Pesarattu (moong daal crepes)

Pesarattu is popular South Indian/Andhra crepes made using moong bean as the name suggests. This is a delicious protein rich breakfast dish relished with coconut chutney and sauteed onions on the side. It is on menu on most Andhra restaurants and is one ofmy family favorites.

Ingredients:

2 cups Pesara pappu (moong daal / pesalu in telugu– with the coat)

Salt to taste
2 Green chillies chopped
Half a square inch grated ginger

Method:


Soak pesara pappu in water for about an hour. These can be prepared either with whole daal with the coat or with the pesarapappu directly (pesalu – whole lentil with the coat may take longer about 4-5 hr to soak well). Grind it with green chillies, ginger and salt with as much water to make a smooth batter as for making dosa consistency.


Preheat a skillet to medium heat.


Grease the skillet with a little oil using a spatula.


Now gently pour a laddle full of batter onto the skillet quickly spreading it in circular motion using the bottom of ladle into 6-8 inch diameter circle.


If desired add a little oil around the edges of attu, while it is cooking. When attu starts to rise from the sides (in abt a min) using a flat spatula, flip to the other side and cook. Each side should approximately cook 1-2 min. until the side turns golden brown. Fold the pesarattu into half and remove from skillet


Repeat the same process to make rest of them.


Serve hot with chutney of choice

Variations:

You can add sautéed thinly sliced onions to the middle of the pesarattu before taking out from the skillet.
You could also sprinkle some dried paprika or chopped herbs of choice.

Reposting the recipe for entry to Jihva - Breakfast hosted by Suma at Veggie Platter and inititated by Indira at Mahanandi

Rice Rava Upma with chana daal and scallion garnish

Hope you all had a great weekend friends! After a short break due to several things that had come up on the way, I am back with recipes. Yeah... I have been longing to comeback and hardly had a chance to go over some of your interesting recipes I had been missing all this while.  
After a hectic couple of weeks, I am here with one of the dishes waiting in my drafts to hit the screen . So here's the simple and yummy variation to the most common South Indian breakfast tiffin "Upma". We all make upma various ways and with different base and accompanying ingredients. Bombay rava, wheat rava, poha, vermicelli being some of the base ingredients we use, the rice rava upma that I  often make is my DHs favorite of all these. It has that unique taste of its own with its more grainy and coarser texture compared to the regular bombay rava. So here we go-

What we need:

2 cups Rice rava
4 cups water
1/2 cup chana daal soaked in water for abt half hr
2 dried red chillies
1 fresh green pepper
1 tabs chopped fresh ginger
chopped spring onions (scallions) for garnish
for tempering:
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad daal

Heres how to make rice rava: wash the rice a couple of times with water, drain and air dry it in a single layer on a clean cloth or paper towels until all the rice is dried out. Coarsely grind the rice using a grinder and sift off the fine flour. The rava that remains after removing the fine flour (which can be stored separately and used in other recipes)  is used here. Rava prepared this way can be strored in an airtight container for a month or more.

Method:
Heat oil in a large pan and add the tempering ingredients. When the seeds start to splutter add the dried red chillies followed by green chilies and ginger. Saute for a few secs and stir in the soaked and drained chana daal. Mix and saute for a couple of mins. Now add water to it and desired amount of salt and cook with the lid closed until the water starts to boil. Stir in the rava and mix well.  Close the lid and let cook for another 8-10 mins on medium flame until all the water is taken up and the rava is cooked well. Stir occasionally while it is cooking.  Turn off the flame and garnish with chopped scallions and rice rava upma is ready to serve.

Serving suggestions: Serve hot with pickel or chutney of choice. I personally prefer ginger pickel with this.

Now I would like to thank the kind gestures and awards shared the by blogger friends 
@ Tasty trix for creative blogger award
Indrani @ Appyayan for the fabulous blog, Inspiration award, Yum Yum blog and I love your blog awards
Thank you! It is very inspiring to recieve these from such wonderful bloggers. I would like to pass these to all my blogger friends.

Boodida gummidikaya koora/ Ash gourd curry

With all the pumpkins and gourds around in season, I thought of posting an Andhra style curry with the Ashgourd also called "Boodida gummadi" in telugu. It is used in various dishes such as daals, sambhar, and even candies (called petha) in Indian cuisine. This simple and quick recipe here involves cooking ashgourd in tamarind sauce with grated coconut and is a yummy and light accompaniment with hot rice or rotis.

