmeric powder  ---  1 tab sp

Select matured (matured but not ripe once) raw tamarind and wash thoroughly and spread them on a dry cloth  let them dry well, make sure no moisture on tamarind.

Now cut raw tamarind in to small pieces and crush them in a mortar -pastel. Crush jently so that you don't crush the seed. Now remove the seeds with your hand.

Again bring back the raw tamarind to the mortar-pastel and make a coarse paste and remove in to a wide bowl.

Add salt and turmeric powder mix well and transfer this pickle in to a glass jar or ceramic jar  cover with lid and tie with a clean cloth and leave it in a clean and preserve. This will stay good for years... So Chintakaya tokku (Raw Tamarind pickle) is ready to use. You want to use this for chutneys or as it is like for chintakaya pachadi you have to wait for 3 days. After 3 days you can use this pickle.

Fresh Raw Tamarind

Mudichintakaya pachadi (raw tamarind pickle)

The second variation to make this Chintakaya Pappucharu is using raw tamarind as it is. Let's see how to take juice from raw tamarind. 

Take 5 to 6 raw tamarind pieces in a pressure cooker add 1 cup water and pressure cook for two whistels let the pressure go.

Take out from the pressure cooker and grind it with little water  remove and strain the fresh tamarind juice.

This fresh raw tamarind juice you can use to make rasam, pappucharu, sambar and pulusu verietes but you can't make chutneys with this juice. Because this is looks like juice means more watery.

If you are using the pickle then dilute a tab sp of raw tamarind pickle in a cup of water strain the juice and set a side... 

Now let's check the Chintakaya Pappucharu....

INGREDIENTS:----

Toor dal   ----  1/2 cup

Raw tamarind juice  ---  1 cup

Onion  ---  1 big cut in to slices

Drumstick  ---  2 cut in to two inch pieces

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder  ---  1/4 tea sp

Red chilli powder  --- 1 tea sp

Oil  ---  1 tab sp

Mustard seeds  ---  1/2 tea sp

Cumin seeds  --  1/2 tea sp

Dry red chillies  --   2 broken

Asafotieda  --  1/4 tea sp

Curry leaves  --- two springs

  

METHOD:---
1. Cook toor dal till soft or cook in a pressure cooker for three whistles and mash well.
2. Boil drumstick pieces and onion slices with one cup water till drumstick are tender.
3. Add tamarind juice to mashed toor dall and add red chill powder, turmeric powder, salt to taste mix well and add this dall and tamarind juice mixture to the boiling vegetables mix well.
4. Before it starts boiling heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, asafoetida, curry leaves let them crackle and add this to pappucharu bring to full boil and switch off the heat.
Here i like to give a tip add a tabsp ghee to the pappucharu before you switch off the heat and close with the lid and serve after 10 minutes. This makes your pappucharu more flavorfull.
Serve Chintakaya pappucharu with rice and any side dish like potato or plantain fry(varuval) or simply with appalam.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#62

Nimmakaya Pappucharu

 We have started second week blogging marathon for this month.My theme for this week is with Lemon recipes, that means Lemon is the key ingredient in my recipes, and my first recipe with lemon is typicaly from Andhra cuisine, that is Nimmakaya Pappucharu. There are some variations with this recipe, some make this as a dall. In my home my mother use to make this as Pappucharu. Pappucharu  is a type of thick rasam with dal , but this Pappucharu did not contain any powders like rasam powder. When we make pappucharu with tur dall we add any one vegetable not mixed vegetables like sambar. But when we make pappucharu with moong dall and lemon other then onion slices we do not add any other vegetables.
                                                                                         This Nimmakaya Pappucharu is an easy to digest food so you can give this to kids with rice and a drop of ghee. Make it little thin by adding more water and have it as a soup. This will be a best home remedy for cold, if you would like to have this as a soup you can add finely chopped coriander. 
Let's check the recipe....
INGREDIENTS:--
Moong dall – 1 cup
Green challis – 4 no. or according to your taste(remove chillies if you want to give this to kids)
Onion --- 1 cut in to slices
A few curry leaves
Lemon juice ---  2 table sp
Oil – 1 tea sp
Mustard --- 1/2 tea sp
Cumin seeds ---- 1 tea sp
Asafoetida – 1/2 tea sp
Water --- 11/2 cup and 1 cup more
Salt to taste
Ghee – 1 tea sp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tea sp
METHOD:---
 1.  Heat ghee in a pan and fry moong dall till nice aroma comes out then add cut green challis in to half and add to dall with 1 and half cup water and cook till dall become very soft(you can use pressure cooker for this).
 2.  Remove from fire and mash dall very smooth can blend this in a blender also.
 3.  Add sliced onion to the mashed dall and add 1 cup water and bring to a boil.
 4.  Now add turmeric powder and lemon juice and curry leaves again bring to a boil add salt to taste.
  5.  Heat oil in a small pan add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Asafoetida let them splutter and add this to pappucharu.
Serve this with rice and any dry curry like Aritikaya upma kura is a good combination for this, or you can enjoy this with fried egg.
Let's check Blogging Marathon page

