Allam Pachadi aka Ginger Chutney

This is a contribution from a dear friend of mine. She was kind enough to share this recipe. She read my post on Pesarattu and wanted me to try this out

Ingredients needed:

Dry Red chillies(long variety) - 15
Ginger - small piece about 1 inch or so
Onion - 1
Salt to taste
Lemon juice (2 lemons squeezed).

Method to make this:

Just grind all the ingredients to a fine paste except lime, Once done add the lime juice.
Add ghee while serving with pesarattu.

I normally serve pesarattu with Coconut chutney as I have grudging attitude towards ginger as such. Though I am all for having this spice for its medicinal value and general taste. Since my friend praised this to no end, am sure this chutney will spice up the pesarattu than what a coconut chutney can do.

Nawabi Chicken Biryani

It was Sunday time and I wanted to cook something wonderful for my hubby dear. This took me down my memory lane....
I ended up dishing up this delicious Nawabi Biryani...This dish takes me back to my high school days when I used to eat meat. Amma used to make this especially for me as I used to like it a lot. The visual effect of that dish is still so fresh that I wanted to recreate that picture.

Childhood is such a happy time, and especially if the memories tug at things that are so visually appealing, its worth the efforts to let the memories wash us by. Long exotic basmati rice with its rich aroma filling the air sprinkled with saffron here and there, giving a hue of yellow, red and other colours displayed all over adds up to a divine taste.

Join me in this rediscovery of this wonderful dish. Of course the verdict from hubby dear was enough to send me to heavens, still would be happy to know your experience.

Ingredients needed:

For Gravy:
Chicken - 1/2 kg
Ginger- Garlic paste - 2 tsps
Salt to taste
Turmeric a pinch
Onions - 1 medium
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cashew Nut paste - 10 nos
Oil - 2 tbsps

For Rice
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Green Cardamom - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Milk - 50 ml
Saffron - few strands
Salt to taste
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Water - 3 cups
Coriander leaves

Garnishing
Coriander leaves - 1 spring
Onion rings

Method to make:

Chop cleaned chicken into small pieces. Marinate the chicken pieces in ginger garlic paste along with salt and turmeric for 1/2 hour.

Clean Basmati rice in water once, max 2 times not more than that as it will break. Soak the rice for 15 mins, in the same water that you are going to use for cooking. This to make sure the minerals and vitamins are not lost.

Meanwhile make a paste of Cashew nut and chop the Onions, Coriander Leaves.

In a small cup, take warm milk and soak the Saffron, so that the colour comes out.

Once 15 mins is done, drain the rice from water, keep the water aside. Please don't throw away the water, remember we are going to use the same water for cooking.

Heat whatever pan you are going to use for cooking the rice.

Add Ghee and sauté the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Then add the basmati rice, making sure you don't break the rice grains by putting lot of pressure on the rice. Amma always tells me to treat Basmati with respect by stirring it delicately.

Add 3 cups of water and simmer it until the rice cooks. It takes about 15 mins to cook.

Once chicken pieces are marinated for 1/2 half, heat a pan with two tablespoon of oil.

Fry the chopped onion in oil till its brown in colour. Add chicken pieces. Stir well so that its coated well with Onions.

Add coriander pw and chilli pw. Keep it in high flame for 2 - 3 mins constantly stirring it. Please ensure that the curry does not stick to the pan.

Once the oil comes out, add the cashew paste. Sim for 20 min. stirring it frequently to ensure that it is well cooked.
When you have everything cooked and ready, take a thick bottom pan or cooker, coat the bottom with ghee.

Spread a layer of cooked rice, sprinkle saffron on top.

Then put a layer of cooked chicken.

Add finely chopped coriander leaves over chicken gravy.Then repeat the process until you are done. Ensure the top layer is rice. so sprinkle Saffron milk again on top. Cover with lid and cook it on low flame for 30 mins.

Once 30 mins is over, remove to a casserole without mixing the rice with chicken gravy.

The final result will be a colourful mixture of pure white rice with green coriander, brown fried chicken pieces and yellow saffron colour.

