MAMIDIKAYA MUKKALA PACHADI - INSTANT MANGO PICKLE

In a typical Andhra meal PACHADI will take the first place.A traditional andhra meal will not complite with out ooragaya and pachadi. Ooragaya means pickle which is made of seasonal fruits and vegetables and uses a liberal amount of chilli powder,spices and oil.Pachadi(chutney) is typically made with vegetables and roasted green or red chilies,spices, it consumes less oil then pickle and stay for 1 or 2 days. Normally pachadi s are made with vegetables like ridge gourd, eggplant,etc. and greens like Gongura, coriander and mint leaves, coconut and also with some lentils like toor dal and urad dal. In mango season we make pachadi with mangoes for an instent use before avakaya get ready to use. Today I am here withone of the mango pachadi for instant use....
INGREDIENTS:---
Mango --- 1 big
Coriander seeds --- 1 1/2 teasp
Dry red chillies --- 50g
Mustard seeds -- 1 tea sp
cumin seeds -- 1/2 teasp
Fenugreek seeds -- 1 tea sp
Salt -- 10 g
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 tea sp
FOR SEASONING:----
Oil --- 50ml
Mustard seeds --- 1 tea sp
Dry red chilies -- 4 broken
asafoetida -- 1/4 teasp

METHOD:-----
1. Heat a teasp oil in a deep frying pan add one by one mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chilies and fry till nice aroma comes out in a low flame.
2. Wash and clean the mango with a dry cloth and chop the 1/4th mango with skin, peal the skin and cut the remaining mango in to bite size pieces.

3.first grind the fried spices with salt and turmeric powder in to a fine powder.

4.Add bite size mango pieces to the spice powder and again grind in to a fine paste(dont add water grind this mango and spice mixture with gaps for every 2 sec.If you find diffecult in grinding open the lid and mix with a spoon and again grind for 2 sec.)

5. Remove from the blender(mixee jar) add chopped mango pieces check the salt if required add some salt mix well to combine every thing and take it out in to a serving bowl.

6. Heat oil in a deep frying pan add mustard seeds and let them splutter then add broken dry red chilies. asafoetida swithch off the flame and add this seasoning to chutney mix well.
Serve with idli, dosa, pondali, curd rice, rice and dal(annam, muddapappu) enjoy the fresh mango pickle.

MAMIDIKAYA TURUMU PACHADI - GRATED MANGO PICKLE

Here is the next pickle from Mango season,which is very easy to make and stay for long time(more then one year).This is an instent pickle which you can use from the next day.It tastes little different then Avakaya but process is almost the same only thing we grate the mangoes for this pickle instead of making pieces.For this pickle we can use any verity of raw green mangoes. Mangoes should be fully mature, raw, green and very sour in taste. You can serve this pickle with any thing like Idli, Dosa, Pongal, Curd rice,Rice . But my choice is when you mix this pickle with leftover rice (don't add ghee or butter that will spoil the pickle taste because ghee dominates the pickle flavor) in the next day morning mmmm that is the best way to eat this pickle for me. and here is the recipe.... INGREDIENTS:----
Mangoes --- 6 no. really big size mangoes measure the grated mango that should be 2 kg s or 12 cups with rice cooker measurement cup.
Salt ---- 250 g
Mustard powder ----200 g
Fenugreek powder ---- 1 tab sp
Red chilli powder --- 250 g
Turmeric powder --- 1 tab sp
Oil ---- 1/2 kg
Dry red chillies --- 10 no. broken
Mustard seeds --- 25 g

METHOD:----

1. Wash mangoes and wipe with a clean dry cloth and great with skin till the seed and remove the seed and take this grated mango in to wide bowl
2. Add turmeric powder,fenugreek powder, mustard powder, salt and red chilli powder and mix well to combine all ingredients very well.

3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan till smoking point add mustard seeds and let them splutter then add broken red chilies remove the pan from fire and let it cool to room temperature.
4. Then add this oil with mustard seeds and dry red chilies to grated mango mixture mix well and cover with a lid and leave a side for 1 day.

5. next day morning again mix with a clean,dry ladle and check salt if required add salt or red chilli powder at this time mix well and enjoy the pickle.

AVAKAYA - A TREDITIONAL ANDHRA MANGO PICKLE FROM ANDHRA PRADESH

Muddapappu,avakaya with hot steamed rice and ghee is the most wanted combination for Telugu people,OrPerugu annam (curd rice, cooked rice mixed with yogurt)with avakaya but most of the Telugu people likes with muddapapu(cooked and mashed pigeon peas with little salt)Avakayi, neyi(clarified butter/ghee) with steamed rice. From Ugadi (the telugu new year day) we start useing mangoes in our cooking that is the day we offer God the first crop of raw mangoes in Ugadi pachadi, After one month from Ugadi day the pickling mangoes will start coming in to the market. In this Hot summer season every Telugu household look forward for Avakaya making season. My mom will check for a good day and she first starts with making Mustard powder and fenugreek powder and then in the mid day after lunch She start mixing the pickle, by the time she finished mixing the pickle it will be evening 4o clock. Every year Amma makes this pickle for 3 households myself, my sister,my brother and for amma herself. I am so lucky that I got this treasure (avakaya pickle recipe) from my amma and to day here I am with the traditional Andhra pickle Avakaya.. And my choice is Hot rice with Muddapappu, Ghee and Avakaya yummmmmm heaven.. ok here I go with the recipe.........

INGREDIENTS:----
Mangoes -- 6 big (we use peddarasalu)
Salt -- 250 g or 2 1/4 cup with rice cooker cup
Turmeric --- 2 tab sp
Mustard power -- 250g or 2 1/4 cup (Dry 200 grams black mustard in hot sun for 2-3 hour or heat a deep frying pan and heat mustard till they hot when you touch with your hand, take care that mustard should not splutter when you fry them. Let them cool for some time and grind in to a fine powder. Grind mustard seeds very slowly giving gap in between every 2 sec. otherwise oil may come out from the mustard seeds )
Fenugreek powder- 2 tab sp
Fenugreek seeds --- 1 tab sp

Red chilli powder --300 g or 3 1/4 cups
Oil --- 1/2 kg ( good quality sesame oil)or idayam gingely oil.
Garlic - 100 grams(Garlic should be added on third day.

METHOD:-----
1. Clean mangoes with a lightly wet cloth and leave a side for dry .
2. Now cut the mangoes vertically in to half that the hard stone in the inside the mango is also cut in to two parts,discard the in side soft seed and their will be a thin layer stick to the hard part of the seed discard that layer also and clean the mango pieces with a dry cloth. Leave the hard shell of mango seed to the mango piece. that means each piece should contain the hard stone part so that the mango piece should not become soft after pickling for a year.

3. Now take half oil (I gave 1/2 kg oil in thair half means 1/4 kg oil) in to a big bowl or plate and add turmeric powder and fenugreek seeds to this oil mix well and add mango pieces to this oil and leave a side for 15 min. This will help to retain hard the mango piece in the pickle for long time.
4.Then add the mustard powder, fenugreek powder, salt and red chilli powder to the mango pieces and combine well with a ladle or with you r hand to combine the ingredients well and coat the mango pieces with the masala well.

5. place this mango pieces mixture in a jar or a glass bottle (don't use plastic jars or bottle) and pour the leftover 1/4 kg oil on top of the mango pieces and cover tightly and leave a side for 3 days.
6. On third day clean and peel the garlic cloves.
7. Now open the pickle jar and mix with a clean and dry ladle and check salt if required add some more salt and check once again, add garlic cloves and again mix well care fully again cover tightly and leave for 1 more day.
8. This will stay for 1 year.

NOTE:-- Choose the mangoes very carefully. Mangoes should be fully mature, raw, green and very sour in taste.
Especially for avakai choose the mangoes with high fiber, normally in Andhra pradesh we use peddarasalu or cheruku rasalu or any verity of rasalu mangoes if you don't find this verity then you can use any long verity which is fibrous, green and sour because when you pickling this fibrous mangoes the pickle will stand till the next season without going soft.
make sure that you don't touch water while making the pickle and clean each and every thing like mixing bowl ladle and mangoes with a dry cloth and dry them properly.
Don't compromise in ingredients like oil, salt and chilli powder these three ingredients are soul for this pickle (not only this every pickle). If you compromise in this three ingredients your pickle will spoil by the next day it self. So don't compromise with salt and oil measurements.
Can reduce the quantity of mustard powder in this case pickle (gravy) will become watery
first day what oil we pour in the pickle may not be visible but on the third day you can find the oil floating on top.

MANGO JUICE

It's already mid summer in India. Power cuts and hot winds are started, this is the season for a tropical fruit which is a favorite fruit for almost every one. Mango the king of the fruits,this year they already in the market. Naturally April and may is the starting for the green mangoes and some verity of mangoes will turn in to fruit. There are hundred s of verity's of mangoes in India but in andhra pradesh especially in costal andhra pradesh there is one more verity mangoes called RASALU(juicy mangoes).

This mangoes are specially cultivated in Krishna district. There are verity's in this mangoes they are Chinna Rasalu (small juicy mangoes),pedda rasalu or cheruku rasalu(big juicy mangoes) and nujiveedu rasalu. Nujiveedu rasalu is more sweet and tasty in this verity.

Usually this mangoes will start coming in to the market in April and stop by may when Banganpalli mangoes starts coming in to the market. This Rasalu mangoes are specially used for pickle(avakaya) when they are green and raw once they start ripe they become very juicy and sweet at this time we can only use this mangoes for juice only, we can not cut this mangoes in to pieces. Normally we press the ripe mango from all sides and make small hole on top and squeeze all the juice in to a glass or a bowl no need to add sugar to this juice . One pedda rasalu mango weighs 3 kg and gives more then 1 litre thick juice you can make 2 ½ to 3 litres delicious mango juice by adding water to this.

Also we dry this mango pulp in sun and make sun dried mango candy s (mamidi tandra). In my child hood I use to skip lunch for this rasalu mangoes. Me my sister, brother and cousins use to sit in a circle and enjoy each mango......... ohhh those golden days........... anyways here I am with a simple recipe of Mango juice....

Mangoes ---- 1 big( nice ripe big pedda rasam mango – 1 or chinnarasalu mangoes 3 or any other good quality ripe mangoes 3... If you are using any other mangoes peal the skin and cut in to small cubes)
If you are using rasalu mangoes press the mango from all sides to easily squeeze the juice make hole on top and squeeze the all juice and remove the skin and seed.
sugar – 1 cup if required (I didn't add sugar because I used peddarasalu mangoes they it self very sweet in taste)
Ice cubes – 1 tab sp or according to your taste(instead of ice cubes you can add water in sufficient quantity)
Blend all above ingredients in a blender to make the juice smooth and combine the ingredients well.
Pour the juice in to glasses and serve with more ice cubes if require.
Enjoy the summer special delicious drink....

Mango juice is very beneficial for Anemia, Excessive thirsty condition, mental stress and it energies the body,removes the toxins and helps in constipation because mango is rich in c vitamin, carotene, niacin, riboflavin and calcium....
So enjoy a healthy seasonal fruit in the season......

WATER MELON WITH PASTA AND IAM BACK

Hi friends,Again I am here after a long break. I know from long time no post from my side. I guess this is how it is going to be for some more time. this is all because of my personal work. How are you all, hope you all doing great. As you all know now a days I am with my parents and enjoying my moms cooking. she always like to do some experiments in her kitchen . one day when I was going to the supermarket my mom ask me to buy some shell pasta,I wondered and asked her what? you like to eat pasta? she told me that you just bring a packet of shell pasta I will make some thing special for you, and here is the recipe born. And here I go with the recipe.............

INGREDIENTS:----

Watermelon pieces ---- 2cups
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 inch size pieces.
Shell pasta---- 1 cup cooked
Boil water in a sauce pan and add 1 tea sp oil and pasta to boiling water and cook till done and drain the water and pour cold water and drain the cold water also and leave a side.
Other ingredients:----
Onion ---1 big finely chopped
Tomato --- 1 big chopped
Cashew nuts – 10
Oil – 1 tab sp
Cloves – 4
Cinnamon – ½ inch pieces 3
Cardamom – 3
Cumin seeds – ½ teasp

Dry powders:--
Red chilli powder – 1 tea sp(according to your taste or you can just remove from the list to make the recipe in a mild taste)
Turmeric powder --- ¼ tea sp
Salt – 1 ½ teasp or according to your taste
Coriander leaves --- 1 tab sp chopped
For masala:----
Coconut – 1 tab sp freshly grated
Poppy seeds – 1 tea sp
Garlic – 6 cloves
Cashew nuts or almonds – 5 soaked in water for 10 min.
Coriander powder – 1 tea sp
Grind all above masala ingredients in to fine paste and leave a side.

