Easy Allam Pachadi/Ginger Chutney

 

 

    Ingredients:

     Ginger –  ( 1/2 cup,  chopped)

     Mustard seeds/avalu - (1/2 tsp)

     Cumin seeds/jeera - (1/2 tsp)

     Garlic cloves  - (6)

     Turmeric powder - (1/4 tsp)

     Curry leaves   (2, optional)

     Red chillie powder/ red chillies – (1/2 tsp or 2 no)

     Tamarind – (small lemon sized cleaned)

    Jaggery/bellam –   (1/2 cup, adjust the amount  of jaggery according to your taste) 

     Salt to taste

     Oil –   (3 tsp)

    Water as required

 Preparation method:

 

 

Wash and clean the ginger   then cut it into small pieces and  let it dry for 10 minutes.

Take a Pan, heat the oil, add ginger pieces and fry until they turn into light brown color.

Then add   mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garlic cloves, turmeric powder, curry leaves,

tamarind and red chillies/powder in the  order and mix them well.  Take out the pan from heat and let it cool. 

Grind the above   mix in the grinder or blender  along with jaggery and salt.  One can make coarse or smooth chutney by adding water.

Seasoning: (optional)

Heat   1 tsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chillies, let them splutter then pour this seasoning to the grinded ginger chutney and mix it thoroughly. 

Now sweet and sour ginger chutney is ready to serve with dosa, idli,  pesarattu…. Keep refrigerated.

 

Cracked Wheat/Broken Wheat Upma (Vegetable Upma)

                                

Cracked wheat/broken wheat  (Godhuma rava in telugu) is not processed one,  so it is good source of fiber.  Preparing   Upma  with this for breakfast is a healthy option. I have added veggies to make it more nutritious and healthy.

Ingredients:

Cracked wheat -   1 cup (roasted)
Mixed vegetables  -   1 cup (carrot, beans, peas)

For  seasoning: 

Oil – 2 tsp

Onion - (1 medium, cut into thin and long pieces)
Green chillies - (2, cut into pieces)

Mustard seeds/aavalu – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds/jeera -1 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Roasted   pea nuts/palli - handful (optional)

Cinnamon stick (1 no, 1 inch  stick, optional)

Bay leave    (1 No, optional)

Cilantro/kothimeera    (chopped, ½ bunch, optional)

Preparation method:

Heat oil in a sauce pan,  add mustard seeds, cumin seeds when it splutters, add green chillies, onions, curry leaves, cinnamon stick, bay leave, roasted peanuts  and sauté it  till onions turn into  light brown colour.

Then add all the vegetables and cook it  further  for 4-5 minutes. 

Now   add 5 cups of  water, required salt, chopped cilantro and bring  it  to boil.

Then simmer   the flame  and  add  roasted rava  slowly,  with continuous stirring  to prevent it  from forming lumps.

Place the lid and   cook on low flame, stirring in between, till all the water has evaporated and it becomes soft.  

Hot Upma is ready to serve.  Eat with your favourite chutney.

Tasty Tomato Bath or Rice

Making tomato rice is very simple and easy.  Add all ingredients in cooker and   put it on stove for 3 whistles.  By seeing the list, it  looks lengthy but while cooking it goes fast.  You may or may not  add   all the ingredients which I have listed here, but if you add them it  gives nice aroma and taste to your tomato rice. Adding veggies to  the tomato bath is up to you. This recipe will serve 4-5 people.

Ingredients:

Rice 1 cup

Tomatoes   ( medium size 4-5, cut into pieces)

Potatoes (2, wash, peel and cut into cubes)

Beans (1/2 lb, I used French cut beans)

Soya chunks   (Nutrela brand  20 counts)

Onions (1, medium size, cut into pieces)

Garlic and ginger paste    ( ½ tsp)

Cumin seeds/Jeera (1/2  tsp)

Black jeera/Shajeera (1/2 tsp)

Green chillies  (2, cut into pieces)

Cinnamon stick/dalchina 1(1/2 inch piece)

Cardamoms/elaichi    (2 No)

Cloves/lavanga       (4 No)

Beay leasves/biryani aaku   (1 No)

Anise star flower/Puvvu     (2 No)

Water (1&1/2 cups )

Salt to taste

Oil -   3 tsps

Preparation method:

1. First keep the soya chunks in the hot water for few minutes then drain the water and  keep it aside.
2. Wash the rice and add adequate water(1&1/2 cups) to it.
3. Take the pressure cooker, heat 3 tsp oil, add  onions,  green chillies and  garlic&ginger paste and sauté it few seconds,  now add  all above spices, stir it,  then  add vegetables, soya chunks,  rice with  water finally salt and  mix well. Place the cooker lid   and put it on high fame for 3 whistles. Then remove it from the heat, let it cool. Now the tasty tomato rice is ready to serve.

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Tomato-Cilantro chutney/ Tomato-Kothimeera Pachadi/thokku

Ingredients:

          Tomatoes – 250gms

          Chopped Coriander – (1bunch)

 Red Chilies – (2)

Mustard Seeds – (½ tsp)

Cumin seeds/jeera (1/2 tsp)

Garlic cloves 4

Salt to Taste

Turmeric Powder - (1/4tsp)

Oil    (2tsp)

Sesame seeds paste/powder - (1tsp)

Curry leaves (2)

           Tamarind pulp (1tsp, optional)

Preparation method:

Wash and clean the tomatoes. Cut into 4 pieces and keep them in  a sauce pan, cook them until the  juice of tomatoes  has evaporated then keep it aside to cool off. 

Heat a pan and add oil to it. When the oil is hot add  mustard seeds, cumin seeds fry till they sputter.  Then add garlic cloves,  red chilies, curry leaves, turmeric powder, tamarind paste, sesame paste and  cilantro,  little bit stir fry it, then remove  it from the heat and  let it cool.

 Now grind the above  ingredients to prepare the chutney/pachhadi using  a mixer or a Mortar & Pestle.

      

Nuvvula polelu/ bobbatlu /bhakshalu (sesame poli)

                                       This was my  special item for Sankranthi


 

Ingredients for  Stuffing:

White sesame – 1 Cup
 

Jaggery/bellam– 1 Cup
 

Cardamom – 4-5

 

Ingredients for Roti:
 

Allpurpose flour/maida flour – 1/2 cup
 

Salt
 

Oil  
 

Water
 

Preparation Method:
 

• Dry roast sesame till it sputters and turns to brown color stirring continuously. Allow it to cool.
• Take the roasted sesame  in the mixer, grind it into powder and transfer it into a large bowl.  Now grate the jaggery or  grind it into powder using mixer, then transfer it to the powdered sesame bowl. To this add cardamom powder, mix well. Now it becomes a little bit sticky mixture.

 

 Making of Sweet Roti:

 

• Take all purpose flour in a bowl, add pinch of salt and add water slowly to make a soft dough, thoroughly knead it and keep it aside for about 30 minutes. 
• Make medium sized balls from the kneaded dough and roll it out into small puri and place 2 tsps  of the the mixture and wrap it well. Wrap all the rotis once and keep it aside.
• Roll out each of the wrapped rotis on a thick plastic sheet to the required thickness. (I used roti maker) 
• Heat a griddle on a medium flame and put the rolled out roti on it to cook with some oil/ghee. When both sides are cooked well with brown spots on it, transfer to the serving plate. Enjoy the taste of sweet roti now.

Simple and Easy Chinese Vegetable Rice with Tofu

Whenever you have leftover rice, prepare  this rice, instant and easy.  Simply add some vegetables and if possible tofu also to make it rich and healthy.

Ingredients:

• Cooked rice 1 cup (leftover rice is also fine)
• Mixed vegetables  ( 1 cup boiled)
• Tofu (100 gms, cut into cubes)
• Jeera/cumin (1 tsp)
• Black cumin seeds/shah jeera (1tsp)
• Red chillies  (2 No)
• Cinnamon stick 1(1/2 inch piece, optional)
• Black pepper powder/miriyala podi (1/2 tsp)
• Soy sauce (1 tsp)
• Salt
• Oil

Preparation method:

 

1. Take the wok, heat ½ tsp oil,  add tofu pieces, little bit stir fry it, so you do not feel any kind of smell, now transfer it to a bowl.

2. In the same wok, add 2tsp oil, heat it and now add jeera, black jeera,redchillies, cinnamon stick saute it for 1 minute and  add boiled vegetables. 

3.To this vegetable mix add blackpepper powder, soy sauce and stir fry it for 3 minutes, add little salt to taste (because you added soy sauce) then finally add cooked rice, tofu pieces and mix well.  Now it is ready to serve.

