Mulaga aku kobbari pacchadi (Drumstick leaves coconut chutney)

Drumsticks, which are popular ingredients in sambar, sweet pulusu etc. are commonly cooked in South India. Moringa, drumstick trees are native to Africa and Asia.

Many parts like immature seed pods (mulakkadalu/drumsticks), leaves and flowers of moringa are edible and have a lot of health benefits. Juice from moringa leaves is believed to have stabilizing effect on BP and sugar levels. The juice is used to treat anxiety.

The leaves are used to treat diarrhea, dysentery and colitis. Juice of leaves is used as a diuretic. Leaves and buds are useful as external application to treat headache and skin infections. Leaves are helpful in killing intestinal worms. Drumstick leaves are a power house of nutrients.

In India, drumstick trees are grown in many places. Mulaga leaves are available in some of the local markets. In USA, Indian stores in many cities sell bunches of drumstick leaves.

In Andhra Pradesh, it is customary to consume the leaves at least once, during the monsoon season. May be to ward off stomach infections!

                                                          

                                                          

Ingredients: 

•      2 cups mulaga aku (Drumstick leaves)
•      3 to 4 Tbsp. fresh grated coconut
•      2 Tbsp. oil
•      2 or 3 red chiles
•      1 Tbsp. chana dal
•      1 Tsp. urad dal
•      1 Tsp. mustard seeds
•      1 Tbsp. tamarind or tamarind paste
•      A pinch of hing
•      1/2 Tsp. turmeric powder
•      Salt to taste
•      A few cashew nuts

Directions: 

1.      Wash and dry drumstick leaves.
2.      Separate the leaves from stems and discard the stems.
3.      Heat oil in a thick pan.
4.      Add 2 red chiles.
5.      Add some chana dal, urad dal and mustard seeds.
6.      When mustard seeds start spluttering, add hing.
7.      Add tamarind and drumstick leaves.
8.      Keep mixing well.
9.      When the leaves are cooked, remove from the heat.
10.      Cover and let cool.
11.      Add grated coconut, turmeric powder and salt.
12.      Grind the mixture in a mixer, adding water, if necessary.
13.      Heat oil, add red chile, chana dal urad dal and cashew nuts and season the chutney.
14.      The chutney is a good side dish for idli, dosa or rice.

Arati puvvu pappu kura (Banana flower/plantain flower/banana heart subzi with moong dal)

Banana plants are native to tropical countries like Indian subcontinent, South East Asia, Philippines and Australia. It is likely that they have been first domesticated in Papua New Guinea.

It is interesting that every part of banana plant is useful and beneficial. Green bananas/plantains, banana stem are edible and are used in many tasty recipes. Banana leaves are used as disposable plates for lunch and dinner. In Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore many snacks are made using the leaves as wrappers.

Common in South East Asian cuisine, banana flowers/banana hearts/plantain flowers are used in many recipes. Banana flowers are tear shaped maroon or purplish flowers hanging at the end of banana clusters. They can be eaten raw or cooked. Fresh blossoms are available in many vegetable markets in India. In USA banana blossoms are available in many Indian stores. Sometimes, the canned banana blossoms are also available.

Banana flower has innumerable health benefits. Foods made of banana flower help in healing the wounds, reducing premature aging and cancer, increasing hemoglobin levels in the body etc. and increasing immunity.

Banana flower contains vitamin A, C, and E and also potassium and a lot of fiber. It is rich in soluble and insoluble fiber.


Banana flower is a natural antidepressant without any side effects.

The flower is preferred for nursing mothers as it boosts milk supply in new mothers.

In South Indian cuisine, there are many subzi recipes. In Eastern states also banana hearts are very popular and they make delicious deep fried vadas etc.

Preparing banana flower for cooking is a tedious and labor intensive process. But once in a while, it is worth all the trouble, keeping in mind the health benefits and the tasty final product!!

 

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Ingredients:

•      1 banana flower (small size)
•      1/2 cup moong dal (either with skin or without)
•      Salt to taste

Seasoning:

•      3 Tsp. oil
•      3 or 4 red chiles
•      1 Tsp. chana dal
•      1 Tsp. urad dal
•      1/2 Tsp. mustard seeds
•      1/2 Tsp. jeera seeds
•      Pinch of hing
•      A few curry leaves

Directions:

1.      Soak moong dal in water for nearly an hour.
2.      Fill a large vessel with cold water and add a little salt and buttermilk. The florets will turn brown or black, if exposed to air. So as soon as you open, they have to be soaked in acidic water solution. 
3.      Apply some edible oil to your palms, as the blossoms are sticky and stain your palms.
4.      Using an old cutting board and a newspaper spread, start opening the flower.
5.      Banana flower contains many bracts (commonly referred to as petals) between rows of flowers.
6.      Remove the tough outer petals, often reddish/magenta in color.
7.      The outer petals can be used as plates or discarded.
8.      The flowers are bunched together.
9.      Initial layers of flowers have tough stamen which is not easy to cut to eat. Also the scale-like outer most petal called calyx has to be removed and discarded.
10.      After a few layers of tough flowers, the flowers are smaller and the stamen and calyx are not tough.
11.      These florets can be soaked in water right away.
12.      After a few of these, the bracts or the petals also become light yellow in color, tightly packed and are soft.
13.      That part of the flower can be used without opening and removing the petals.
14.      Either place all the florets in a vegetable chopper and process or finely chop them on a cutting board.
15.      Washed the processed florets in plenty of water 2 or 3 times.
16.      Boil enough water in a large vessel and add the washed flower.
17.      Add some turmeric.
18.      When the mixture is soft to touch, drain the water and set aside.
19.      Drain moong dal and cook in a pressure cooker for one whistle.
20.      Or, cook in a microwave for 2 or 3 minutes.
21.      Dal must not be mushy.
22.      Heat a deep pan and add oil.
23.      When the oil is hot, add red chiles.
24.      Cook for a minute and add chana dal and urad dal.
25.      When the dal is turning brown, add mustard seeds and jeera seeds.
26.      When mustard seeds splutter, add hing and curry leaves.
27.      Add the cooked flower mixture and mix well.
28.      Add cooked moong dal and mix thoroughly.
29.      Add salt, mix well.
30.      Reduce the heat and cover.
31.      Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
32.      Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving dish.
33.      Garnish with a little cooked dal and serve.
34.      Makes a very tasty and healthy side dish.
35.      Can  be eaten along with rice or roti. 

Ravva idli using Cream of wheat

Idli is an age old breakfast dish in South India. Now, it gained popularity, not only all over india, but in many other countries also. Idlis are steam cooked, fat free and make a delicious breakfast dish or snack!

Main ingredients for regular idli are urad dal and rice. But the preparation takes a long time as the dal has to be soaked, ground and fermented. During winter season, it is difficult to ferment the batter.
There are variations of regular idli where the fermentation is not needed and you can have instant idlis! One of such variations is ravva/ semolina/cream of wheat idlis.

Idlis are steam cooked in a special container available in many Indian stores in USA.  Even if you do not have the container, you can use the "idli stand", a set of plates you can place in a pressure cooker or instant pot.

Ravva idli mix is commercially available and is available in many Indian stores in USA. But, it is easy to make your own batter and not too time consuming. So, even if you do not have an Indian store in your vicinity, ravva idlis can be made at home!

                                                            

Ingredients:

•      1 cup sooji/ Bombay ravva or Cream of wheat
•      1/2 to 3/4 cup curd (yogurt)
•      2 Tbsp. oil
•      1 Tsp. chana dal
•      1 Tsp. urad dal
•      1/2 Tsp. mustard seeds
•      Pinch of hing (asafetida)
•      1 green chile chopped
•      1/2 inch ginger chopped
•      1 medium size carrot grated
•      2 or 3 beans chopped fine
•      2 Tbsp. red bell pepper or red sweet chile chopped
•      A few curry leaves
•      1/2 Tsp. baking soda
•      Salt to taste

Directions:

1.      Heat oil in a thick wide pan.
2.      Add chana dal, urad dal and mustard seeds.
3.      Keep stirring.
4.      Add asafetida.
5.      When the dal is getting brown in color, add chile and ginger pieces.
6.       Saute for a minute and add carrot, beans and red pepper pieces.
7.      Keep stirring.
8.      When the vegetables are getting soft, add the ravva (cream of wheat).
9.      Add salt.
10.      Mix well and let it roast for about 5 minutes.
11.      When the ravva is turning brown and has a nice aroma, turn off the heat.
12.      Let it cool for some time.
13.     When the mixture is at room temperature, take curd/yogurt in a vessel and add about 1/2 cup of water.
14.      Whisk it well so that thick buttermilk is formed.
15.      Add the roasted ravva mixture and mix well.
16.      Let it stay for ten minutes.
17.      If the mixture is too thick, add some more water so that the batter has idli batter consistency.
18.     The batter should fall down easily from the spoon as you mix it,
19.     Add the baking soda and mix well till the batter turns frothy. 
20.     Grease the idli plates and pour 2 or 3 table spoons of batter in each mold.
21.     Steam the idlis for about 10 minutes and turn the heat off.
22.     Let the idlis cool for a few minutes and remove from the plates.
23.     Serve with sambar and chutney.

Patholi with goruchikkudu kaya and sanaga pappu (Patholi with cluster beans and chana dal powder)

Patholi in Andhra cuisine refers to a dry subzi. The main ingredient is either yellow split dal, pesara pappu (moong dal) or chana dal or toor dal. Either blended soaked dal paste or dal powder is added to any sautéed vegetables like cluster beans, kundru sandita or leafy vegetables like methi (fenugreek) or drumstick leavrs and pan fried. Patholi is a popular side dish for either rice or roti. Usually it is served with buttermilk pulusu or raita.

Patholi is known by different names in different parts of India eg. paruppu usili in Tamil Nadu, or a popular Malvani dish Vatli dal in Maharashtra , Goa and Konkan region. In Goa and Konkani cuisine, patoli is a steamed sweet dish with rice flour, coconut and jaggery wrapped in turmeric leaves!

Coming to patholi from Andhra Pradesh, this is a different version from the other recipes that I posted earlier. In this version, I used powdered chana dal (chick pea dal) cooked with sautéed cluster beans.
The advantage with this version is, you do not need to soak, grind, make idlis and process the idlis before you use. It is less time consuming. The dal can be processed dry with chiles and jeera seeds and saved in a jar. No refrigeration or freezing is needed! When I made this dish, all of us liked the flavour and taste!

Ingredients:

•      1 cup goruchikkudu kaya pieces ( cut cluster beans)

•      1/2 cup chana dal

•      1/2 cup diced onion

•      2 red chile

•      2 Tsp. jeera seeds

•      1 Tsp. mustard seeds

•      3 Tbsp. oil

•      Pinch of hing

•      A few curry leaves

•      Salt to taste

Directions:

1.      Wash and cut beans in to small pieces.
2.      Dice the onion.
3.      Coarsely grind chana dal in a mixer, adding one red chile and jeera seeds.
4.      Set aside.
5.      Boil beans in a pressure cooker for one whistle.
6.      Or microwave the pieces till they are half cooked.
7.      Heat oil in a thick and deep pan.
8.      Add red chile, mustard and jeera seeds.
9.      Add asafetida.
10.      When mustard seeds splutter add curry leaves.
11.      After a minute, add onion pieces and sauté till the pieces are translucent.
12.      Add cooked beans.
13.      Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
14.      Sprinkle the dal mixture and mix thoroughly.
15.      Add salt.
16.      Cook for 2 minutes.
17.      Sprinkle less than half a cup of water and mix well.
18.      Cover and reduce the heat.
19.      Keep stirring regularly.
20.      If necessary, sprinkle a little more water.
21.      Cover and cook on low heatfor about 5 to 6 minutes.
22.      When the chana dal mixture and vegetable are fully cooked, turn off the heat.
23.      Cover and let it rest for five minutes.
24.      Transfer and serve.
25.      A nice side dish for rice or roti.
26.      Popular combination for this subzi is Roasted eggplant chutney or raita

Sandita (cucamelon) patholi with dal paste steamed (Andhra) (Sandita patholi with steamed moong dal paste)

Patholi in Andhra cuisine refers to a dry subzi. The main ingredient is either yellow split dal, pesara pappu (moong dal) or chana dal or toor dal, soaked for about an hour and ground to a coarse paste. The ground paste is added to any vegetables like cluster beans, kundru, sandita, or leafy vegetables like methi (fenugreek) or drumstick leaves and pan fried. Patholi is a popular side dish for either steamed rice or roti. Usually it is served along with buttermilk pulusu or raita.

Patholi is known by different names in different parts of India eg. paruppu usili in Tamil Nadu, or a popular Malvani dish Vatli dal in Maharashtra, Goa and Konkan region. In Goa and Konkani cuisine, patoli is a steamed sweet dish with rice flour, coconut and jaggery wrapped in turmeric leaves!!

Coming to making of patholi from Andhra Pradesh, this is a different version from the one I posted earlier. In this version, the ground dal mixture is steamed like idli and then the idlis are either grated or processed in a vegetable processor.  This process is less oil consuming. You can prepare more of the dal mixture and store in a freezer to use later. The dish looks nice and appealing.

Ingredients:

•      1 cup moong dal (split green dal without skin)
•      1 cup sandita (cucamelon)
•      1 small onion
•      2 or 3 red chiles
•      1 Tsp. mustard seeds
•      2 Tsp. jeera seeds
•      Pinch of asafetida
•      3 Tbsp. oil
•      A few curry leaves

Directions:

1.      Soak moong dal in enough water for one hour.
2.      Drain the water and grind in a blender with one or two red chiles and some jeera seeds.
3.      Avoid adding any water, as much as possible.
4.      The mixture can be coarsely ground.
5.      Prepare idlis with this batter using an using idli plates.
6.      Cool the idlis and either process them in a vegetable processor or grate them manually.
7.      Set aside the mixture.
8.      Wash and cut sandita in to quarter pieces.
9.      Peel and dice the onion.
10.      Heat oil in a thick deep pan.
11.      Add red chile to the hot oil.
12.      After a minute, add mustard and jeera seeds and mix.
13.      Add asafetida.
14.      When mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves.
15.      Add onion pieces and sauté till they turn translucent.
16.      Add sandita and mix well. 
17.      Cook for 3 to 4 minutes till they are partly cooked.
18.      When the pieces are soft, add the dal mixture.
19.      Add salt.
20.      Keep stirring and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
21.      Turn off the heat and keep it covered for a few minutes.
22.      As the dal mixture is already cooked, time taken to finish the dish is less than time taken in the traditional procedure.
23.      Popular combination for this subzi is Roasted eggplant chutney or raita
24.      In fact, the prepared mixture can be kept in small packs in the freezer and used anytime.

 



  

dondakaya patholi (Andhra) (Kundru/tindora/gherkin moong dal patholi)

Patholi in Andhra cuisine refers to a dry subzi. The main ingredient is either yellow split pesara pappu (moong dal) or chana dal or toor dal, soaked for about an hour and ground to a coarse paste. The ground paste is added along with spices to any sautéed vegetable and cooked for a few minutes. Patholi is a popular side dish for either steamed rice or roti and usually served along with raita or pacchadi or.maggiga pulusu.

Patholi is known by different names in different parts of India eg. paruppu usili in Tamil Nadu, or a popular Malvani dish vatli dal in parts of Maharashtra, Goa and Konkan region. In Goa and Konkani cuisine patoli is a steamed sweet dish with rice flour, coconut and jaggery wrapped in fresh turmeric leaves!!

Now, coming to Andhra patholi, there are different versions of how to make the same dish. I will try to give the recipes for different versions. Many vegetables like cluster beans, kundru, sandita (cucamelon), asparagus, methi leaves (fenugreek greens), or mulaga aku (drumstick leaves) can be used in making patholi.

In this recipe, I have used dondakaya (kundru) and moong dal. After grinding the dal with spices, I added the wet paste to the sauteed kundru and cooked along. In this method, you need to add more oil to get the nice texture and taste.

Ingredients:

•      1 cup moong dal (split green dal without skin)
•      1 cup  dondakaya
•      2 or 3 red chiles
•      1 Tsp. mustard seeds
•      2 Tsp. jeera seeds
•      Pinch of asafetida
•      3 Tbsp. oil
•      A few curry leaves.

Directions:

1.      Soak moong dal in enough water for 1 hour.
2.      Drain the water and grind dal in a blender with one or two red chile and jeera seeds.
3.      Avoid adding water as much as possible.
4.      The mixture can be coarsely ground.
5.      Set aside the ground paste.
6.      Wash and cut dondakayalu in to small long pieces.
7.      Heat oil in a thick pan.
8.      Add red chile to the hot oil.
9.      After a minute, add mustard and jeera seeds and mix.
10.      Add asafetida.
11.      When mustard seeds sputter add curry leaves.
12.      Add dondakaya pieces and cook while stirring often.
13.      When the pieces are getting soft, add the dal mixture, using your palm, so that it is kind of sprinkled.
14.      Add salt and keep stirring.
15.      Reduce the heat and let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
16.      Moong dal will give a nice aroma and the wetness from the mixture will be gone.
17.      Turn the heat off.
18.      Cover and let it stay for a few minutes.
19.      A nice main dish for rice or quinoa or roti.
20.      A popular combination for this subzi is  (Roasted egg plant chutney) Vankaya pulusu pacchadi or kheera raita

Ravva laddu ( Suji/semolina/cream of wheat laddu)

Ravva laddu/ suji laddu/ cream of wheat sweet is possibly the simplest and easiest sweet. The basic ingredient for this sweet is ravva or semolina or cream of wheat. Ravva or popularly known as Bombay ravva is available in Indian stores in USA.  Cream of wheat, which is a breakfast porridge ingredient available in USA is a good equivalent to ravva. Sweet balls of the size of a table tennis ball are made using your palms are known as laddus. Ravva along with desiccated coconut powder and sugar is used to make the laddus.

Edible camphor is different from the camphor used for arati etc. You find it in Indian stores.  A very small amount is used along with cardamom powder to give exotic flavor to the sweets.

Making ravva laddu using this recipe is less time consuming and as no milk/condensed milk or khoya (milk thickened by continuous heating in an open pot) is used in the recipe, these laddus have more shelf life. These laddus need not be refrigerated. They can be kept up to 2 weeks outside.

Amount of sugar is optional. If you want sweeter laddus, you may increase the amount of sugar. If the sugar is too grainy, you will have to powder the sugar. Addition and amount of coconut powder is also optional.

           

Ingredients:

•      1 cup coarse suji 
•      1/2 to 1 cup desiccated coconut
•      1 cup sugar
•      3 Tbsp. cashew nuts
•      3 Tbsp. raisins
•      3 Tbsp. almond slices
•      2 Tsp. cardamom powder
•      A little of edible camphor (optional)
•      4 Tbsp. ghee (clarified butter) 

Directions:

1.      In a dry grinder, powder cardamom, edible camphor and two spoons of sugar and set aside.
2.      If necessary, powder the sugar to the consistency of ravva.
3.      Heat ghee in a thick pan.
4.      Add cashew nuts and almonds.
5.      Fry for two minutes.
6.      When the nuts are getting brown, add raisins.
7.      Raisins pop up.
8.      Stop cooking and remove the dry fruits from ghee.
9.      Set aside.
10.      Add suji to the same pan to the remaining hot ghee.
11.      Reduce the heat and mix continuously.
12.      When suji is turning light brown and aromatic, add desiccated coconut.
13.      Keep stirring. 
14.      After cooking for 2 or 3 minutes, add sugar.
15.      Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continuously.
16.      Add the fried dry fruits and cardamom mixture.
17.      Remove from heat.
18.      Sprinkle about 3 or 4 table spoons of water to the mixture.
19.      Stir continuously from bottom to top.
20.      If necessary sprinkle more water.
21.      When the mixture is still hot, try to make balls using your palms.
22.      Either apply a little bit of ghee or wet your palm occasionally and keep making laddus.
23.      If necessary, you may sprinkle a little more water.
24.      If the mixture turns cold and difficult to make balls, warm up the pan and sprinkle a little water.