Pesara mudda pappu/ moong dal

Split green gram or pesarapappu is a good source of proteins. Pesara mudda pappu is a slight variation from the usual mudda pappu that is made at most homes. A nutritious and simple dal.

Preparation time: 20-30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Green gram (moongdal/pesara pappu) 1cup

Green chillies 2

Ginger (allam) 1tsp

Refined cooking oil 2tsp

Cumin seeds (jeera/jeelakarra) 1tsp

Black gram (uraddal/uddipappu) 1tsp

Curry leaves 4-5

Fresh and chopped coriander (dhania/kotimeera) 1tsp

Pinch of turmeric

Pinch of asafoetida (hing/inguva)

Salt to taste

Grated fresh coconut to garnish

Method:

Wash and pressure cook the green gram and a pinch of turmeric up to 3 whistles. If using a microwave, cook on medium heat for 15 mins. Remove add water and cook another 10 mins. If cooking in an open vessel, add 1 cup to 1 and a 1/2 cups water and leave to boil for around 20 mins.

Slit the green chillies.

In a pan/kadai (Bandli/mookudu), heat 2tsp oil. Add the slit green chillies and ginger. As they turn crisp, add cumin seeds, black gram, curry leaves, fresh and chopped coriander, a pinch each of asafoetida and turmeric.

To the seasoning, add the cooked green gram and stir. Add salt to taste and stir.

Garnish with fresh and grated coconut before serving (optional)

Pesara mudda pappu, is a simple and highly nutritious dal recipe. A great supplement both for rice as well as any of the Indian bread.

Pepper & Tamarind Rasam

Pepper and tamarind rasam is a good remedy for cough and cold. A simple rasam recipe.

Preparation time: 20-30 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Tamarind (chinta pandu/imli) 50 gms
Coriander seeds (Pachi dhaniyalu/dhania seeds) 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds (Jeelakarra/jeera) 2tsp
Pepper corns (Miriyalu) 10-12
Ghee 1 tsp
Bengal gram (senaga bedalu/chana dal) 1tsp
Mustard seeds (aavalu/rai) 1tsp
Red chillies 2
Curry leaves 4-5
Sugar 1tsp
Pinch of turmeric
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Fresh & chopped coriander to garnish




Method:

Soak the blob of tamarind in water for around 15-20mins and squeeze thick juice.

To this add 2 glasses water, sugar, turmeric, a tsp of salt and leave to boil.

Grind to fine powder: a tsp each of coriander seeds, cumin seeds and 10 pepper corns.
Add the powder to the boiling tamarind water and stir.

In a pan, heat ghee, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Bengal gram, 2 red chillies and a pinch of asafoetida. Season the rasam with this tempering.

Garnish with fresh and chopped coriander. Tamarind pepper rasam is a tangy and spicy rice supplement. Add a little ghee and drink it as it is or serve as soup, a real soother to a troubled throat.

Aakakarakaya vepudu/Baby karela fry/Teasel gourd fry

Aa kakarakaya or baby karela as it is referred to in Telugu is a popular vegetable in AP, specially found during this season. Baby karelas are light green in color, small and round and less bitter than the actual karelas. Baby karela fry is another simple fry, that is innovative and attracts even those who do not relish karela.

Preparation time: 10-15 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Baby bitter gourd/Teasel gourd/Spiny gourd (chota karela/ Aa kakarakaya) 3/4th kilo
Refined cooking oil 1cup
Red chilli powder to taste

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash, wipe and cut the gourd into thin circles.

Heat oil in pan/kadai.

Fry the teasel gourd circles in the heated oil on medium heat till crisp.

Remove onto tissue to drain out excess oil.

Sprinkle salt, red chilli powder and sugar(optional, if you still feel the gourd tastes bitter, actually it doesn’t.)

Aakakarakaya vepudu is done. Traditionally served with ghee topped hot rice, this is another of the popular vepudus from Andhra. Serve as bitter gourd chips with main course rice and surprise your connoisseurs.

Cabbage tomato chutney

Cabbage is a popular green. And tomatoes are all time favorites, any which way they are prepared. Cabbage tomato chutney is a simple rice supplement made at home.

Preparation time: 15-20 mins

Serves: 2






Ingredients:

Medium sized cabbage 1
Big red tomatoes 2
Green chillies 6
Curry leaves 5
Chopped coriander (dhania/kotimeera) 2tsps
Refined cooking oil 2tsps
Black gram (urad dal/uddipappu) 1tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp

Salt to taste


Method:

Shred or grate the cabbage. Cut the tomatoes into cubes.

In a pan, add half a tsp of oil and shallow fry the green chillies till bright green and crisp. We don’t want them brown. Add the grated cabbage and sauté till the raw smell is gone. Set aside to cool

In 1/4th tsp of oil, add the tomatoes and leave till the outer skin wrinkles. Set aside to cool.

Once at room temperature, add to the blender/mixie jar: cabbage, green chillies, tomatoes and salt.

In a pan, heat a tsp of oil, add mustard seeds and as they pop, add black gram, curry leaves and chopped coriander. (Option: Add a tsp red chilli powder if hot and spicy chutney is preferred, it also gives a red tinge to the chutney).

Add the blended cabbage tomato mix and stir well. Cook for around 2 mins on low heat.

Cabbage tomato chutney is done. Popular as a rice supplement, given its slightly pungent and spicy taste, it can also be had with any of the Indian bread sans the red chilli powder addition. It also tastes great with dosas and vadas. The chutney is good for up to 2 days if covered and refrigerated.

Bellam garelu/ Sweet vadas

We're all familiar with spicy vadas, but sweet vadas are popular in Andhra homes, especially during the festival season when vadas play the major role in the menu.

Preparation time: 20-30 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Black gram (urad dal/minapappu) 1 cup (200 gms)
Refined cooking oil 1cup
Jaggery ( gud/bellam) 2 blobs
Almond Powder ( Badam powder) 2 tsps
Pinch of saffron (kesar/kumkumpuvvu)

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak the black gram for around half an hour.

Add 1 cup water to the jaggery & boil on low heat to sweet syrup. Add badam powder, saffron and keep stirring till one string consistency (Take a drop of the syrup and press and expand between the thumb and the index finger to see if it feels like a string. That is called teega pakam)

Blend together the soaked black gram and a pinch of salt to batter. The batter is to be of semi liquid consistency (thicker than the dosa batter), smooth and slightly coarse.

Heat oil in a pan/ kadai.

Take lumps of the batter and pat flat in circular motion, with a hole in the center (to look like donuts) and deep fry in the pre heated oil till golden brown. (It is advisable to fry on low heat for crispy and golden colored vadas).

Remove onto a tissue for a minute or two to drain out excess oil and add to the jaggery syrup.

Bellam garelu or sweet vadas are done and generally soaked and served with the syrup, soft and sweet like gulab jamoons. But we don’t like them too sweet and love them crispy. So we generally dip the vadas for a couple of minutes in the sweet syrup and remove them and serve them hot and dry.

Either way, they are tasty and perfect for the sweet tooth. So this time you make vadas, make sure to dip a few of them in jaggery syrup and enjoy sweet vadas or bellam garelu.