Minapa laddu/Sunnundalu

                        Sankranthi Special Recipe:

         

"I wish you and your family members a Happy Sankranthi"

Ingredients for Minapa laddu/Sunnundalu:

• 1 cup minapappu (Urad dal/Black gram)
• 1 cup grated/powdered jaggery/bellam (powdered sugar can also be used)
• 1/2 cup melted ghee (clarified butter)
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder (optional)

Preparation Method:

Dry roast the minapappu/urad dal until it turns golden brown in color. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. Now grind it into fine powder (You can store this dry roasted urad dal powder in air-tight container for about 1 month). Take a large bowl, add urad dal powder, grated/powdered jaggery, melted ghee, cardamom powder (optional) and  mix it well. It becomes sticky now and   take some sticky mixture into your palms, press it gently and  shape it into small smooth balls or laddus. Now delicious sunnundalu are ready to eat.

Health benefit:

A healthy home made sweet treat loaded with protein, fiber, Iron and also contains less fat. Good for everyboday, specially kids and pregnant women.

  

Cabbage and green peas with coconut powder/ kobbari

                                                   Cabbage and green peas with coconut powder/ kobbari

Ingredients:

Cabbage  (400 gms, chopped)

Green peas (100-150 gms)

Coconut powder/kobbari  (4 tbsp)

Mustard seeds (1 tsp)

Cumin seeds (1tsp)

Green chillies 4 to 5 (cut into pieces)

Curry leaves (6-8 leaves)

Garlic cloves (4 crushed)

Turmeric powder (1/2 tsp)

Salt to taste

Oil  2 tsp

Preparation method: 

1. Heat oil in a pan, add  mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chillies, curry leaves, garlic cloves, turmeric powder  and  sauté it  for 3 minutes.
2. Now add greenpeas, stir fry it for 2-3 minues then add  chopped cabbage, little bit of water and let it cook for 10 -12 minutes until it becomes soft.  Then add salt and coconut powder, mix well then place the lid and put it in the simmer for 5 min. 
3. This recipe will serve 4-5 people. It goes well with chapati/roti and rice also.

Masala sambar (spicy lentil soup) with kohlrabi and daikon

             

My recipe is about spicy/masala sambar. I tried this, which turned out awesome.  The vegetables which I used are  kohlrabi and daikon/radish/mullangi (available in american stores and farmers market also)  perfect for sambar. So I thought of posting this recipe in my blog to share with you all. Try this this masala sambar next time when you are thinking of preparing sambar.

Here is the recipe for  masala sambar. You do not need to buy any sambar masala powder for this recipe. 

Ingredients:

• Toor dal/arhar dal (kandi pappu 1/2 cup)
• Tamarind pulp  (chintapandu gujju, 3 Tbsb)
• Kohlrabi (1 No, peel and cut into pieces)
• Radish (1 No, peel and cut into thin circles)

For Seasoning

• Oil (2 tsp)
• Green chillies/Red chillies (5-6)
• Mustard seeds (1 tsp)
• Cumin seeds/ jeera (1 tsp)
• Medium size onion (1, cut into thin and long pieces)
• Curry leaves (6-8)
• Cinnamon stick/dalchina chekka  (1, 2inches piece)
• Cardamom/elaichi/elakulu ( 3 No, crushed)
• Bay leaves/biryani aaku  (2 No)
• Cloves/lavanga  ( 4-5)
• Garlic cloves 3, crushed ( optional)
• Turmeric powder (1/4 tsp)
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. In pressure cooker add washed dal   with 1-1/2 cups of water then cook on medium high heat until 3-4 whistles.
2. Turn off the heat and wait until steam has gone before opening the pressure cooker.
3. Mash the dal using a ladle,  make sure there are no lumps.  Make dal soft and mushy and keep it aside.

Seasoning:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green/red chilies, cinnamon stick, cardamoms, bay leaves, cloves, onions, garlic, curry leaves and turmeric powder then stir for a few minutes.
2. Add kohlrabi, radish  and  1 cup water  then covered the pan and let the vegetables cook till they are tender over medium heat.
3. Now add  tamarind pulp or juice to the vegetable mix.
4. Now add cooked dal to the above mix and salt to taste. You can add water for your consistency.  Boil the sambar on medium heat for 5-6 minutes finally add cilantro (optional). 
5. Serve sambar with rice, dosa and  idli.