Sankranti Festival 2014 ~ Pedda Panduga recipes

Wishing all my dear readers who are celebrating a very happy and prosperous Makar Sankrathi! For all those who have requested for Sankranti festival recipes, I have complied a list below along with a link to the recipe. Here’s the link for Pedda Panduga recipes. Happy cooking!

Sweet Pongali

Perugu Garelu

Vadai

Nuvvu Undalu ~ Sesame Laddu

Badam Halwa

Bobbatlu

Rava Kesari

Katte Pongali

Puliyodharai ~ Tamil Tamarind rice

Atukula Laddu ~ Beaten rice sweet

Appalu

Paramannam

Pesarapappu Payasam

Atukulu Payasam

Bellam Garelu ~ Jaggery Vadas

Boorelu

Chandrakantalu

Semiya Payasam

Kajjikayalu

Kobbari Burfi

Halwa Boorelu

Sorakaya (bottlegourd) Payasam

Jantikalu

Ribbon Murukku

Pappu Chekkalu

Pulihora

Nimmakaya Annam ~ Lemon Rice

Rava Pulihora

Mamidikaya (raw mango) Pulihora

Festival Thali

Talimpu Senagalu (black chickpeas

Aratikaya (raw plantain) Bajji

Ulli Garelu ~ Onion Vadas

Mamidikaya (raw mango) Pappu

Mudda Pappu ~ Cooked tur dal

Pappu Pulusu

Mukkala Pulusu

Vankaya Batani ~ Brinjal Peas

Potato Fry

Gutti Vankaya (Stuffed Brinjal)

Kobbari Mamidikaya Pachadi

Carrot Coriander leaves Pachadi

Carrot Kheer

Rava Payasam

The post Sankranti Festival 2014 ~ Recipes appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

Murmura Chivda ~ Puffed Rice Chivda (Healthy snacks of India)

I am a huge fan of Muri mixture that is sold by bajjiwalas (vendors) along the Vizag beach road. I am talking about the masala murmura which is prepared with chopped onions, tomatoes, chili powder, peanuts, coriander leaves and a dash of lemon juice. Just typing that out made my mouth water. I had a huge bag of Muri aka Borugulu/Marmaralu/Murmura that needed to be used up and what better than Murmura Chivda. Ridiculously simple to make with minimal ingredients and hardly any cooking time.

For those of you who find it challenging to make snacks for your family due to time constraints, Murmura Chivda is the answer. This is a relatively easy and quick snack to put together and not to mention, addictive. Dried coconut, either grated or thin silvers is an essential ingredient along with dalia (roasted chickpeas) and roasted peanuts. I also like to add few cashew nuts since I love them.

The post Murmura Chivda ~ Puffed Rice Chivda appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

Pesarapappu Bobbatlu ~ Andhra Pindi Vantalu (Traditional sweets)

Bobbatlu, the classic traditional festival sweet of Andhra is prepared in almost all homes for festivals like Sankranti and Deepavali. This flat bread which is stuffed with sweetened lentil mixture is popular in other parts of the country and goes by the name Puran poli, Holige, Obbattu, Paruppu poli, Vedhmi and Puranachi poli. Much loved among those with a sweet tooth.

Usually the choice of dal for the stuffing is Bengal gram aka chana dal in our state of Andhra. For a change I have made pesarapappu bobbatlu which has yellow moong dal instead of chana dal. Your choice of sweetner can be jaggery though I used sugar since I ran out of jaggery. You can even use tur dal in place of moong or chana dal.

The post Pesarapappu Bobbatlu appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

Ugadi 2014 ~ Telugu Festivals Recipes

For all those who have requested for Ugadi 2014 festival recipes, I have complied a list below along with a link to each of the recipes. Here’s the link for Ugadi Pachadi recipe. Happy cooking!

Sweet Pongali

Perugu Garelu

Vadai

Nuvvu Undalu ~ Sesame Laddu

Badam Halwa

Bobbatlu

Rava Kesari

Katte Pongali

Puliyodharai ~ Tamil Tamarind rice

Atukula Laddu ~ Beaten rice sweet

Appalu

Paramannam

Pesarapappu Payasam

Atukulu Payasam

Bellam Garelu ~ Jaggery Vadas

Boorelu

Chandrakantalu

Semiya Payasam

Kajjikayalu

Kobbari Burfi

Halwa Boorelu

Sorakaya (bottlegourd) Payasam

Teepi Atukulu

Pesarapappu Bobbatulu

Pesarapappu Bobbatulu

Jantikalu

Ribbon Murukku

Pappu Chekkalu

Pulihora

Nimmakaya Annam ~ Lemon Rice

Rava Pulihora

Mamidikaya (raw mango) Pulihora

Festival Thali

Talimpu Senagalu (black chickpeas

Aratikaya (raw plantain) Bajji

Ulli Garelu ~ Onion Vadas

Mamidikaya (raw mango) Pappu

Mudda Pappu ~ Cooked tur dal

Pappu Pulusu

Mukkala Pulusu

Vankaya Batani ~ Brinjal Peas

Potato Fry

Gutti Vankaya (Stuffed Brinjal)