Kalyana Rasam

Kalyana Rasam or Iyengar Kalyana Rasam Yes that is  right!!! this rasam is specially made for marriage functions in Tamilnadu. In my view rasam is a food for sick people and I just avoid to have this in my childhood. My mother used to force me to have rasam in my meal, because that is good for digestion. After my marriage my husband likes to have rasam in his every day meal. Not only with rice he likes to drink it like a soup.Now  I changed my self a little bit now I included rasam in my menu.
                                       Last month I was attended a marriage Which is one of my friend's brother marriage. There in that marriage lunch I have tasted this rasam. I am surprised This is not like our regular rasam I didn't find any tamarind flavor in that rasam. It got a mild tomato and asafoetida flavor and taste really woderful and I liked it. As usual I refused to have that rasam but that was my friend told me try this rasam this is very special in Iyengar marriage lunch. That's true this rasam taste different and very flavor full. So here is the recipe for this wonderful Iyengar Kalyana Rasam which I got from my friends mother. Thanks for this recipe Aunty and thanks to you too Bhuvana for making me to taste this Rasam...
Here is the recipe....
INGREDIENTS:----
Tomatoes  ----  2 big finely chopped
Asafoetida  --- 1/2 tea sp
Turmeric powder  ---  1/2 tea sp
Toor dal   ---- 1/2 cup
Salt to taste 
For Powder :--
Chana dal  --- 1 tea sp
Toor dal   --- 2 tea sp
Coriander seeds  -- 1 tab sp
Black Pepper corns  --- 1/4 tea sp
Cumin seeds  --- 1/2 tea sp
Dry red chillies ---- 4
For Seasoning:--
Oil  --- 1/2 tea sp
Mustard seeds  -- 1 tea sp
Curry leaves  -- 2 strings
Coriander leaves  --- 1 tab sp finely chopped
METHOD:--
1. Dry roast all the ingredients for powder in a pan and grind in to a coarse powder and set a side.
2.  Wash and add 1 cup water and chopped tomatoes to toor dal and cook till soft  or for three whistles in a pressure cooker .
3. Mash lightly the cooked dal and add 3 cups of water, 2 tab so of rasam powder and bring to a full boil, boil till you can see the froth on  top. Add salt to taste again bring to a full boil.
4. Now heat oil in a small frying pan add mustard seeds let them crackle then add asafoetida, curry leaves fry for a while and add this seasoning to rasam, garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice and poriyal (stir fried vegetables) or potato roast.
To get a perfect Kalyana rasam flavor do use fresh ground rasam powder only.
This is my fourth recipe for Blogging Marathon 27th edition under occasional recipes theme let's check other BM members recipes here

 

Milagu - Jeeraga Rasam

This is my second recipe under the  theme of cooking from a cook book. Todays my book is HOW TO COOK  WRITEN BY  VEDAVALLI VENKATACHARI. This is the book which I brought for the first time 20 years back. This is a typical Tamil cuisine book which includes a lot of traditional Tamil recipes. I have tried many recipes from this book they came out well. In that list this rasam recipe is one,Which I am fallowing this recipe from the day I brought this book home. Now I can make this rasam with out checking the book. I must say this is one of my favorite recipe too.. So here I am with my favorite cook book and a recipe from that...
                                                 One thing I have changed in this recipe she did not use garlic, in the place of garlic she added Asafoetida (inguva). If you add both garlic and Asafoetida that will give a Confused flavor, so use any one of them. For rasam podi this recipe had coriander seeds and tour dal also. If want you can remove theese two ingredients, make powder with only black pepper and cuminseeds. this will give adifferent black pepper flavor to rasam. But do not use dry red chillies for this recipe, because this is black pepper - cumin rasam. Here is the recipe....
INGREDIENTS:--
 Tamarind -- 1inch pieces 4-5 pieces soak in hot water(if you hold all these tamarind pieces tightly in your hand that should become like table tennis ball size.After you soak and extract water from this tamarind that should be 100 ml thin tamarind extract.  Check my how to make tamarid pulp recipe here

Oil -- 1 tab sp

Garlic -- 3 cloves crushed

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea sp

curry leaves -- 12 leaves

Coriander leaves --- 2 tab sp finely choped

salt to taste

FOR RASAM PODI:---

Milagu  --- 1/2 te sp (black pepper corns, Miriyalu)

Jeeragam  -- 1/2 tea sp (cumin seeds, jilakara)

Tuvarm paruppu  --  1/4 tea sp (red lentils, tour dal, kandi pappu)

Coriander seeds  -- 1.2 tea sp ( daniyalu, malli)

METHOD:--

1. Dry roast all the ingredients one by one in a medium heat till they turn out crisp remove from heat and let them cool, Then grind in to a fine powder.

2. Soak tamarind in warm water and extract juice with 120 ml water and you can get 100 ml tamarind juice from that.

Pour this tamarind juice in to a heavy bottom pan and start boiling in a medium flame for 5 minutes.

3. Now add crushed garlic cloves, salt to taste, curry leaves , coriander leaves and one more cup of water, let it boil for five more minutes in a low heat.

