Pullatlu

Its Atla tadde or the Telugu version of Karva chauth today. Wonder how many of us really have the opportunity to pray peacefully thanks to Sandy and Nilam. We however just need a reason to celebrate dosas. So, here’s wishing all the girls a great attla taddi.

Pullatlu translating to tangy dosas is another of the typically Andhra recipes. Tangy, fluffy and crispy, this is a must try dosai any day.

Ingredients:

Sour yoghurt/curds (pullati perugu) 1 cup
All purpose flour (maida) 1 cup
Rice flour (biyyampindi) 1 cup
Semolina (bombay rava) 2-3 tbsp
Onion 1
Coriander 4-5 strands
Green chillies 2-4
Refined cooking oil few tsps
Salt to taste

Method:

Note that we use grated carrot instead of onion during festivals.

Finely chop the onion, green chillies and coriander.

Take flour and rice flour in 1:1 consistency. Mix well.

Add this mixture to the sour yoghurt/curds. Add the finely chopped onion, coriander, green chillies, semolina and salt to taste.

Mix well to a dosa batter of milk shake consistency.

Heat a pan/tawa and pour a cup of the batter in circular motion. Add a tsp of oil through the circumference and leave the dosa to bake. This should take around 6-8 mins on medium heat. Flip the dosa carefully and leave to bake for another couple of minutes. Continue the process to make more pullatlu.

Hot pullatlu make a great combo with any of the chutneys or pickles. Do try it with the peanut and onion chutney mentioned below.

Ah! The storms, heavy rain and breeze, chilly weather everywhere. Hot and crisp dosas with slightly baked onion and spicy chillies tickling the tongue is the only way to pep up. Not to forget some steaming hot filter coffee though. Enjoy the weather and the pullatlu.

Palli Ulli pachadi/Groundnut and Onion chutney

Peanuts and onion, the combo itself sounds so crackling. The chutney too is. Ideal for dosas, here’s the recipe:

Preparation time: 15-20 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Groundnuts (palli/moongphali) 1 cup
Onion (ullipaya)1
Green chillies 2
Cumin seeds (jeelakarra/jeera) 1 tsp
Chopped coriander ½ cup
Refined cooking oil 2 tbsp
Black gram 1tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Red chillies 2
Curry leaves 4-5
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method:

Roast the peanuts and set aside to cool.

Chop the onion, green chillies and coriander.

In a spoon of oil fry the onion, green chillies and coriander for a couple of minutes or until the raw smell is lost (ensure the onions don’t turn brown). Add cumin seeds, sauté once and set aside to cool.

Once at room temperature, grind together the fried onions, coriander, green chillies, cumin seeds and roasted peanuts to a fine and smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pan/kadai. Add red chillies and mustard seeds. As they pop, add black gram, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.

Pour the seasoning over the above ground paste.

Peanut and onion chutney or palli ulli pachadi as it is referred to in Telugu makes a great combo with crisp n hot dosas. It goes reasonably well with idlis, vadas, phulkas and hot oiled rice too.

Otthu Shaavige payasa/Rice sevai kheer

A very happy Dussera to all of you. Let this Dussera bring you lots of happiness and prosperity.

We have written about ottu shaavige or rice sevai previously. Payasam or kheer is a simple sweet with this sevai and a quick one with a a traditional feel, ideal for a festival and perfect for this Dusshera. Also with eid-Al adha round the corner, shaavige payasa is a superb alternative for sheer kurma. 

To watch how the rice sevai kheer is made, please click here.
 
Preparation time: 10-15 mins

Ingredients:

Rice sevai 1 cup
Milk (Paalu) 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Cardamom (Elaichi/yellakai) 2
Ghee 2 tsp
Cashews 4-5
Raisins 4-5
Saffron (kesar) for garnish

Method:

Pour boiling hot water over the rice sevai and leave them to turn soft.

Boil milk. Add the softened sevai, sugar, cardamom, and leave to cook for a couple of minutes.

Heat ghee and roast the cashews and raisins. Garnish the kheer with the cashews, raisins and saffron.

Sweet and slurpy, shaavige payasa can be served hot or chilled.

Wishing everyone a Very grand Dussera, here’s another glimpse of our Golu/Bommala Koluvu:

Kadalai sundal/Chickpea salad

The most important days of Dussera are here and the festivities are on in full swing at home as well. With the dolls and friends dropping in to have a look, the days are just more fun. Some yummy sundal completes all the fun.

