GutiVankaye Kura - Stuffed Brinjal

Slit and stuff brinjals like this.
1 lb Small Purple Brinjals or White Brinjals
½ bunch Coriander
12 – 14 Green Chilies
4 “Ginger
1 tsp jeera

Chop green chilies, ginger and coriander and make a coarse paste with as little water as possible.
Add salt and jeera. Taste the karam to see if everything suits your taste, else it is difficult to modify this dish later. Make changes accordingly or add less karam.

Have the karam ready before slitting brinjals, if left outside for too long brinjal changes color or place them in water till using them.

Wash and slit brinjals leaving ¼ of an inch of the stem, this will keep the brinjal from falling apart. Slit at the top, turn and make another slit on the opposite side. Brinjals with lot of seeds or very thick skin should be discarded from making this. You need tender fresh brinjals.

Use hand or a spoon and stuff the “karam” on both side of the brinjal. (Suit your taste)

Take 4 tsp of oil in a skillet and add one brinjal at a time and arrange them well in the skillet. Cook in low/medium heat so all the brinjals are all cooked evenly. Do not use a stirring ladle to stir/mix it. Use a fork/spoon and move each brinjal individually. Cook with the skillet covered. It will take about 15mins for them to be nicely done. Add oil when the skillet is getting dry.

Test one brinjal to see if it is done or if they are falling apart, it is time to remove from the flame.

Sometimes the karam from the brinjals slips out and collects in the skillet. After removing each brinjal, add some cooked rice to the skillet and a tsp of oil and mix well, serve this to the person who likes to eat karam. It will be very hot/karam.

This is undoubtedly a favorite dish of most Telugu people. I know, I am one among them.

This is a perfect side dish to go with hot rice. Try it to experience an out of world feeling!

Menthi Vankaye Kura - Stuffed Brinjal

1 lb small Purple or Green Brinjals
5 – 6 tsp Kura Podi – Menthi Podi From my previous blog in Podis\Powders)
2 tsp Tamarind Pulp


Take Menthi podi in a bowl add tamrind pulp and salt. Mix well. Taste for salt and seasonings. They cannot be corrected later.

Wash and slit brinjals leaving ¼ of an inch of the stem, this will keep the brinjal from falling apart. Slit at the top, turn and make another slit on the opposite side. Brinjals with lot of seeds or very thick skin should be discarded from making this. You need tender fresh brinjals.

Use hand or a spoon and stuff the “menthi” on both sides of the brinjal. (Suit your taste)

Take 4 tsp of oil in a skillet and add one brinjal at a time and arrange them well in the skillet. Cook in low/medium heat so all the brinjals are all cooked evenly. Do not use a stirring ladle to stir/mix it. Use a fork/spoon and move each brinjal individually. Cook with the skillet covered. It will take about 15mins for them to be nicely done. Add oil when the skillet is getting dry.

Test one brinjal to see if it is done or if they are falling apart, it is time to remove from the flame.

This is a perfect side dish to go with hot rice.

Peas-Potato Curry

2 cups Peas
4 Potatoes
2 Onions
3 large tomatoes / 1 can diced tomatoes
2-3 green chilies
1 tsp Kasuri Methi
1 tsp Cumin (jeera)-coriander powder
4 tsp Mixed Nuts Powder (from a previous blog)
½ cup half-half or ½ cup curd


Boil and peel potatoes and cut into small cubes. Cook peas in the micro-oven and keep aside.

Chop onions, green chilies and grind onions coarsely in a grinder. Cut tomatoes into very small pieces.

Take 3 tsp of oil in a low bottom skillet, add the ground onions and fry till it caramelizes. Then add ginger-garlic paste and fry. Add fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are done.

Add jeera-coriander powder, garam masala, kasuri methi, salt and stir for few seconds. Now add 4 tsp of mixed nuts powder. This will make the base very thick, rich and creamy.

Mix in cooked peas and cubed potatoes add about a cup of water. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring in between. ½ a cup half-half or beaten curd should be added now.

Let cook add more water if you like lots of gravy. Check for salt and adjust the seasonings.

Garnish with coriander, finely chopped onion and lemon juice.

Poori, Chapati or Nans will compliment Peas-Potato Curry.

Populapetti

Populapeti: A fixture in Indian Kitchens, this one is a “Must have”. It is a round box which exactly fits 7 small cups. These cups should be filled with:
Jeera – Jeelakara
Mustard Seeds – Avalu
Urad dal – Minapappu
Chenna dal – Senaga pappu
Fenugeek Seeds – Menthulu
Vammu - Ajwain
Pepper Seeds – Miriyallu

There will be a plate like layer on top of the cups; this is a perfect place for Red Chilies and Garlic pods.