4. After five minutes add ground rasam powder mix well and boil for 2 minutes then remove from heat.

5 In another pan take oil add mustard seeds let them crackle then add this seasoning to rasam.

Serve hot with rice and any side dish you like or with a pappad.
This is my second recipe with the theme of Cooking from a book for blogging marathon 25 th edition at Valli's spice your life lets check blogging marathon page 

Kandi Kattu -- Kattu Rasam

Kandi kattu is a light rasam which is made with toordal and seasoned with ghee.This is a traditional rasam recipe form Andhra Cuisine. Can serve this with steamed rice and side dish, pappad.No tamarind or lemon is used in this rasam recipe if you like tangy taste you can add little lemon juice but in traditional recipe we don't add any of them. You can serve this as a lentil soup and this as a soup will give you good energy after a fast and also a best choice for white loss.. here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:---

Toor dal  --- 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder  --- a pinch
Salt -- 1/2 tea sp or according to your taste
Green chillies  --- 3 chopped
Curry leaves   ---- 2 springs
Garlic cloves  --- 5 cloves crushed
Ghee or oil  --- 1 tea sp
Mustard seeds --- 1/2 tea sp
Cumin seeds  --- 1/2 tea sp
Dry red chillies ---1 broken
Asafoetida  --- 1/4 tea sp
METHOD:---
1. Cook toor dal till soft with enough water and mash well.
2. Add crushed garlic,  chopped green chillies,  curry leaves,  salt,  turmeric powder,  3 cups of water and boil for ten minutes in a very low heat.
3. Heat ghee or oil in a pan add mustard seeds, cumin seeds,  broken dry red chillies,  asafoetida  fry for a while and ass this to kattu rasam mix well and bring to a full boil, switch off the heat.
Serve hot with rice and any stir fry vegetable and pappad.
If you like to have this little sour taste squeeze lemon juice ans enjoy.
Let's check the Marathon Page

Nimmakaya Charu -- Lemon Rasam

I am here with one more edition of Blogging Marathon 13 th edition. In this edition I have chosen Rasam recipe s for  seven days in the first week. To days  my recipe is Lemon Rasam - Nimmakaya charu. This recipe is a variation to normal rasam  and very easy to make. In one way we can say this is an instent rasam. Again this recipe is from my mother she never use dal in her rasam  recipes except kattu rasam (kandi kattu) and rasam is less tangy and more spicy. Here is the recipe for Lemon Rasam - Nimmakaya charu

INGREDIENTS:---
Water ---- 3 cups
Rasam powder  --- 1 tea sp
Salt -- 1 tea sp or according to your taste
Lemon juice  ----  juice of one lemon
Oil  ---  1 tea sp
Mustard seeds  --- 1/4 tea sp
Cumin seeds  ---  1/4 tea sp
Curry leaves  --- 2 springs
Asafoetida   ---- 1/4 tea sp
Coriander leaves  --  1 tab sp chopped
Turmeric powder  -- a pinch
Red chilli powder  ---- 1/4 tea sp
METHOD:---
1. Heat three cups of water in a pan bring to full boil, add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder continue boiling for 3 minutes.
2. Add rasam powder, chopped coriander leaves, curry leaves keep boiling in a low heat for 5 more minutes then add lemon juice and bring to full boil by the time you get good lemon aroma.
3. In a other pan heat oil add mustard seeds let them pop up then add cumin seeds and asafoetida fry for a while and add this to lemon rasam mix well and switch off the heat.
Serve hot with steamed rice and pappad
This lemon rasam is a best home remedy for cold and throat infection
Now let's check the Marathon Page

CHINTAPANDU CHARU

This recipe is from my mom s chilhood memories.My grand mother (my moms mother- Ammaamma) use to make this chintapandu charu as a home remedy for ill people at home.Normaly I make charu with boiling tomato and tamarind to- gather and extract the juice and add charupodi boil and give the seasonining to the charu. But this is a total different recipe. In this recipe she didn't boli the tamarind water before,after seasoning only they give a full boil to the charu thats it.when I make this charu today the house is filled with great aroma that is because of freshely grinded raw spices may be. I coudn't wait immediately I had a full bowl of hot rice with this charu. Hope you also like this unique recipe from my mom.


INGREDIENTS:-----
Tamarind --- 2 inch pieces 2 no. or 1 tea sp tamarind paste
FOR CHARU PODI:---
Cumin seeds --- 1/2 tea sp
Coriander seeds --- 1 tea sp
Black pepper --- 1/2 tea sp
Garlic --- 4 pods
Fresh coriander leaves --- 1/2 cup chopped or half bundle
Curry leaveas -- 1 spring
Red chilli powder ---- 1/4 tea sp
Salt -- 1 1/2 tea sp or according to your taste
Turmeric powder -- a pinch
FOR SEASONING:---
Oil --- 1 tea sp
Mustared seed -- 1/ tea sp
Cumin seeds -- !/4 tea sp
Dry red chilli -- 1 broken

METHOD:----

• Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 min. and extract juice with 3 cups water.
• Grind Charu podi ingredients- Cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper corns(no need to fry this spices grind them raw only if you grind the the taste will be different . )
• First grind the seeds at last add garlic pods and grind for a sec.
• Now add this spice mixture to the tamarind water.
• Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves.
• Now heat a pan with 1 tea sp oil and add mustared seeds let them popup then add cumin seeds and droken red chilli and fry for a while .
• Add this seasoning to the tamarind water.Now bring this tamarind water pan to the heat mix well and bring to a full boil.
• Remove from heat and serve with hot steamed rice

Note:--- This Charu will be a good choice after you suffered with a heavy feaver.
When you are ill if you take this charu as a soup or with little mashed steamed rice or idli (because rice and idli both are easy digestive food) that gives a very excellent taste to your mouth and it helps in digestion also.

