Pau Bhaji

Pau Bhaji

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 700 g (boiled, skin removed and roughly mashed)
Whole Tomato - 1 tin (crushed with your hand while adding)
Water - 1 cup
Coriander Leaves - handful
Oil + Ghee - 2 tbsp each
Red Onion - 1 no.(chopped finely)

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Powders :

Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Amchur Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 th tsp
Cayenne pepper - 1/4 th - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Proceed:

1) Heat a flat and deep non-stick pan, add ghee and oil heat it up, add mustard seeds, cover and pop. Add curry leaves stir. Add onion and cook until soft.

2) Add all the powders stir and add squashed tomatoes and mix, cook until mushy.

3) Add roughly mashed potato, stir well and add 1cup of water. Bring it to boil and simmer for 5 mins, cover. Remove the lid add coriander leaves stir, cover and cook until you can see a way underneath while sliding the spatula. Check for salt. Add 20 g of Butter on top of the curry.

Serve with Pau or Burger Buns.

For cooking Pau or Burger Buns:

1) Heat a skillet, cut burgers horizontally smear margarine or butter on both sides keep these on hot tawa cook it on both sides until lightly brown.

Serving suggestions -

Keep pau on a plate and curry in a bowl, top the curry with chopped red onions and sprinkle lemon juice on top of the curry and eat while still hot.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Tortilla Twists

Ingredients:

Refried Beans (with green chilli, Casa Fiesta) - 1 tin (remove the bean paste in microwave container cook it for 2 mins.)

Carrot - 1 no. (skin removed and grated)
Cheese (grated) - as required
Lettuce* - shred in to pieces.

Keep all these in a plate.

Sauces and powders we need :

Tomato sauce

Hot chilli sauce

Caesar vinaigrette (or any salad dressing you prefer but no mayonaisse please)

Cayenne pepper

Salt little

Leftover yellow egg (remembered if you left out egg from Pesarettu, use here)

Tortillas (store bought)

Keep these on one side.

Proceed:

Keep Tawa on one side and a plate on another side.

1 ) Vegetarian Twist -

Heat tawa on high, cook the Tortilla lightly on both sides. Put it on a plate next to you (reduce the tawa heat until you assemble all and increase the heat when you are almost finishing your filling.) now vertically put 1 big tbsp refried bean paste in the middle spread it lengthwise.
add some grated carrot on top of it, add the sauces pouring vertically, sprinkle little cayenne pepper on it. Keep lettuce on top, next add handful of grated cheese or even less (remember to increase the heat) now hold both together and keep it on hot tawa, heat it and fold one corner in the middle and overlap with other on top cook for little while and serve.

2) Egg Twist -

Beat the yellow part of the egg. Heat the Tawa, keep the tortilla pour egg mixture all around the tortilla, sprinkle little salt and cayenne pepper. Cook the tortilla on both sides. keep this on a plate, stuff on egg side as above and cook it the same way as vegetarian twist.

3) Cheese Lovers Twist -

Grate cheese, cayenne pepper, green capsicum (little)- chopped finely and some basil.

Heat the tawa, keep the Tortillas on a plate sprinkle some of the grated cheese all around, little cayenne pepper, basil and some capsicum, cover it with another tortilla on top. Transfer this on to hot tawa cook it on both sides (becareful when you are turning, turn it on a plate and transfer this to hot tawa). Serve this with sweet chilli sauce. Yum.............

Notes:

Here I am using Ice berg lettuce, why? it gives nice crunch when you are biting.

If you put tortilla on one another they become quesidilla.

Can use tomato ketchup instead of tomato sauce, Instead of italian dressing one can use avocado garlic dressing.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Fried Rice

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 3 rice cups (washed and discard water, to that add 4 & 1/2 cups water and cook in electric cooker)

Cook rice ahead.

Ghee + Oil - 5 tsp each

Shahjeera - 1 tsp
Cumin + Pepper - 1/2 tsp each (powder these together)

Green Chillies - 2 no. (slit lengthwise)
Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tsp each
Ajinomotto - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste
Mixed Veges - 2 cups (only - peas, carrots, corn and beans frozen packet)

Proceed:

Heat a wok, add ghee and oil when it's hot fry in the above order. don't mush it up the veges it's should be fried enough add cooled cooked rice and gently mix well to combine fry for few mins and serve.