METHOD:----

1. Heat 1 tab sp oil in a sauce pan and add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin seeds let them splutter
2. Then add finely chopped onion and fry till onion become transparent.
   
3. Now add chopped tomato,salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder mix well, cover with a lid and cook in a low flame till tomato become soft looks like a paste.
   
4. Then add ground masala and fry till raw smell disappears in this stage this masala become like a ball and that stick to your ladle it laves the oil on sides.
   
5. Now add water melon pieces and 1 cup water mix well and again cover with lid and cook till melon pieces are half done, this will take 10 min time check in between.
   
6. when melon pieces are half cooked add pasta,cashew nuts, if required add ½ cup more water and cook for 5 more min.
   
7. If you like thin gravy then add ½ cup more water mix well and bring to a boil
   Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
   

My mom and dad enjoyed this as a curry with there roties, but I really enjoyed this as a 1 bowl meal because it includes pasta and vegetables. You can remove red chilli powder and ground masala to make it a mild soup like thing. Or you can add the ground masala in less quantity.
Can use any small variety pasta.

RAVA- SEMIYA IDLI

This is an another version of instant idli. I have tried this recipe with instant rava and semiya idli mix (I didn't remember the brand name) long back and that time i have noted the ingredients from the pack and made some changes and tried at home they came out so soft and fluffy so this is not my own recipe I have adopted this recipe from some other place and made my changes tried it and posting here for all you people. so most of my traditional recipe s are from my mom, my grand mother s, my ants and some of the recipe from my cooking book collection and my friends. What is a traditional recipe ?...A traditional recipe is which is coming from traditions means that is not our own recipe some body else invented that recipe and we are following that . So who ever try the recipe now the ingredients and measurements are almost the same only.Like idli recipe is invented in 920 Ad and how can i tell that is my own recipe I am following that recipe with little changes, like that rasam (Saru) recipe is invented in 16 th century, in those days those cooks moved from place to place and carry there recipes with them to spread the recipe.Traditional recipes in my blog also Traditional Andhra recipes from my grand mother to my mom and from my mom to me and other recipes are from my friends if I adopted a recipe from any blog or website i will sure give a link to the original recipe.Hope you people understand me......

INGREDIENTS:----

Upma rava( semolina, rava,) -- 250gm

Semiya (vermicelli, I used bambino vermicelli) --150gm

Ghee (clarified butter)--- 1/4 cup

Sour curd -- 200 gm

Cashew nuts -- 3 tab sp broken

Mustard seeds -- 1/2 tea sp

Chana dal -- 2 tab sp(split chick peas)

Dry red chillies -- 4 broken in to small pieces

Asafoetida -- 1/4 tea sp

Black pepper corns -- 1 tea sp

Soda bicarbonate (cooking soda) -- 1/4 tea sp

Eno fruit salt --- 1 pack

Coriander leaves -- 1 tab sp chopped

Curry leaves -- 2 springs

Salt --- 1 1/2 tea sp or to taste

METHOD:-----

1. Heat ghee in a pan add mustard seeds and let it splutter then add channa dal,cashew nuts and fry till golden colour.
2 Now add asafoetida,curry leaves, and fry for few sec. then add rava and semiya fry till nice aroma comes out,make sure that don't change the colour of rava just fry till nice smell comes out.
3. Remove from fire and add chopped coriander leaves and curd and salt to taste and cooking soda mix well and leave a side for 5-7 min.
4. After 7 min. check if required add a very little water and make a batter like idli batter, mix well now add eno fruit salt mix well immediately pour in to greased idli moulds and steem cook like idlis for 15 min.
Remove from steem and serve hot with sambar and coconut chuteny or with Karappodi( spice mixture powder)
If you like you can add very finelly chopped veges like carrot ,beens to this idlis

IDLI

Idli is a South Indian savory steamed rice cake which looks like a small white buns, made by black lentils and parboiled rice.This white cakes(idlis) are usually in 2-3 inches diameter and made by steaming a batter in round molds, which is consisting of fermented black lentils and parboiled rice.the fermentation process breaks down the starches so that the idlis are very easy digestive food for any age people.Most of the South Indians like to have this idlis as a break fast or dinner, with the combination of Sambar and coconut chutney and also with karappodi(mixed spice powder) with ghee. There are no leavening agents used in idli batter so this healthy idlis are born in Karnataka and became popular all over India
now.

Fermentation is the main step to get a soft and fluffy idli

1. Traditionally black lentils and par boiled rice soaked in water for 4-5 hours and ground in to a thick paste and leave in a warm place to ferment for over night.

2. In this process fermentation is caused by Air,Black lentils(urad dal,minapappu) and Fenugreek seeds these three ingredients produce a type of wild yeast so don't over wash the black lentils. preferably always use whole urad with skin or you can use de-husked whole urad also. But not split urad that won't give a good results to the finale product ,idlis will become hard after you steam. Because in the process of spliting the whole urad mechanically that generates heat and destorys the natural wild yeast in urad dal. If you dont get whole urad in that case you can use split urad by last choice by compensating with a spoon of fenugreek seeds .

3. Because Fenugreek seeds also contain same wild yeast which we find in whole urad so that you can get more natural yeast to ferment the idli batter.

4. Now one more very important ingredient in this recipe is Rice in olden days people didn't use rice for idli batter they use to soak urad dal in butter milk and grind in to a smooth paste with sour curd in this case curd acts as yeast but after some experiments people started grinding rice in to a coarse paste and mix with urad paste. but now a days we can get parboiled rice which is well known as idli rice.

5. Par boiled rice is pre-processed rice which contains 80% starch and gives a soft and plum texture. insted of par-boiled rice you can use cream-of rice which is made by again par- boiled rice. In case you didn't get idli rice(par-boiled rice) you can replace them with Arborio rice or Mochi rice(Japan) or sweet and waxy American rice but the texture may be little different some times.

6. And last and final ingredient is water yes chlorine in water destroy the natural yeast (wild yeast) if you find chlorine smell in water then better use spring water or boiled and filtered tap water.

7. better use non-iodized salt and add salt just before you pouring the batter in to the idli molds (means after fermentation)

8. The temperature should be 86 degree F to 90 degree F below that temperature it will take longer time to ferment. Idli batter should ferment Two& half times then original volume then only you can get soft and fluffy idlis.

Here is the recipe for Most wanted break fast IDLI.....

INGREDIENTS:----

Par-boiled rice (idli rice) --- 4 cups

Raw rice (dosa rice) (any short grain rice what we use for dosa batter) --- 1 cup

Black lentils(urad dal) --- 1 cup

Fenugreek seeds --- 1 tea sp

Salt --- 1 1/2 tea sp

METHOD:-----

1. Mix both rice and wash for 1 or 2 times and soak in enough water for 4 hours

2.Wash black lentils and soak in water for 1 hour with 1 tea sp of fenugreek seeds

3.Grind lentils in to smooth paste.If drop a small ball of lentil paste in a bowl of water that should stay on surface . Normally it will take 45 min. time to grind in a wet grinder 10 - 15 min. in a mixer(mixee)or blender.But wet grinder gives a good results.

4.Now grind rice in to a coarse paste and mix it with lentil paste mix well and leave it in a warm place to ferment.

5. If you like to use idli rava( cream of rice) then take 2 cups of cream of rice (idli rava) and soak in enough water before you start grinding lentils. After grinding lentils remove water and squeeze extra water and add this to lentil paste mix well and leave for fermentation.

6. leave this batter in a warm place for over night to ferment well and the batter should become2 1/2 times then original volume.

7. Next day morning add salt and mix well.

8. Grease idli molds with little oil or ghee and pour 1 ladle full idli batter and arrange idli plates in the stand .

9. pour 100ml water in to a idli cooker or a big vessel and bring to a full boil and place the idli stand into that idli cooker cover with lid and steam for 5 min, in high flame then reduce the flame and steam the idlis for 8 min.

10.Switch off the flame and leave it like that for 5 min. then open the lid and remove the idli stand from idli cooker.

11. Wait for 2 more min and scoop out the idlis from the molds and serve hot with sambar, coconut chutney and ghee .

12. You can use a pressure cooker for steaming idlis pour water in the pressure cooker and place the idli stand and cover with lid but don't put the weight (whistle).

13. You can use electric rice cooker also for steaming idlis pour water in to the rice cooker vessel and place the idli stand and switch on the cooker to cooking mode.

14. Can cook idlis in microwave also but with microwave safe idli molds only.

MIXED VEGETABLE PULAV WITH PAV BHAJI FLAVOR

A aromatic vegetable pulav recipe from Chakh... le....re. This pulav tastes very different and we just love the aroma, thank you so much for the recipe.. Since 1 month I am with my parents because of my moms health . Now she is feeling much better.Both my mom and dad are food lovers. They like different varieties and flavors in their meal,Especially this rice varieties like mixed rice, biryanis and pulavs. Today I wanted to make some pulav and raita for my mom and dad because of V.day and long back when I make this pav bhaji pulav for my hubby dear he likes it very much so I tried it once again and it came out so very well and my mom and dad enjoyed it very much. Ha haa my mom enjoyed it a little bit more I think there is some left over about a small bowl so amma kept it in the fridge and had it for dinner also. One thing about my parents both of them are great food lovers and they enjoy the food what ever I make for them if it is a North Indian or a South Indian dish, ofcourse amma likes pasta also but with some Indian touch... And coming to the recipe I have made little changes in the recipe, she used Asafotieda in the original recipe I didn't used it if you like the flavor then add it with mustard and cumin seeds.And I used fresh vegetables you can use frozen also thats it I think.... Here I go with the recipe...........
INGREDIENTS:-------
Rice -- 1 cup (Iused basmati rice)

Oil --- 3 tab sp

Onion -- 1/2 cup finely chopped

Green chilies --- 2 chopped

Mixed vegetables -- 1 cup cut in to small pieces(I used fresh sweet corn, carrot, green peas)

Tomato puree -- 1/2 cup

Pav Bhaji masala -- 1 1/2 tea sp

Red chilli powder --- 1 tea sp

Garam masala -- 1/2 tea sp

Cumin seeds --- 1/2 tea sp

Mustard seeds --- 1/2 tea sp

Salt -- 1/2 tea sp



METHOD:-----
1.Wash rice and soak for 15 min.
2.Cook with 1 1/2 cup water till done and leave a side to cool
3.If using frozen vegetables thaw them (you can keep them in microwave for 3 min.)
4.I used fresh vegetables so chop them in to small bite size pieces and cook them in little water till they become soft but little crunchy or cook them in steamer for 10 min. remove from heat and leave a side.
5.Now heat oil in a pan add mustarde seeds and cumin seeds let them popup then add green chilies and fry for a while.
6.Now add chopped onions and fry till golden color then add mixed vegetables and fry for 3 min.
7.Then add tomato puree, red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala,garam masala and salt and mix well
8.Now add cooked rice to the vegetable mixture, mix it very well cover with a lid and leave it in a very low flame for 3 min.
9.Remove the lid and mix well once again and adjust the seasoning and switch off the flame.
Serve hot with raita or curd.

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.

MENTHI KURA CHIKKUDUKAYA KURA ( FENUGREEK LEAVES WITH INDIAN BROAD BEANS)

A light green leafy vegetable with little bitter taste and gives a wonderfull aroma all over in your house when you cook with dall or any other vegetable like potato or indian droad beans or you mix it with paratha dough.This aromatic leafy vegetable is a oldest and power full medicinal herb in India wich contains lots of iron and also enriched with minerals like calcium, potassium, rich in C vitamin and K vitamin.According to ayurveda fenugreek leaves are cooling agent, when you soak some leaves in a glass of water for over night and gargle in the morning it prevents mouth ulcers. protect againest cancer and lowring type1 and type 2 diabetes.Consumption of fenugreek leaves helps in digestion abilities and iron deficiency. So try to add this healthy leafy vegetable in your diet at least 2 times a week.

By fresh looking leaves the fresh leaves looks light green color and make sure there are no holes and white lines on the leaves

Wash the fresh leaves under running water for 3-4 times to remove dirt and soil.

Renmove from water and spread the leaves on a kitchen towle for 10 min. then chopp them and use in the cooking.

Now comming to the today s recipe. MENTHI KURA CHIKKUDUKAYA KURA(FENUGREEK LEAVES WITH INDIAN BROAD BEANS) and here is the recipe....

