White Radish - Mullangi in Lemon Juice - Side dish

1 White Radish - Mullangi
1 Carrot
5 – 6 Green Chilies
Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vammu

Peel and chop mullangi and carrot into small pieces. Chop green chilies into small pieces, suit your taste.

In a glass bowl squeeze lemon juice and add chopped green chilies, vammu, salt and turmeric. Add the mullangi and carrot pieces. Mix well and let sit for 1 -2 hrs before serving, by doing this, vegetables will absorb the lemon juice and the seasoning.

This can be used as side dish for rotis and as a side with dals and curries with rice.

Gullasenaga pappu (Putnala pappu) Kobbari Chutney- White Chutney1

1 cup Gulla Senaga pappu: Putnala pappu
1 cup coconut
5 – 6 Green Chilies
4 – 5 Garlic Pods
1 tsp Tamarind paste
¼ cup Milk - Cold

Take 2 tsp of oil in a skillet and make tadka with ½ tsp jeera, 1 tsp mustard seeds, hing and few curry leaves. Keep aside.

Chop coconut into small pieces or grate coconut.

Dry grind gulla senaga pappu, garlic and green chilies to a dry powder. Then add coconut pieces, tamarind and salt and grind again. Then mix well and add ¼ cup milk and water as required while grinding.

This pachadi can have a good flowing consistency. Add more water as required.

Empty the pachadi into the tadka skillet, mix well and transfer into a serving jar.

This is a good side dish with idli, dosa and uttapam.

Spicy Corn

4 cups of Corn Kernels or Frozen Corn
2 cups chopped Capsicum – Bell Peppers any colors
1 Carrot
1 Jalapeno preferably or Red Chili Powder where not available.
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
Butter
Lemon juice

Take 2 tsp of ghee in a skillet add chopped jalapenos (Optional or reduce if want the dish milder) fry till nicely done then add ginger garlic paste. Do not use green chilies instead of jalapenos.

Cut carrot and capsicum into small cubes. Add them to the skillet and fry for a few minutes. Now add corn, salt and turmeric.

Add 1 inch of butter, 1 tsp of garam masala or chat masala. Cook with a lid on for 5 – 7 minutes. Do not over cook, steam cooking is enough and a let a pinch of rawness remain in the vegetable.

Add lemon juice, mix and serve hot.

This is a very easy and addictive snack for cold afternoons.

A very hot - fast food item in Chennai Malls.

Pineapple

Pineapple is a favorite tropical fruit next to Banana. Pineapples are actually not just one fruit but a composite of many flowers whose individual fruitlets fuse together around a central core. Each fruitlet can be identified by an "eye," the rough spiny marking on the pineapple's surface.

Pineapples have a wide cylindrical shape, a scaly green, brown or yellow skin and a regal crown of spiny, blue-green leaves. The fibrous flesh of pineapple is yellow in color and has a vibrant tropical flavor that balances the tastes of sweet and tart. The area closer to the base of the fruit has more sugar content and therefore a sweeter taste and more tender texture.

Look for pineapples that are heavy for their size. While larger pineapples will have a greater proportion of edible flesh, there is usually no difference in quality in terms of size. Pineapple stops ripening as soon as it is picked, so choose fruit with a fragrant sweet smell at the stem end.

Pineapple can be left at room temperature for one or two days before serving, will not make the fruit any sweeter, it will help it to become softer and juicier.
Pineapple can be cut and peeled in a variety of ways. Regardless of how you proceed, the first step is always to remove the crown and the base of the fruit with a knife.

Place its base side down and carefully slice off the skin, carving out any remaining "eyes" with the tip of your knife. Then cut the pineapple into quarters, remove the core if desired, make slices into the quarters cutting from the flesh towards the rind, cut the pineapple into the desired shape and size.

Pineapple that has been cut should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Cut fruit, if chilled, retains many of its nutrients for at least 6 days.

Pineapple is a wonderful addition to fruit salads, especially those containing other tropical fruits such as papaya, kiwi and mango.

Mix diced pineapple and chili peppers for an easy to prepare salsa.

Drizzle maple syrup on pineapple slices and broil until brown.

Boil diced pineapple chunks in sugar syrup (water + sugar boiled) if the pineapple has a tart taste.