Tip:

I like fresh veges, rarely use frozen. Next time try this combo:

Cabbage (chopped finely), Fresh Beans (sliced thin round) and Carrot (peeled and chopped finely), replacing Mixed veges frozen packet.

Serve it with Chilli Chicken or Cauliflower Manchurian, Mirchi Ka Salan (actually you don't have to cook Hyderabadi Biriyani for this. Fresh Veges Fried Rice combo tastes even good)

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Chilli Chicken

Chilli Chicken

Set 1:

Chicken (boneless and skin less, cut in to 1 inch pieces) - 600 g

Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tbsp each

Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp

*Salt to taste

Black Pepper (freshly ground) - 1 tspn

Red Orange Food color - as required.

Mix everything in a bowl.

Corn Flour - 1 tbsp

Egg White - 2 eggs (keep the yellow for using on top of the Pesarettu or for Tortillas)

Mix these in to the Chicken by the order given above. Combine well and cook in Flat non-stick pan, by adding 3 tbsp oil and cook until chicken is cooked well. Keep aside.


Set 2  (for preparing Sauce):

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

*Soya sauce - 2 tspn

Water - 3 tbsp

Corn flour - 2 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

* Salt (little bit).

Mix all these in a bowl and keep aside.

Set 3:

Red onion - 1 no. (chopped in to chunks)

Green Chillies - 16 no. (slit length wise)

Curry leaves - 3 sprigs

* Ajinomotto - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 3 tbsp.

Proceed:

1) Take a flat non-stick pan, add oil heat it up. add onions - saute and remove, add green chillies-saute and remove, add curry leaves - saute a bit and keep aside all these in to a plate.

2) Add ajinomotto and Set 2 to above pan and stir, add Set 1 and saute. add point 1 (sauteed onions, green chillies, curry leaves) which you kept aside, mix gently until oil releases and cooked well. Serve.

Serve with Fried Rice or Biriyani Rice.


Tips :

Becareful while adding salt, you have already added salt in the chicken, while preparing sauce aswell and there will be salt in soya sauce too, you can add salt in the end instead of adding a lot.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Experiment Food

Even gods have approved it. See.......

For dinner, I served my Fried Rice, my style Chilli Chicken and Kulfi. If you ask me, I say my favourite icecream is kulfi. Wake me up in the middle of night it will be the same answer. This recipe is from a blog by Sari from " gluttonyandgourmet ". She wrote the recipe and I couldn't resist in trying it out. It came out well. For that extra zing in taste I have added cardamom powder and rest of the recipe is same.

Now think about you cooking up a delicious meal but bought a dessert in the end, to serve. I would say "naaaa". I would rather opt for small meals, say one entree, two mains and one dessert .......all home made . So next time if you are planning a party try this delicious Kulfi made by Sari. It's yummilicious.......................


Thank you for your yummy Kulfi recipe Sari.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Bellam Dosa

Bellam Dosa

It's quick and easy no need to go to the fermentation hassle. When you want a change from normal Idli, Dosa or Roti routine and is ideal for unexpected guests. The kids love it............

For Batter:

Bellam/Jaggery - 1no. rice cup (grated)
Warm Water - 3no. rice cup
Chapati Flour - 2 and 1/2 rice cup*
Baking Soda - a pinch

Procedure:

1) Take a big bowl add Bellam/Jaggery and warm water, mix it with your hand to dissolve the jaggery. Strain this liquid in to seperate bowl. Rinse the empty dish now and transfer the liquid back in to the bowl.

2) Add 1tbsp C.Flour at a time and mix it with hand to remove any lumps which may form. Repeat the process until you finish entire C.Flour.

3) Add Baking soda and mix.

4) Heat a non-stick tawa, mix the batter once and pour 2 ladleful of batter on to the centre of the tawa and spread it in to medium thick round, cover for 30secs. Remove the lid add 1tsp oil around the edges of the dosa and cook for few secs or until brown underneath. Turn it over and cook for 1min and serve.


Serve it with Ginger pickle or Coconut chutney. yum..................

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Experiment Food

Today I experimented Cauliflower Korma by Kurma from "Iskcon". It is very rich in taste and tastes good. If you are going to make this, I would recommend do it for potluck or just call friends for dinner, therefore you are not eating away all the calories by yourself.

I served with my Puri and my own Mango Lassi, ya I know every one knows puri. So I am not giving you Puri recipe, but I will give you some tips to overcome the oil which comes with the puri after deep frying.

Tips:

* Keep layers of news paper on a bench and a large plate with serviattes covering entire plate.

* For digestion, it's good to add 2pinch of ajwain while kneading the dough.

* The skillet which you are using should have wide mouth on the top and deep enough.

* Do small balls out of the dough and roll it, Hold the rolled puri gently by not tearing nor scratch with fingers and put in hot oil and gently holding slotted spoon press gently on all sides of the puri, by doing this oil will touch the puri and puff up. Turn it over and cook for a little while. Remove and keep this on a plate which has serviattes and transfer these on news paper keep puri's side by side, on top of it put another news paper and press gently to remove any excess oil.

For lassi follow my Mango Lassi recipe.

I did few modifications for cauliflower recipe not much but little bit. Added 2tbsp ghee + 2tbsp oil instead of only oil or ghee, after that fried 1star anise, later added 1/2no. finely chopped red onion, fried a bit added 1tsp each ginger and garlic paste instead of ginger. added 1/2tsp turmeric, 1/2tspn cayenne pepper instead of green chillies. Didn't add any red chilli powder, I want to leave the korma yellowish not reddish as we do for curries. I used rice cup measure not 250 ml cup. I only used half of big cauliflower. Remaining ingredients are exactly, Enjoy.

I am providing the link instead of writing it down, don't want to take away his credit and thank you Kurma for your wonderful recipe.

Cauliflower Korma

by Kurma from "iskcon"

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Mango Lassi

I am not going to write any measurents for this recipe. The taste depends on tartness of yoghurt and how sweet you would want to make it to balance the lassi, in the end it should just taste like mango not like butter-milk nor as if you are biting a sugar candy and It should be like thick pouring consistency.

Let's do it shall we...

Mango pulp ( tin, you can find these in indian groceries), Plain Yoghurt, Milk and Sugar. Blend them all together in smooth pouring consistency. Pour it in individual glasses and keep in fridge before serving.

Serve it with any Spicy meal or Just have it in summer months. Yum.............

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Keema curry

Keema Curry

Ingredients:

Minced Lamb - 500 g (washed in a steamer by keeping a big bowl underneath , remove excess water by squeezing)

Cook washed M.lamb in a flat non-stick pan with out oil and water. cook until water evaporates.

Oil - 3 tbsp

Curry leaves - few sprigs

Jalapenos - 1 & 1/2 no. (chopped)

Onion - 1 no. (finely chopped)

Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tsp each

Powders - {Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp, Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp, Nutmeg powder- 1/4 tsp, Turmeric - 1/2 tsp, Cayenne pepper - 1/2 tsp, Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp, *Home made masala powder - 3 tsp (please read notes) }

Whole tin tomatoes - 3/4 th tin

Water - 1 & 1/2 cups

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves - a lot (chopped finely)

Proceed:

1) Heat oil in a pressure cooker, once heated add curry leaves and Jalapenos, fry them.

2) Add finely chopped onion fry until light brown.

3) Add ginger and garlic paste and fry on low heat. add all powders and fry.

4) Add cooked lamb which you made earlier and fry for a little while to remove any excess water it may have.
5) Immediately add whole tomatoes squashed with your hand and add directly in to the pan and cook until mushy.
6) Add water, mix well and pressure cook it for 8 whistles.

7) Remove the lid when pressure is down, boil it on low flame by adding salt and coriander until way is formed underneath when you are sliding with spatula. check for salt and serve.

Notes:

Home made masala:-

Coriander seeds - 3 tsp, Poppyseeds - 1 tsp, Cinnamon stick - 1 inch, Whole cloves - 6 no., Cardamom - 5 no, star anise - 1 petal., Mace - 1 no.,  - grind these in coffee grinder in to fine powder, remaining keep it in air-tight container.

Don't get confused with masala I make, every dish has it's own masala to enhance the flavour.

Serve it with Roti or Plain white rice or else can serve with Tari wali Aloo Roti (this is the ultimate combination to go with).

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Experiment Food

Kantola Fry, Tomato Rasam and Dondakayi Pappu

I made Dondakayi pappu. Have you heard that before? not me. I know about Dondakayi fry and few bits added in sambhar or veggie biriyani or just making stuffed dondakayi. I know lots of Indians who believe that eating dondakayi will dull the memory. Yeah right.. I love dondakayi in any form, even if you give me just the curry I will be happy to eat it. So when I saw this recipe blogged by Indira from 'Mahanandi', I thought "aaha thats creative !". Isn't she ? Give some thing to her and she will come up with a tasty version and say "tadaa !!"and our eyes will sparkle. oh my my !

I served this dish with Tomato rasam by Prema Sundar from " My cook book" . I know its just rasam but with lots of tomatoes cooked in a different way. I prepared this rasam twice till now. You might have guessed it, it tastes awesome and never fails me. When you are in a hurry and want to eat something, just keep the rasam on one burner and the curry on another. No need to worry !

I know by now you are wondering "what are these.. they just look like dried sliced lemons, boo hoo !!". Nope, they are Kantola, yeah I know.. never heard these before ! I bought these in frozen section of Indian groceries. My husband insisted to buy them but I worried a bit about how to cook them. My angel 'google' came in handy.

I went to this site called Mangalore world. The name Mangalore caught my eye and I got the recipe. Just followed the recipe exactly. It was awesome. I thought "just don't eat any potato chips, instead eat these. They just melts in mouth". I am definitely going to make these again and again.

I am giving u this recipe - first saying thanks to Mangalore world. Thank u thank u .....so here goes

1 packet of frozen Kantola (packet weighed 340g) washed in warm water. Rub the kantola with your fingers for the seeds to separate. Seperate the kantolas from the seeds and discard . Remember, you are throwing away seeds, not outer skin. Squeeze the water from kantolas and add 1tsp turmeric powder, 3tspns of chillipowder and salt to taste mix these.Roll these in rice flour and deep fry in oil. Drain it on paper-towel. Serve with Dondakayi pappu, Tomato rasam and Rice on side.

A big thank you to Indira, Prema sundar, Mangalore world and my Husband ofcourse.

In Telugu:

Kantola = Akakarakaya

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken

Set 1 (chicken marination) :

Chicken boneless - 450 g (diced)
Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Lime juice - 1/2 no.
Red orange food colour - as required
Chillipowder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp



Marinate everything for at least 1 and 1/2 hr. Cook in Iron skillet.

(sizzling in iron skillet)

Set 2 (for making curry paste) :

Onions - 2 no. (cut in to small chunks)

Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tsp each

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 3 tsp (can reduce if u want, I like it hot)
Nutmeg powder -1/2 tsp
Garam masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Whole tomato Tin - 1/2 tin

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick kadai, fry onions, cover and stir time to time.

Add gg paste and fry, add all powders and fry.

Add tomatoes and salt cook in high heat until mushy. and Keep aside.

When it's cool enough, grind it in to paste. keep aside until needed.

Set 3 (roasting):

Roast Hand ful of cashews in microwave and grind coarsely in coffee grinder, keep aside.

Proceed:

1) Whole spices - Cardamom, Whole cloves, Cinnamon, Star anise 1 no. - remaining 2 each. Fry these in 3 tbsp butter in a deep non-stick kadai.

2) Add Sultanas and Set 2 curry paste. and fry until it is bubbling. Add Set 3 powder and mix well and cook for 2 mins.

3) Add little water in grinded jar (which u have made curry paste earlier) and pulse it and add this mixture to above and cook for 2 mins. add little orange red colour.

4) Add 250 ml Cream and mix well.

5) Add cooked chicken pieces from Set 1. Cook everything until butter floats. Add garam masala 1 and 1/2 tsp and cook 3 more mins. Check for salt and sweetness it may require and Serve.

Serve this with Naan or spiced rice.

Note:


Can do the same as above, but in my picture while doing I have added fresh tomatoes 4 no. chopped up, including 3 no. tomatoes from a whole tin and cooked as usual. 
 
© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Naan

" please do come back for my photos "

Naan Dough:

Milk - 1 cup (luke warm)
Sugar - 4 tspn
Yeast - 2 sachets

Mix these and leave it for 15 mins until needed. (please read notes)

Plain flour - 4 cups
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 2 tspn

Mix these in a large bowl .

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mix it to the above flour

Yoghurt - 2/3 cup

Bind these to above flour

Egg - 1 no. (whisk separately)

add this and mix again.