Kobbari Mamidikaya Pachadi

Carrot Coriander leaves Pachadi

Daddojanam

Carrot Kheer

Rava Payasam

The post Ugadi 2014 appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

Ugadi Greetings

For those of you looking for Ugadi recipes, I have complied a list of recipes. Follow this link to get them – Ugadi Festival Recipes

The post Ugadi Greetings appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

Nannari Sarbath (Sugandhi Drink) – How to make Nannari Syrup

I have been away from the blog and social media since early April. Last week, my family and I got home from a wonderful rejuvenating vacation only to be welcomed by the scorching summer heat. We are experiencing one of the worst summers with Vizag reeling under a heat wave with no sign of respite. Desperately praying to the the rain Gods to bring in some relief. All I do is drink copious amount of chilled drinks like lassi, buttermilk, fresh fruit juice, homemade sherbet and tender coconut water. Traditional herbal drinks with no preservatives or artificial colors are the best thirst quenchers during the scorching hot days.

I prepared Nannari (Sarsaparilla roots) syrup as well as Maredu syrup (Bael fruit) to help us get through the hot summer. In Coastal Andhra we call the aromatic Sarsaparilla roots as Sugandhi and in the Rayalaseema region as well Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it goes by the name Nannari. Nannari is a very pleasant smelling herb and is known for its medicinal properties. Its an excellent diuretic, body coolant that prevents sunstroke and purifies blood.

Today, I am sharing with you Nannari Sarbath preparation that is slightly laborious yet simple. Basically you have to pound the washed Sarsaparilla roots so that the central portion (white pith) is discarded and the outer skin is sun dried for a day. These roots are soaked in water overnight. Next day morning the roots are boiled along with the soaked water till it reduces to half the original quantity. The resultant mixture is strained and further boiled with sugar till it becomes slightly thick and sticky honey colored mixture. To prepare Nannari sarbath, pour 3 heaped tablespoons of the Nannari syrup into a tall glass, add 1 1/2 tbsps of lemon juice and pour chilled water to the brim. Add ice cubes and serve.

Sugandhi aka Nannari roots are usually available at any local Ayurveda medical stores. In Vizag, the roots are available at Pachipulusu Venkata Sannaiah & Sons and Sri Sambasiva Ayurvedic Centre in Kurupam Market. You can even buy the Nannari syrup aka Sugandhi syrup from Ayurveda medical stores.

The post Nannari Sarbath Recipe, Sugandhi Drink, How to make Nannari Syrup appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

Bel Ka Sharbat, Maredu Drink, How to make Bael Syrup – Summer Drinks

Along with Nannari syrup, I also prepared a batch of Bel Syrup since it is a healthy thirst quencher, filled with nutritional goodness. The Bael tree is considered sacred in Hinduism where the leaves and fruit are used to worship Lord Shiva. Bael fruit (Botanical name ~ Aegle marmelos), also known as Stone Apple, Bael Pathar, Vilvam (Tamil), Bilva (Hindi) and Maredu pandu (Telugu) is packed with nutrition, helps cure acidity, ulcers, gastric disorders and helps to cool and detoxify the body. In fact, every part of Bael tree is useful, the roots and leaves are used to treat skin infections and stomach ailments.

Most people prepare Sharbat using the ripe fruit. One can also prepare Sharbat using bel syrup that is prepared from dried Bel fruit. Bel syrup preparation is similar to Nannari syrup preparation. It is slightly labor intensive but simple. Basically you wash the dried Bael aka Maredu thoroughly and soak in water overnight. Next day morning the dried bel is boiled along with the soaked water till it reduces to half the original quantity. The resultant mixture is strained and further boiled with sugar till it becomes slightly thick brown colored mixture. To prepare Bel Ka Sharbat, pour 3 heaped tablespoons of the prepared Bel syrup into a tall glass, add 1 tbsp of lemon juice and pour chilled water to the brim. Add ice cubes and serve.

If you want to prepare Bel ka Sharbat using the ripe fruit, all you need to do is break open a bel and scoop out the pulp using a spoon. Soak the pulp in a cup of water for a few minutes and use your hands to squish the pulp. Strain to remove the seeds and discard them. Blend the bael pulp to a smooth mixture. Add add sugar or jaggery as per taste, roasted cumin powder, pinch of black salt, chilled water to the blended pulp, mix well. Pour into tall glasses, add ice cubes and serve.