Ingredients:---

Fenugreek leaves -- 1 big bundle or 2 cups chopped(washed and chopped finely)
Indian broad beans--- 250gms cut in to 1/2 inch pieces
Onion --- 1 big finely chopped
Green chilies -- 2 chopped
Ginger and green chilli paste -- 1 tea sp
Oil -- 1 tab sp
Mustard seeds -- 1 tea sp
Urad dal(split black gram) -- 1 tea sp
Cumin seeds -- 1/2 tea sp
Dry red chilies --- 2 broken
Turmeric powder --- 1/2 tea sp
Salt -- 1&1/4 tea sp or to taste
Red chilli powder -- 1/4 tea sp


METHOD:----

• Clean, wash and chopp fenugreek leaves
• Tear, open and check Indian broad beans if there are any insects in side and cut in to 1/2 inch pieces and leave a side
• Peal and chopp onion very finely and cut green chilies in to small pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and let them popup then add urad dal, cumin seeds and broken dry red chilies and let them fry till nice golden color.
• Now add chopped onion and green chilies and fry till onion become transparent.
• Then add ginger and green chili paste, Indian broad bean pieces, salt, turmeric powder mix well and add 1/2 cup water cover with a lid and cook till Indian broad beans are cooked this will take 10 min. time in a low flame or you can cook till all the water is evaporated.
  
  
• Now add chopped fenugreek leaves, red chili powder mix well and sprinkle 1 tab sp water cover with a lid and cook in a low flame, stir in between till it became semidry curry.
• You can add 200gms of chopped eggplant pieces also to this curry when you add Indian broad bean pieces for adifferent taste.

enjoy with rice or roti.

RICE RAVA PULIHORA

Hi every one..... sorry for my sudden disappearance. I was little bussy with my mom because she is not well,now she is fealing better, so to day I tried to post this recipe. this recipe is from my mom only.Today morning she sat a side in the kitchen and teached this recipe to me and this is a very new recipe to me. Normaly with rice rava I make upma, more kali or undrallu making pulihora with rava is first time but it taste really great and a perfect choice for breakfast or dinner . Here is the recipe for delicious Rice rava pulihora with great lemon aroma......

INGREDIENTS:----
Rice rava --- 300gm. 3 cups
Oil --- 70gm (groundnut oil)
Dry red chillies -- 3 broken
Mustard seeds -- 1 tea sp
Ginger green chilli paste -- 2 tea sp
Green chilies -- 3
Chana dal(split chick peas, pachi senagapapu) -- 1 tab sp
Ground nuts(pea nuts, verusenagapappu) -- 1 tab sp
Asafoetida -- 1 pinch
Curry leaves -- 2 springs
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 tea sp
Salt -- 1 tab sp
Lemon juice -- 2-3 lemons (according to your taste)
Water -- 6 cups

METHOD:----

• Heat oil in a pan fry ground nuts(peanuts, verusenagapappu) till nice golden color remove and leave a side.
• Now add mustared seeds let them popup then add split chick peas(chanadal, pachi senagapappu), dry red chillies, asafoetida,green chilies,curry leaves let them fry for a while .
• Then add ginger and green chilli paste, turmeric powder then add lemon juice water and salt bring to a full boil.n
• Now add rice rava to the boiling water slowly(like how we add rava for upma)stir well and cover with a lid and leave it in a low flame till rava became soft and well cooked.
• mix well and remove from heat.
• Serve hot.

HOME REMEDY FOR BODY HEAT AND INDIGESTION

In the preparation of this tasty and healthy drink Jaggery and Black pepper are the ingrdients besides water.

Jaggery is well known as Gud or Bellamu in Telugu. It is a traditional unrefined sugar which is made from sugar cane juice and is being used in many traditional sweets in India. Traditionaly it is made by boilling the raw sugarcane juice in a big pan till this juice become like a thick syrup. Before the syrup becomes solid they use natural clarificants like vegetable clarificants to clarify the syrup. They don't use chemicals in this process. jaggery has various medicinal properties as it contains minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids and also rich in calcium. It is a good source for bone strength.It is also rich in iron content. It purifies the blood and also prevents diseases like anemia. Jaggery is more healthy then refined sugar because it won't introduce in to the blood directly. As per ayurveda jaggery is very beneficial in treating throat and lung infections. According to Hindu tradition jaggery is considered auspicious. when we are going to do a good work or starting a new or important work a piece of jaggery is taken and distrubuated to wellwishers and then start the work .

BLACK PEPPER:One of the most popular spice of India.black pepper is widely used in many tradetional medicinal systems. Black pepper had a very high source of manganese and also rich in iron and dietary fiber. There are so many health benefits with this popular oldest spice of India, like it improves digestion,stimulates taste buds and improves the appetite .It also helps in prevention of diarrhea and constipation and prevents gastric troubles.

Water --- 1 glass
Jaggery (powder) --- 1 tab sp
Black pepper --- 10 (corsely ground)
METHOD: prepare Instantly
Mix both jaggery and black pepper powder in 1 class of water mix well to dissolve the jaggery, you can drink this any time in the day not after dinner.
Name& reason for which the remedy is prepared: to controle body heat and gastric troubles, indigestion, stimulates taste buds.
Oral consumption: oral consumption 1 time a day
For whom kids/Adults/All/Specific Gender: Every one (kids from 2 years)
Can prepare fresh: Should be made fresh and used immediately.
This Home remedy goes to "HOME REMEDIES'' SERIES-1 at A2ZVEGETARIAN CUISINE by Sadhana & Muskaan

CHEGODILU FOR ICC(LATE ENTRY)

Indian cooking challange hosted by srivalli at SPICE YOUR LIFE is a great chance to try some traditional Indian recipes.As you all know I am very much interested in trying different recipes so when valli announced the challenge I just dropped a mail to her that Iam going to join ICC..., that time I didn't even think is it possible to take challenge or not every month. This month I couldn't post the ICC recipe on time, because of some family problems, but I don't want to miss any recipe from the challenge so I tried the recipe yestarday and recipe is chegodilu, they came out realy so crisp like store brought chegodilu. This recipe is totally different then mine, in my recipe (what i learnt from my mom) I don't boil the water to mix the dough and I mix the rice flour with fried chick pea flour(putnala podi,daliya,porikadalai) any way will post my recipe some other time now here I go with the recipe CHEGODILU from Srivalli s INDIAN COOKIN CHALLENGE


INGREDIENTS:---
Rice flour --- 1 cup
Water -- 1 cup
Split yellow moong dal -- 1&1/2 - 2 tab sp
Cumin seeds -- 1 tea sp
Sesame seeds -- 1 tea sp
Chilli powder -- 1 tea sp
Ghee or oil -- 1 tab sp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying


METHOD:---

• Soak moong dal in water for half hour to 1 hour
• In a deep bottom pan, boil water, then add salt, ghee and moong dal. Bring it to boil.
• Simmer and slowly add the rice flour.
• Using a rolling pin or the ladle, mix the flour with water by stirring it well.
• When the flour is mixed, turn off the heat immediately.
• Cover with a lid and leave a side for 10 to 15 min.
• Once the dough is cool add chilli powder,cumin and sesame seeds and mix well.
• Knead this dough till you get a smooth dough
• Adjust the spice depending on your taste.

FRYING THE CHEGODILU:---

• Heat a deep frying pan with enough oil to fry 3-4 chegodilu at a time, If you are conscious of not using too much oil then simmer once it gets hot, the temperature should not be smoking hot.
• Grease your fingers with oil and a pinch out a small lemon(golf) size ball and roll between your palms to form a thick rope.
• Bring the two ends together and press to hold the both ends like a ring.
• Make sure the ends are firmed pressed as not to give out during frying.
• Continue with the rest of the dough until you are done with the entire batch.
• You can eaither cover with aplate or a cloth to prevent the dough from getting dried.
• At the same time heat oil in adeep frying pan and check if the oil is in the correct temperature, by dropping a little bit of the dough in to the oil.
• Now gently drop the rings or chegodilu in batches like 4-5 at a time .
• The flame should be on high till the chegodilu come up to the surface, then lower The flame to medium and cook till you get a golden color on the chegodilu
• When the chegodilu are golden all over, using a slotted ladle, remove from oil in to a kitchen towel and cool.
• Store in an air tight container for longer life.

NOTES:-- Remember to turn the heat to medium to high and high to medium for getting the chegodilu golden color and also to be cooked evenly. only this way you get crispy chegodis. this should not be cooked on a low flame as they will absorb more oil and can turn soggy also at times.
VARIATION:-- Instead of cumin seeds and sesame seeds 1 tea sp Ajwain(vamu, omam) can be used along with the chilli powder.