Now add the yeast mixture which you kept aside and bind, use more flour to combine, knead it to soft plaible dough. Keep covered and kept near warm place to double in size takes 6 hrs to rise.

Divide in to 12 equal portions and roll each ball to desired thickness in tear drop naan shapes.

Fry in a very hot dry heavy frying pan until puffed up and turnover for a min.

If you want to refrigerate you can do so, keep the naans in aluminium foil, wrap it up and refrigerate.

For Variations:

1) Garlic Twist:-

melt the butter add garlic paste to it , spread this mixture on naan on one side, keep the buttered side down and heat it on tawa, immediately smear butter on top and turn again and cook for a second, remove and serve.

Serve it with Butter chicken or Paneer dishes.

2) Peshawari naan:-

Carrot - 1 no. (skin removed and grated)
Almonds - 6 no. (grated thinly)
Sultanas - 6 no.
Sugar - 4 tsp

First microwave these 4 mins.

Rose water - 1 tsp

add rose water to the above cooked mixture. mix every thing and keep it cool. Stuff these in naan just like as you do for stuffed paratha. and cook as above excluding garlic paste, smear it melted butter on top.

Notes:-

The more you cook naan second time on tawa it becomes harder.

If you boil milk and add yeast to it, the yeast will die and it won't rise. So you need to heat it until luke warm only. yeast is living organism to live it needs sugar to munch in, thats why you add sugar. If you add more salt yeast won't like it. It's my theory. check it out yourself.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Asparagus and Silverbeet Fry

Asparagus and Silver-beet Fry

Ingredients:

Asparagus - 1 bunch (cut in to small rounds, keep the last end of asparagus for sambhar or pappu)

Salt to taste

Silverbeet - 1/2 packet (chopped fine)

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Red chillies - 4 no. (split in to tiny pieces)

Curry leaves - 1 sprig.

Onion - 1 m (sliced finely)

Ginger and garlic paste - 1/2 tsp each

                                                      

Proceed:

1) Heat oil in flat non-stick pan, add red chillies and curry leaves and fry.

2) Add onions and fry until golden brown.

3) Add gg paste and fry.

4) Add asparagus pieces and fry for 2 mins, add salt and cover 8 - 10 mins.

5) Add silverbeet and fry with out lid. add turmeric.

6) Fry until everything comes together. Switch off the flame. slightly cover with lid.

Serve it with Rice, Tomato Dal , Poppadums and Yoghurt on side.

Note:

Hold the asparagus on two ends snip it at the very end it will break, throw away or just use it in sambhar it just tastes like drumsticks. Cook it as anyother vege., for the triangle shaped things which are on asparagus scrape it with knife.

Meanings:

Silver-beet = Swiss Chard

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Tomato Pappu / Dal

Tomato Pappu

Set 1:

Toor Dal / kandipappu - 1 rice cup

Water - 2 & 1/2 rice cup
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - a pinch

Set 2:

Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 3/4 th tsp
Cumin seeds - 3/4 th tsp
Red chillies - 4 no (split in to half)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Garlic - 3 no. (smashed and sliced)
Asafoetida or Hing - small pinch
MTR-Rasam powder - 3/4 th tsp (my twist)

Chopped Tomatoes - 3/4 th tin
Salt to taste.

Proceed:

1) Cook set 1 in pressure cooker until soft.

2) Take a kadhai, heat oil in it. add mustard seeds when it is stopped poping add cumin seeds when it is starting to brown, add curry leaves, red chillies, garlic and fry, add hing and rasam powder in the last, mix well. Immediately follow point 3.

3) Add chopped tomato and salt, cook until mushy.

4) Add cooked and mashed toor dal, mean while pour 1/2 cup of water in the cooked container of toor dal, scrape away any dal that left behind.

5) Add the dal water to point 4.

6) Cook it until starting to boil. Check for salt and serve.

Serve with Rice, Asparagus Silverbeet Fry or Aloo Fry or Okra Fry, Poppadums and Yoghurt on side.


Tip:

after tadka ( i have included 1 tsp urad dal too for seasoning), add 1/2 tsp rasam powder, and next step would be dal add little water in cooker bowl add that too.

do the same as above, but cook chopped tomato 1 tin in 1 tbsp butter seperately until mushy and add it to dal and mix well and bring to 1 boil.

this way tasted very nice. in Telugu we say kammaga vundi.


© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Mixed Dal Chutney

No Oil is required for this chutney.

Point 1:

Whole Mung beans - 1/2 rice cup
Chana dal - 1/4 th rice cup
Split Urad dal - 1/4 th rice cup
Peanuts - 1/4 th rice cup

Roast these seperately.

Point 2:

Green Chillies - 15 no.
Garlic - 2 cloves

Roast these together.

Point 3:

Curry leaves - handful
Coriander Leaves - handful
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice - according to taste.

Point 4:

Water as required

Proceed:

1) First Grind point 1 in to fine powder.

2) Add point 2 and grind again.

3) Add point 3 and grind again.

4) Add water to grind in to thick paste. Check for salt, lemon tartness and any herbs it may require. Empty these in to a bowl.

5) Add little water in to empty grinding jar and grind again add this liquid in to above and mix well.

Serve it with Dosa, Idli or Pesarettu.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Pesarettu/ Whole Mung Beans Pancake

Making Batter :

Whole mung beans/ Pesalu - 2 cups
Rice - small handful
Salt to taste

Soak Whole mung beans and rice in a large bowl with plenty of water (on soaking the dal doubles in size)
overnight.

In the morning grind these two into fine paste using water.

add salt to taste.


Onion twist:-

Onions- 1 no. (chopped finely)
Green chillies - 4 no. (chopped finely)
Ginger - 1 inch (sliced and chopped finely)
Cumin seeds - as needed (to sprinkle on top)

Keep all these ready in a plate separately.

Egg Twist:-

Egg - 1 no (beat lightly)
Salt - to sprinkle on top
Cayenne pepper - to sprinkle on top

Keep these seperate until needed.

Procedure:

1) For onion twist -Heat non-stick tawa pour 1 and 1/2 spatula of batter in the centre and spread it in to thin pancake. now sprinkle some of onion twist all over the pancake. cook until brown underneath. pour 1 and 1/2 tspn oil around the edges. cook 1min more and turn it over and cook again for few mins.

Serve onion twist pesarettu with Upma and Ginger pickle on side.

2) For egg twist - Repeat the procedure above till spreading of the pancake. pour 1/2 of beaten egg all over the pancake. sprinkle little salt and cayenne pepper all over it and cook the same as above.

Serve this with Mixed Dal Chutney.






© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Rawa Kesari

Rawa Kesari

Ingredients:

Ghee- 240 g (or 1 & 1/2 cups)

Sultanas - handful
Almonds - handful (blanched, skin removed and slivered)

Semolina - 240 g (or 1 & 1/2 cups)

Water - 900 ml (or 3 & 2/3 rd cups)

Green cardamom - 1 tsp (husk removed and powdered)

Sugar - 350 g (or 1 & 3/4 cups)
Yellow colour as needed

Proceed:

1) Heat ghee in a nonstick pan, fry almonds and sultanas and keep aside.

2) In the same pan, add semolina fry until light brown (be careful not to burn) cook in medium - low heat.

3) Add water, raisins and half each of almonds and cardamom. Cook till water is absorbed, stirring constantly (here u can use dal masher to mash away any lumps thats formed).

4) Add sugar and yellow colour little, cook stirring constantly till ghee just begins to show on sides.

5) Sprinkle remaining almonds and cardamom. Serve hot.

Notes:

You can serve it up with Puri Chole or as a Prasadam.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Chicken leg Fry

Chicken Drumsticks (please read tips)

Ginger and Garlic paste

Chilli powder

Turmeric

Orange red color

Salt.

Marinate everything and keep aside.

Cook without oil for 25 mins (turn the drumsticks in between and keep cover).

Remove cover and cook for 5 more mins.

Take a flat non-stick kadai, add little oil and cook c.drumsticks on both sides. sprinkle garam masala on top.

Fold small foil at the end of the drumsticks.

Serve with kobbari annam or Biriyani and cut lemon on side.

Tip:

To remove skin with ease, hold the drumstick at its bulky end. Take a thick paper towel and pull the skin off using it.

Can be cooked in an oven too.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Kobbari Annam / Coconut Rice (using electric cooker)

Kobbari Annam served with Aloo Kurma and Perugu Chutney.