Maredu aka dried Bael is usually available at any local Ayurveda medical stores. In Vizag, Maredu (in its dried form) is available at Pachipulusu Venkata Sannaiah & Sons and Sri Sambasiva Ayurvedic Centre in Kurupam Market. You can even buy ready made Bel syrup from Ayurveda medical stores. In Vizag, Maredu drink is prepared by juice vendors in their push carts especially in Kurupam Market area, near CBM High School and Seethammadhara.

The post Bel Ka Sharbat, Maredu Drink, How to make Bel syrup appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

Rice Flour – How to make rice flour at home to prepare snacks

Rice flour aka biyyam pindi (Telugu) is an ‘essential’ ingredient in a South Indian kitchen. So what can you do with rice flour? This gluten free flour is used to prepare snacks (pindi vantalu) like murukku, jantikalu, palakayalu etc and prasadam (offering to God) like kudumulu, undrallu, appalu, ammini kozhukottai etc. After receiving repeated requests for recipe of rice flour to make snacks, I captured pictures of the entire process as I was making a large batch for Ganesh Chaturthi recipes. Extremely simple but takes a bit of effort.

The rice needs to be soaked for a minimum of one hour. I’d suggest 2 to 3 hours of soaking time as it yields a softer flour. Use any good quality raw white rice like sona masuri. Ensure you dry the rice on cotton cloth in the shade till it is almost dry with a bit of moisture. I usually place a newspaper on the floor, spread the cotton cloth over the paper and then spread the drained rice as a thin layer.

After sieving the rice flour, the residue coarse rice rava can be further ground to a smooth flour or used to make recipes that call for rice rava (coarsely ground rice). A small batch of rice flour can be made at home while large quantities (more than 1 kg) can be sent your neighbourhood flour mill. Usually, I prepare biyyam pindi with 1 kg rice during festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi to prepare naivedhyam (offering to God).

The post Rice Flour – How to make Rice flour at home appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

Bellam Undrallu Recipe with rice flour or rice rava – Vinayaka Chavithi Prasadam Recipe

Vinayaka Chaviti (Ganesh Pooja) is on Friday, August 29th, 2014. I have been receiving requests to post a few Ganesh Chaturthi recipes that I have not yet blogged. Today, it is Bellam Undrallu (bellam = jaggery in Telugu) which is also called Teepi Undrallu (teepi = sweet in Telugu). The sweetner of choice is jaggery but you can use sugar too. I have used coarsely ground rice called biyyam rava but you can use fine homemade rice flour to make this sweet prasadam for Lord Ganesha.

Rice rava, moong dal and jaggery are cooked to a gooey mass, cooled and the resultant mixture is shaped into small balls called undrallu. These undrallu are steamed and offered as naivedhyam to Lord Vinayaka on His birthday as they are considered his favorite food.

Here are a few more Ganesh Chaturthi recipes that you can make for Ganesh pooja 2014.

Undrallu
Bellam Undrallu
Paala Undrallu
Kudumulu
Uppu Kudumulu
Pulihora
Payasam
Appalu
Garelu (Vada)

The post Bellam Undrallu – Vinayaka Chavithi Prasadam Recipe appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

Bellam Kudumulu – Vinayaka Chavithi Recipes Andhra

Bellam Kudumulu also called Teepi Kudumulu is a traditional Andhra sweet dish prepared for Vinayaka Chavithi. Rice flour is the star player in this popular festive treat that is a favorite of Lord Ganesha. Rice flour, jaggery, coconut and cardamom are cooked together to a gooey mixture that is kneaded before being shaped into flattened discs and steamed. The steamed dumplings scented with cardamom have a subtle sweet flavor and are quite addictive like bellam undrallu.

You can add a fistful of soaked chana dal to the boiling water before adding the rice flour. The addition of the dal lends an earthy flavor to this humble offering. Makes for a good evening snack for kids and adults alike.

Here are a few more Vinayaka Chavithi recipes Andhra style that you can make for Ganesh pooja 2014.

Undrallu
Bellam Undrallu
Paala Undrallu
Kudumulu
Uppu Kudumulu
Pulihora
Payasam
Appalu
Garelu (Vada)

The post Bellam Kudumulu – Vinayaka Chavithi Recipes appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

Pappulo Undrallu Recipe – Ganesh Chaturthi Special

Which ever part of the country Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated it is done with much fan fare and each region and community have their own distinct festive delicacies to offer Lord Ganesh. Pappulo Undrallu recipe is a unique traditional and classic Andhra style dish prepared for Vinayaka Chavithi that has rice flour as its main ingredient. In fact a majority of the delicacies have rice flour as the main ingredient hence I make a large batch of rice flour at home a few days before Ganesh Chaturthi. For pappulo undrallu recipe, undrallu or steamed sweetened rice balls are simmered in yellow moong dal jaggery base that is flavored with fresh grated coconut and cardamom powder. Unique flavors that are earthy, sweet and not to mention, addictive.

