Kobbari mirapa pachadi/Coconut chilli chutney

A very spicy chutney, kobbari mirapa chutney is a cook’s favorite - Easy and quick to make.

Preparation time: 10-15 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Coconuts (Pachi Kobbari kayalu) 2

Red chillies 10

Green chillies 10

Tamaraind (imli/chintapandu) 25 gms

Refined cooking oil 2 tsp

Mustard seeds (rai/aavalu) 1 tsp

Cumin seeds (jeera/jeelakarra) 2 tsp

Black gram (uraddal/uddipappu) 2tsp

Curry leaves 4 - 5

Pinch of turmeric (haldi/pasupu)

Pinch of asafoetida (hing/inguva)

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the tamarind in a quarter cup of water.

Grate the coconuts.

In a drop of oil, dry roast the red and green chillies for around 2 to 5 mins. Set aside to cool.

Add to the blender/mixie jar the red and green chillies and blend to a fine paste.

Add the fresh and grated coconut, soaked tamarind and grind again. Add water if required.

Finally add turmeric and salt to taste and blend to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan and add 2 red chillies, mustard seeds and as they pop, add the cumin seeds, black gram, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.

Season the chutney with the above tempering and serve with any south Indian snacks. The chutney makes a great combo with bland breakfast recipes like upma and idli. However, this extra chilli hot chutney is not advisable for kids.

Kakarakaya kura/Karela curry

Kakarakaya or Karela is a veggie that is very good for health, and this recipe is specifically good for diabetics.

Preparation time: 25-30 mins

Serves: 2





Ingredients:

Bitter gourd (karelas/kakarakaya) 2
Tamarind/tamarind paste 2 tsp
Refined cooking oil 1 tbsp
Black gram (uddipappu/urad dal) 2 tsp
Mustard seeds (Rai/aavalu) 1 tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera/jeelakarra) 2 tsp
Red chillies 4
Curry leaves 4-5
Red chilli powder 2 tsp
Pinch of turmeric
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and cut the bitter gourd into small pieces. Pressure cook to 3 whistles.

Alternatively, boil for around 20 mins until soft.

Soak the tamarind in quarter of a cup of water for around 10 mins and grind to a paste.

Drain the bitter gourd of all the water. Press hard to completely drain out all the juice. (This juice can be taken as is and is good for health).

Heat oil in a pan. Add the black gram, red chillies, mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida and turmeric.

To the seasoning add the bitter gourds, tamarind paste, salt to taste and red chilli powder. Sauté for 2 mins.

Bitter gourd curry is a great rice and Indian bread supplement.

Gummadikaya teepappu/Sweet Pumpkin dal

Gummadikaya or yellow pumpkin is a regular at home. With cut pieces being available in the market, this is one of those ‘every other day dal’ at home.

Preparation time: 20-30 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Pumpkin (Gummadikaya) ½ kilo
Pigeon peas (Toordal/kandipappu) 1 cup Refined cooking oil 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds (Rai/aavalu) 1 tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera/jeelakarra) 1 tsp
Black gram (Urad dal/uddipappu) 1 tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Green chillies 4
Sugar 2 tsp
Pinch of Red chilli powder
Pinch of Asafoetida
Pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander to garnish

Method:
Peel, de-seed and cut the pumpkin into cubes. Slit the green chillies.

Pressure-cook the pigeon peas, pumpkin, green chillies, and sugar with a pinch of turmeric to 3 whistles.

In a pan/kadai (bandl/mookudu), heat oil. Add mustard seeds and as they pop, add cumin, black gram, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.

To the seasoning, add the cooked pumpkin and pigeon pea mix and sauté. Add water if required ensuring the dal isn’t burnt.

Spice the dal with salt to taste, red chilli powder and a tsp of sugar (if required). Cook to one boil.

Garnish with fresh and chopped coriander and grated fresh coconut (if a Kannadiga) and serve with hot rice and papads.

Cabbage Curry

Happy birthday Manoj. God bless you with a great and joyful year.

Cabbage curry or cabbage palya/kura/poriyal is a simple recipe, a regular in most south Indian homes.

Preparation time: 20-30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Cabbage ½ kilo
Green chillies 2
Mustard seeds (Rai/Aavalu) 1 tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera/Jeelakarra) 1 tsp
Black gram (Uraddal/Uddipappu) 1 tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Ginger (Allam) 1/4th inch
Refined cooking oil 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Fresh and chopped coriander
Fresh and grated coconut

Method:

Wash and chop the cabbage finely. Finely chop the green chillies and ginger.

Heat oil in a pan/kadai (Bandli/mookudu). Add mustard seeds and as they pop add cumin seeds, black gram, curry leaves, green chillies and ginger.

As the tempering is done, add the cabbage and sauté. Add water until the cabbage is immersed, cover and cook until soft. This should take around 8-10 mins with all the water evaporating.

Remove and garnish with fresh and chopped coriander and grated coconut.

Serve with any of the Indian breads or rice.

Cucumber senagalu kosambri/Cucumber chickpeas salad

Cucumbers seem to be our most favorite salad veggie. Here is another simple south Indian way of cucumber salad with the chickpeas adding nutritious value.

Preparation time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Cucumbers 2
Black chickpeas (Kaala channa/Senagalu) 1 cup
Green chillies 2
Refined cooking oil 2 tsp
Mustard seeds (Rai/Aavalu) 1 tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera/Jeelakarra) 2 tsp
Black gram (Urad dal/Uddipappu) 2 tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Pinch of asafoetida (hing/inguva)
Salt to taste
Fresh and chopped coriander to garnish
Fresh and grated coconut to garnish

Method:

Wash and soak the chickpeas overnight to sprout. Pressure-cook the chickpeas up to 3 whistles. Alternatively, chickpea sprouts that available in markets can also be used.

Wash, peel and cut the cucumber into small cubes. Finely chop the green chillies.

In a pan/ kadai, Heat oil, add mustard seeds and as they pop add the green chillies, cumin seeds, black gram, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.

Mix together cooked chickpeas and cucumber. Add the above seasoning and mix well. Garnish with fresh and chopped coriander and fresh and grated coconut.

Add salt to taste just before serving else, the cucumbers will drain out of their water content.

Cucumber senagalu kosambri can be served refrigerated or hot. Either way the salad tastes great. It is an ideal inclusion into all kinds of menus-festivals, get-togethers or just an evening supper with soup, salad and bread.

Nuvvula pachadi/Sesame chutney

This chutney is another special Andhra recipe. With all the ingredients available on most kitchen racks, this is one of those quick and possible to make ‘instantly available- fresh chutneys’.

Preparation time: 10-15 mins

Serves: 2


Ingredients:

Sesame seeds (Nuvvulu/Til) 100 gms
Cumin seeds (Jeelakarra/Jeera) 2 tsp
Red chillies (Endu mirchi) 12
Black gram (Uddipappu/Urad dal) 1 tsp
Mustard seeds (Aavalu/Rai) 1 tsp
Tamarind (Chintapandu/Imli) 25 gms
Pinch of Jaggery (Bellam/Gud)
Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing/inguva)
Salt to taste

Method:

The white sesame seeds are used to make this chutney. Dry roast the sesame seeds and set aside to cool.

Dry roast a tsp of cumin seeds and around 10 chillies and set aside to cool.

Soak the tamarind in 1/4th cup of water for around 10-15 mins. Alternatively, tamarind paste can also be used.

Add all the above ingredients to the blender. Add a pinch of jaggery and salt to taste , water as required and blend to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add 2 red chillies and mustard seeds and as they splutter, add a tsp of cumin seeds, black gram and pinch of asafoetida.

Season the chutney with this tempering.

The chutney is a great combo with any of the south Indian snacks-dosas, vadas and idli. A blend of sour, spice and sweet tastes, it is a great phulka supplement too. Have it with groundnut oil topped rice for the authentic Andhra taste.

Aavabettina Kandagadda/Yam in mustard curry

Yam in English, Kandagadda in Telugu, suvarna gadde in Kannada and Suran in Hindi is a popular root vegetable. A traditional Andhra recipe.

Preparation time: 30-45 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Yam (kandagadda) 1 kilo
Green chillies 15
Refined cooking oil 4 tsp
Black gram (urad dal/uddipappu) 1 tsp
Mustard seeds (rai/aavalu) 4 tsp (50 gms)
Cumin seeds (jeera/jeelakarra) 1 tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Red Chillies 2
Salt to taste

Method:

Grease the knife, peeler and your palms with oil before chopping the yam (Else you end up with itching and rashes).

Peel, chop and boil the yam until soft for around 20 mins. If using a pressure cooker, cook up to 3 whistles.

Soak the mustard seeds for around 15 mins. Slit the green chillies. Grind to a fine paste the mustard seeds and green chillies.

Drain the water from the boiled yam and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan/kadai (Bandli/mookudu). Add a few mustard seeds and as they pop, add the cumin seeds, red chillies and black gram. Add the boiled yam and mix. Add curry leaves and heat for around 5 mins.

Set aside to cool. Once the yam is at room temperature, add the green chilli-mustard paste, salt to taste and mix.

Aavabetinna Kandagadda is a great rice supplement. Enjoy with ghee topped hot rice.

Batata buns

Batata or potatoes are a desi favorite ingredient used in evening snacks. Batata buns are spicy and yummy is the feedback we got.

On a personal note, we wish Daddy a very happy birthday.

Preparation time: 20-30 mins

Serves: 4


Ingredients:

Buns/Sandwich bread 6
Potatoes (Aloo) 2
Onion 1
Tomato 1
Chopped coriander 5 tsp
Baked beans 1 cup
Cumin seeds (Jeera) 2 tsp
Cumin powder (Jeera powder) 1tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Chat masala 2 tsp
Green chilli paste 1 tsp
Refined cooking oil/butter 2 tsp
Lemon juice 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and boil the potatoes until soft. Alternatively pressure cook up to 2 whistles. Set aside to cool and peel. Mash the potato.

Finely chop the onion, tomato and coriander.

Heat the butter/oil on a pan. Add cumin seeds and as they splutter, add the green chilli paste (or 2 finely chopped green chillies) part of the onions and sauté until the onions are soft and golden.

Add the mashed potato, tomato, a bit of the coriander and mix.

Add the baked beans, salt to taste, cumin powder, red chilli powder and chat masala. Mix well to evenly spice the filling.

Mix together the remaining chopped onion and coriander. Add a pinch of salt, limejuice, and mix well.

Now stuff the filling in between the bun/sandwich bread and garnish with the onion coriander mixture and toast. Another way is to toast and then garnish with the onion mixture.

Either way, serve the batata buns hot with pudina chutney, masala tea and chips. A real desi way to enjoy a weekend winter evening. Beware: the enticing aroma of the filling will pull your husband to put a hand in cooking, so take care of you kitchen.