TOMATO CHARU (SPICY SOUTH INDIAN TOMATO SOUP)

Charu – Rasam – Saru is a very common dish in every day meal in South Indian cuisine. Charu or Rasam means extract or juice in Telugu or any other south Indian language. Traditionally made by tamarind extract and seasoned with spices like black pepper corns, dry coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Charu is a tangy and spicy thin tamarind soup which is a very power full home remedy for digetation, clod and perfect comfort food when you are having flue it keeps you warm. This traditional recipe was adapted in to British cuisine as Mulligatawny soup (pepper water) and it is very popular even today in England. A bowl of lightly mashed rice with a few drops of ghee and mix with hot Charu and vadiyalu (vadam,sundried rice flour wafers, deep fried in oil like fryams)or a potato stir fry, yummmm is there any other comfort food other then this …….. If you ask me no… any way

There are so many versions in this Charu recipe like

Chintapandu charu (tamarind Soup),

Vellulli charu(garlic soup)

Pappu charu or pappu rasam (lentil soup)

Miriyala charu (black pepper soup)

Pineapple rasam (spicy pineapple soup)

Ulava charu (horse gram soup)

Nimmakaya charu (lemon soup)

Tomato charu (thin spicy tomato soup)

Tiyya charu (sweet tamarind soup)

Pachi charu(pachi pulusu, Raw tamarind soup)

Majjiga charu (butter milk soup)

In some versions we use pappu kattu(cook 1 tab sp any lentils with 2-3 cups of water till lentils become soft remove from the heat and strain the water and use this water in the place of normal water for making charu. If you like you can add that cooked lentils also but mash well and mix with Charu).And to day here I am with the recipe TOMATO CHARU………….

INGREDIENTS:----

Tomato --- 1 big

Tamarind -- 1inch pieces 4-5 pieces soak in hot water(if you hold all these tamarind pieces tightly in your hand that should become like table tennis ball size.After you soak and extract water from this tamarind that should be 100 ml thin tamarind extract.

Oil -- 1 tab sp

Garlic -- 3 cloves crushed

Mustard - 1/2 tea sp

Asafoetida --- 1 pinch(hing, inguva)(optional)

curry leaves -- 12 leaves

salt to taste

Water --- 2&1/2 -3 cups

Charu podi (rasam powder) -- 1&1/2 tea sp you can use any brand which is easly available in any Indian store like MTR - Rasam powder or Priya Rasam powder or you can make at home check my recipe here.

Coriander leaves --- 1 tab sp chopped.

Soak tamarind in warm water and extract juice with 120 ml water and you can get 100 ml tamarind juice from that.

Pour this tamarind juice in to a heavy bottom pan and start boiling in a medium flame.

Take 1 big tomato and make puree in a blender. when you measure this tomato puree this should be 1 cup means 120- 130 ml.

Now add this tomato puree(if you want you can strain this tomato puree to remove the tomato skin pieces add 50 ml water (1/2 cup) and strain through a juice strainer) to tamarind juice,add 1 cup water(120 ml) and boil in a medium heat the raw smell of the tamarind and tomato will disappears .

This will take 10 min. to boil.After 10 min. add crushed garlic, salt to taste,curry leaves and 1 more cup water, charu podi(rasam powder), bring to a full boil lower the flame and let it cook for 15 min.

After 15 min add chopped coriander leaves and cook for 2 more min and remove from heat.

Now heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and let them popup(here you can add a pinch add asafoetida if you like) then add this seasoning to Charu immediately cover with a lid and let it rest for at least 10 min before you serve.

Serve hot with rice.
Note: -- if you want to make a fresh rasam powder the

Coriander seeds -- 1/2 tea sp

Cumin seeds -- 1 tea sp

Black pepper corns -- 1 tea sp

Garlic cloves -- 3

few curry leaves (if you are making this instant Rasam powder with garlic and curry leaves then no need to add garlic and curry leaves what i have given in the ingredients list.)

Dry roast all ingredients in a pan and make a coarse powder in a hand pastel or a coffee grinder.This will give a great aroma to charu.

You like hot and spicy soups then strain this Charu through a strainer and enjoy like a soup.

A WELL BALANCED MEAL WITH ULAVA CHARU(HORSE GRAM SOUP)

A nutritionally balanced meal is one that contains all the macronutrients like protein, carbhohydrates, vitamins, minerals, water and a little bit fat too. A well balanced Indian meal contains six tastes like sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, and astringent. Traditional Indian food is also a healthy choice with a balanced diet of starch( rice and roti) with lots of vegetables, lentils, dal, yogurt and yaa there are some rich and high calorie food that means every Indian recipe is not a high calorie one, there are many recipes in Indian cuisine which are low in calorie and very healthy too. That's depend on you what are you choosing in Indian cuisine . Yes there are many recipes contains ghee (clarified butter) or butter, in that recipe if you don't like you can change that in to 1 tab sp of low fat sunflower oil or rice bran oil that depend on you what you are eating and how you are eating. Eat healthy food and eat on time and eat properly.Today here I am with a typical Indian meal for well balanced 3 course meal 

In this plater we have here
1. Ulava charu -- Horse gram soup as a starter which is totely low fat and very good for health.
2. steamed rice -- which contains starch and carbohydrates,protein.
3. Sora kaya palu posi kura -- bottle gourd curry with milk this contains lots of water and vitamins
4. spiced butter milk -- masala majjiga -- this is rich in calcuim and vitamin B 12
5. If you like you can add a piece of MIXED NUT AND COCONUT BRITTLE as a dessert

