Vakkaya pappu ( Dal flavoured with vakkaya)

Vakkaya is well known as Karuanda in Hindi. It is also known as pickle berry! The fruit is quite tangy. Variety of chutneys and pickles are made using these fruits. Vakkay contains pectin and accordingly is a useful ingredient in making jelly, jam and chutneys.

Vakkaya is a rich source of iron, so sometimes it is used in treatment of anaemia. It contains afair amount of Vitamin C. The fruits are available during monsoon season. Ripe ffruits exude a white latex when severed from branch.

Either toor dal or moong dal or masoor dal can be used to make vakkaya pappu. As the fruits are tangy, the dal has a nice taste and flavour.

Ingredients:

•      2 cups cooked dal
•      1/2 cup vakkayalu cut in to quarters
•      2 or 3 green chiles

Seasoning: 

•      2 Tsp. oil
•      2 red chiles
•      1/2 Tsp. urad dal
•      1 Tsp. mustard seeds
•      1 Tsp. jeera seeds
•      Pinch of hing
•      Few curry leaves
•      Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1.      Wash and cut vakkayalu in to two or four pieces.
2.      Remove the seeds.
3.      Cook dal in a pressure cooker.
4.      Heat oil in a thick sauce pan.
5.      Add red chiles.
6.      After a minute, add urad dal. 
7.      Keep stirring.
8.      When urad dal is turning brown in color, add mustard seeds and jeera seeds.
9.      Add hing.
10.      Add half cup of water.
11.      Add pieces of vakkayalu.
12.      Let them cook for a few minutes.
13.      See that the pieces are not overcooked.
14.      Add green chiles and cooked dal.
15.      Add salt, turmeric powder and a pinch of hing.
16.      Let the mixture cook for five to ten minutes.
17.      Add curry leaves and let cook.
18.      After a few minutes, remove from heat.
19.      Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

Kadhi pakoda (majjiga pulusu with pakodi)/ chickpea flour fritters in buttermilk gravy

Sometime back, I have posted a recipe for majjiga pulusu (buttermilk pulusu). Majjiga pulusu where many vegetables are cooked in buttermilk, is a popular side dish in South India. The North Indian version of the same is Kadhi pakoda. In this dish, instead of vegetables, small pakodas (deep fried chickpea flour fritters) are cooked in buttermilk gravy.

There are different recipes for making kadhi pakoda from different regions of India like Punjabi kadhi, Gujarati kadhi, UP kadhi etc.

You need to have sour buttermilk or yogurt to make this dish. If using yogurt, add some water and whip it so that you get buttermilk. Thickness of the gravy, is according to your taste. If you more flowing gravy, you may add more water while cooking.

Kadhi pakoda served along with hot steamed rice makes such a nostalgic dish. Serve it along with some crunchy papads and it is going to be a hit!

As I am trying to reduce deep fried cooking, I used the gunta pongaralu/paniyaram chetti or Aebleskiver pan to make the pakodas. This version of kadhi pakoda was tasted by many of my guests and found as good as the deep fried version (if not better!)!

Go ahead and try it out!

 

Ingredients:

For pakodas:

•      1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
•      2 Tbsp. rice flour
•      1 or 2 green chilis  (finely chopped)
•      1/2 inch ginger (finely chopped)
•      2 Tbsp. onion (finely  chopped)
•      1/2 Tsp. baking soda
•      Salt to taste
•      4 Tbsp. oil

For kadhi:

•      2 cups or more buttermilk
•      2 Tbsp. besan
•      1 Tsp. chili powder
•      1 Tsp. dhania powder (coriander powder)
•      1/2 Tsp. jeera powder
•      1/2 Tsp. garam masala

For seasoning:

•      1 or 2 red chilis
•      1 Tsp. methi seeds
•      1 Tsp. ajwain
•      1Tsp. mustard seeds
•      Pinch of hing (asafetida)
•      Curry leaves
•      Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

Making pakodas:

1.      Mix besan, rice flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl.
2.      Add green chili, ginger and onion pieces.
3.      Add a little water and mix thoroughly to make the batter. Not too watery and just enough to drop as pakodas.
4.      Clean and heat the gunta pongaralu/paniyaram chetti or Aebleskiver pan.
5.      Add a drop of oil and brush around.
6.      When the pan is hot, drop a spoon of batter, add a drop of oil and cover.
7.      Cook for a few minutes, when the pakodas are semi cooked, flip them and cook.
8.      Check after a few minutes with a fork and if fully cooked, remove from pan and set them aside.
9.      Repeat till most of the batter is used.

Making kadhi:

1.      Using the same bowl, add buttermilk, and besan, chili powder, dhania powder, jeera powder and garam masala.
2.      Mix thoroughly with a whip taking care that there are no lumps.
3.      Heat a deep pan and add oil for seasoning.
4.      When oil is hot, add red chili, methi seeds, mustard seeds, jeera and ajwain.
5.      When mustard seeds flutter, add hing and curry leaves.
6.      Pour the buttermilk mixture and keep stirring.
7.      Let it boil for a few minutes.
8.      Take hot water in a bowl.
9.      Place the pakodas for a few minutes.
10.      Squeeze the liquid out and place them in the boiling buttermilk mixture.
11.      Add all the pakodas. Let them cook for one or two minutes. If cooked too long, pakodas break. So see that they are not overcooked.
12.      Remove from heat, add salt and mix it well.
13.      Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with cilantro.
14.      It is a popular side dish for rice or kichadi. 

 

 

 

 

 

Parwal aloo dry subzi (Pointed gourd and potato dry subzi)

Parwal is a summer vegetable easily available in North and Eastern India. It is known as pointed gourd, a vine plant of squash family, similar to cucumber. In many parts of South India, it was not available earlier. Parwal resembles, dondakaya (kundru/gherkin/coccinia).

Parwal is easy to digest and so recommended for patients with weak digestion, jaundice etc. It is a good source of carbohydrates, vitamin A and vitamin C.  Parwal contains major nutrients and trace elements like magnesium, copper, potassium etc. All these nutrients play essential roles in human physiology.

Ingredients:

•      6 or 8 parwal
•      2 or 3 potatoes
•      2 Tbsp. oil
•      1 Tsp. chile powder
•      1/2 Tsp. garam masala
•      1/4 Tsp turmeric powder
•      1 Tsp. jeera
•      Salt to taste

Directions:

1.      Wash and cut parwal into long pieces or round ones.
2.      Wash and cut potatoes into the same size as parwal.
3.      Put the potato pieces in a microwave safe bowl, sprinkle a spoon of water, cover and cook  for 3 to 4 minutes.
4.      Potatoes must be only parboiled, not overcooked.
5.      Add oil to a heated pan.
6.      When oil is hot, add jeera seeds.
7.      When jeera seeds crackle, add parwal pieces.
8.      Cook for 5 to 6 minutes so that the pieces are parboiled.
9.      Add potatoes and salt and turmeric.
10.      Keep stirring and cook till the pieces are soft.
11.      Add chile powder and garam masala powders.
12.      Cook for a few minutes and keep stirring.
13.      Parwal aloo subzi can be eaten with roti or rice.

 

 

Parwal rasedar subzi (Pointed gourd wet subzi)

Parwal is a summer vegetable easily available in North and Eastern India. It is known as pointed gourd, a vine plant of squash family, similar to cucumber. In many parts of South India, it was not available earlier. Parwal resembles, dondakaya (kundru/gherkin/coccinia).

Parwal is easy to digest and so recommended for patients with weak digestion, jaundice etc. It is a good source of carbohydrates, vitamin A and vitamin C.  Parwal contains major nutrients and trace elements like magnesium, copper, potassium etc. All these nutrients play essential roles in human physiology.

 

 

Ingredients:

•      8 to 10 parwal
•      3 tomatoes medium sized
•      1/2 inch ginger chopped
•      3 pods garlic
•      2 onions chopped
•      1 black cardamom
•      3 green cardamom
•      1/2 inch cinnamon stick
•      2 or 3 cloves
•      One or two bay leaves
•      1/2 Tsp. turmeric powder
•      1 Tsp. chile powder
•      1 Tsp. dhania powder
•      1/2 Tsp. jeera powder
•      1/2 Tsp. garam masala
•      Salt to taste
•      3 Tsp. oil
•      Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1.      Wash and scrape the skin of parwal with a blunt knife. Do not peel.
2.      Grind ginger, garlic and onion into a paste.
3.      Heat oil in a deep pan or pressure cooker.
4.      Add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
5.      Cook for a minute or two.
6.      Add bay leaves.
7.      Add ginger, garlic onion paste and cook for 5 or 6 minutes.
8.      Add tomato paste.
9.      Cook for 5 minutes.
10.      Add chile powder, turmeric powder, dhania powder and jeera powder.
11.      Cook for a few minutes.
12.      Add parwal pieces and add some water, if needed.
13.      Cover and cook or pressure cook up to 2 whistles
14.      Let it cook till parwal pieces are soft.
15.      Add salt and garam masala.
16.      Cook for 10 minutes.
17.      Transfer to serving dish.
18.      Garnish with cilantro and serve.
19.      It is good with both rice and rotis.
20.      According to your taste, you may make it with less or more water.

 

 

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Thoorpu avakaya ( dried avakaya using yellow chile powder) Introduction

Pickles have some local variations, where ingredients locally available are used. Also, depending on the weather conditions, procedures are modified.
In east coastal Andhra Pradesh, from east Godavari district to Srikakulam district, yellow chilis, known as Gollaprolu mirchi are available. This variety of chilis are hotter than the red variety. Also very fine mustard seeds called Madugula avalu are used for making pickles in this region. The proportions of chili, mustard and salt are quite different from the usual red variety.
As this area is east coastal Andhra Pradesh, the pickles made here are called Thoorpu (eastern) avakayalu. Humidity in this region is much more than the rest of Andhra Pradesh. This affects the shelf life of pickles made. Probably this is the reason why this variety of pickles are kept in direct  sun and dehydrated for 6 to 9 days before they are kept away in the jar. 

Chilis and mustard seeds used are available only in coastal Andhra Pradesh. So, I normally get my supply of both from Rajahmundry.

I tried to get some information and photographs about the chilis and mustard from google, but could not get any. I had to request my niece to send me pictures of chilis and mustard from Vizianagaram, which is situated in north coastal Andhra Pradesh!!

Yellow chilis (Gollaprolu mirchi):

Fine mustard seeds (Madugula avalu):

                     

 

 

 

 

Sorakaya/lauki pappu kura (bottle gourd with moong dal subzi)

 

 

Sorakaya/aanapakaya/lauki/doodhi/ghiya/bottle gourd is available all over India. It is easily digestible and light on the stomach. Boiled lauki is served to babies and also persons convalescing after illness. It is high in certain minerals and vitamins. It is beneficial for diabetics and people suffering from high blood pressure!

As it is, lauki has a bland taste and children do not like it easily. To make it tastier and also more nutritious, you can add either dals (moong/chana etc) or garnish with groundnut powder/sesame powder etc. I am giving a recipe where lauki is cooked along with moong dal.

I normally use microwave to reduce the  cooking time. I am giving directions for both stove top method and microwave cooking.

 

Sabzi made using both the methods. Left half is microwave cooked.
Right half is stove top cooked.

 

  

Ingredients:

•      3 cups sorakaya /lauki pieces
•      1 cup moog dal
•      Salt to taste
•     A few curry  leaves

Seasoning:

•      2 red chiles
•      1/2  tsp. mustard seeds
•      1/2 tsp. jeera seeds
•      A pinch of hing (asafetida)
•      2 tsp. oil

Directions:
Stovetop cooking:

1.      Wash, peel and cut lauki into small cubes.
2.      Soak moong dal in water for about an hour.
3.      Heat pressure cooker and add oil.
4.      When the oil is hot, add red chile, mustard and jeera seeds.
5.      When mustard seeds splutter, add hing and curry leaves.
6.      Add lauki pieces.
7.      Mix it well.
8.      Drain moong dal and add it to the  lauki pieces.
9.      Sprinkle a little water, add salt and mix it well.
10.      Cover and let it cook for one whistle.
11.      Open the cooker when pressure is normal.
12.      Cook on low heat till the extra water evaporates.
13.      When moong dal and lauki pieces are cooked, turn the heat off.
14.      Leave it covered for five minutes and serve.

Microwave cooking:

1.      Place the lauki pieces and moong dal in a microwave safe bowl.
2.      Add a little water.
3.      Cover and cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
4.      Check whether lauki pieces and moong dal are partially cooked.
5.      Heat oil in a thick deep pan.
6.      Add chile pieces, mustard and jeera seeds.
7.      When mustard seeds splutter, add hing and curry leaves.
8.      Add lauki dal mixture.
9.      Add salt and stir well.
10.      Lower heat and cook covered for 3 to 4 minutes, till the liquid evaporates.
11.      Turn heat off and leave it covered for a few minutes and serve.

 

 
 
 

Usiri avakaya/Indian gooseberry pickle with mustard and chile powder

 

      
Usirikaya which is called amalika in Sanskrit, amla in Hindi, Bettada nellikkayi in Kannada, amloki in Bengali, nelli in Malayalam and Tamil, is available all over Asia. In India, the tree is considered sacred by Hiindus, as they believe Vishnu dwells under this tree. Amla is a deciduous tree of the family of Phyllanthaceae. Amla is sour, bitter and astringent.

Amla is very rich in vitamin C and is known for its anti-oxidant properties. Amla fruits are low in calories and known for health-benefiting effects against cancer, aging, inflammation and neurological diseases.

When the fruits are in season, some varieties of pickles/chutneys are prepared and kept for the whole year. Here is a recipe for usirikaya pickle using chile powder and mustard powder.

As for any pickles, precautions like using dry containers, dry spoons or dry hands (if touching with hands) etc are to be taken. If precautions are taken, the pickle can be preserved for a year.

 

                                        

                                        

Ingredients:

•      6 to 8 amla (about 250gms)
•      1/3 cup chile powder
•      1/3 cup mustard powder
•      1/4 cup salt
•      Pinch of turmeric powder.
•      1/2 tsp.methi seeds (fenugreek)
•      1/4 cup oil
•      1 tsp. hing (asafetida)

Directions:

 

1.      Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a deep pan.
2.      Add amla and let it cook for 5 minutes (till amla are half cooked).
3.      Keep stirring in between.
4.      When amla are getting soft, turn heat off.
5.      Let cool.
6.      Separate segments of amla and discard the seeds.
7.      Add chile powder, mustard powder and salt, turmeric and methi seeds.
8.      Mix thoroughly.
9.      Heat the rest of oil and add hing.
10.      When oil is very hot, pour it over the amla and powder mixture.
11.      Mix it well and keep it covered in a dry place.
12.      After 2 days, the pickle tastes very nice.

             Pickle tastes very nice with rice, especially curd (yogurt) rice!