Pineapple juice is a favorite among tropical beverages.

Nutritional Profile

Pineapple is an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. It is also a good source of vitamin B1, vitamin B6, copper and dietary fiber.

Idli - TamilNadu

Idli stand and Pressure cooker are required for making Idli.

1 cup Urad dal
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
4 cups Boiled rice
1 cup Raw rice

Add fenugreek to the urad dal and mix the raw rice and boiled rice. Soak them separately over night.

Grind urad dal and the rice mix to a smooth batter. This should be done separately, once rice and urad dal mixes, texture of the batter will change.

Then they can be mixed together, add salt and mix well and set aside to ferment for 6 - 8 hrs. Yeast or cooking soda can be added for fermentation. Keep in a warm place or in the oven.

Spray Pam or smear oil in the holes of the idle stand and pour the batter. A small trick I have learnt over the years, is to alternatively align the holes in the stand, by doing this, idli will not stick to the top tray.

Steam cook in high heat for 15 min and in low flame for 5 - 6 mins.

This is steamed food and very good for kids. Rub some ghee on the idli and serve with coconut chutney or podi. Idli can be soaked in sambar and eaten.

To make it appealing for kids, button idli stand can be used, same taste, smaller size - bite size. These idli's and soaked in sambar and eaten.

Uttapam

1 cup Urad dal
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
4 cups Boiled rice
1 cup Raw rice

Add fenugreek to the urad dal and mix the raw rice and boiled rice. Soak them separately over night.

Grind urad dal and the rice mix to a smooth batter. This should be done separately, once rice and urad dal mixes, texture of the batter will change.

Then they can be mixed together, add salt and mix well and set aside to ferment for 6 - 8 hrs. Yeast or cooking soda can be added for fermentation. Keep in a warm place or in the oven.

Water can be added to the batter as required to make uttapam.

Grease a dosa pan with oil and pour the batter a little thick on the skillet spreading evenly with the ladel. Sprinkle chopped onion, green chili, ginger and chopped coriander.

Add a tsp of oil so that uttapam can be removed easily. Turn the other side and let roast.

Serve it with chutney.

Tomato Besan Pachadi

2 Tomatoes
1 Onion: Optional
½ tsp Jeera
½ tsp Mustard Seeds
A pinch of Fenugreek Seeds
1-2 Red Chilies
½ tsp Red Chili Powder
Hing
1-2 Green chilies
Few Curry Leaves
½ tsp Tamarind paste
Coriander
4 -5 tsp Besan - Senagpindi

Cut tomatoes into small pieces.

Take 4 tsp of oil in a small skillet and when oil is heated add jeera, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, hing, red chilies, and chopped green chilies and curry leaves. Then add chopped onion and fry till it is translucent. Add tomato pieces, salt, turmeric, red chili powder and 1 cup water, cook till tomatoes are done.

Then add tamarind paste and besan stirring slowing so that lumps are not formed. As you are adding the base thickens and starts to cook. Add coriander and cook for a few minutes till the base separates.

Check for salt, adjust seasonings according to taste and more water can be added according to the required consistency.

Transfer contents into a serving bowl.

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

Alu Parata

2 cups Atta
1/2 cup Milk
5 Potatoes
½ tsp Coriander-Jeera Powder
Coriander
2 Green Chilies - Optional

Boil potatoes with salt, peel and mash them without any lumps. Add coriander-jeera powder, red chili powder, chopped green chilies, coriander and make it into balls.

Mix atta, milk and little salt and 2 tsp of oil along with water and make solid dough. Do not use too much water. Can be used immediately or can let sit for a few hours.

Make big lemon size atta balls. Using dry atta, roll the dough balls into circles using a rolling pin. Place one potato ball in the middle and cover it from all the sides (using dry atta) slowly roll using a rolling pin. Do not press hard into the atta, it will make holes. Try rolling from all sides to get an even shape.

Take a flat base pan (dosa /chapatti pan) and turning back and forth cook the parata till it is nicely done on both sides adding a tsp of oil accordingly. Remove when done nicely on both the sides. Dab with butter stick when hot.

Transfer to an air tight box if not used immediately.

Alu Parata does not need a spicy side dish; fresh curd can be used as a side dish.