Ulavacharu – Horse gram soup is a traditional recipe from Andhra Pradesh. Ulava charu is a best choice to have when you are having cold and cough or flue and also it prevents the formation of kidney stones. It helps to reduce swelling of body by water and it is a best choice for obese persons to reduce there body weight. Horse gram is a legumes most people don’t like them means it is not a popular legume, but in South India we use a lot in many ways in our cuisine like in Andhra Pradesh we make Ulava charu- horse gram soup, Ulava guggilu – stir fried Horse gram and also kurma – Hoese gram gravy. Horse gram is rich in
Iron, it is a good choice for people suffering with iron deficiencies. And to day here I am with this healthy recipe of ULAVA CHARU – HORSE GRAM SOUP…… INGREDIENTS FOR ULAVA CHARU - HORSE GRAM SOUP:---
Horse gram – 1 cup
Oil – 1 tea sp
Onion – 1 small
Green chilies – 4
Curry leaves – 10 no.
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tea sp
Cumin seeds – 1/4 tea sp
Dry red chilies – 2 broken
1. Soak horse gram in water for over night, next day morning add 4 cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles.
2. Remove from fire and let it cool and remove the cooker lid and strain water in to a bowl, with this water we are going to make charu. So reserve this water and with remaining horse gram we can make salad or curry.
FOR PASTE:---
Onion – chopped 1 tab sp
Garlic – 4 cloves
Coriander seeds – 1/2 tea sp
Cumin seeds – 1 tea sp
Tamarind paste – 1 tab sp (if you are using tamarind pieces then take 1 inch pieces 2 and soak them in warm water for 10 min. and then add to grind)
Soaked and cooked horse gram – 1 tab sp
METHOD:--
1. Grind all above ingredients with little water in to a fine paste and leave a side.
2. Now cut onion and green chilies in to long slices.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds let them pop up then add cumin seeds, broken dry red chilies, curry leaves and let them fry for a while.
4. Now add sliced onion and green chilies and let them fry till onion become light brown then add ground paste and fry for 5 min. in a low flame.
5. Now add the past to strained horse gram water mix well and add salt to taste and cook in a very low flame for at least 15 min.
6. Serve hot as a soup or with hot steamed rice and butter
7. Traditionally in Andhra we serve this Ulava charu with steamed rice and butter with a side dish like sorakaya palu posi kura(bottle gourd curry with milk) or beerakaya palu posi kura(ridge gourd curry with milk)

WATERMELON SAMBAR (WATER MELON IN LENTIL GRAVY)

Watermelon sambar yes what you reading are right. I made sambar with water melon. Usually I make watermelon kuttu and it taste just like white pumpkin kuttu (boodida gummadi kaya) then I got this idea of making sambar with watermelon. As I said before that white part of watermelon in very nutritious with lots of water content so I don’t want to waste it. Some how I make sure to use it every time and this time I cut the white part with little bit of red part too. Sambar taste just awesome with very little sweet taste. Check it out here how I made it………..

FOR SAMBAR POWDER:---
Coriander seeds --- 1 tea sp
Cumin seeds --- 1/2 tea sp
Black pepper corns --- 1/4 tea sp
Fenugreek seeds --- 6 seeds
Channa dal (split chick peas) --- 1 tea sp
Dry roast all above ingredients in a fry pan and add a big pinch of asafetida just before removing from heat.
Let it cool for some time and grind in to a fine powder
Cover and leave it a side.
FOR SAMBAR:----
Tuvar dal (split pigeon peas, kandi pappu) ---- 1/2 cup
Turmeric --- 1/2 tea sp
Tamarind --- 5 Gms. (1 medium size lemon sized tamarind)
Salt to taste
Red chili powder --- 1/2 tea sp

FOR SEASONING:---
Oil --- 2 tab sp
Mustard seeds --- 1 tea sp
Red chilies – 2 broken
Curry leaves – 2 springs.
1 tab sp chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.
FOR WATERMELON PIECES:----
Cut the watermelon and remove the red fruit part and peel the green skin and take the white part and cut in to 2 in size pieces.
METHOD:------
1. Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 min and extract the juice with 1 cup of water and leave a side.
2. Wash and soak dal for 1/2 hour and cook with 1/4 tea sp turmeric and cook till soft and remove from heat mash a little bit and leave a side.
3. Now add water melon pieces to tamarind juice and add salt to taste remaining turmeric and red chili powder and cook till watermelon pieces become tender and raw smell of the tamarind disappears.
4. Then add cooked and mashed tuvar dal mix well and bring to a full boil and check the salt if require adjust.
5. Now add ground sambar powder mix well and again bring to a full boil and let it cook for few min.
6. Now in a fry pan heat oil and add mustard seed and let them popup then add red chilies and curry leaves and add the seasoning to sambar and switch of the flame cover and leave a side for some time(at least for 1/2 hour)
7. Then sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top and serve hot with rice or idli s
ENJOY YOUR MEAL.
And I am sending this watermelon sambar to Monthly Mingle-Marvelous Melons at Chew On That. and this mingle was started by Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey?

