Courgette Vepudu/ Fry

Courgette Vepudu

Ingredients:

Courgettes/ zucchini - 4 no. (long and fresh, cut them in half lengthwise and cut in to moon shape, not too thin)

Onion - 1 no. (chopped finely)
Ginger and Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp each

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper - 1/4 th tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp extra
Salt to taste

Oil - 3 tbsp

Desiccated coconut - handful
Seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 2 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 4 no. (split in half)

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs.

Proceed:

1) Heat a wok on medium heat add oil heat it up. Do the seasoning one by one in above order.

2) Add onions fry until light brown.

3) Add gg paste, fry. Add turmeric, cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp garam masala and salt to taste mix well.

4) Add courgettes and fry, keep it covered for 5 mins. Remove the lid and mix again. Please do not mush it up with spatula you need to be gentle with them.

5) Cook until courgettes are cooked well and oil is oozing out. Now add coconut and 1/2 tsp garam masala, cook for few more mins by turning and tossing. Check for salt and serve.

Serve with Mysore Rasam, Rice and Yoghurt.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Mysore Rasam

Mysore Rasam

Ingredients:

Set 1:

Toor Dal - 1/4 th rice cup
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - half lemon size
Water - 1 cup

In a container add toor dal, water, turmeric and keep the tamarind in the middle. Pressure cook these until soft. Mean while prepare Set 2. When cool enough remove the lid from the pressure cooker, take the tamarind off with the help of spoon in a small bowl add 1/4 th cup water and squeeze the pulp and keep aside. Mash the toor dal and keep aside.

MTR Rasam powder - 1 tsp (keep this aside until needed)

Set 2:

Toor Dal/ kandipappu - 3 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Whole Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Roast on medium low, above ingredients with little ghee until golden color but not burned. Remove it in a plate.

Dessicated Coconut - 1/4 th rice cup

Add dessicated coconut in empty hot container and stir. Add this to above plate, mix and grind in to powder when it's cooled.

Set 3:

Tomato- 2 no.(chopped)

Set 4 (seasoning):

Ghee - little.
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 4 no. (broken in half)

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Hing/asafoetida - less than a pinch.

Garnishing:

Coriander leaves - handful (chopped finely)

Proceed:

Heat a medium sauce pan, add from set 1 squeezed tamarind pulp, salt and rasam powder. Cook until raw smell disappears. add little amount of water and add Set 2 paste and mix well, cook for few mins. Add from set 1 toor dal paste and combined well cook for few more mins. Add 1 and 3/4 th glasses of water and bring it to boil, cover with lid. Add Set 3 and cook until tomatoes are cooked well. Check for consistency, if it is too thick add water to dilute. If it is too thin, remove the lid and boil. It should be thinner than sambhar but thicker than rasam. Do the seasoning from Set 4 and add it to Rasam. Garnish with coriander leaves check for salt and switch off.

Serve Mysore rasam with any Vege Fry or Thotakura Pappu/Dal, Rice and Papad



We cooked a feast one day, so menu as followed:


Tomato Pappu  (Tomato Dal)
Guthi Vankaya Kura (Stuffed Indian Eggplants)
Mysore Rasam 
Dondakaya Vepudu (Tindora Fry)
Beerakaya Pachadi (Whole Ridge gourd Chutney)
Gadda Perugu (Yoghurt)
Neyyi (Ghee)


© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Firni/ Phirni

Firni/ Phirni

Set 1:

Basmati rice - 50 g (wash the rice, and soak it in water for 2hrs and grind in to paste by using enough water)

Set 2:

Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp (fresh is best, no husks of cardamom, please)

Set 3:

Sugar - 3/4 th + 2 tbsp (measure with elecric cooker rice cup)

Set 4:

Full-Cream Milk - 1 & 1/2 litre

Proceed:

1) Heat a deep flat non-stick pan, add Set 4 heat it on medium high, bring it to boil. Reduce heat to medium and keep stirring for 15 mins.

2) Add Set 3 and stir until sugar melts, remove from heat. Immediately follow point 3.

3) Add Set 1 paste slowly and stir until well combined. Keep this on flame now.

4) Add Set 2 and keep stirring for 20 mins. Lastly add few drops of yellow colour and mix. Switch off the flame.

5) When it comes to room temperature, pour the firni in individual bowls, garnish with chopped Pistachios on top. Refrigerate and serve.

Serve it with any spicy Indian Meal.

Tip:

It tastes good after 24 hrs. So this is ideal for dinner party's. Do this dessert 1 day ahead.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu