Thotakura majiga pulusu - Amaranth leaves

This is a perfect recipe for those days when you have sour curd left is the refrigerator.

1 bunch Amaranth leaves - Thotakura
Few Ladies fingers - Bendakaya - Optional
2 Tomatoes - Optional
4 cups Sour Curd
2- 3 Green Chilies
1" Ginger
Few Curry Leaves
2 tsp Grated coconut
1 tsp Sambar Powder

Wash and chop thotakura. Cut bendakaye and tomatoes into any desired shape and size.

In a steel vessel thin the curd using a “Kavam” or by using a ladle into buttermilk adding enough water. Take 3 tsp of besan in a bowl and add enough water and mix well. Add this mix to the butter milk and mix well. Then place it on a medium flame and keep stirring till the buttermilk boils. Remove from flame and keep aside.

In a non stick low bottom vessel take 2 tsp of oil and 1 tsp of ghee and make tadka with ¼ tsp jeera, ¼ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp vammu, few fenugreek seeds, hing and red chili. Then add chopped green chilies, ginger, grated coconut, few curry leaves and chopped bendakaye and salt. Fry for a few minutes and add chopped thotakura, tomatoes fry for a few minutes (or thotakura can be cooked in a pressure cooked with salt) add enough water and cook till the vegetables are soft. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables or they will lose their shape.

Once the vegetables are soft add the cooked buttermilk, a tsp of sambar powder and turmeric and bring to boil. Taste for salt and seasonings and adjust accordingly.

Magiga pulusu is a good side dish with rice. One of good combinations is mudda pappu (toor dal) rice and magiga pulusu or in kandi podi and rice.

Egg plant - Roasted vankaye pachi pulusu

1 Large Eggplant
2 Onions
4 – 5 Green Chilies
Small lemon sized Tamarind
Few Curry Leaves
Coriander
1 tsp Sesame Powder
½ tsp Jaggery: Optional

Wash and dry eggplant. Spray PAM all over the egg plant and evenly spread using fingers. Place Aluminium foil in the burner slot so, clean up will be easier. The water in the eggplant will cook and drip down. Roast on medium/low flame, turning on all sides. Remove let cool and peel the skin and discard. Transfer the soft flesh into a bowl.

Pick long, thin green chilies from what you have and coat them with oil using the tips your finger. Roast them on low/medium flame, turning them on all sides using the stem of the chilies or tongs. Remove, let cool and mash them with your hands (remove seeds if you don’t like it spicy). Suite you taste accordingly.

Chop onions into small pieces. Make tamarind juice with the tamarind.
Dry fry sesame seeds and make powder. This is sesame powder.

Take 3 tsp of oil in a small skillet and make tadka with ½ tsp jeera, ½ tsp mustard seeds, few fenugreek seeds, hing, and red chili and curry leaves. Once it is done, add chopped onions and fry till the onion turns translucent. Then add a tsp of sesame powder and fry for a few minutes.

To the vessel with the egg plant flesh add tamarind juice (raw, the above tadka, smashed green chilies, salt, turmeric, jaggery and chopped coriander (liberally). Mix well, preferably using hands and squeezing, so, the taste of all the items evenly spreads into the tamarind juice.

The roasted egg plant, chilies, tamarind juice, soft flavor of sesame powder, sweet of jaggery all combine to form an excellent taste.

This is an excellent side dish with rice and appadam, specially rice and kandi podi (from my previous blog in Podis/Powders) and oil.

Majjiga Pulusu - Buttermilk Pulusu

There are 2 ways that I make magiga pulusu. One with Indian vegetables and the other with common vegetables. The procedure for either is the same. Once you choose your vegetables, then they are 2 ways to make it; one is a traditional mix and the second is obviously instant mix.
In short: choose the mix, choose the vegetables, make the magiga base and finally mix and cook/boil.

Traditional mix
Soak chenna dal for 1- 2 hrs and drain the water. Grind chenna dal with 1 tsp fresh coconut, 1” ginger, ¼ tsp jeera to a smmoth paste.

Instant mix
In a bowl take 3 tsp of besan, mix 1 tsp of fresh coconut and 1” grated ginger and mix them all using water.

For magiga base
4 cups Sour Curd
2- 3 Green Chilies
Few Curry Leaves
1 tsp Sambar Powder

Traditional Vegetables
2 cups Anapakaye pieces – Bottle Gourd
5 -6 Bendakaye – Okra
2 Brinjal – Eggplant
5 -6 Drumstick pieces
1 Tomato

Common Vegetables
1 Potato
1 Carrot
10 – 12 Beans
½ Green Pepper
Few Cauliflower flowerets
1 Tomato

Cut vegetables into desired shape and size.

Thin the curd using a “Kavam” or by simply using a ladle into buttermilk adding enough water. Mix the butter milk with either of the above base and mix well. Then place it on a medium flame and keep stirring till the buttermilk boils. Remove from flame and keep aside.

When buttermilk is taken care of, in a non stick low bottom vessel take 2 tsp of oil and 1 tsp of ghee and make tadka with ¼ tsp jeera, ¼ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp vammu, few fenugreek seeds, hing and red chili. Then add chopped green chilies and few curry leaves and all the chopped vegetables and salt. Fry for a few minutes and add enough water and cook till the vegetables are soft. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables or they will lose their shape.

Once the vegetables are soft add the cooked buttermilk, a tsp of Sambar powder and turmeric and bring to boil. Taste for salt and seasonings and adjust accordingly.

Magiga pulusu is a good side dish with rice. One of good combinations is mudda pappu (toor dal) rice and magiga pulusu. I remember making a hole in pappu annam and filling the hole with magiga pulusu.

Vathakozhambu - Karam Pulusu

12 – 15 Ladies Finger – Bendakaye
2 – 3 Brinjal – Vankaye
3 - 4 Drumstick pieces
2 Onions
2 Tomatoes
3 Green Chilies
Few Curry Leaves
Tamarind Juice
½ tsp Jaggery
3 tsp Vathakozhumbu Powder
¼ tsp Red Chili Powder
Coriander

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

Chop onions and tomato into small pieces. Cut Ladies finger into 1” pieces and brinjal into small pieces.

Take 5 tsp of oil in a sauce pan and make tadka (poppu) with jeera, mustard seeds, and 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, hing and a red chili. Add chopped green chilies, curry leaves and fry till nice aroma of fenugreek seeds fill the room.

Add onions and fry till they are translucent. Then add cut ladies finger, brinjal, drumstick and fry for a few minutes. Then add tomatoes, cook for a few minutes.

In a bowl take tamarind juice and add 2 tsp rice flour, jaggery, vathakozhumbu powder, red chili powder, turmeric and mix well. Add to the vegetables in the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add water as till a nice consistency is reached.

Cook for a few minutes, the liquid will start to thicken and oil will separate then remove from flame.

Garnish with coriander. Check for salt and adjust seasonings.

Serve it with hot white rice or as a side dish with any podi rice like kandi podi etc.

A Tamil friend introduced me to this dish. It is also called Kara kozhambu ( pulusu) . This dish specially tastes very well on the next day of preparation, as all the vegetables soak and absorb all the spices.

Vathakozhambu powder is available in Indian stores, where not available regular sambar powder can be substituted for it.

Pachi Pulusu

2 Onions
4 – 5 Green Chilies
Small lemon sized Tamarind
Few Curry Leaves
Coriander
1 tsp Sesame Powder
½ tsp Jaggery: Optional

Chop onions into small pieces and using water make tamarind juice with the tamarind.
Dry fry sesame seeds and make powder. This is sesame powder.

Pick long, thin green chilies from what you have and coat them with oil using the tips your finger. Roast them on low/medium flame, turning them on all sides using the stem of the chilies or tongs. Remove, let cool and mash them with your hands (remove seeds if you don’t like it spicy). Suite you taste accordingly.

Take 3 tsp of oil in a small skillet and make tadka with ½ tsp jeera, ½ tsp mustard seeds, few fenugreek seeds, hing, and red chili and curry leaves. Once it is done, add chopped onions and fry till the onion turns translucent. Then add a tsp of sesame powder and fry for a few minutes.
In a vessel take the tamarind juice (raw) add the above tadka, smashed green chilies, salt, turmeric, jaggery and add chopped coriander liberally. Mix well, preferably using hands and squeezing the taste of all the items into the tamarind juice.

Normally this pulusu will have roasted brinjal as the main ingredient. The roasted chilies, tamarind juice, soft flavor of sesame powder, sweet of jaggery all combine to form an excellent taste.

This is an excellent side dish with rice and appadam, specially rice and kandi podi (from my previous blog in Podis/Powders) and oil.

White Radish - Mullangi Sambar

1 cup Toor dal – Kandi pappu
1 White Radish – Mullangi
2 Onions
6 – 8 Ladies fingers - Bendakaye
1 Carrot
1 Drumstick
1 Tomato
2 Green Chilies
Coriander
Few curry leaves
Sambar powder - From my previous blog "Sambar Powder" in Podis-Powders
Tamarind juice

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

Peel and cut radish and carrot into small pieces or circles. Cut drumstick into 3” pieces. Chop ladies finger into 1 “ circles and chop onions into medium pieces.

Wash and add water for the dal (1: 2 for each cup of dal) in a vessel and all the vegetables 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, 1 tsp jaggery or sugar and coriander. Let cook and then add the cooked vegetables. Bring it to boil and cook for a few minutes more and remove from flame.
Serve it with hot rice and ghee. Sambar is a good side dish for idli.

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.

Onion Pulusu

3 Onions
1 Tomato
2 Green Chilies
Few Curry Leaves
Tamarind Juice
Sambar Powder
1/2 tsp Jaggery
Coriander

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

Chop onions and 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.

Add onions and fry till they are translucent. Then add tomatoes. Cook for a minute and add turmeric, salt and tamarind juice and bring to a boil.

In a bowl smash the red chili add 2 tsp of rice flour, 1/2 tsp of jaggery , 1 tsp sambar powder. Using 1/2 cup water mix them all nicely and add to the vegetables in the sauce pan.

Cook for a few minutes more, the liquid will start to thicken and oil will separate then remove from flame.

Garnish with coriander. Check for salt, more jaggery can be added according to taste.

Serve it with hot white rice or as a side dish with any podi rice like kandi podi etc. 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.

Sambar

1 cup Toor dal – Kandi pappu
4" Bottle Gourd - Anapakaye
2 Onions
1 Drumstick
1 Tomato
2 Green Chilies
Coriander
Few curry leaves
Sambar powder - From my previous blog "Sambar Powder" in Podis-Powders
Tamarind juice

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

Peel and cut bottle gourd into small cubes. Cut drumstick into 3” pieces. Chop onions into medium pieces.

Wash and add water for the dal (1: 2 for each cup of dal) in a vessel and all the vegetables 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, 1 tsp jaggery or sugar and coriander. Let cook and then add the cooked vegetables. Bring it to boil and cook for a few minutes more and remove from flame.

Serve it with hot rice and ghee. Sambar is a good side dish for idli.

Rasam - Charu

1 Tomato
Few Drumsticks Pieces - Optional
2 Garlic pods - Optional
2 Green Chilies
Few Curry Leaves
Coriander
2 tsp Tamarind pulp
1 tsp Rasam Powder (From my previous blog in Podis \ Powders )

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

Take 2 tsp of oil in a sauce pan and make tadka (poppu) with jeera, mustard seeds, few fenugreek seeds, hing, garlic pods (optional) and a red chili. Add chopped tomato, cut drumsticks, green chilies, curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Add water, salt and let cook till nicely done.

Then add tamarind juice or pulp and more water. Bring to a boil, add salt, turmeric, rasam powder a tsp of sugar (optional) and cook for 5 -6 min on medium flame.

Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve it with hot rice. Vadiyam or appadam is a good side dish with rasam.

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.

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.