Chamagadda pulusu

Ingredients:

1/4 kg chamadumpalu/taro root/arbi, wash, peel and quarter each root

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

2-3 green chillis, slit lengthwise

1 tsp red chilli pwd (adjust)

1 tsp coriander pwd

1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

small lemon sized tamarind, extract pulp

salt to taste

coriander leaves for garnish

1 1/2 tbsps oil

For poppu/tempering/tadka:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

big pinch methi seeds/menthulu/fenugreek seeds

few curry leaves

Method:

1. Cut the boiled chamagadda into medium  size.
   
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them pop, add methi seeds fry them and take care not to burn them.
   
3. Add the chopped onions and green chillis and saute for a minute. Add the taro root pieces and salt and combine. Cook for 10-12 mts or till the onions and taro root are lightly browned
   
4. Add chilli pwd, coriander pwd,salt and turmeric pwd and combine well. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook further for another 4-5 mts.
   
5. Add tamarind pulp along with approx three cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce flame and cover with lid. Let it cook for 8-10 mts till the gravy thickens slightly. Remember, ‘pulusu’ is a gravy dish and should be of a slightly watery consistency.
   
6. Once cooked, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.
   

Peanut chutney

                         

Ingredients :

• ¾ cup peanuts/ palli
• 1 ½ tsp oil
• 1 to 2 green chilies 
• salt as needed
• tamarind as desired

tempering

• ¼ tsp mustard
• 1 tsp channa dal 
• Curry leaves 

Method 

1. If using tamrind, soak it in water until soft. Extract the juice, filter and keep aside.
   
2. Dry roast peanuts until golden. Keep aside to cool.
   
3. Add oil to the hot pan and  fry green chili. move these to cool.
   
4. Add these to a blender along with salt and tamarind water and blend to smooth.
   
5. Temper with tempering ingredients
   

Dondakaya fry

Ingredients :

   250 grams dondakayalu / ivy gourd

• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ¼ tsp mustard
• ¼ tsp. cumin
• ¾ tbsp. channa dal / senga pappu
• Oil as needed
• ⅛ tsp. turmeric
• Salt as required 
• Few tbsp of putnala pappu powder

Instructions

1. Soak ivy gourd in a large utensil filled with water.
2. Wash them thoroughly under running water.
3. Drain them in a colander and wipe off with a clean cloth or let them dry off completely
4. Chop off the ends. Slice them thinly vertically or horizontally. 
   
   
   
5. Heat a pan with oil, add mustard, cumin and dal. fry till golden, add curry leaves and hing. Saute till the leaves turn crisp
   
6. Add chopped dondakaya pieces, salt and turmeric.
   
7. Stir fry till soft cooked. If needed just simmer the stove, cover and cook
   
8. Add putnala pappu powder. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on low flame. 
   
9. Serve dondakaya fry with rice.
   

Bread halwa

                       

Ingredients:

Bread - 6 slices
Sugar - 1/2 cup or to taste
Milk - 2 cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup + 1 tblspn
Cashews a handful
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Remove the crust and chop it into small pieces.

Heat ghee in a pan, add in cashews and fry till golden. Remove it and set aside.

Now add in chopped bread in the ghee and fry .
Now add in milk and mix well. Keep cooking till it thickens.

Add in sugar and mix well. Keep cooking till it starts to leave the sides.

Finally add a tblspn of ghee and mix well. Add in nuts and cardamom powder and mix well.

Red chutney

Ingredients :
12 Dry red chilly
1 tbsp cumin seeds
Salt
Half onion
Lemon juice

Method :
Grind dry red chilly, cumin seeds, onion, lemon juice, salt as required as smooth as possible.

Pudina rice

Ingredients :

• 2 cups rice
• 1.5 cup lightly measured mint / pudina
• Fistful of coriander leaves 
• 2 to 3 green chilies
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 to 2 large pods of garlic
• ¼ cup chopped coconut pieces
• Salt as needed
• Oil or ghee as needed
• 3 cups water 
• 1 to 2 tbsp. lemon juice(optional)

Seasoning

• 1 bay leaf
• 1 star anise
• 1 strand mace
• ½ tsp shahi jeera or cumin
• 6 cloves
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• 3 to 4 green cardamoms

Method :

1. Wash rice and soak it for about 15 minutes. Pluck and wash mint and coriander leaves, drain them completely
2. Grind mint, coriander, green chilies, ginger garlic, onion or chopped coconut to as smooth as possible.
   
3. Heat a pan with oil, add the dry spices and saute till they sizzle.
   
4. Add the ground paste and fry on a medium to low flame for about 2 to 3 minutes.
   
5. Pour water and salt. Bring it to a boil. Add washed rice and cook in your preferred way.
   
6. Open pan method: cook the rice till very little water is left in the pot. Cover and cook on low flame till the rice is cooked.
   
7. Pressure cooker: Cook the rice till the water almost evaporates. When there is very little water left in the cooker, close the lid. Cook it for about 5 minutes on a low flame and switch off. Do not allow to whistle. If making with normal rice, let it whistle once.
8. When the pressure goes away, open the lid and mix well. You will see a layer of the min mixture on top, Add lemon juice evenly and mix it gently .
9. Serve pudina rice with a simple onion raita or a potato kurma.
   

Masala vada

INGREDIENTS:

to be ground:

• ½ cup chana dal/husked and split bengal gram
• 4 dry red chilly
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp coriander seedseeds
• 1 tsp jeera
• 4 to 5 curry leaves 

to be added to the ground lentils later:

• 1 small onion, chopped or ¼ cup chopped onion
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing
• salt as required

other ingredients:

• oil for frying
• water for soaking chana dal, as required

INSTRUCTIONS

method:

1. rinse the chana dal for a couple of times in water. then soak in enough water for 3 to 4 hours. for a quicker option, you can heat water and the soak the chana dal for an hour.
   
2. later, in a grinder, add the following whole spices - 1 dry red chili,1 tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp coriander seeds and soaked chana dal . grind the coarsely.
   
3. grind the dal coarsely. some whole chana dal should be there. no need to add water while grinding. i did not add any water. if you add water, then it becomes difficult to shape the vadais. if you are not able to grind at all, then add 1 to 2 tbsp water and grind. Take mixture into the mixing bowl and add chopped onion and salt as required , mix very well.
   
4. shape to medium sized vadas. make medium sized balls and then flatten them. if not able to shape vadais, then add 1 or 2 tbsp of rice flour.
5. heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan.
6. on a medium flame heat the oil. check the oil temperature by dropping a small portion of the batter in the oil. if the small vada comes up steadily, the oil is hot enough for frying.
   
7. now carefully slid the vadas in the hot oil.
8. fry them for a couple of minutes and then turn over with a slotted spoon and fry the other side.
9. fry till the vadas become golden and crisp. drain them on kitchen paper towels.
   
10. serve the masala vadai hot tomato ketchup or with coconut chutney.
    

Rava Upma

Ingredients :
1 cup rava/sooji
1 onion
1 tomato
1 carrot
1 green chili
1 inch ginger
3 tbsp green peas
1 tbsp turmeric powder
10 to 12 cashews
4 curry leaves
2.5 cuos of water
Oil or ghee
Coriander leaves
Salt

Method:

1. heat a pan or kadai first. add 1 cup rava. Begin to roast the rava. stir often while roasting the rava.The rava or sooji grains should become fragrant and start to look dry, separate and crisp. don't brown the rava. switch off the flame and then add the roasted rava in a plate and keep aside. I used roasted rava
2. In a pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee or oil. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds,when you hear the crackling sound of mustard seeds, it means they are getting fried. Then add cashews and curry leaves. Fry till golden colour.
   
3. now add the finely chopped onions,green peas,green chilly,carrot , ginger ,Turmeric powdettomato. saute the onions and tomato till they cooked.
   
4. then add 2.5 cups water to this mixture. add salt as required,on a medium to high flame, heat the water and let it come to a to a  boiling. when the water comes to a boil, lower the flame to its lowest.
   
5. Once you add the rava, stir immediately.mix well. the rava grains absorb water and thus swell and get cooked.
   
6. cover and allow the rava upma to steam for 2 minutes on the low flame.
7. then switch off the flame. here the rava is cooked and the upma is ready.lastly add about 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. stir well.serve upma with coconut chutney or lime slices or lime pickle.
   

moong dal khichdi

moong dal khichdi - one pot meal of rice and moong lentils. light and easy to digest meal.

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup moong dal, split and husked
• ½ cup rice, you can add any rice, regular short or medium grained rice or even basmati
• 1 small to medium sized onion/pyaaz, finely chopped
• 1 medium sized tomato/tamatar, chopped
• ½ inch ginger/adrak, finely chopped or grated
• 1 small green mirch/hari mirch, chopped
• ¾ tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• pinch of asafoetida/hing
• 3.5 cups water - for a more thin consistency, add 4 to 4.5 cups water
• 1.5 tbsp oil or ghee
• salt as required

INSTRUCTIONS

1. rinse and wash moong lentils and rice together. soak both of them for 30 minutes in water,
   
2. heat 2 tbsp ghee or oil in pressure cooker. add cumin. when cumin splutters then add onions.
   
3. saute onions till translucent. no need to make onions light brown or golden brown.
   
4. once the onions becomes translucent, then add tomatoes, green chilli and ginger.
   
5. stir and add turmeric powder and asafoetida. saute till the tomatoes softens.
   
6. drain the rice and moong lentils and add them to the pressure cooker.
   
7. stir for a minute. pour with water and season with salt
   
   .
8. close the lid tightly and pressure cook the khichdi on a high flame for 6-7 whistles.

1. if the khichdi becomes too thick, then add some water and stir well.
2. keep on sim or low flame to simmer the khichdi till you get the right consistency.
3. the consistency can be adjusted as per your choice by adding less or more water. some people prefer thick and some thin consistency.
4. once the khichdi is cooked then top it with ghee while serving. optional step.