Ingredients:

*Basmati rice - 5 rice cups (cup - which is given with electric rice cooker)

Oil and Ghee or butter - 2 tbsp each

*Whole spices - {Whole cloves - 5 no, Cardamom - 5 no, Cinnamon stick - 2 inch, Bay leaf - 5 no.}

Cashews - small handful

Green chillies - 8 no (wash and slit length wise by keeping intact)

Onion - 1 no. (sliced thinly)

Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tsp each

Turmeric - one pinch
Coriander leaves and Mint leaves - handful each (chopped finely)

Measured liquid - { Water - 6 and 1/2 rice cups + lite coconut milk - 1 rice cup + salt - 2 tsp} - mix all these and keep aside until needed.

Proceed:

1) Take a wide pan which holds rice when u fry it. Heat oil and ghee on medium heat. When it is heated add whole spices fry a little to release flavours but not to burn.

2) Add cashews and green chillies fry both (keep it covered, otherwise oil will spill on you.)

3) Add sliced onion fry until light golden color.

4) Add gg paste , coriander and mint leaves fry again on medium-low , add turmeric.

{Mean while measure rice, wash it 3 times, discard water} and on medium heat add rice gently mix until water disappears, keep mixing lightly and put these everything in Electric rice cooker. Add measured liquid mix and switch to cook.

5) When it is finished cooking it goes to standby position, now switch it off. Please do not open the lid. after 10 mins wipe the lid with cloth and close again, do this way for every 10 mins until you waited 30 mins after stand by.*** Lastly fluff it with fork and Serve.

Serve with Nunne Vankaya or Aloo Kurma.

Notes:

1) We are not using entire coconut milk tin in this recipe, only as mentioned above, remaining tin liquid you still can keep in freezer in plastic container and freeze. when you needed just put out side 1 hr before you start cooking . In this way you are not wasting.

2) By using lite coconut milk you are ensured you are eating light fat food by compared to other coconut milk tins in the market. tastes still yummy.

3) I personally prefer Kohinoor Basmati rice, why it's gives nice aroma and the rice after cooking it won't stick if you do it my way, the grains are separated.

4) When u are serving rice, it's better to remove whole garam masala stuff before u serve.

Meanings:

Kobbari = Coconut

Aloo = Potato

Vankaya = Eggplant

Tip:

I use fresh ingredients like fresh ginger and garlic paste (hand made) not store bought bottle stuff. So if you are cooking my style I would recommend do it from scratch and get the authentic taste of Andhra...... remember I increased and decreased temperature, we shouldn't burn the gg paste as always where ever I say add gg paste reduce the heat to low and fry and increase when you add the next step.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Kodi Kura/ Andhra Chicken Curry

Kodi Kura

Ingredients:

Chicken with bones - 750 g (use mixed pieces, diced in to big bite size pieces, wash remove excess water from it)
Chilli powder - 3 tsp or more (I like non vege dishes to be hot)
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Ginger and Garlic paste - 3 tsp each

Marinate chicken pieces with gg paste, turmeric and chilli powder until needed.

*Oil - (when u pour oil it should cover the whole area of the surface of the cooking dish)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Onions - Chopped finely (qty if u put chicken pieces in a plate onions should be half the qty of chicken in a plate)

Kashmiri chilli powder - 2 tsp
*Home made Masala Powder - 4 tsp

Salt to taste
Coriander leaves - handful (chopped finely)

Proceed:

1) Heat a large non.stick pan which is heavy based underneath, add oil as described heat it up,
add curry leaves crisp a little add onions and fry until light brown.

2) Add marinated chicken pieces along with the marination and fry until chicken looses it's pink colour and water which releases it. Add now masala powder, kashmiri chilli powder and fry.

3) Add 1 and 1/2 cups of water bring to boil and simmer for 10 mins.cover. keep stirring time to time.

4) Add salt to taste, following with coriander leaves mix and cook until chicken is cooked through until way is formed when u slide the spatula and oil floats on top.

Serve with Rice or Garelu and Yoghurt on side.

Note :

1) Home made masala (no need to roast the spices) :-

6 tsp Coriander seeds, 2 tsp Poppyseeds, 10 Cloves, 8 Cardamom, Cinnamon stick 2 inch - grind these in to powder using coffee grinder. Remaining powder keep it closed in airtight container or use for other recipes which I have used in earlier posts.