Ingredients:

Ashgourd quarter peeled and cut to small cubes

juice from a a small lemon sized ball of tamarind

2 chopped green pepper

1 tbsp grated jaggery

3 tbsp grated fresh or dry coconut

pinch of hing (asafoetida)
salt to taste

for tempering:

3 tsp oil

1 tbsp chana daal

1 tbsp urad daal

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp mustard

2 dried red pepper

1 tsp turmeric

few curry leaves

Method:

In a large pan heat oil for seasoning. Add  all the seasoning ingredients in order mentioned, ending with turmeric so it doesnt blacken. When seeds start to splutter add the curry leaves and chopped green pepper. Sprikle the seasoning with a pinch of hing. Now stir in the cut ashgourd pieces mix and cook with a cup of water.

When the gourd is slightly tender add the tamarind juice and cook until it looses the raw smell and starts to reduce and thicken.  now add the grated jaggery, adjust the salt and mix well. Stir in the grated coconut and take off the flame. The yummy hot and sour ashgourd curry is ready to serve. Enjoy!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot with steaming rice dish or rotis

 

Dosavakaya (cucumber pickel in mustard and red pepper)

After having posted the Spicy flavorful podina-kobbari chutney coming to the Chilly hot and fiery portion for an entry to the "Spicy and Fiery Chutney event" hosted by Sreevalli at Ammaji recipes. Although I am personally not a great hot and chilly lover myself, Andhra cuisine is popular for wide variety of these  pickels and chutneys and these are a regular affair in my family dining and "ought to be there" dishes in my kitchen.They are certainly relished by the rest of my family crew. So reposting as my second entry to this event the Andhra special hot and fiery Dosavakaya.

Ingredients:

1 large Dosakaya cut to cubes
1 cup red pepper
1 cup mustard powder
1 cup salt
2 tsp methi(fenugreek) powder
3 cups oil

Method:
Cut the Dosakaya (yellow cucumber-sour kind) into cubes, some people deseed it completely but i like to leave in some seeds.
Take the cut dosakaya in a large bowl stir in all the ingredients and mix well.

Close the lid and let marinate for a day or two. In a couple of days the dosakaya leaves out water becomes tender and all the spices infused into it. The pickel is ready to serve.

 

Serving suggestions:

Serve with hot rice and ghee or with roti
The longer you store the pickel the better it tastes. This can be stored in a clean airtight container for months.

Carrot-Moong Medley

Here is a simple vegetable side with carrots and moong dal. This is one of those day to day vegetable dish, a healthy one that can be relished with roti or rice. This is so vibrant that the beautiful color attracts attention even when you serve as part of a multiple course meal and makes you want to have some instantly. The ginger added in this dish and the onions gives it a well blended flavor. Moong daal adds in that protein you need when you simply eat it with rice or roti. And it is quick and easy to make. Try it for yourself.... 

Ingredients:
2 Cups grated carrots
1 onion thinly sliced
1 cup moong daal (I used the ones without coat, you can also use whole, soaked in water for couple of hrs)
2 green chillies chopped
1 tsp dried red pepper powder (optional)
1 tsbp ginger paste
salt to taste
Chopped Cilantro for garnish
Curry leaves (optional)

For tempering
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp urad daal
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric

Method:
Heat oil in a kadai. Add the tempering ingredients in the order mentioned. As the seeds start to splutter add the chopped green chillies, curry leaves, onions followed by ginger paste. As the onions turn golden stir in the soaked and drained moong daal. Let cook on medium flame with lid closed and occasional stirring for a few mins until the daal is cooked. If necessary add a tbsp or so of water. As the daal is cooked and is slightly soft (doesnt have to be very soft as for daals) add the grated carrots and cook while stirring occasionally. When the carrots are tender and lightly start browning on the sides add the required amount of salt. If you like the dish hotter mix in the dried red pepper. Turn off the flame and garnish with corriander leaves and carrot-moong medley is ready to serve.

Served with steaming rice and a tsp of ghee, with papad on the side makes one satisfying nutritious meal.

Variations: Add a few drops of lemon juice concentrate and mix before garnish after taking of the flame for a tangy taste.

Bisibele bhath

– the Sunday Brunch

As for most of us Sundays are the days to unwind and for us the breakfast is almost missing. It is more relaxed….., waking up late at our own time and it is almost noon.. too late for a breakfast! right… So the last weekend one of those typical Sundays, I made Bisibele bhath for our brunch..


Bisisbele bhath is a wholesome rice and daal based dish native to Karnataka in South India. It is very aromatic with a unique blend of spice – the masala and is very healthy. You can use any mix of vegetables in this dish. Many people make it mushy and flowy with generous amount of water used while cooking the rice and daal. I like it a little dry so I use less water in my dish. One can make their own bisibele masala. However it is also available readymade in stores. With the right masala even an amateur cook cannot missout on that authentic taste. Here is my recipe for this yummy delicious dish-

Ingredients:

2 cups rice

1 cup toor daal (pigeon peas,split peas)

½ cup chopped scallion

1 potato cubed

1 tomato chopped

1 cup lima beans
1 cup cauliflower florets

2 dry red pepper

½ cup grated dry coconut

½ cup jaggery
1 cup tamarind juice
A pinch of hing (asafetida)

3 tbsp roasted cashew nuts to garnish

Salt to taste
For tempering:

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp urad daal

1 tsp turmeric

3 tbs oil

2 tsp bisibela masala powder (dry roast 1 cup chana daal, 2 red pepper dried, 1 tsp black peppercorn, 1 tsp fenugreek, 1 tsp coriander seeds, One 2” cinnamon stick, a pinch of hing- grind them to a fine powder in a coffee grinder)

Method:
Cook rice and daal together in a pressure cooker and keep aside.
In a wok heat oil and add the tempering ingredients. The add vegetables in order of scallions (keep aside a little for garnish), onions, cauliflower, lima beans and tomatoes. Cook until tender. Now add the tamarind juice jaggery coconut and salt masala and cook until it comes together and thickens. Add hing and stir in the cooked rice-daal mixture and mix well. Cook on simmer for a couple of mins until all ingredients blend well. Remove from flame, garnish with roasted cashews and chopped scallions and serve hot.
Serves 6-8

Serving suggestions: Serve hot topped with a tsp of ghee and papad and pickle of choice for the side. Although this is the traditional way to serve, one can be more creative and serve with any choice of fresh vegetable salad. Here I served with cut tomato and zucchini for a refreshing nutritious Sunday brunch.

Reposting foor Garnish the dish event by Nitya and Pavitra at Innovative Inlaws

Poornam-Boorelu

Poornam-boorelu is an Andhra classic sweet dish made on festive occasions. It is made with sweetened chana daal or moong daal filling coated with urad flour batter and fried. As you can see from the ingredients it is highly proteinaceous. The two versions of this dish are made either with sugar or jaggery. The jaggery version is very earthy and is my family's favorite. It is usually served with little ghee in the poornam (filling). To prepare this delicious sweet dish with less effort look at the recipe and tips below. Try for yourself and enjoy!



Ingredients:

1 cup urad flour
2 cups rice flour
3 cups water
2 cups chana daal
2 cups jaggery
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp cardamom seeds- ground


Method:
Batter preparation: Mix the flours and water into smooth batter. Let it soak 8hr. to over night in a warm place for fermentation.
Poornam (Stuffng): Cook chana daal in a pressure cooker. Add jaggery, coconut, cardamom and mash well or blend in a food processor.
Make small balls with the chana daal-mix. Preheat oil in a frying pan while making the balls. Dip the balls in the urad-rice batter to coat fully. Drop them in oil and deep fry till they turn red. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Serve hot or cooled with ghee added in the poornam.


Variations: This is a modified quick version. The batter can also be made according the original procedure by soaking 1:2 urad daal:Rice in water –grinding to smooth batter like dosa consistency and allowing to ferment. You can achieve the same taste with this shortcut procedure with less effort. However make sure the batter ferments well by keeping in a warm place before making poornam-boorelu.

Reposting for event Diwali 2009 contest hosted by Priya

Minapa-Sunnundalu (Roasted urad laddus)

Urad daal referred to as black gram called “minimulu” in telugu is used widely in Andhra cooking. I have posted many recipes using this protein rich ingredient starting with the breakfast dishes as idli, vada, dosa, utappam to the festive snack - Janthikalu all of which are savory dishes. Did you know you can make a sweet dish with this lentil? 

This  Andhra treat—“Minapa-Sunnundalu” is made along with urad daal; ghee and jaggery the other two awesome ingredients.

Ghee or clarified butter is rich in iron, and used extensively in ayurvedic therapies for its medicinal uses, it is devoid of hydrogenated oils and is preferred over butter for its health benefits. Due to its properties in promoting brain health and development, learning, memory, it is highly recommended in Ayurveda for growing kids.

The third ingredient is jaggery (molasses or unrefined cane sugar) which is a wonderful substitute for sugar and has an earthy flavor. This, three ingredient sweet is a healthy nutritious delectable, one can have anytime.  Amazing mix of these three ingredients simply makes them melt in your mouth.....So why not try some..... 

Ingredients:

2 cups minappapu (Urad daal/Black gram)

2 cups jaggery

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1 tsp cardamom powder.

Method:

Dry Roast the Urad daal till it turns golden brown. Grind it to a fine powder. 

The powdered roasted urad called minapa sunni can be stored airtight for a month or more if desired to prepare the sunnundala as and when you like. Proceed with the following process when ready to make- to the minapa sunni in  a large bowl stir in grated or coarsely powdered jaggery, melted ghee and cardamom, mix thoroughly and shape into small balls or laddus of desired size, using your palms. Sunnundalu are ready to relish- enjoy!

Nutrition: A healthy sweet treat loaded with protein and Iron.

I am reposting this recipe for the festive treat event hosted by simple indian food

And to FIL –Ghee sweets hosted by Sanghi of Sanghi’s food delights

Spinach pakoda

A yummy crispy anytime snack

Ingredients:
2 cups spinach leaves
1 cup besan (Bengal gram flour)
1 cup water
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red pepper powder
Salt to taste

Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients in water to a smooth batter. Stir in the spinach leaves.
Heat oil in a wok for deep frying. Drop spoon fulls of batter slowly into the hot oil and deep fry until golden and crisp. Take out and soak excess oil onto paper towels. Serve hot.

Suggestions:

Can include cashews in the batter.

Serve with ketchup or chillie sauce

Sorrel Chutney/Gongura pachadi

I was thrilled when I first saw Gongura in our local Indian grocery store in NJ. It awakens childhood memories from summers we spent back home at my Grandma's. She used to make these pickeled Gongura so well, in a large scale for her daughters (three including my mom) and send with us the years supply of roasted leaves to make a chutney (sauce) whenever we needed.

Gongura also known as Puntikura is a famous sour tasting leafy vegetable that grows abudantly in the state of Andhra Pradesh/South India. It has a sour tart taste and comes in two varieties, ones with red or green stems. They are commonly referred to in English as Red and white sorrel. It is a nutrient rich with edible leafs that are loaded with vitamins folic acid, iron and antioxidants. A variety of dishes including pappu(daal), pulusu(Soup) and pachadi(Chutney/sauce) are made with these leaves.

Find the link here for more facts.

Following is a recipe for my favorite yummy Gongura Pachadi.

Ingredients:
2 Pounds Gongura leaves,
4-5 dried red pepper
8-10 garlic cloves
Seasoning:
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp zeera (cumin)
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp chana daal
1 tbsp urad daal
1 tsp turmeric
5-8 curry leaves
A pinch of hing (Asafoetida)

Method:
Wash and separate the Gongura leaves from the stems. Roast them in a pan until wilted and they loose water and keep aside. In another pan heat 2 tbsp oil and add the seasoning ingredients. When the seeds start to splutter add the dried red pepper and heat till the turn slightly brown. Mix the seasoning with the leaves and grind adding enough water to make a paste. In the same pan heat rest of the oil and roast the garlic cloves till they turn golden brown, Now mix the garlic with the ground Gongura paste and pachadi is ready to serve.

Serving suggestion: Serve with rice and ghee, with sliced onion on the side or with rotis.

Rasam

Rasam is a South Indian soup, kinda dish made with hot tamarind broth, toor daal and tomatoes. It is very popular in Andhra, Tamil and Karnataka cuisine. Other than tomatoes that are commonly used; vegetables that are used in special festive versions are- mulakkayalu/drumsticks. Horsegram /ulavalu, is a another classic ingredient used in this dish in traditional Andhra. The spices used in this are a very good remedy to treat colds and making it a soothing and comforting dish when suffering from a cold. Nothing compares to this soup as an excellent winter warm up. Its aroma makes it irresistible for anyone, anytime, anyways. Here’s my version of it. Try it and enjoy.