A few more Vinayaka Chavithi recipes Andhra style that you can make for Ganesh pooja 2014.

Undrallu
Ammini Kozhukottai or Undrallu Guggilu
Bellam Undrallu
Paala Undrallu
Kudumulu
Uppu Kudumulu
Bellam Kudumulu
Pulihora
Payasam
Appalu
Garelu (Vada)

The post Pappulo Undrallu Recipe – Ganesh Chaturthi Special appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

Bellam Thalikalu – Vinayaka Chavithi Recipe

Bellam Thalikalu is a classic Andhra style festival dish that is usually prepared for Vinayaka Chavithi. Thalikalu are small and thin noodles prepared with either rice flour or whole wheat flour or a mixture of rice flour, whole wheat flour and semolina (sooji). These hand made noodles are cooked in a cardamom flavored jaggery (bellam in telugu) syrup and garnished with nuts and roasted poppy seeds. It also goes by the name Thalikala Payasam (kheer). Another popular version is to prepare thalikalu with rice flour and simmer it in jaggery syrup. Both the varieties are tasty. Do give them a try and make an offering to Lord Ganesha for Ganesh Chaturthi.

A few more Vinayaka Chavithi recipes Andhra style that you can make for Ganesh pooja.

Undrallu
Ammini Kozhukottai or Undrallu Guggilu
Bellam Undrallu
Paala Undrallu
Pappulo Undrallu
Kudumulu
Uppu Kudumulu
Bellam Kudumulu
Pulihora
Payasam
Appalu
Garelu (Vada)

The post Bellam Thalikalu – Vinayaka Chavithi Recipe appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

idli recipe – perfect idli batter recipe for soft idlis using idli rava (cream of rice) and urad dal

I have received requests me to blog a detailed post on idli recipe with tips on how to make soft idlis that are fluffy and melt in the mouth. I did post an idli recipe earlier on my blog but this time around, I am sharing an elaborate post with step by step photos. Let me mention at the outset two factors regarding the making of idlis at our home. I use idli rava (cream of rice) instead of parboiled rice or idli rice and I do not use a wet grinder for grinding the idli batter. In most Andhra homes, idli rava is preferred over idli rice. If you are looking for an idli recipe using idli rice or parboiled rice, I will blog it over the next few weeks.

Idli is one of the best breakast recipes from India and its a popular tiffin item in our home. Idli is basically steamed rice cake prepared with fermented batter of rice and black gram dal. It is a popular breakfast food in the four states of South India since its light on the stomach and easy to digest. We make idlis at least 3 to 4 times a week either for breakfast or an early dinner. The best side with idli is tiffin sambar followed by coconut chutney and idli podi smeared with a dash of ghee or gingelly oil. Having said that, idli tastes equally good with a variety of pachadis and podis.

Idli recipe Andhra style – I am sharing a few tips to follow while making this idli with idli rava.

1) The quality of urad dal used to make idli is extremly important. I cannot emphasis enough the importance of fresh, high quality whole skinned ural dal. If you use good quality urad dal, you are sure to make perfect soft idlis.
2) I use a mixer grinder to make my idli batter and it works out perfect.
3) I use my hand to mix urad dal batter and idli rava instead of a spoon/ladle. It ensures better fermentation.
4) If you are using refrigerated idli batter, always bring it to room temperature, add salt and mix before spooning it into the moulds.
5) Proper fermentation is essential. In tropical countries like India, fermentation is a breeze. During summers, less than 7 hours is enough for the batter to ferment while winter it might take 10-12 hours.
6) In extreme cold climate, its advisable to place the batter in an oven with the light on. It might take more than 15 to 20 hours to ferment.
7) Idli rava is not to be mistaken for rice rava or coarsely ground rice (called biyyam rava in telugu) or sooji aka semolina. It has a finer and softer texture compared to semolina though it looks similar to fine semolina. It absorbs a lot of water during soaking so ensure you squeeze out the water completely from the idli rava before adding it to the urad dal batter.

I will try my best to answer readers queries on the making of soft idlis and help you nail the perfect fool proof idli batter for soft idlis.

a) “why are my idlis sticky” – if you add too much water while grinding the urad dal, you will have a very flowy batter yielding sticky idlis. The batter has to be just right, neither too flowy nor too thick.
b) “why are my idlis hard” – if the urad dal batter is too thick, it will yield hard idlis. Also do not beat the fermented batter too much. Just mix lightly 4 to 5 times. Over steaming or over cooking of idlis can yield hard idlis. When the quantity of urad dal is less in proportion to the quantity of idli rava, it yields hard idlis.
c) “why are my idlis flat” – if you add too much water while grinding the urad dal it will result in a watery batter yielding flat idlis. When the quantity of urad dal is more in proportion to the quantity of idli rava, you will get flat but soft idlis.
d) “how to ferment idli batter” – use your clean hands to mix urad dal batter and rice rava in a stainless steel vessel. It aids in fermentation. Place the lid and keep the vessel in a warm area of your kitchen for at least 8 hours. It may take 10-12 hours for fermenting during winter. In very hot climatic conditions, fermention takes less than 7 hours and it will turn sour if you ferment it beyond 7-8 hours. Once fermented, refrigerate till use. For very cold climates, I’d suggest you cover the vessel with a thick woolen cloth or shawl and place it close to your cooking zone. Those of you who have an oven, switch on the light and place the batter in the oven. Do not preheat the oven. Just switch on the light of the oven and the heat of the light will aid fermentation.
e) “how to know if idli batter is fermented” – the fermented batter will increase by atleast 50% of its original volume with a distinct fermented sour smell. It will be light and foamy and as you spoon the fermented batter and pour it into the idli mould, it will fall like a blob.
g) “why is my idli batter not fermenting” – it could be due to a couple of reasons like cold weather, bad quality urad dal or idli rava, loose or runny idli batter and incorrect ratio of urad dal and idli rava.
h) “how to know if idli is cooked” – wet your finger and touch the top of the idli, if it sticks, you need to steam it further. If it does not stick to your finger and a toothpick or knife inserted into the idli comes through clean, it means the idli is cooked.

The post Idli recipe – the perfect idli batter recipe for soft and fluffy idlis appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

godhuma rava payasam – cracked wheat kheer, recipes for fasting days (festivals), Maha Shivaratri prasadam

I have received requests to post recipes for fasting days and festivals like Ekadasi, Pournami, Pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, Navratri, Karwa Chauth and Karthika masam. Tomorrow is Maha Shivaratri (17th February, 2015) and am fasting. I usually like to make recipes that are subtly spiced, not too sweet and with minimal ingredients. Godhuma rava payasam is a fairly simple prasadam, a breeze to make and not to mention, comforting.

The main ingredients in this particular payasam are cracked wheat aka broken wheat and jaggery. Cracked wheat goes by the name godhuma rava in telugu, daliya in hindi, gothumai ravai in tamil and gothambu rava in malayalam. Sweetener of choice is jaggery but sugar can also be used or a combination of both. Vegans can use almond milk or coconut milk. If you have any left over payasam, refrigerate. At the time of serving, add some warm milk, mix over low flame and its as good the day it was prepared. But keep in mind, milk based desserts do not have a long shelf life and its best to refrigerate and eat within 2-3 days of preparation. There are a few variations to cracked wheat kheer. I will also blog another version which calls for the addition of yellow moong dal and coconut milk.

If you are looking for fasting food items aka vrat recipes or prasadam to offer God, godhuma rava payasam fits the bill.

The post Godhuma rava payasam appeared first on Indian Food Recipes | Andhra Recipes | Indian Dishes Recipes | Sailu's Kitchen.

vadapappu panakam recipe, how to make panakam for sri rama navami festival

Vadapappu panakam are offered to Lord Rama on his birthday i.e Sri Rama Navami festival celebrated by Hindus on March 28th, 2015. Vadapappu is nothing but soaked moong dal that is served with jaggery and chalimidi (rice flour based sweet) and panakam. There is savory version of vadapappu where grated raw mango, coconut and green chilies are added to soaked yellow moong dal.

Panakam is a thirst quenching, palate pleasing, traditional, ayurvedic energy drink. It is a naturally sweetened summer cooler laced with a subtle hint of spice. Grated jaggery (gud), dry ginger (sonth or sonti), black pepper corns and cardamom go into the making panakam recipe. According to Indian ancient medicine, Ayurveda, panakam (also called panaka or panagam) balances the three doshas: vata, kapha and pitta during the hot summer days. Health benefits of panakam are not to be underated. It provides instant relief from the hot sweltering sun, cools the body, revives appetite and gives a rejuvenating feeling on consumption. Dry ginger has astringent properties and heals gastric related issues. Vadapappu panakam when consumed together help in digestion. I am sharing vadapappu recipe including how to make panakam.

Follow the instructions below to learn how to make vadapappu panakam recipe

The post Vadapappu Panakam Recipe appeared first on Indian food recipes - Food and cooking blog.

chalimidi recipe, how to make chalimidi – rice flour recipes

Chalimidi is a unique traditional sweet recipe of Andhra. Whenever there is a celebration like a baby shower (seemantham) or Sri Rama Navami festival, you can be sure that chalimidi will be a star player. There are 2 versions of chalimidi, one is uncooked or pachi chalimidi and the other is paakam chalimdi which involves making sugar syrup. Chalimidi recipe involving the preparation of sugar or jaggery syrup can be quite tricky for beginners. I will share that version too in a future post.

Whatever version you make, its imperative you make fresh rice flour at home. It involves soaking rice overnight, drying it for half an hour and grinding it to a fine powder. I have already done a post on how to make rice flour at home and few recipes with rice flour.

I’m sharing the simplest process of making chalimidi which is popular as pachi chalimidi (raw or uncooked version). It is recommended to use fresh coconut while cardamom is essential for an aromatic and flavorful chalimidi. With Sri Rama Navami festival round the corner, get ready to serve Lord Rama his favorite sweet using rice flour, along with vadapappu panakam.

Follow the instructions below to learn how to make chalimdi recipe

The post Chalimidi recipe appeared first on Indian food recipes - Food and cooking blog.

Bombay chutney for dosa and idli, a quick side dish that also goes with poori, chapati or roti

Bombay chutney is a gravy dish served as a side with breakfast items like dosa, idli, puri, chapati and roti. It is popular down South especially in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Go to any of the road side tiffin centers in any small town or city, you are sure to find ‘bombay chutney’ on their menu. It is an age old recipe in many telugu households. My grandmother used to serve use this gluten free chutney with poori and dosa.

It is basically a Maharashtrian recipe, pitla (pithle/pithla) adapted to the South Indian palate. Pitla is a besan based, thick gravy served with bhakri roti which is a staple dish of Maharashtrian cuisine. Since chutney or pachadi is part and parcel of South Indian tiffins, pitla might have taken the name ‘Bombay chutney’, a thinner consistency gravy dish. That’s my guess. Can someone please throw some light on how the name ‘bombay chutney’ came about?

Quite a few Indian food dishes are versatile and bombay chutney is one of them. There are a few variations to the basic bombay chutney recipe and just a slight change in tempering or addition of either onion, tomato or potato changes the flavor profile. In our home, we make three to four variations that are served with different tiffins. Bombay chutney with potato or bombay aloo chutney goes best with puri, chapati and roti. Another version without onions goes well with idli. The version with tomato and onions goes well with dosa and puri while the version with curd makes for a flavorful side with puri. I will share all versions in future posts. Today am sharing andhra style bombay chutney with tomato and onion.

A gluten free, vegan dish that extremely easy to make, flavorful and makes for a pleasant change from the usual sides like coconut chutney and sambar. If you have sudden guests, run out of vegetables, run out of time or run out of ideas on what to cook, you know which chutney to make.

Follow the instructions below to learn how to make bombay chutney for dosa or puri

The post Bombay Chutney appeared first on Indian food recipes - Food and cooking blog.

Mamidikaya menthi pachadi, instant mango pickle recipe andhra

Early April, I made a batch of mamidikaya menthi pachadi aka instant mango pickle Andhra style with home grown raw mangoes. We are pickle addicts in our home and relish a variety of pickles with the most favorite being the mango based pickles. After all, I belong to the land of pickles where pickling is a way of life for most home cooks. Come summer, you will find almost every home making large batches of mango pickle to last a whole year. Pickle making has begun in our home too.

Its quite common to find a few mangoes make their way to the ground naturally without being plucked. We usually use these fallen mangoes to make instant pickles which last us a few weeks or till we make the king of pickles, Avakaya. This year we had a few such mangoes which we put to use by making a small batches of instant pickles. Even if the mango is slightly bruised you can go ahead and use for them to make a small batch of instant pickle. Such mangoes should be used to make only instant pickles since their shelf life is a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.

My favorite food combination is eating rice with mudda pappua (cooked tur dal), a dollop of ghee and mango pickle. Its comfort food at its best, in other words, manna from heaven.

I have already blogged mamidi turumu pachadi (instant grated mango pickle) and mamidikaya mukkala pachadi (instant mango pickle with mustard) and few tips to follow while making pickles. Today, am posting an instant mango pickle recipe with menthulu aka methi seeds or fenugreek seeds. It is made with finely chopped pieces of mango, chilli powder, roasted methi powder (fenugreek seed powder) and roasted mustard powder. It has a short shelf life, needs refrigeration and it will be good for atleast 2-3 months. Due to its short life, we usually make a small batch with 2 mangoes. This pickle hardly needs sitting time and is ready to eat the day after its made.

Learn how to make mamidikaya menthi pachadi or instant mango pickle recipe andhra style

The post Mamidikaya menthi pachadi, instant mango pickle recipe appeared first on Indian food recipes - Food and cooking blog.

Mango pickle recipe, avakai or avakaya, Andhra’s culinary pride

Its a known fact that Andhra is synonymous with ‘avakai’ or mango pickle. Andhra mango pickle goes by the name avakai or avakaya. The main ingredients of avakai are ‘ava’ which means mustard and ‘kai’ or ‘kaya’ meaning raw fruit. There are numerous popular variations of avakai like bellam avakai or sweet mango pickle, endu avakai (sun dried), allam avakai (ginger), nuvvu avakai (sesame seeds), pesara avakaya (moong dal), mamidikaya menthi pachadi and many more. But the king of pickles, avakai, is unbeatable in flavor. One of the best traditional culinary gems of Indian food.

It goes without saying that no Andhra meal is complete without avakaya. We, telugu people, take pride in serving our guests a comforting Andhra meal consisting of hot steamed white rice, mudda pappu (mashed tur dal), kotha avakaya (freshly made mango pickle) with a dollop of ghee (clarified butter) along with a vegetable stir fry or curry, charu (rasam), appadam, perugu (yogurt) and majiga mirapakayalu (sun dried chilies).

The good part of summer in our part of the world in Andhra is the arrival of the king of fruits, green mangoes and kotha avakai (freshly made mango pickle). Every year, come summer, mango pickling is a culinary tradition that is followed with utmost reverence, excitement, care and love. It is a fun process where the whole family, including extended family members pitch in to make avakai and fill large jaadis (ceramic pickle jars or bharanis) with prepared avakai.

As children, we would visit our mango farm with my grandfather to watch the mangoes plucked off the tree to make mango pickle. The mangoes are supposed to be hand plucked and carefully brought off the tree without letting them fall on the ground. Even a small bruise to the mango is rendered useless to make mango pickle. Absolutely firm, mature, fiborous, unblemished, sour mangoes are required.

Once the mangoes are plucked, they are to be used the same day to prepare the mango pickle. The fresh raw mangoes are soaked in water for an hour, wiped dry and carefully cut with a special knife. It does take a special skill to cut the mangoes with the kernel (tenkai or outer core) intact and into uniform size pieces. The pith is discarded while the hard kernel is left intact and the wafer thin transparent layer lining the kernel is removed with a help of a spoon or knife. Each mango piece is then carefully cleaned with a soft cloth and laid out to be dried on a cloth for an hour or two before beginning the pickling process. If any of the pieces do not have the kernel or green skin, they are discarded. Following the pre-pickling steps meticulously is extremely crucial to achieve good results and a pickle that will last a whole year.

The other important components of mango pickle recipe is the use of freshly ground mustard powder, red chilli powder used for making pickles, crystal salt (powdered) and cold pressed gingelly oil (unrefined sesame oil that is golden in color also called pappu nune/nuvvu nune) in telugu). Usually Bandar mirapakaayalu (a variety of red chilis), Ballari (or Bellary) or Kashmiri red chilis are used to make mango pickle. The red chilis are sun dried and ground to a fine powder. Now a days, good quality red chili powder used for pickles is available in most super markets. I would recommend using ‘Three Mangoes’ brand of red chili powder if using store bought chili powder.

Black mustard seeds are sun dried and freshly ground on the day of pickling so that the pickle retains the fresh flavor of mustard. You can use store bought mustard powder (used for pickles). Use of raw gingelly oil is essential to achieve the authentic, real flavor of avakai and the aroma of mango pickle depends on the type of oil used to make it. Please do not compromise on the use of gingelly oil. Second best oil would be groundnut oil.

We make large quantity of avakai at home but for the benefit of my readers, I am sharing the recipe to make a small batch using 3 medium sized mangoes. It is not easy to write the recipe of avakai but I will make a humble attempt to help you understand the pickling process. The best method is weighing the main ingredients. Red chili powder, mustard powder and salt should be equal in weight, i.e 100 gms red chili powder+100 gms mustard powder+100 gms salt. The thumb rule is whatever measure you use for measuring your mango pieces, the same measure of the mixture of spice powders (red chili powder, mustard powder and salt) should be used. In other words, if you use 1 cup of mango pieces, you need to mix it in 1 cup of spice mixture.

For beginners or those new to making avakai, I’d suggest you take a bowl and add 1 cup red chili powder, 1 cup mustard powder and a little less than 3/4 cup powdered crystal salt and mix it. Add this mixture to a wide bowl such that it is filled to the brim. This wide bowl will be your measuring bowl for your mango pieces too. For the above quantities of spice mixture and mangoes, you will need 1 1/4 cups oil, 1 1/2 tsps methi seeds and 1/3 cup garlic cloves.

The color of the pickle will depend on the type of chili powder and mustard powder used. If you use Kashmiri or Bandar chili powder, you will get a lovely bright orange red shade. In our home, we add methi seeds and garlic cloves to the basic avakai recipe. Love the flavor of marinated garlic in the pickle. You can use black chick peas in place of garlic.

Once the pickle is prepared and stored in a jar, you need to place the lid, tie a cloth over the lid and do not open the jar for at least 3 days.

On the fourth or fifth day, remove the mango pickle into a wide vessel. Mix well with a long ladle that is clean and dry (sun dry the ladle for a few minutes). Add more oil such that it almost covers the pickle as it helps preserve the pickle. Since we make large quantities, we remove the pickle from the jar and mix. If you are making small quantity, you need not remove the pickle from the jar. Mix the contents in the jar with a long ladle and pour oil on top and place lid.

I have earlier blogged Dosavakaya (yellow cucumber pickle) and important tips to follow for making pickle. Those tips will be useful for beginners.

As I write today’s post, I cannot help but reminisce my childhood days when my grandmother would lovingly feed us ‘annam muddalu’ (rice balls consisting of steamed rice, mudda pappu, ghee and kotha avakai oota). Its pure, comforting, divine food. The tradition of making avakai is followed in our home religiously and am proud that we are preserving our culinary heritage. Annadata Sukhbava!

Learn how to make mango pickle recipe or avakai aka avakaya

The post Mango Pickle Recipe, Avakai or Avakaya appeared first on Indian food recipes - Food and cooking blog.

Rasam recipe, a traditional, authentic South Indian soup or appetizer made with tamarind

No South Indian traditional meal or thali is complete without ‘rasam‘. Literally translated, ‘rasam’ means extracted juice or liquid . There are numerous versions of the basic rasam recipe prepared down South with each home cook lending his or her own unique touch to the rasam preparation.

I am sharing
~ an easy, most basic, simple, tasty South Indian rasam for beginners
~ a no fail recipe that can be made even by a 10 year old.
~ a rasam recipe without rasam powder and without lentils.

Rasam, more popularly known as charu, is an integral part of a traditional daily meal in telugu speaking homes. Rasam with rice is a comfort food that I grew up on and continues to be so even today. I am a rasam lover and prepare rasam fresh each day. If any extra rasam is left over, it is sipped as a soup during dinner time. Tamarind is star player that provides the necessary sourness. Each day, I tend to change the flavor profile of the rasam by tweaking the basic rasam recipe. I play around with ingredients like garlic, asafoetida, tomato, coriander leaves, black pepper corns, jaggery and end up making rasam that is different from the previous day and the one before that and so on. Just by adding or omitting a certain spice or herb, the rasam transforms into a unique flavored avatar.

Quite a few of my hindi speaking friends have requested me to share an authentic rasam recipe. If you ask me for a rasam recipe with specific measurements, it is not an easy task since I eyeball the ingredients. I will try my best to share a tasty rasam recipe that works good each time I make it. The thinned down tamarind water is simmered along with turmeric, salt and jaggery that adds a touch of sweetenss and helps cut down the sourness of tamarind and curry leaves which lend an aromatic touch. The liquid is simmered till the rawness of tamarind disappears. I usually hand pound the spices like cumin seeds, pepper corns or garlic that are added to the almost done simmering rasam and finally finished off with a ghee tempering of mustard seeds, red chilis and asafoetida. The addition of asafoetida elevates the flavor profile of rasam by leaps and bounds.

You can add freshly crushed spices and herbs of your choice based on what is available in your pantry at Step 2 in the below mentioned rasam recipe.
– crushed garlic (3-4 cloves) OR
– crushed cumin seeds (1/2 tsp) OR
– crushed black pepper corns (7-8) OR
– crushed cumin seeds (1/2 tsp) and black pepper corns (1/2 tsp)
– crushed coriander seeds, cumin seeds and black pepper corns (1/2 tsp each) OR
– crushed garlic (2-3 cloves), cumin seeds (1/2 tsp) and black pepper corns (1/2 tsp) OR
– crushed ginger (1/2″)

The aroma of tangy, spicy, tasty rasam has be to experienced and cannot be described in words. It is best served with warm white rice, dal, pickle and papad. When you are feeling under the weather, rasam warms your soul and opens up your nasal passages and soothes a sore throat. In terms of health benefits, it aids digestion and prevents constipation. Rasam makes for a perfect party appetizer! Fragrant, warming and simply zen!

Rasam varieties
Rasam recipe with rasam powder
Andhra charu with black pepper corns
Mysore Rasam
Udupi Tomato Rasam
Pineapple Rasam
Mango Rasam
Nimmakaya Charu (Lemon Rasam)

Follow the instructions to learn how to make rasam that’s easy, simple and tasty

The post Rasam recipe appeared first on Indian food recipes - Food and cooking blog.