Rice is ready to serve. This can be served by itself, but if you want to busy yourself go ahead serve this with thin Chicken gravy or Onion raita.

Explanation might sound long, but the process is very simple. And also following each step gives you a fabulous result.

If this is the way Nawabis enjoyed their food, I am sure everything they make is great!

Onion Pakkodas

On a rainy day what else can be so wonderful than snacking on a mouth watering dish like this.

Ingredients needed:

Flour to be Mixed
Gram flour - 1 cup
Rice flour 2 tbsp
Fried channa dal powder - 2 tbsp

Onions - 2
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Oil
Coriander Leaves
Curry Leaves
Salt to taste
Green chillies - 2
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.

How to make this:

Chop Onions into long fine pieces. Wash and finely chop coriander leaves. Add Curry leaves, salt, coriander leaves. Finely chopped green chillies, Jeera.
Add the flour mixture spoon by spoon altering with water. This batter should not be watery.
Heat 2 tbsp of Oil slightly and add to the above.

Heat a kadai with Oil for deep frying the onion batter.
You can either take the batter in a spoon or spread down with hand.

Remove them to a kitchen towel to drain excess oil.

Cut Mirchi

This is another variety made from Mirapakaya Bajji. This is for people who cannot eat hot Mirapakaya Bajjis.

Required Ingredients.
Prepared Mirapakaya Bajji - 5
Lime Juice
Onions - 1

Cut the Mirapakaya Bajji into small pieces.
Heat Oil in a kadai, deep fry the bajjis till they are little brown.
Sprinkle lime juice on the cut mirchi.
Serve with onions.

Mirapakaya Bajji - Chilli Bajji

Its an art seeing my Athamma (mother-in-law) or my sis-in-laws make Mirapakaya Bajji. I have tried it many times, but have never quite got the same stuff.

This is wonderful combi for Uggani

Ingredients needed:

Green chillies - 10 (Long tender ones not with much seeds)
Gram flour - 1 cups
Cooking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying.


Method to prepere:

Wash the green chillies, make a slit on one side making sure that the stalk is intact. Scoop out the seeds using a knife.

If you are not able to get the tender chillies, then fry the chillies on hot pan till it becomes brown. Now it will not be so hot.



In bowl, mix cumin powder and salt. Stuff this mixture inside the slit green chillies.

Mix the gram flour with salt, soda and water. Make a thick batter.

Heat oil in a Kadai, dip the chillies one by one in the batter and deep fry them.

Remove them to a kitchen towel.

Uggani - an amazing dish from a simple puffed rice

Uggani is made from Borugulu or Puffed Rice. This is a popular snack in Anathapuram district, south Andhra. I was first introduced when I visited my inlaws place. I was really surprised to see big molds of Uggani being sold in road side shops. They have this as a big heap with Green chilles decorated on top. Uggani is usually served with Mirapakaya Bajji.

My Athamma makes both Onion pakkodas for my sake and hot Mirapakaya Bajji for my hubby. Imagine how tempting this sounds. This has now become our regular item. Of course since its kind of heavy, we have for dinner.

Well I think I will go right into what makes this delicious tempting dish.

Ingredients for Uggani:

Puffed Rice - 1 large bowl
Onion - 2
Tomato - 2
Green chillies - 4 or 5
Turmeric powder - pinch
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriander leaves
Curry Leaves
Mustard
Oil
Lime (optional)
Salt
Fried gram dal powder (Its called Putnalu poddi)

Method to make this:
Grind fried gram dal into fine powder.

Wash the puffed rice in water and soak it for about 2 mts. Squeeze away the water by taking a handful of soaked puffed rice each time. Don't keep it for long as it becomes very soft and uggani be perfect.

Once you have all the water removed, add the fried gram dal powder and salt. Mix well. Keep it aside.

Chop the onion, tomato into fine pieces. Cut green chillies into small pieces.
Take 2-3 tbsp of oil in a pan, add mustard, curry leaves, turmeric, chopped onion, slit green chillies, add half of chopped Coriander leaves. Fry for sometime. Then add tomatoes, cook till its soft and done. Add puffed rice, and mix well. Sim for 10 mins, before removing, add lemon juice if required then garnish with Coriander leaves.Uggani is ready to serve.