Hing (Ingua) normally comes in a ready to use shaker.

This is a handy way to organize these items which are used in less quantity but are very essential in enhancing the taste of almost every dish.

Sometimes people use the 7th cup for turmeric instead of pepper, but I like to have turmeric and red chili powder in glass jars.

Tadka or Poppu is tempering of the dish with oil and these items. The oil is the base in the tadka which helps to bind all the items in the dish with the spices and other things used while preparing the dish.

People add tadka at the end sometimes to retain the crunch of the dals and as a garnish when the dish is really simple.

Tadka is a personal thing; I like to have mine with more mustard seeds, hing and red chilies. Suite your taste buds. Key to good tadka is fry till all of the items are nicely fried/roasted.

Drumstick Kura

2 Fresh Drumsticks or frozen packet
Few Curry Leaves
¼ cup Raw Rice
½ cup grated Coconut Powder
4 tsp Sesame Seeds
2 Red Chilies
½ tsp Jeera
Coriander

Cut drumsticks into 3” pieces.

Soak rice in water for 2 – 3 hours. Grind rice, coconut, sesame seeds, ½ tsp jeera and 2 red chilies to a smooth batter. Keep aside.

Take 4 tsp of oil in a low bottom skillet and make tadka with ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp jeera, hing and curry leaves.

Add cut drumsticks, salt and turmeric and cook till they are soft gently stirring. (So that shape of the vegetables is not lost.) Then add the ground paste and cook in medium/low flame till the oil seperates.

The water given out by the vegetables will be absorbed by the ground paste and once the dish is thickening remove from flame.

This is a good side dish with hot rice.

Be-Be-Ba Kura

Popularly called as Be-Be-Ba Kura. This is a very unique combination and they complement each other.

1 Ridge-gourd – Beerakaye
½ pound Ladies Fingers – Bendakaye
1 bunch Bachali or Spinach
Few Curry Leaves
¼ cup Raw Rice
½ cup grated Coconut Powder
4 tsp Sesame Seeds
2 Red Chilies
½ tsp Jeera

Soak rice in water for 2 – 3 hours. Grind rice, coconut, sesame seeds, ½ tsp jeera and 2 red chilies to a smooth batter. Keep aside.

Peel Beerakaye and cut into 1” pieces and chop bendakaye into 1” cylinders. Wash and wipe bachali and chop finely. It can be substituted with spinach where bachali is not available. (Taste will change!)

Take 4 tsp of oil in a low bottom skillet and make tadka with ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp jeera, hing and curry leaves.

First add benadakaye fry for a few minutes and then add beerakaye, once they are getting soft add bachali, salt, turmeric and stir gently. (So that shape of the vegetables is not lost.) Then add the ground paste and cook in medium/low flame till the oil seperates.

The water given out by the vegetables will be absorbed by the ground paste and once the dish is thickening remove from flame.

This is a good side dish with hot rice.

Potlakaye -Snake-gourd Perugu Pachadi

1 long Snake-gourd - Potlakaye
2 Green Chilies
1” Ginger
Few Curry Leaves
Coriander
4 cups Curd

Take 2 tsp of ghee in a small skillet. Add ½ tsp mustard seeds and let splutter, and then add ½ jeera, ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, ¼ tsp vammu, hing and 1 red chili. Fry till all items are roasted well and a nice aroma fills the room. Then add chopped chilies, ginger and curry leaves.

Transfer tadka alone from the skillet and add the chopped gourd in the skillet and add a cup of water and salt. Let cook till the gourd is soft. Drain the excess water.

In a vessel take curd and beat is nicely without adding water. Add turmeric, salt, chopped coriander and the previously made tadka- poppu. Then add cooked vegetable, mix well.

This is a good side dish with hot rice.

Other vegetables that can be used to make Perugu Pachadi are:
Potatoes (boiled and peeled), fresh grated coconut, roasted brinjal (brinjal has to roasted on fire) and cucumber (raw chopped). Procedure is same with the curd part of the preparation.

Mukkala Pulusu - Bellam Pulusu

1 cup Squash cubes
(Gummidikaye)
Drumstick -
Handful pieces
1 Tomato
2 Green Chilies
Coriander
Few Curry Leaves
Sambar Powder
Tamarind Juice
2 tsp Jaggery

Soak tamarind in hot water and make juice adding less water.