MIRIYALA CHARU (PEPPER RASAM)

Charu or rasam is a South Indian soup prepared with tamarind water and spices like black pepper, coriander and cumin seeds. Especially this Miriyala charu (black pepper rasam) with a high quantity of black pepper which is very good for health. In Ayurveda black pepper is having a very important place. It is a very important in gradient in many Ayurvedic formulas. It has cleansing and antioxidant properties. It helps the free flow of oxygen to the brain, helps enhance digestion and circulation and stimulates the appetite. So this aromatic and healthy spice is native to South India and very well known in Sanskrit as Pippli, in Telugu it is Miriyalu. In ancient Indian cuisine people use only black pepper not green chilies (check in temple prasadams they use black pepper not green chilies, like in tirupati temple pulihora pongali and dadhojanam they use black pepper not green chilies or red chilies).Any way now I am coming to today s recipe Miriyalachru is very well go with rice and Idli and a good diet for ill people. When you are ill if you take this charu as a soup or with little mashed steamed rice or idli (because rice and idli both are easy digestive food) that gives a very excellent taste to your mouth and remove indigestion. And here I and with the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:--
Tamarind --- 3 inch piece (small lemon size or 1 tab sp pulp)
Tomato --- 1 small
Turmeric powder --- 1/2 tea sp
Salt to taste
Oil – 1 tab sp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tea sp
Cumin seeds – 1/2
Asafoetida – 1/4
Curry leaves --- 2 springs
A few coriander leaves
For charu podi
Miriyalu (black pepper corns) ---- 1 tab sp
Cumin seeds --- 1 tea sp
Coriander seeds – 1 tea sp
METHOD:----
1. Dry roast all three ingredients and grind in to a smooth powder and store in an air tight container. This will stay for 1 week with its aroma.
2. Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 min. and squeeze the juice with 1 cup of water. If you are using tamarind pulp then just dilute with 1 cup of water.
3. Wash and chop tomato in to small pieces and add to tamarind juice with 1/2 cup more water, salt to taste turmeric powder and bring to a full boil and cook for 5 min.
4. Then add curry leaves and coriander leaves and charu podi and boil for 5 more min.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds let them popup then add cumin seeds, asafetida and add this to charu and remove from the heat.
Serve hot with rice and pappad.
This is my entry for Trupti s COMFORT FOOD FOR ILLNESS at RECIPE CENTER

PINDIMIRIYAM

Toor dal --- 1 cup
channa dal --- 1/2 cup
Tamarind paste --- 1 tea sp(some people they dont add tamarind so if you dont like tangy taste just remove that)
Drumstick --- 1 cut in to2 inch pieces
Okra (bhendi, bendakaya) --- 5 no. cut in to 1 inch pieces
Potato -- 1 medium cut in to cubes
Carrot -- 1 medium cut in to cubes
small onion (sambar onion) --- 1/2 cup(not only this you can use any 5 varieties of vegetables)
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 tea sp
FOR MASALA PASTE:----
Coriander seeds -- 1 tab sp
Red chilies --- 2 (i used kashmiri red chilis)
Chanadal --- 2 tea sp
Pepper corns ---- 1 tea sp
Rice -- 1 tea sp
Grated coconut --- 1/2 cup
dry roast all above ingredients in a fry pan exp. coconut and grind with coconut and little water in to a smooth paste and leave a side.
FOR SEASONING: ----
Oil --- 2 tab sp
Mustard seeds -- 1 tea sp
cumin seeds --- 1/2 tea sp
Asafoetida --- 1/4 tea sp
curry leaves -- 15
METHOD:----
Mix toor dal and channa dal wash well and cook till soft (if you are using a pressure cooker then cook till 3 whistles).
In a other pan cook all vegetables till tender (don't over cook the vegetables)
Then add tamarind paste, turmeric powder,salt to taste,cooked dal and add 1 cup water if required mix well and cook till gravy becomes thick this should be in avery thick sambar consistency.
Bring to a full boil and then add masala paste mix well and again bring to a full boil and keep the flame low.
now heat oil in a other pan and add mustard seeds let them popup then add cuminseeds,asafoetida,and curry leaves let them fry for 1 sec and then add this to dal and vegetable mixture, mix well and remove from the heat.
Serve with hot rice and appdam,vadiyalu(pappad and fryams)
Enjoy your meal.
Iam sending this to EC s WYF - side dish event

MAJJIGA CHARU (BUTTER MILK RASAM)

Majjiga charu is on of my favorites, its very simple and easy to make. no need to cook only you have to give talimpu (tadka,seasoning ).But butter milk shoud be sour then only it gives a delicious taste to majjigacharu(not very sour one day old butter milk will give a better taste).And here iam with my favorite recipe....

Butter milk (sour) – 2 cups
Onion --- 1 medium chopped very finely
Green chilies --- 2 chopped very finely
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tea sp
Red chili powder – 1/4 tea sp
Chopped coriander leaves --- 1 tab sp
Oil --- 1 tea sp
Mustard seeds --- 1/2 tea sp
Urad dal – 1 tea sp
Cumin seeds --- 1/2 tea sp
Dry red chili – 1 broken
Curry leaves – 5-6 leaves
Grated coconut --- 1 tab sp
METHOD:---
Add chopped onion and green chilies and grated coconut, turmeric powder, red chili powder, chopped coriander leaves, salt to taste to butter milk.
Now heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and let them popup then add urad dal, broken dry red chili, cumin seeds and curry leaves and fry for a while and then add this to butter milk mixture and mix well.
Serve with rice and any side dish like potato fry or okra (bendakaya) fry or ivy gourd(dondakaya) fry
Enjoy your food..