Ingerdients:
2 big tomatoes diced (or use canned diced tomatoes)
1 cup toor daal precooked
4 cups water
Tamarind Juice (made by soaking a lemon sized ball of tamarind in hot water)
2 tbsp Rasam powder
3 tbsp oil
2 red peppers
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp ginger paste (optional)
2 tbsp grated jaggery
Salt to taste
A pinch of hing
1 twig of cilantro
For tempering:
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 teaspoons urad daal
A pinch of turmeric

Method:
Heat oil in a pan for tempering. Add the ingredients in order, followed by red pepper, and curry leaves. Add the tomatoes when urad daal is golden brown. Let cook till tender and add the cooked toor daal and 1 cup water and let cook. When the daal blends in well add the rest of water, tamrind juice, grated jaggery and rasam powder. Let cook till it starts to boil. Add hing mix and take off the flame. Garnish with cilantro


Serve hot as accompaniment with rice.

Thotakura-Senagapappu/Sauteed Amaranth with Bengal gram

Thotakura belongs to the Genus- Amaranth . Several species and varieties of this are grown worlwide. While the use of Amaranth leaves is well known in Indian/Andhra and Chinese cooking, its seeds are reported in studies to behold medicinal benefits. Here is one simple Andhra style dish using Thotakura and senagapappu as main ingredients

Ingredients:
2 Pounds Thotakura washed and chopped
1 cup senagapappu (chana daal) soaked until soft
1 small onion chopped

2 green peppers chopped
Salt to taste
Coriander (cilantro) for garnish
Seasoning:
2 tbs oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad daal
4-5 garlic cloves

Method:
Heat oil in a wok. Add the seasoning ingredients. When seeds splutter add the chopped green peppers, onions and senaga pappu. Cook until the pappu is tender and onions turn golden brown. Stir in the chopped thotakura and cook with the lid closed until all the thotakura is tender and cooked well. Adjust the salt, take off the flame and serve.

Serving suggestion: Serve with hot rice or chapathi

Dondakaya Stir fry

As I have promised you quick easy recipes, here’s one of those easiest.… and simply- one ingredient dish that you can make when you do not want to deal with too many things. Dondakaya is referred to as Ivy guard in English. Also if you are one of those fry fans and yet have to watch your calories as I do too, you will love this one. You will not be guilty eating it, since Donadakaya is a low calorie vegetable unlike other fried vegetables like potatoes. Also it does not need too much oil to fry. It contains pretty good amount of water and so even if you use very little oil as you start frying, it leaves out water and becomes tender and crisp very quickly. The recipe follows below-

Ingredients:
2 pounds Dondakayalu – washed and each one slit twice lengthwise leaving out the bottom to keep it as whole
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red pepper powder
1 tsp zeera
1-2 tblspn oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a wok. Add the zeera, when they start to splutter add the dondakayalu and fry till they become tender, lightly browning on edges and crispy while mixing occasionally. Stir in desired amount of salt and red pepper powder and take off the flame.

Serving suggestions: Serve hot with rice.

For more on Dondakaya recipes- click here

Mendu Vada

Ingredients

1 cup of black gram (urad daal without the coat)

Salt to taste

8-10 curry leaves

1 tsp of cumin seeds

1 tsp of crushed black pepper

Method:
Soak urad daal for six hours to overnight. Grind to a fine paste. Add salt, curry leaves, cumin seeds and crushed black pepper to the batter and mix well.Preheat oil in a pan. Wet your palms and take batter into the palms. Shape into balls and press onto palm or onto a plastic sheet, make a hole with the thumb in the centre to shape like a doughnut. Deep-fry in medium hot oil until they turn golden brown.Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambhar.

Variations:
Replace the black pepper with cut onions or mint leaves for a different taste

Lemon Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups of rice
1 cup chick peas
1 Sq inch ginger grated
3-4 fresh green chillies chopped
10-12 of curry leaves
3-tblspns of oil
3- tblspns cahew nuts
½ cup of peanuts
1 tsp turmeric
1 tblspn of split gram (chana dal)
1 tblspn of split black gram (urad dal)
1 tspn of cumin seeds
1 tspn of mustard seeds (optional)
4 tblspns of fresh lemon juice or 2 tblspoons juice concentrate
Salt to taste

Method:
Cook rice in a pressure cooker.
Cook the chickpeas separately in a cooker or in boiling water until little tender.
Season - Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal. When mustard seeds start to splutter add peanuts and cashewnuts. Let fry for 1-2 min. When the nuts start to turn golden brown add boiled chick peas. Add grated ginger and green chilles. Let stand 1 min and turn off the flame.
Add to the rice -turmeric, seasoning mix, lemon juice, salt to taste and mix well
Serve
Serves: 4

Tips:
Makes a quick and easy meal with precooked left over rice
Serve with papad or plain yoghurt