Aratikaya Kura / Raw Banana Curry

Aratikaya or Raw Banana is an underrated vegetable but actually it has got loads of Vitamins and Minerals that are essential for our diet. This fibre rich vegetable helps in keeping the heart healthy and also great for diabetics. Its tastes good when it is fried, baked or steamed as well.

Ingredients:

• Aratikayalu / Raw Bananas Medium Sized 2 nos ( Cubed)
• Onion 1 big (chopped)
• Ginger 1/4 inch coarsely grinded.
• Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala  Powder 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Water 1/2 cup
• Roasted Sesame Seeds Powder(optional) 
• Salt as per taste 

For Tempering:

• Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
• Channa Dal 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves few
• Dried Red Chilli 1 no
• Oil 1.5 tbsps

Method:

1. Switch on the stove and place a pressure cooker. 
2. Add oil to it and also the ingredients listed in the tempering
3. Now add the chopped oinion. Add ginger when the onion turns pink. Fry it till the raw smell is gone.
4. Add the Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder and Salt and fry it for a minute.
5. Now add the raw banana pieces and saute it.
6. Add 1/2 a cup of water and check for salt. Pressure cook it for 4 whistles. If cooking in a normal pan add water till the pieces are covered and cook it till the pieces are cooked well.
7. After the whistle are done, Switch off the stove and remove the whistle by allowing the pressure to go off. This helps in keeping the raw banana cubes in shape and they dont get mushy.
8. Open the lid and switch on the stove again as there would be water in the curry, add the Garam Masala to it. Cook as per your consistency and finally add the Roasted Sesame Seeds Powder (optional). I like it little dry as i love to eat this with Rasam & Rice.

This goes well with Roti , Chapati or Phulkas

Aloo Fry / Potato Fry

Aloo or Potato is a common vegetable cooked in every household in various varieties across the world. It is so humble vegetable that it doesn't require much ingredients to make it and mixes well if added with any other vegetable.

Today's recipe is my take on aloo fry with an addition of a spice powder. Last week i happened to visit Basavangudi and Gandhi Bazaar with my local friends and they took me to a bakery. Its the famous Srinivasa Brahmin Bakery. From there i picked up couple of Podis (Powdered mix of Spices) like Sambar Podi, Chutney Podi etc. Today i used Sambar Podi in the fry to give that twist.

Ingredients:

• Aloo / Potatoes 250 gms (Peeled & Cubed)
• Chilli Powder 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
• Sambar Powder (Srinivasa Brahmin Bakery) or any Sambar Powder 1 tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Few Curry Leaves 
• Water 1/4 cup
• Oil 2 tbsps

Method:

1. Place a pan or a nonstick kadai on the stove and add the oil to it.
2. Now add Salt, Chilli powder, Turmeric and add 2 tbsps of water to it that the chilli powder doesn't burn.
3. Add the Potato cubes and give it a mix. Add the rest of the water, cover it and cook it on a low flame until the potato pieces are cooked. Now cook it on a high flame till the water evaporates. Take care that the pieces doesn't get burnt.
4. Now add the sambar powder, curry leaves and mix it nicely. Switch off the stove.

This goes well with Rice & Rasam or Sambar combo and Roti as well.

Serves 2 people.

Chikkudukaya Fry / Indian Beans Fry

Image Source : Shopitsoon.com

Indian Beans (Chikkudukaya) are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber like most other Beans. It helps in controlling sugar levels.

Here is my mother's recipe that i always cherish and make it.

Ingredients:  

• 250 gms of Chikkudukaya / Indian Beans cut pieces (sides to be veined)  
• 2 medium sized Onions (chopped finely)
• Turmeric 1/4 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp (can be added more)
• Salt as per taste

For Tempering :

• Curry Leaves few
• Dry Red Chilli 1 no
• Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
• Channa dal 1/4 tsp
• oil 2 to 3 tbsps (2 tbsp is required oil quantity)

Method:

1. Switch on the Flame, and take a pan, add oil to it. Then add the ingredients        listed in the tempering.
2. Add the chopped onion to it when the urad and channa dal turns to                    golden color.
3. Now add the Chikkudukaya pieces when the onion turns pink color.
4. Cook this for 1 minute on a high flame and simmer it ;cover it and                    cook until the pieces get soft.
5. Add Turmeric, Salt and Red Chilli powder and cook it further for about 5              minutes.
6. Switch offf the flame when the Chikkudukaya pieces turn a bit brown.

This goes well with Rice and sambar, roti too.

Serves 2 people.

Tomato Pepper Rasam

There are many verions of Rasams in Andhra or South Indian Cusine but this is the most loved method of Rasam in my family.

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes medium sized chopped 2 nos 
• Tamarind gooseberry size (cleaned & soaked in little amount of water)
• Pepper powder1 tsp
• Turmeric 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder 1/4 tsp
• Fresh coriander leaves( few) chopped
• Water 3 cups
• Salt to taste

For Tempering/Thadka (Garita Thalimpu) (Telugu), (Laddle Thadka)

• Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Methi Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves
• Dry Red chilli 1 no
• Asafoetida a pinch
• Oil 1 tbsp
• Stainless Steel Laddle 

Method:

1. Take a sauce pan and add the chopped tomatoes, soaked tamarind and add little water to it. Cook till the tomatoes get mushy and water is reduced
2. Now strain the tomatoes and tamarind into another pan and mash it with a spoon.
3. Add 3 cups of water to the strained pulp.
4. To this add Turmeric, chilli powder, pepper powder, salt, few curry leaves, some chopped coriander; give it a nice boil for about 2 to 3 minutes on high flame.
5. Take a laddle, add the ingredients listed in the tempering column. Add the remaining chopped coriander leaves and its ready.

Rice and Rasam are like made for each other. Easy to digest and even babies above 1 year also can eat it. Just that spice levels need to be adjusted. 

Serve this with pappad or Aloo (Potato Fry).

Serves 2 to 3 persons

Tomato Pappu/ Tomato Dal

Tomato Pappu / Tomato Dal

This recipe is my favourite Pappu / Dal and I used to ask my mother to prepare this often for me. My mother used to prepare in the below mentioned method. This is easy to make and goes well with rice or ghee rice.

 Ingredients :

• Toor Dal 1/2 cup (used 160 ml cup)
• Tomatoes Medium sized 3 to 4 nos chopped
• Onion Medium sized 1 no chopped 
• Green Chillies 2 nos slitted
• Tamarind Gooseberry size (soak in  1/2 cup of water)
• Chilli Powder 1/2 to 3/4 tsp (vary according to spice level)
• Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
• Water 1.5 cups 
• Fresh Coriander Leaves Chopped

For Tempering/Thadka

• Garlic 3 to 4 pods
• Curry Leaves few
• Dry Red Chilli 1 to 2 nos
• Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp
• Methi seeds a pinch
• Asofetida a pinch
• Oil

Method:

1. Take a pressure cooker ,add the washed dal and water to it. give 5 to 6 whistels so that it gets cooked nicely.
2. Take a pan ,add oil to it. Add Mustard seeds, Cumin Seeds,Methi seeds,Curry leaves,Dry red chilli,Asofetida, Turmeric, Chillii powder and chopped onions. 
3. Saute the onions for about 5 to 7 minutes then add the chopped tomatoes. Let it fry it the tomatoes are mushy.
4. Add the cooked dal and the squeezed Tamarind water. 
5. Give it a nice boil for couple of minutes; finally add salt and chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Serve it with Pappad or Aloo fry. 

Methi Chicken/ Menthikura Chicken

Ingredients

• Chicken- 500 gms
• Onions -1 big sized (sliced)
• Ginger garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp (can be adjusted according to one's spice levels)
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1 tsp
• Bay Leaves -2 small
• Methi Leaves - 1 medium bunch 
• Chopped Coriander Leaves 
• Salt - As per taste
• Oil - 3 tbsps

For Grinding

• Tomatoes - 3 Medium sized
• Onion - 1 Medium sized
• Cashew Nuts - 4 to 5 nos
• Coconut Fresh scrapped - 2 tbsps
• Whole Garam Masala - Cardamom- 2 nos, Cloves - 3 to 4 nos, Cinnamon - 1.5 inch stick, Marathi Mogga (Kopak Buds) -2 nos, Mace Flower - 1 no, Coriander Seeds - 1.5 tsps, Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp, Star Anise - 1 no, 

To Marinate 

• Turmeric 1/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder 1/4 tsp
• Ginger garlic Paste 1/4 tsp

Method

                                               

1. Clean and rinse chicken. 
2. Add the ingredients listed in the Marination section and marinate it for 1/2 hr. 
3. Grind all the ingredients listed in the for grinding section.
4. Add 3 tbsps of oil in a pan or a pressure cooker. 
5. Add bayleaves, oinions and saute it till it turns slightly brown. 
6. To this add the ginger garlic paste and saute it till the raw smell goes off. 
7. Now to this add the grinded paste and fry it till the oil oozes out. 
8. Add the chicken to this and mix it thoroughly. 
9. Now add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and mix it nicely. 
10. Add sufficient water and close the lid. 
11. If it is made in a pressure cooker give 3 to 4 whistles. 
12. After the chicken is done add the garam masala powder and Methi Leaves and cook it till the oil gets separated. 
13. Add Coriander leaves (optional) at the end.

Methi Chicken goes well with Plain Rice, Vegetable Pulav, Chapathi, Phulka. 

Tomato Pappu Recipe (How to make Andhra Style Tomato Dal)

How to make Tomato Pappu/ Andhra Style Tomato Dal

Ingredients

• Tur dal 1/2 cup
• Tomatoes Medium sized 3 to 4 nos
• Onion medium sized 1 no
• Green chillies 2 nos
• Tamarind small lemon sized (optional)
• Chilli powder 1 tsp or as per ur taste
• Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
• Salt as per taste

For Tempering

• Oil 1 tblspn
• Mustard Seeds 1/2 tspn
• Jeera Seeds 1/2 tspn
• Methi Seeds 1/4 tspn (optional)
• Curry Leaves - few
• Dry Red Chillies 2 nos
• Garlic 3 to 4 cloves (slightly crushed)
• Fresh Coriander

Method

Take a pressure pan or cooker; wash the Tur dal and soak it with enough water to cook it. Now add cubed tomatoes, onion, slit green chillies, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and washed tamarind (put it in a small bowl). Pressure cook the ingredients along with the dal for 5 to 6 whistles.

After cooling the pressure cooker take out the tamarind bowl and green chillies from the dal, mash the dal with a masher or whisk it nicely. Put the tamarind and green chillies back in the dal. Take another pan, add oil to it. Now add the ingredients listed in the tempering and bring the dal to boil for 3 to 4 minutes and sprinkle with fresh chopped coriander. This goes well with Rice and Chapathi as well.

Serves 2 to 3 people