Alu Parata - Photo Tutorial

Roll atta into a circle with a rolling pin.


Place the potato ball on the rolled atta and flaten it.


Fold the atta roll from all the sides coving the potato ball.


Using a rolling pin and dry atta gently roll the atta again.


Cook them on a skillet or a griddle using oil or ghee and turning them frequently.


Stuffed alu/potato paratas are ready.

Chips and Guacamole

1 Ripe Avocado
1 Red Onion
1 Tomato
Coriander
Lemon Juice
Jalapenos - Optional
Banana Peppers - Optional

Cut avocado in half; remove the pit and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash it well with a spoon. Chop onions and tomatoes into small pieces.

Add salt, 2 tsp lemon juice, red chili flakes, chopped coriander and mix well. Jalapenos or/and banana peppers can also be used by spicy lovers. The avocado flesh has an oily, smooth texture and it binds everything well.

This is a good dip for corn chips or tortillas. Enjoy a spicy snack with colas or juice.

A favorite item for Super Bowl Parties or Game nights.

Brinjal Potato Allamkaram-Kura

4 – 5 long Brinjals
3 Potatoes
Chili-Ginger-Coriander Paste
1 tsp Jeera

Grind green chilies, ginger, coriander and 1 tsp jeera into a smooth paste.

Boil and peel potatoes, cut into cubes.

Cut brinjal into 2” pieces. Use immediately or brinjal oxidizes, place them in water.

Take 3 tsp of oil in a skillet and add cut brinjal and stir fry for a few minutes, then add chili-ginger-coriander paste and fry for a few minutes.

Then add cooked potatoes and mix gently without disturbing the shape of the vegetables.

Taste for salt and seasonings, can be adjusted to suite your taste.

This is a good side dish with rice.

Thotakura Ava Pulusu - Amaranth Leaves

1 bunch Thotakura - Amaranth Leaves
4 - 5 Okra
Bedakaye, chopped into 1” pieces : Optional
2 Green Chilies
Few Curry Leaves
Tamarind juice
2 tsp Jaggery
2 tsp Ava Powder
2 tsp Sesame Powder

Grind mustard seeds to a fine powder. This is called ava powder.

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

Chop thotakura finely and wash and drain. Cook in a pressure cooker with salt and turmeric and 2 cups water. Do not drain the water.

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

Remove the red chili into a bowl and squish it, add 2 tsp of rice flour, 1 tsp of jaggery, 2 tsp ava powder, 2 tsp sesame powder. Using water mix them all nicely and keep aside.

Then add cooked thotakura, turmeric and 2 cups of water. Add tamarind juice and the previously made base and bring to a boil. Cook for a few minutes more, the liquid will start to thicken and oil will separate, then remove from flame.

Check for salt and seasonings, more jaggery or ava can be added according to taste.

A authentic Telugu recipe that tastes very good with hot rice. The tangy of the tamarind juice, sweet of jaggery, hot from the red chili gives this Liquid dish a unique taste.

Soya Chunks and Vegetable Pulov

4 cups Basmati Rice
1 cup Soya Chunks
2 Onions
1 Potato
1 Carrot
1 cup Beans
½ cup Peas
2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
3 Green Chilies
4 tsp Garam Masala: From my previous blog Garam masala from Powders/ Podis
4 Bay Leaves
1” Butter Stick

Take 2 tsp of oil in a skillet and fry the dry soya chunks till they are nicely roasted. Then soak them in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze out water before using them.

Take 4 tsp of oil in a skillet add chopped onions, chilies, bay leaf and once the onions are translucent, add ginger-garlic paste and all chopped vegetables and soya chunks.

Wash and drain rice. Once the vegetables look like they lost all the water, add rice. Stir fry. Now add 4 tsp of garam masala powder and salt. Let cook the mixture for a few minutes with a lid on.

Transfer from the skillet to a rice cooker and pour 1:2 ratio of water for the rice. Add 1” of butter stick in the vessel and taste for salt. For attractive appearance add food coloring. (optional)

Fried cashews and coriander can be used for garnishing. Quick one dish meal.

Raita or kurma is a good side dish for this Mixed Vegetable and Soya Chunks Pulov.