Preparation time: 10-15 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Chickpeas (kabuli channa/ senagalu) 1 cup (100 gms)
Green chillies 2
Cumin seeds 2 tsp
Chopped coriander 1/8th cup
Fresh and grated coconut 1/8th cup
Fresh and grated mango 1/4th cup
Refined cooking oil 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Black gram 1 tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Pinch of asafoetida
Pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the chickpeas over night or for around 10-12 hours. Add a pinch of turmeric and pressure cook to 7 or 8 whistles. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, as they pop add green chillies, cumin seeds, black gram, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida. Pour this seasoning over the chickpeas.

Add fresh coconut, mango and coriander. Add salt to taste and mix well.

Serve as naivedyam to all the dolls. Here is another glimpse of our dolls:

Chintapandu pulihara and pulihara pulusu/Andhra Tamarind rice

With Navratri on, work has just tripled. We already have the Bengaluru version of puliyogre paste and puliyogre posted; this one is the Telugu version. Pulihara is a blessing in disguise especially during the festival season. With the dolls up this time as well, the pulihara paste or pulihara pulusu as it is referred to in Telugu came in as a savior, both on time and work.  

 

Thank you Bamma garu for this solution.

Pulihara pulusu/Tamarind rice paste

Tamarind (chinta pandu) 250 gm
Turmeric powder (pasupu) 1 tsp
Curry leaves 10-12
Green chillies 5-6
Jaggery 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak tamarind in warm water until it turns soft. This should take around half an hour or more.

Do not squeeze the tamarind. Instead, add the tamarind and the water to the blender and grind to a soggy paste.

Pour into a pan and place on heat. Add turmeric powder, salt, green chillies, curry leaves and jaggery and leave to boil until the chillies are cooked. A distinct aroma will denote the cooked green chillies. Set aside.

When cooled to room temperature, store in an airtight container. Pulihara pulusu or paste stays good for around a month.

Pulihara

Ingredients:

Cooked rice 1 cup
Pulihara pulusu/paste 1 tbsp
Refined cooking oil 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Red chillies 4
Bengal gram 1 tbsp
Black gram 1 tbsp
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method:

Grease hot and cooked rice with oil and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. As they pop, add red chillies, Bengal gram, black gram and a pinch of asafoetida.

Pour the seasoning over the rice. Add the pulihara pulusu/paste, adjust the salt and mix well to evenly spice the rice.

Pulihara is ready to be served.

A must in every Telugu home for any festival, we are enjoying pulihara almost every day this Navratri, thanks to the pulihara pulusu. Building the festive mood, here’s a glimpse of this year’s bommala koluvu/bommai golu/Bombe mane:

Beans sambar/Beans pulusu/Beans huli

Another of our regular sambar recipes, this one is high on nutrition content.

Preparation time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

French beans 1/4th kilo
Pigeon peas (Kandipappu/toor dal) 1 cup
Sambar powder 1 tbsp
Ghee 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Sambar chillies 2
Tamarind 1 blob
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and cut the French beans, pluck off the fibrous strings on each side and cut to half a finger length pieces.

Add around a cup of water, cover and leave to boil. It should take around 10 to 15 mins.

Boil/pressure cook to 4 whistles the pigeon peas. Set aside.

When the beans feel cooked, add a spoonful of sambar powder, a blob of tamarind, cooked pigeon peas and salt to taste. Leave to boil until a soupy texture seeps in. This should take around 5 mins.

Heat ghee/oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and as they pop, sambar chillies, a pinch of asafoetida and curry leaves.

 

Season the sambar with this tempering and garnish with grated coconut (optional).

Beans sambar will forever accompany ghee topped rice and papads.

Kakarakaya vepudu/Bitter gourd fry/Karela fry

Bitter gourd is a personal favorite but not really sought for at home. Bitter gourd fry however has changed the scenario. It is the most welcome curry on any day. 

To see how Karela Fry is made, please click here.

Preparation time: 10-15 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Bitter gourds (karela/kakarakaya) 2
Refined cooking oil 1 cup
Red chilli powder to taste
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai/pan (bandli/mookudu).

Wash wipe and chop the bitter gourd into thin circles. The thinner the circles the crisper the fries.

Fry the circles in lots until they turn brown and crispy. Remove onto a tissue to drain out excess oil.

Sprinkle red chilli powder, salt and sugar (optional) to taste.

Hot, sour and crispy Kakarakaya vepudu or bitter gourd/karela fry is had with ghee-topped rice of course, that is the traditional way. It tastes great when dipped into thick yoghurt and munched away.

Brinjal onion sambar

Yes, Brinjals are a favorite and yes, we already have a couple of brinjal sambars up, but there is so much more to write about them. Call it Brinjal and onion sambar or Katrika vengayam sambar or Vankaya ullipaya pulusu or badanekai eerulli huli, as you like it, coz this one is popular in every south Indian home. Brinjal and onion sambar is another for the daily menus.

Preparation time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Brinjals (Baingan/vankaya) 1/4th kilo  

Onion (ullipaya) 1
Pigeon peas (toordal/kandipappu) 1 cup
Tamarind/tamarind paste 1 tsp
Sambar powder 1 tbsp
Ghee 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves 1 tsp
Pinch of asafoetida
Pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash, add a pinch of turmeric to the pigeon peas and pressure cook to 4 whistles. Alternatively, boil/cook until soft and mash able. Set aside.

Cut the onion into cubes and the brinjal into half a finger long pieces.

Add around a cup of water to the onion and leave to boil for a couple of minutes. When the raw smell is lost and the onion peels begin to wither off, add the brinjals and stir. Cover and cook for around 10 mins until the brinjals feel cooked.

Add a full spoon of sambar powder and stir. Mash and add the pigeon peas and stir the sambar. Add salt to taste and stir again for a couple of mins.

Heat ghee/oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and sambar chillies (optional). As they pop add cumin seeds, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.

Season the sambar with this tempering.

Mix soupy brinjal and onion sambar with a hot cup of ghee-smeared rice and munch along a few papads or some cabbage curry if a health freak.

Aloo bajji/Potato fritters

It’s getting cooler and the evenings have really been breezy and pleasant here in Dubai. What better time for some hot and crispy bajjis. And aloo bajjis, well they are universal favorites.

Preparation time: 10-15 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Potatoes (aloo) 2
Gram flour (besan/senagapindi) 1 cup
Cumin powder (jeera powder/jeelakarra podi) 1tsp
Red chilli powder/paste 1 tsp
Refined cooking oil 1 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

Peel and slice the potatoes into thin circles.

Heat oil in a kadai/pan (bandli /mukudu).

To the gram flour, add cumin powder, red chilli powder and a pinch of salt. Add water, whisk to a thick and consistent batter, and dip in the potato slices. Alternatively, add the dry gram flour mixture to the potatoes and beat well for the mixture to stick to the slices. Add water as required to smoothen to a batter. This way the potato slices are well coated.

Either way, once the potatoes are well coated/dipped into the batter, fry each slice in pre-heated oil until golden brown.

Remove onto a tissue to drain off excess oil. Piping hot aloo bajjis can be served with any of the chutneys and sauces. We south Indians include them in the festival menus as well. For now, dig into the crispy aloo bajjis while sipping hot ginger tea.

Korivi Karam

The name translates to dreadfully hot and implies fiery fire for the tongue. Korivi karam is a popular Andhra chutney that can be stored for long and thus referred to as niluva pachadi in Telugu. There is no dearth for spice with this one and a word of caution for the ones with a sweet tooth, this one’s not for you. The spice lovers, here you go:

Ingredients:

Ripened chillies 1 kilo
Tamarind (imli/chintapandu) 1/4th kilo
Salt 250 gms
Roasted fenugreek powder (methi powder/menthula podi) 3-4 spoons (20 gms)
Refined cooking oil 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds (rai/aavalu) 2 tsp
Pinch of asafoetida (hing/inguva)

Notes:

For this chutney, ripened chillies and not dried chillies are used. Red and ripe is mantra. Another suggestion is not to use hybrid ones. These are not as spicy as the homogenous ones and the chutney doesn’t last long.

The chutney should be made in a moisture free environment. Right from the utensils to the storage, ensure everything is clean and dry. The storage jars, in particular need to be airtight and moisture-tight too.

As mentioned, we need a moisture-free environment, so do not soak the tamarind. Use it as it is, dry and sticky.

Korivi karam is very spicy chutney, owing to the chillies. It is necessary to have a cup of buttermilk or plain cold yoghurt after enjoying this chutney, advisable to prevent acidity.

Method:

Dry roast (in a drop of oil) a cup of fenugreek seeds. Cool and grind to a fine powder.

Remove the stems or heads of the chillies wash and dry them indoors for at least 2 days. This is to ensure the moisture content in the chillies is evaporated. (Generally, we dry them today morning, and then use them tomorrow evening or at most day after morning).

Grind to a fine paste the chillies, tamarind and salt. To this paste, add the fenugreek powder, mix well and set aside.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds. As they pop add a pinch of asafoetida. Cool for a couple of minutes and add to the above ground paste. Mix well for the seasoning to seep in.

Shift the Korivi karam into an air tight, preferably ceramic/glass jar and refrigerate once the chutney is at room temperature. The chutney, if stored properly lasts for a long time, a few months to a year.

Korivi karam is mixed with ghee topped or oil smeared plain white rice and had. It can also be spread for any bread. The Andhra way is to mix mudda pappu or plain dal, ghee and rice and savor the korivi karam along with the dal rice followed by the glass of thick buttermilk.

 

Ho! Our platter is laid and we are off to put the tongue on fire…