Mirchi bajji and Hara chutney

The monsoons may not be doing well for the commonwealth games at the Capital and the innumerable traffic jams in other metros of the country, but the onset of monsoon is indeed a welcome respite from the rather horrifying and heated months. And rain in India is celebrated with good food: hot, spicy and crispy to be clearer, Mirchi bajjis to be most specific. Mirchi bada or mirchi bajji or mirapakaya bajjilu, call them whatever; they create a monsoon in the mouth itself!! Ah yea, we mean the mouth starts watering with the mere mention of the name! A popular chat item, also a special at Andhra homes, and known to be a part of the Rajasthani cuisine, the best mirchi bajji can be found, well anywhere it is made! Coz, mirchi bajjis are always the best! And with hara chutney, the heart is just celebrating! Well, keeping these exaggerating facts aside, a quick look at the recipe:

Thank you Mrs. Agarwal for the recipe and Pictures courtesy: Kamal Kiran.

Preparation time: 20-30 mins

Ingrdients:

Mirchi bajji

Long and big green chillies (Bajji mirapakayalu/ Bada mirchi) 1/4th kg
Gram flour (Senagapindi/besan) 1cup
Carom seeds (Ajwain) 1tsp
Tamarind paste (chintapandu paste/ imli paste) 1tsp
Refined cooking oil
Salt to taste

Hara chutney:

Chopped mint leaves (pudina) 2 cups
Chopped coriander (dhania/kothimeera) 1cup
Large onion (ullipaya) 1
Lemon juice 2tsp
Sugar 1 tbsp
Green chillies 4 to 6
salt to taste

Method:

Mirchi Bajji


Wash and dry the chillies. Slit the chillies on one side vertically. Ensure not to slit it completely. Deseed the chillies and set aside.

Mix 2 to 3 tbsp of gram flour, a tsp each of ajwain and tamarind paste, and salt to taste to make it into a thick paste. Stuff the paste into each of the chillies.

Mix together gramflour, salt and water to a make the bajji batter. The batter is to be semi- liquid and consistent.

Heat oil in a pan/kadai(bandli/mookudu).Dip each chilli in the batter and fry in the pre-heated oil till golden brown. Remove onto a tissue/cloth to absorb the excess oil.

Serving tip: After frying the chillies, cut them with a butter knife slightly and fill them with finely chopped onions. Add a dash of lemon before serving.

Hara chutney


Slice the onion and finely chop the mint leaves and coriander.

Add all the ingredients and a little water in to a blender and grind to a smooth paste. Note that the water should be very little as onions, coriander and mint are all watery veggies.

Remove and add water as per the consistency required and mix.

Refrigerate and use as required. The chutney when refrigerated is good for a week and can be used as a base for curries or even as a sandwich spread. For now, serve with Mirchi bajjis.


With rain trickling down the window panes and cool breeze swaying them, hot and crispy mirchi bajjis served with hara chutney and a hot cuppa masala chai will just mean “the moment of life”.

Vankaya Senagalu pulusu/Brinjal and Black channa sambar

Sambars are every south Indian’s favorite and Brinjal and black channa dal sambar is high on nutritious content and supposed to be the most traditionally made sambars in south India.

Preparation time: 30-45 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Long brinjals 1/4th kg
Pigeon peas (toor dal/kandipappu) 1 cup (100gms)
Chickpeas (kala channa/senagalu) 1 cup (100gms)
Sambar powder 2tsp
Ghee 1tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Cumin seeds 1tsp
Black gram (Urad dal/uddipappu) 1tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Pinch of Asafoetida
Salt to taste

Fresh & grated coconut to garnish
Fresh coriander to garnish

Method:

Soak the chickpeas for around 4-5 hours. Wash and cut the brinjals into finger long pieces. White or green brinjals are authentically used for the recipe, but purple ones also make a good sambar.

Pressure cook the pigeon peas and chick peas to 7 whistles separately.

Add salt to taste and 2 and half cups of water to the brinjals and leave to boil. As the brinjals are turning soft, that is after around 2 mins, add the chick peas and leave to boil till the brinjals are completely cooked.

Add the boiled pigeon peas and stir for 5 mins. Add 2 tsp sambar powder and leave to boil for another 2-3 mins.

In a pan/kadai, heat 1 tsp ghee and add mustard seeds. As they pop, add cumin seeds, black gram, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida. Season the sambar with this tempering.

Garnish with fresh and grated coconut and/or finely chopped fresh coriander. Brinjal and black channa dal sambar is ready to mix along with rice and polish off with a few papads.
Being thick ala a gravy, brinjal and black channa sambar can make a good Indian bread supplement as well.

Moongdal Modak

Ganapati Bappa Mouriya! Yes as the Elephant God comes home on his mooshika vahan, its time for us to fill his tummy and hands with modakas and make him the “modaka hastha” as he is always referred to. Wishing all a happy Ganesh chaturthi, here is the recipe of moongdal stuffed modak.

Preparation time: 30-45 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Rice flour (biyyampindi) 2cups (200gms)
Refined cooking oil 1 ½ tbsp
Green gram dal (moong dal/pesara pappu) 1/4th cup (50 gms)
Fresh and grated coconut (pachi kobbari) ½ cup (100 gms)
Jaggery (gud/bellam) ½ cup (100 gms)
Cardomom (Elaichi/ yellakaayi) 2
Pinch of salt


Method:

Grate jaggery.

Boil 1 cup water. To 2 cups rice flour, add 1 and half tbsp oil, pinch of salt and the boiling water and mix dough of chapati dough consistency. Cover and set aside.

In a kadai/pan (Bandli/mookudu), add the jaggery, grated coconut, Green gram dal, powdered cardamom, water and cook till they turn into a thick lump to be used later as filling.

Take small balls of the dough and bail into circles ala pooris. Place a spoon of the green gram stuffing in between the circle and bring the edges together and twist the edges together to look like an onion.

Apply refined oil onto a pressure cooker vessel/normal vessel, place the filled modaks at equal distance from each other, place the vessel inside a cooker/large shallow vessel and steam for 10 mins on medium heat.

Steamed green gram dal modaks are done. Healthy and yummy, modaks will add colour to the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities. Make modaks and fill both Ganesha’s tummy and your’s as well!!

Sheer Kurma

As the crescent moon is sighted, and the holy month of Ramadaan completed with the festivites of Eid, may Allah bless you with happiness and grace your home with warmth & peace.
And for this Eid, we write the most important delicacy of Eid - Sheer Kurma. Thank you Shahnaaz Sultana aunty for the sweet recipe.






Serves: 10

Preparation time: 20-30 mins

Ingredients:

Milk (paalu) 3 liters
Sevayyan (Semiya) 200 gm
Ghee 4tsp
Almonds 5-10
Pistachio 5-10
Dates 5
Sugar to taste

Method:

Boil the milk on low flame for around half an hour to an hour.

In another kadai/pan, fry the sevayyan in 2tsp ghee till they turn golden brown.

Pour the milk into the kadai with roasted sevayyan and keep stirring till the sevayyan is soft. Add sugar to taste and leave to cook on a low heat for around 10-15 minutes. Keep stirring in between.

Ghee roast the almonds and pistachio.

Season the sheer with almonds, pistachio, dates & also garnish each serving with the same

Yummy sheer kurma is ready for celebrating Eid. So get on and let the sweet fill the festival with its aromatic sweetness.