2) If u think there is lot of oil after u finished cooking rest for 1 hr or so, oil which comes up u can take it off with the help of a spoon.

3) Can add water 1/2 cup more.

4) If you are lucky to get Natu kodi (this is what we call in Andhra) it tastes even delicious.

Left over Twist:

If you got left over chicken curry then do Chicken Pulao with it. Instead of adding chicken and cutting onions, I simply add this curry along with the spices I have mentioned in there and it is quick and quite easy too.

Meaning (Spices):

Kodi = Chicken

White Poppy seeds = Gasagasalu (in Telugu)

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Capsicum Fry

Ingredients:

Capsicum - 4 no.(mixed colours, chopped in to chunks)

Oil - 2 tbspn
Cumin seeds - 1 tspn
Green chillies - 4 no. (slit)
Curryleaves - few

Turmeric- 1/2 tspn
Cayenne pepper - 1/4th tspn
Salt to taste

Chick- pea flour - 2 tspn

Proceed:

1) Heat oil In a flat non-stick pan when it's hot add cumin put the lid when it's fried add Green chillies and curry leaves put the lid and rotate the pan by combining. 

2) Add capsicum, fry until skin looks browned. 

3) Add turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt cook until capsicum is cooked well. 

4) Immediately add chick.pea flour stir for 1-2mins and switch off the stove.

Serve with Tomato Pappu or Masala Dal/ Red Lentil Dal, Plain white Rice and Yoghurt on side.

Note:

Can add only green capsicum's too in that case do not add cayenne pepper to it, because it already tastes peppery. Where as red capsicum or yellow ones are sweeter taste so we add cayenne pepper.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Kakarakaya Fry

Kakarakaya Fry

*Kakarakaya /bittergourd- 400 g frozen packet cut in round circles( put in warm water wash and squeeze the water from the pieces and put in a plate) add little salt and little turmeric mix well.

Heat a flat nonstick skillet add 4 tbsp oil heat it up add bitter gourd pieces , cover and stir every now and then and fry well until cooked through but not charcoal.

For these fried pieces add 1tsp chiili powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, salt to taste mix well and keep aside.

*Take mortar or pestle put 6 cloves of garlic and 5 tbsp of dessicated coconut and pound together until finely.

In the same non.stick skillet heat 3 tbsp of oil, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds cover and pop, add curry leaves immediately add pounded garlic mixture mix well add 1 tspn of mtr Sambhar powder or any other brand sambhar powder mix well, add bittergourd pieces which is been marinated earlier and fry well until it is cooked and tastes great. what can I say it is yumyum........

Serve it with Sambhar or Red lentil dal or Mushroom palak korma, Rice and Yoghurt on side.


Tip:

If you are in a hurry, instead of pounding fresh garlic put the dried garlic flakes handful + desiccated coconut in coffee grinder and pulse few secs.

Be careful while frying it will burn quickly. So adjust timing accordingly.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Masala Pappu/ Red lentil Dal

Masala Pappu/ Red lentil Dal

This dal is done very quickly no need to use pressure cooker red lentils cook very fast.

Ingredients:

Oil - 3 tbsp

Whole masala - {Cloves 2, cinnamon - 1 inch, bay leaf 1 no, Cumin seeds 1 tsp, 2 pinch saunf}.

Garlic - 3 pods (sliced or crushed)

Onion - 1 no. (chopped)

Madras curry powder - 1/2 tsp (we use venkat curry powder)
Garam masala powder - 3/4 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Red lentils - 1 cup (rinse it with water to remove dust)
Water - 2 cups

Black pepper powder - as per taste
Curry leaves or coriander leaves (opt)

Proceed:

1) Heat oil in a pan, fry whole masala for 15 secs, add garlic fry until golden brown.

2) Add onion cook until light brown, to that add curry powder, garam masala powder, turmeric, salt and stir.

3) Add lentils mix it well , add 2 cups of water, cover it with lid.

4) Cook until all the lentils are well cooked.

5) Now add black pepper and remove from heat.

Serve with Rice, Kakarakaya (bitter gourd) or Capsicum fry and yoghurt on side. yum................ this dal, equally goes well with Prawn Pickle.

Tip:

Crush the Garlic first and slice it, it releases the flavour.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu