Sweet Pongal(pongali)

Sweet pongal is prepared to offer as neivedhyam to God.

Ingredients:

• Rice : 1 cup
• Moong Dal : 1/4 cup
• Ilachi powder : 1/2 tb sp
• Jaggery : as per taste
• Milk : 1 cup or more
• Cashew nuts : 5 made into small pieces
• Dry Raisins : 10
• Ghee : 6 tb sp

Procedure:

• Soak moong Dal and rice separately for 45 min.In mean time take a kadai, add 2tb sp off ghee.When it is hot add cashew nuts,raisins.Fry them and keep aside.
• Take a thick bottom vessel and add 1 cup of water and 1 cup milk .
• Let it boil .Now add moong Dal and cook for 3 min.Now add rice and cook.Cook on medium heat.Check rice, whether you are able to make into two with your finger.If needed add water or milk.
• When it is 95% cooked add jaggery, ilachi powder and mix well.
• When jaggery is completely mixed with rice, add fried cashews and raisins.On top add 4tb sp of ghee.

Mix well and serve.

Boiled Peanuts

Ingredients:

• Peanuts : 1 cup


• Salt

Procedure:

• Soak peanuts in 2 cups of water for 4 hrs.
• After 4hrs change water and pressure cook peanuts for 3 visils by adding enough salt and mixing.
• Let pressure go off and drain water.

Serve as evening snack.

This is my entry to JFI-Peanuts hosted by Pavani and Indira of Mahanandi

Beerakaya(Ridge guard) Chutney

Ingredients:

• Ridge guard : 1 big
• Green Chilies : 4 or 5
• Tamarind Juice : 4 spoons
• Salt
• Onion (optional)
• Oil
• Garlic (optional)
• All ingredients of Talimpu

Procedure:

• Peel ridge guard and check for the taste.If it is OK, cut into medium cubes.
• Take a pan, add 2tb sps of oil.When oil is hot add ridge guard pieces,green chilies, if you prefer onion, garlic also.
• Cover it with lid.Cook until water oozes out completely and ridge guard is cooked.
• Let it cool completely.Grind the pieces in mixer by adding tamarind juice and enough salt.
• Put talimpu and add it to chutney.

Serve with rice.

Variation: You can use red chilies instead of green chilies.

Aaviri kudumu or Steamed pan cake

Aaviri kudumu, is a olden days authentic recipe.At that time they used to do this as a cake.They used to spread a cloth on deep vessel, pour this batter, and cover it fully.Keep this vessel in another big vessel with water in it.And let it cook by covering with lid.I didn't try that method.Tried in idly plates.

This is easy digestible and a very healthy food.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients:

• Urad Dal : 2 cups


• Salt


• Green Chilies :2

Procedure:

• Soak urad dal for 5-6 hrs.Grind as smooth batter, by adding water salt,green chilies.No fermentation is required.Should be prepared immediately after grinding.


• Take idly plates, and add batter in the plates.


• Add 2 glasses of water in pressure cooker.Put idly plates and let it steam for 10 min without keeping visil.


• Let the pressure go off.Take pan cakes into serving plate.

Serve hot with any chutney.

This is my entry to Steamed Treats hosted by Shruti.

Tomato Pickle

This recipe i got from one blog.

In our home to prepare tomato vuragaya,first my mom used to mix tomato pieces,tamarind, salt and keep it in air tight plastic container for 3 days.After 3 days squeeze of the water fully and used to dry the tomato pieces in hot sun for 2 days.But drying in the sun is not possible for me here.So i choose this method of preparing pickle.


Ingredients:

• Tomato: 500gm


• Tamarind : 25gm approximately


• Salt


• Red Chillie Powder


• Mustard powder : 1t sp


• Hing : a pinch


• Methi seeds powder : 1 t sp


• Oil


• Garlic (optional)


• Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp


• Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

• Cut tomatoes into big cubes.In a plastic container add tomato pieces,tamarind and salt and mix well.Close the lid.
• Leave it like that for one day.After one day, grind tomato,tamarind , garlic as smooth paste.
• In a thick bottom vessel, add oil and put tadaka, add hing.Now add tomato paste in it and mix well.
• Cook till the oil comes out in the corners by covering with lid.When it is almost done add salt, red chillie powder,mustard seeds powder,methi powder and mix well.Make sure that oil is more in the pickle.
• Let it cool completely, transfer it to airtight container.Use dry spoon to serve.

Serve with rice,idly,dosa.

Chamadumpa fry

Ingredients:

• Chamadumpa : 500gm
• Oil : for deep fry
• Salt
• Red chili powder

Procedure:

• Wash chamadumpa.In a vessel add some water and chamadumpa.Pressure cook for 3 visils.
• When pressure is gone,take out skin and cut into pieces.
• In a kadai, heat oil for deep fry.When oil is hot add these pieces, and fry them till they turn into golden color.
• Take chamadumpa pieces into a bowl and add salt and chili powder.Mix well.

Kalakand

My friend told me this recipe.This is one of my favourite sweet.

Ingredients:

• Ricotta Cheese : 1tin 15oz


• Condensed milk : 1 can 15oz


• Butter : Half stick melted


• Almonds : 12 grated finely


• Pistachio(unsalted) : 15 cut into small pieces

Procedure:

• Mix cheese and condensed milk well by adding some butter.


• Microwave for 15-20 min stirring every 3 minutes.Use big bowl to prevent overflowing.


• Check with spoon whether it is done or not.Then add grated almonds and pistachio on top.(I did not add any)

Talimpannam or Tadaka rice

This is often prepared for breakfast with left over rice.It tastes yummy...

Ingredients:

• Left over rice : 1 cup
• Onion : 1
• Green Chilies:4
• Channa Dal : 1 tb sp
• Urad Dal : 1tb sp
• Mustard seeds : 1/4th tb sp
• Cumin seeds : 1/2 tb sp
• Turmeric: 1/4 T sp
• Salt
• Oil

Procedure:

• Make rice as individual grains with your hand and keep aside.
• In a kadai, add 4tb sp of oil.Once it is hot, add all ingredients of tadaka.Once it start spluttering, add chopped onion and chilies,turmeric and fry till onion turn transparent.
• Now add rice,sufficient salt and mix well.Leave it for 2 min on heat , mixing in between.

Take off from heat and serve.

Channa Dal Vada

Ingredients:

• Channa Dal : 1 cup
• Green Chilies :4
• Onion : 1 big
• Cilantro and mint leaves : finely chopped
• Salt
• Oil

Procedure:

• Soak Channa Dal for at least 3 hrs.
• Chop onions very finely.In blender or mixer first grind green chilies, then add Channa Dal and grind for 3 seconds.Do not add water.Mix it well, and add salt.Grind for 2 seconds again.It should not be smooth paste.Some Dal should be just turned into half.
• Take that to a mixing bowl.Now add cilantro and mint leaves,finely chopped onions and mix well.
• In deep kadai, heat oil.Make round ball of medium lemon sized and press it to round shape either on your hand or on plastic sheet.
• Once oil is hot , add pressed vada one by one.Fry them till they turn into medium golden color.

Take them onto plate and serve with tomato ketchup or any chutney.

Bombay Chutney

I don't know why it is called Bombay chutney, this is very famous in Andhra.Goes well with Dosa,Idli and Upma.They do this for functions or marriages to go well with tiffins. Easy to prepare also.


Ingredients:

• Senagapindi or besan flour: 1/4th cup
• Green Chilies : 3
• Urad Dal : 1/2 tb sp
• Mustard Seeds : 1/4th tb sp
• Cumin seeds : 1/2 tb sp
• Turmeric : 1/2 tea sp
• Salt
• Oil
• Lemon Juice : As per taste

Procedure:

• Chop chilies.Take 1/2 cup water in a bowl and add besan flour and mix well without any lumps.
• Take a vessel.Add all ingredients of Talimpu or Tadaka.Once they are spluttering, add besan flour mixture into it.Immediately stir it well, as it forms lumps very easily.
• Now add turmeric.If required add water also.The chutney should not too thick or too watery.Check for medium consistency.Stir the mixture well in quick intervals.
• Now add salt and mix well.Cook till bubbles are formed on top.That is the indication that it is cooked.
• Check for the salt and take the chutney into serving bowl.Add lemon juice and mix well.

Serve hot with idli,dosa,upma.

Note: You can also use tamarind juice instead of lemon juice.In first step mix besan flour in tamarind juice and water mixture instead of only water.

Cucumber, potato curry

Ingredients:

• Cucumber : 1 medium size
• Potato : 1
• Onion: 1 medium size
• Cumin seeds :1/2 Tb sp
• Urad Dal : 1/2 Tb sp
• Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tb sp
• Channa Dal: 1/2 Tb sp
• Curry leaves : 10 leaves
• Oil: 3 tb sp
• Salt
• Red Chili powder
• Turmeric : 1/2 tea sp

Procedure:

• Peel Cucumber and cut into small piece and check for the taste.If it is not sour, cut cucumber into half and remove the seeds from it.
• Cut it into small cubes.Peel potato and cut into pieces of size of cucumber.Put the potato pieces in water and chop onion.
• Take a vessel.Add oil,and all ingredients of talimpu(Urad Dal,Channa Dal,mustard seeds, cumin seeds,curry leaves)
• Now add onions, turmeric and fry till onions turn transparent.
• Now add cucumber,potato pieces and some water .Keep lid and cook it for some time
• Mix well occasionally and check if more water is required.
• when it is 3/4th cooked add salt,red chillie powder and mix well.
• When it is cooked , take it to serving bowl and serve with rice.

Note: If you prefer you can add coriander powder also.