BENDAKAYA PULUSU (OKRA IN TAMARIND GRAVY)

Bendakaya (okra) ---- 1cup cut in to 1 inch cubes
Onion --- 1 big finely chopped
Green chilies – 3 cut in to small pieces
Garlic – 3 cloves chopped finely
Tomato --- 1 medium finely chopped
Curry leaves – 10 – 12 leaves
Oil – 1 tab sp
Mustard seeds – 1/2tea sp
Cumin seeds --- 1 tea sp
Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tea sp
Chana dal --- 1 tea sp
Urad dal – 1 tea sp
Red chilies --- 2 broken in to small pieces
Tamarind – small lemon size ( or 1 tab sp tamarind pulp)
Red chili powder – 1 tea sp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tea sp
Freshly grinded coriander and cumin powder --- 1 tea sp
Salt to taste
Soak tamarind in water for 10 – 15 min. and extract juice with 1 cup water (or if you are using tamarind pulp dilute the pulp in 1 cup water)
Heat oil in a sauce pan add mustard seeds and let them popup then add chanadal, uraddal, cumin seeds, broken red chilies, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves fry for a sec.
Now add chopped onion and garlic and fry till onion become soft then add chopped tomato, green chilies and cook till tomato become soft.
Then add okra cubes add salt, red chili powder cumin and coriander powder mix once and let it cook on a low flame till okra pieces are 3/4 cooked stir in between if required sprinkle little water.
After okra pieces are 3/4 cooked add tamarind juice mix well and cook till raw smell of the tamarind disappears and gravy becomes thick(this gravy should be in a thick sambar consistency not so watery)
If you like add 1 tab sp grated jaggery now and cook for 1 sec. and remove from heat.
Serve hot with steamed rice and Muddapappu (plain tour dal cooked with salt and turmeric) and ghee
Enjoy your meal

UDUPI BELE SAARU

Udupi is very famous for its temples specially I love Krishna temple in Udupi. In udupi Krishna temple they serve tastiest mid day meal for devotees, and the taste of the prasadam ooooh I don't have any words to express just heavenly.
I have a friend geeta she is from Udupi. She is a very good friend of mine, this recipe is from her and she is a great cook too. Thanks a lot dear geeta for the recipe miss you a lot dear.
And here is the recipe................

For SAARINA PUDI:------

Red chillies --- 3-4

Coriander seeds --- 1tea sp

Fenugreek seeds --- 1/4 tea sp

cumin seeds --- 1/2 tea sp

coconut oil or ghee --- 1 tea sp

A few curry leaves

Asafoetida -- a pinch (opt)

Heat oil or ghee in a fry pan and fry all above ingredients one by one.

Take care not to burn any thing.

Powder all to gather.

this will stay for 7 days after 7 days the aroma will decreas so beter make fresh.

FOR UDUPI BELE SAARU:------

Toor dal --- 1/2 cup

Saarina pudi ---- 2 tea sp

Jaggery --- 2 tea sp

Tamarind extract ---1/4 tea sp or 2 -3 pieces of tamarind soak in water.

Asafoetida --a pinch

turmeric -- a pinch

oil -- 1 tea sp

Mustard seeds ---- 1/2 tea sp

Red chillies ----1

Coriander and curry leaves ---- a few

Salt to taste

METHOD:------

Cook dal with turmeric.

Take out the juice of tamarind and add 1 cup water or dilute tamarind extract with 1 cup water.

Add jaggery and cook till jaggery melts, then add cooked dal,saarina pudi, salt and chopped coriander and curry leaves and let it boil for 4-5 min.

Heat oil in a other pan add mustard seeds and let them popup then add asafoetida,and add this to belesaaru.

Serve hot with hot plain rice and happala and little ghee.

MURUNGAKKAI KARA KUZHAMBU (DRUMSTICK IN TAMARIND GRAVY) RECIPE MARATHON 2 DAY 7

Ingredients:---
Drumsticks – 2no
Sambar Onion – 10—15
Garlic -5-6 cloves
Big Onion – 1 finely chopped
Tomato – 1finely chopped
grated coconut -1 tab sp
Tamarind – small lemon size
Sambar Powder – 1 heaped tab sp
Turmeric Powder – ½ tea sp
Gingelly Oil – 2 tab sp(or you can use sunflower oil also but gingely oil will give a better taste)
Mustard – ½ tea sp
Fenugreek – 1/4 tea sp
Red Chillies – 2
Bengal Gram Dhal – 1 tab sp
Curry leaves – few
Salt – to taste
Method:
Soak tamarind in water. Squeeze out the juice, add water and make 2 cups of tamarind water.
Cut the drumstick s into medium size pieces.
Chop tomato and onion very finely
peel the sambar onion and garlic.
In a sauce pan add one tea sp oil and add big onion pieces and fry till it turns transparent.
now Add tomato pieces and fry till the tomatoes mashed well. Add grated coconut and sambar powder and fry for two minutes. Remove and cool it. When it is cooled, grind to a fine paste.
Add the remaining oil to the same sauce pan When it is hot add mustard. When it popup, add bengal gram dhal, red chillies broken into pieces, curry leaves.
Then add fenugreek and fry till it turns light brown.
Add sambar onions and garlic fry well.
Then add drumstick pieces and fry for two to three minutes.
Add tamarind water along with turmeric powder. Bring to boil. Reduce the heat and cook till the drumstick become soft.
Now add the ground paste along with a cup of water and stir well. Allow to cook in very low flame for 5 to 8 minutes.