This is best served with Mirapakaya Bajji or Chilli Bajji. I also make Onion pakkodas along with this as the other one is very hot.

Check out the recipe for Mirapakaya Bajji in the next post.

Andhra Pesarattu | Whole Moong Dal Dosa

When you think of famous dishes from Andhra, Pesarattu surely comes to mind. At hotels, it is usually served with Upma, Allam Pachadi (Ginger Chutney) and Coconut Chutney. Everybody at home loves Pesarattu and whenever she makes it, she also makes Upma as Daddy loves that combo. 

When I started making it at my own kitchen, I normally never bother about making Upma, but you should try it if you want to try the authentic Andhra combo.

To make the Pesarattu, we need the following,

For the batter

Whole Moong Dal – 2 cups
Raw Rice – ½ cup
Green chillies – 3
Ginger Optional
Red Chillies – 2
Salt as required.

For Topping

Jeera as required
Sauteed Onions
Green Chillies
Ghee
Oil.


Method to prepare:

Soak the Moong Dal and Rice for 3 – 4 hrs separately.

Grind it with Red chillies and Green Chillies into a smooth paste.

Heat a pan, add a spoon of Oil. Once the pan is hot, pour a spoonful of batter.

It has to be spread very thinly as dosas. Sprinkle sautéed Onions and Jeera on top.

Add little ghee for better taste.


To make the upma, follow this link!

Serve Crispy hot Pesarattu with Upma and Coconut Chutney

Try this out and let me know your views.

Gutti Vankaya Kura | Stuffed Brinjal Curry ~ Andhra Style | Step By Step Recipe

Welcome! I am finally ready to write down the recipes. As Andharites settled in Chennai, at home we mostly end up making Andhra foods and I am going to share my most favorite Guthi Vankai or Nune Vankai. Since Daddy loves brinjals, Amma often makes brinjals in different dishes. I can always say that this is the best of all of them.

I have seen adaptations of this by Tamil friends who call it Ennai Kathrikai. But nothing beats my Mom’s recipe. Hope you also enjoy as I have always.

Selecting the right variety of Brinjal is a must for this dish. The small really violet ones are best suitable.

Here you go for the things that make this wonderful dish.

Ingredients Needed:

Brinjal – ½ kg

Onions – 2 medium (200 gms)

Tomatoes – 3 medium (250 gms)

Curry Leaves

Salt to taste

Oil – 150 ml

Mustard seeds, Urud dal for seasoning.

Coriander leaves

For the Masala to be ground

Roasted Groundnuts – 100 gms
Dry Coconut or Fresh Coconut – 100 gms
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp

Cloves – 4 Cinnamon – ¾ inch

Small Onions (Sambar Onions) – 4

Coriander powder – 15 gms

Chilli powder – 10 gms

Pinch of Turmeric pwd

And last but not least dollops of mom’s love..:)

How to make Gutti Vankaya

Grind all the ingredients needed for the masala. Keep it aside
Cut Onions and Tomatoes into fine pieces.
Clean the Brinjals and remove the stalk. Some makes this curry with the stalk.
Make four incursions on the Brinjals without cutting it fully.
Once the masala is ready, apply the masala into the Brinjals.
Put the oil in a tawa, once its hot add Mustard seeds, Onions, curry leaves.

When its brown, add tomatoes to it. Add the Brinjals when the tomatoes are well cooked.

Fry for few mins, then add water and cook it covered till brinjals are well cooked. It might take around 30 mins to get the Brinjals well cooked.

Once ready serve it hot with rice or chapattis.

Whats to plan?

Well this is a question that plagues me all sunday evenings...

I have a full week to plan and no time absolutely to do things on the spot. So I get everybody at home, thats members who can view their thoughts on what they want. My kids have yet to reach a stage where they can ask me what they want.
I sit down with my folks and come out with a list on whats for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I feel so wonderful when I have this list ready...
Will come out with the list soon...