Peel gummidikaye and cut into small cubes. Cut drumstick into 3” pieces. Chop tomato into small pieces.

Take 4 tsp of oil in a sauce pan and make tadka (poppu) with jeera, mustard seeds, few fenugreek seeds, hing and a red chili. Add chopped green chilies, curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Remove the red chili into a bowl, add 2 tsp of rice flour, 2 tsp of jaggery , 1 tsp sambar powder. Using water mix them all nicely and keep aside.

Then add gummidikaye, drumstick pieces salt, turmeric and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and add cut tomato pieces. Let cook till the vegetables are nicely done. Do not overcook, vegetables will lose their shape. Then add tamarind juice and coriander bring to a boil and then add the base already made. Cook for a few minutes more, the liquid will start to thicken and oil will separate then remove from flame.
Check for salt, more jaggery can be added according to taste.

Serve it with hot rice. The tangy of the tamarind juice, sweet of jaggery, hot from the red chili and spices from the sambar powder gives this liquid dish a unique taste.

Other vegetables that fit into this pulusu are anapakaye, ladies finger and brinjal.

Drumsticks in Masala Gravy

2 Fresh Drumsticks or frozen packet
2 Onions
2 Tomatoes
2 Green chilies
Ginger-garlic paste
½ cup grated coconut powder
2 tsp Tamarind pulp
1 tsp Garam masala
2 tsp gasa gasa - Poppy seeds
Coriander

Cut drumsticks into 3” pieces.

Grind chopped onions, cut tomatoes, grated coconut, jeera, 1 red chili and gasa gasa into a coarse paste.

Take 4 tsp of oil in a low bottom skillet and add chopped green chilies and ginger-garlic paste, then add the ground paste, garam masala and fry till it is nicely done and aroma fills the room. Add a cup of water to make nice, thick gravy.

Add the drumsticks, salt turmeric and fry them for two minutes on a medium flame with the lid on. Once the drumsticks are soft enough add tamarind pulp and cook for a few minutes. Do not overcook, drumsticks will lose their shape.
Taste for salt and adjust seasonings. More oil can be added according to taste.
Garnish with chopped coriander.

This is a good side dish with hot rice.

Onion Chutney

2 Varieties of Onion Chutney :- Fried and Raw.

4 Onions
½ tsp jeera
½ tsp mustard seeds
3-4 Red Chilies
Hing
1-2 Green chilies
Few Curry Leaves
Small Lemon sized Tamarind
Coriander

Chop onions small pieces.

Take 2 tsp of oil in a small skillet and when oil is heated add jeera, mustard seeds, hing, red chilies, and chopped green chilies and curry leaves.
Then add chopped onions, salt, turmeric and fry till the onions are translucent. Then add tamarind and cook for a few minutes. Remove from flame and let cool.

Transfer to into a blender jar and grind coarsely, taste for salt and adjust seasonings.

Onion chutney can be served with hot rice and a tsp of oil or with upma, dosa or any tiffin items.

There is another version of onion chutney for this just follow the same procedure except used raw chopped onions, without having to fry the onions. This is also very tasty chutney.

Potato Pancake

2 cups Pancake flour
2 potatoes
2 cups sour curd
Chili, ginger, coriander paste

Boil (with salt) and peel potatoes. Grate the peeled potato and keep aside. Add chili-ginger paste according to taste.

Mix all the above things in a bowl and add salt, water can be used as needed till a nice consistency is formed. It should be like uttappam batter so that it can be removed from the skillet in one piece.

On a warm skillet add the batter in round circles. Add a tsp of oil. Let roast nicely and turn the other side. Cook on medium flame so that the inside part also gets cooked evenly.

Garnish with a blob of butter. Can be served with Maple syrup or any chutney.

Tomato Chutney

This chutney is always a crowd pleaser!

6 Tomatoes
1 tsp urad dal –minnapappu
1 tsp chenna dal – senagapappu
½ tsp jeera
½ tsp mustard seeds
A pinch of fenugreek seeds
3-4 Red Chilies
Hing
1-2 Green chilies
Few Curry Leaves
Small Lemon sized Tamarind
Coriander

Cut tomatoes into small pieces.

Take 2 tsp of oil in a small skillet and when oil is heated add urad and channa dals. Once the dals are fried add jeera, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, hing, red chilies, and chopped green chilies and curry leaves.

Let cool. Transfer the tadka into a blender jar and curry leaves and some oil to the serving bowl. Add 2 tsp of oil and when it is warm add the cut tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are nicely done. Add tamarind, turmeric, salt and cook till they all come together. Remove from flame and let cool.

Dry grind tadka first. This will make the grinding part easy, and then add the tomato paste and chopped coriander. Grind coarsely, taste for salt and adjust seasonings.

Transfer contents into a serving bowl. Mix well.

Tomato chutney can be served with hot rice and a tsp of oil or with upma, dosa or any tiffin items.

Ugadi Pachadi

Ugadi Pachadi, a special made on this day is served without fail. Ugadi Pachadi is a blend of the six tastes nature has to offers us, traditionally called as "shadruchulu". The six tastes are:
Teepi - Sweet
Pulupu - Sour
Chedu - Bitter
Vagaru - Tart
Karam - Hot
Uppu – Salt

Lemon sized Tamarind
1 cup jaggery
1 Raw Mango
2 tsp Neem flowers or ½ tsp mustard powder
1 cup sugarcane strips or 2 bananas
Sugarcane juice : Optional
¼ tsp Red chili powder
¼ tsp Salt

Soak tamarind in hot water and extract juice using less water. Where available use sugarcane juice instead of water to make tamarind juice.
Grate jaggery into powder. Peel and cut mango into small pieces.
If using sugarcane peel the outer cover and cut into 1” pieces. Or if using bananas peel and cut into circles.
Take tamarind juice in a bowl add mango pieces, jaggery, Neem flower or mustard powder, sugarcane pieces or banana circles, chili powder, salt and mix well.

Ugadi

Virodhi Nama Samvatsara Subhakankshalu
March 27th 2009

The Telugu New Year festival or Ugadi is celebrated on - Chaitra Suddha Padyami
(1st day of Chaitra masam) in Vasantarutuvu. This is a festival to appreciate Nature.
Ugadi marks the beginning of a new Hindu calendar - Hindu almanac. It is a 60 year calendar with each year having a special name. Cycle repeats every 60 years.

Ugadi means the beginning of a New Age, the onset of spring symbolically marks a beginning of new life with plants which have been barren until now, acquiring new life- shoots and leaves. Fields and meadows that have been hidden under the mist of winter begin to shoot up giving hope and cheer. These symbolize Prosperity and Well-being.

Birds that have migrated to warmer places come back searching for “Home” and as a sign that they are back, fill the air with toots’ and tweets. Sweet song of Kokila resonates in the air.

The blooming of the neem flowers fills the air with a pungent aroma which is unique and healthy. The bloom itself is so short that immediately it will drop the flower and the tree will stand Majestic and Strong!

I cannot help but, mention the fun under the mango trees. Mango flower also blossoms during this time and it is budding season for the mango tree. Small mangoes start showing up, tempting us to reach out, but the promise of a bigger mango, sometimes may stop us from plucking it, but our little friends who have just got back on trees do not mind so much! So, they just bit, pluck and play with them. The result, lot of mangoes under the tree! The tender mangoes have a tart taste.

Fresh crop of Sugarcane is ready for harvest, sugar and jaggery with its fresh flavor, tender color and strong smell fills the market places.

Tamarind shells ripe and become tangy and new tamarind with its special taste – sweet & tangy and new softer look gives the dishes a new fresh look.

Ugadi Pachadii, a special, made on this day is served without fail. Ugadi Pachadi is a blend of the six tastes nature has to offers us, traditionally called as "shadruchulu". The six tastes are:

Teepi - Sweet
Pulupu - Sour
Chedu - Bitter
Vagaru - Tart
Karam - Hot
Uppu - Salt

It accentuates- highlights the idealistic representation of the right blend in one's life.

Ugadi Pachadi is made with new jaggery, raw mango pieces, neem flowers and new tamarind.

Jaggery is sweet signifies purity, joy and is an energy boost for the body.
Neem flowers are bitter and signify sorrow but, they have high medicinal value.
Tart of the mango and sour in the Tamarind are from the new crop. Karam and salt are necessities of any dish.

The significance of this combination is to indicate that life is a mixture of good and bad, joy and sorrow, success and disappointment, and all of the experiences have to be treated alike. Mankind should raise above all these and quest for making life better for one’s self and for the society around with selfless service. A combination of all experiences is Life!

People listen to Panchangam, a Sanskrit word, means "five limbs/parts," which refers to the fact that every panchangam includes the five basic elements.

Tithi - lunar day
Nakshatra - the constellation, the moon is aligned with (the heavenly bodies)
Karana - certain astrological divisions of the day
Yoga - a particular angle of the sun and moon (conjunctions) and
Vara or vasara - solar weekday (name of the day)

Panchangams furnish other astronomical information which is extensively used by astrologers, as well as the times of all forthcoming religious events. Yearly calendar of the forecast of the coming year, the amount of rain, crops and yield, storms and other natural calamities, prices and other relevant things. Prediction of the whole year and make people prepare to face any situation.The study of Panchangam involves understanding Rasi phala, the impact of the signs of the zodiac signs on the individual.

Special dishes are prepared for the occasion. Pulihara and Bobbatlu are Ugadi specials.

Virodhi means enemity. Let us win over Virodhi with Maytri- (Love and affection) and make this a wonderful year for all of us.

Chapati

2 cups Atta
1/2 cup Milk
Oil


Mix the atta, milk and little salt and 2 tsp of oil along with water and make solid dough. Do not use too much water.

Make small lemon size balls. Using dry atta and roll the dough balls into circles using a rolling pin. It can be double folded and using a rolling pin can be made into a circle. By making a fold and rolling chapatti will have layers because of the folds. Turn a plate and spray oil and place them on it till all are done, so they do stick to each other. Or can be placed on tissue paper.

Take a flat base pan (dosa /chapatti pan) and turning back and forth cook the chapati till it is nicely done on both sides adding a tsp of oil accordingly. Chapati cooked without using oil is called a pulka.

Remove and place them on a plate. Transfer to an air tight box is not used immediately.

Chapati tastes good with potato curry, kurma or any kind of dal. Kids love to eat chapatti with sugar or jam.

Mango-Drumstick Sambar

1 cup Toor dal – Kandi pappu
1 Raw Mango
1 Drumstick
2 green chilies
Coriander
Few curry leaves
Sambar powder
Tamarind juice

Soak tamarind in hot water and make juice adding less water.

Do not peel the mango, cut into long strips. Cut drumstick into 3” pieces.

Wash and add water for the dal (1: 2 for each cup of dal) in a vessel and take cut mango and drumstick pieces in one vessel add salt and turmeric. Cook both in a Pressure cooker till the dal is nicely done. Remove and keep aside.

Take 2 tsp of oil in a sauce pan and make tadka (poppu) with jeera, mustard seeds, few fenugreek seeds, hing and a red chili. Add chopped green chilies, curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.

Then add cooked dal, salt, turmeric, 1 tsp sambar powder, tamarind juice and coriander. Bring to a boil and then add cooked mango and drumstick. Cook for a few minutes more and remove from flame.

Serve it with hot rice. The sourness of the mango, tangy of the tamarind and other spices give it a unique taste.

Capsicum Chutney

2 Capsicums – Green Pepper
1 onion
2 – 4 Garlic pods
1 tsp Urad dal –minnapappu
1 tsp Chenna dal – senagapappu
½ tsp Jeera
½ tsp Mustard seeds
2 -3 Red Chilies
Hing
Few Curry Leaves
1 tsp Jaggery
Small Lemon sized Tamarind

Cut capsicum and remove seeds. Soak tamarind in hot water.

Take 4 tsp of oil in a small skillet and when oil is heated add urad dal, channa dal and chopped garlic. Once the dals are fried add jeera, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, hing, red chilies and curry leaves.

Let cool. Transfer the tadka into a blender jar, leaving oil, a few mustard seeds and curry leaves in the skillet, add 2 tsp more oil and add chopped capsicum and fry till they are cooked with salt, tamarind and turmeric and jaggery.

Dry grind tadka first. This will make the grinding part easy. Then add fried capsicum and grind to a smooth paste. Taste for salt and adjust seasonings.

Capsicum chutney is a good side dish for rice. It can be served with upma, dosa or any tiffin items.

Chakra Pongali - Dal & Rice Pudding

1 cup Rice
¼ cup Moong dal - Pesarapappu
1 cup Sugar
2" Butter stick or Ghee
¼ tsp Elachi powder
2 tsp Grated Coconut: Optional
½ cup Milk or Half-half
Cashew nuts, almonds and raisins

In a small skillet add 2 tsp of ghee and fry cashew nuts and raisins till they are nicely roasted. Remove only the nuts and raisins and in the remaining ghee fry moong dal till it is golden yellow in color.

In a medium sauce pan wash and drain water. Add 3 cups water and cook on low/medium flame mixing well.

When the rice starts to boil add dal to it and mix and cook till it becomes soft. Water can be added as required. Add Grated coconut, milk and elachi powder, butter stick or ghee and cook for a few more minutes. More ghee can be added according to taste.

Garnish with fried nuts, raisins and serve hot.