After grinding the coconut and tomato, you can wash the mixie with a cup of water and add that to the paste and make it semi liquid.
If you add this liquid, it will blend with the kuzhambu well.
You can also prepare this Kuzhambu with green banana, or in combination of brinjal, Drumstick, broadbeans.
Serve with hot plain rice and any poriyal(vegetable stir fry) I served with kovakka poriyal(tindora, kunduru,dondakaya).
And you can use this Kuzhambu as a side dish for idli,dosa,and pongal too.
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji23)Kamalika24)Pavani

SWEET & SOUR RASAM with RAW BANANA STIR FRY

Hi everybody how r u?

Actually,iam in a vacation but iam trying to share my family's special recepies to all of u, this recepie is from my aunt's kitchen(father's sister). Here i will go with the recepie,

RAW BANANA STIR FRY(Aritikaya Pittu)

Ingredients:

Raw Bananas : 3(medium size)

Onions : 3(medium sized finely chopped)

Green chillies : 4(chopped)

Ginger : 1 inch piece finely chopped

Turmeric powder : a pinch

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder : 1 tea spoon

For Tempering:

Oil : 2 table spoons

Cumin seeds : 1 tea spoon

Mustard seeds : 1 tea spoon

Channa dal : 1 tea spoon

Urad dal : 1 tea spoon

Red chillies : 2 no

Curry leaves : a few

METHOD:

First peel the outer skin of the raw bananas and add salt & turmeric, boil them in a steamer for 10 min. Remove from the steamer and cut them into cubes.

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, then add mustard seeds, let them splutter

then add cumin seeds,channa dal,urad dal,red chillies & curry leaves.

And then add chopped onions,green chillies & ginger, fry till golden brown colour.

Now add the boiled raw bananas & stir fry for 10 min.

At the end add red chilli powder and stir one more time & then remove from the flame.

Do all this procedure in a medium flame.

If u would like to add lemon juice, add it in the last stage of the recepie.

Enjoy this recepie with plain rice & rasam(chaaru).

SWEET & SOUR RASAM

Ingredients:

Onions : 1 big sized chopped

Green chillies : 4 chopped

Tamarind : 25 gms

Turmeric : a pinch

Salt to taste

Sugar or Jaggery : 2 tea spoons

For Tempering:

Oil : 2 tea spoons

Mustard seeds : 1 tea spoon

Cumin seeds : 1 tea spoon

Curry leaves : a few

Red chillies : 2 no

METHOD:

Heat oil in a vessel, add mustard seeds let them splutter then add cumin seeds,curry leaves & red chillies.

then add chopped onions & green chillies, fry till onion become transparent. Then add tamarind, turmeric, sugar & salt to taste.

Add 3 cups of water to it & boil for 10-15 min.

then remove from fire & serve hot with plain rice.

PACCHI PULUSU

This typical Andhra rasam is from costal Andhra Pradesh
Good combo with this rasam is kandi pachadi and potato fry oooh that is my choice
And the recipe is here
INGREDIENTS:-
Tamarind - Small lemon size
Onion—1 sliced
Tomato—1 sliced
Green chilies- slit 3
Coriander leaves chopped- 1 tab sp
1/2 taps – chili powder
1/2 taps- turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1teb sp – jaggery
1tesp- sambar powder (optional)

FOR SEASONING:-
1 tab sp - oil
1 tabs –mustard seeds
1 tabs – cumin seeds
1 taps – uard dal
3 cloves- garlic crushed
METHOD:-
Soak tamarind in water and extract juice with 1 cup water and keep a side
Heat oil in a sauce pan add mustard seeds and let them crackle then add crushed garlic uard dale and curry leaves fry till golden color
Then add sliced onion, sliced tomato and slit challis stir once and add chili powder , turmeric powder, sambar powder, coriander leaves salt to taste and jaggery keep stirring and remove from fire and add tamarind juice mix well and serve hot with plain rice

You can add griled sliced brinjals to this that we call mukkala pacchi pulusu

GARLIC RASAM[velluli charu]

Rasams or charu is a South Indian soup prepared with tamarind juice,tomatoes and some spices there are many verieties in rasam most of them was made by tamarind juice and lentils and it is eaten with plain rice or can be had as a soup by it self.In a normal South Indian meal Rasam or Charu is must

And to day my special is Velluli charu[Garlic rasam or poondu rasam].Normaly rasam is very good for helth with good fragrant of coriander,It aids in digestion and also helps in getting relived from sinuses.And main ingredient garlic is claimed to help prevent heart disease,high cholesterol,high blood pressure and cancer also.Every day 2 cloves garlic will help you to prevent high cholesterol and also regulate blood sugar levels

Mash rice with hand and mix with hot rasam and a dollop of ghee with pappad or pakodis wow I don't want any thing that day

And here my recipe

1 small-tomato

1 small lemon size-tamarind soak in hot water

1/2tesp-turmeric powder

1tesp-oil

4cloves-garlic crushed

1/2 tesp-mustard

A few curry leaves

salt to taste

1tebsp-chopped coriander leaves

For powder:-

1tesp-coriander seeds

11/2 tesp-cumin seeds

1/2tesp-black pepper

dry rost all the above ingredients and crush them[you can make a powder in mixee]

METHOD:-

Sqeez out soaked tamarind and extract juice with 1 cup of water

Mash tomato with hand and add to tamarind

Crush garlic and addto tamarind juice and boil for 5 min.

Then add salt, turmeric,coriander,cumin,pepper powder,curry leaves,coriander leaves and let it boil for 5 more min,

Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds allow them to creckle add this to rasam mix well and remove from fire and add some more chopped coriander leaves.

serve hot with rice and pappad