Majjiga Pulusu/Majjiga Charu (Spicy yoghurt stew)

This is a simple and delicious dish that is cooked in andhra homes. There are lot more variations in cooking this dish. Today I was a bit busy with my other household chores so had to opt for a simple yet tasty recipe and here goes ....

Plain yoghurt/Curd - 1 cup

Water - 1/2 cup

Medium size onions - 2 (finely chopped)

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dried red chillies - 4

Green chillies - 4 (finely chopped)

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Coriander leaves - a small bunch (finely chopped)

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tsps

How to ....

1. Beat the curds and water together softly without lumps or blend it in a mixer for about 30 seconds.

2. Add turmeric, chopped onions, green chillies to the beaten curds and mix well.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add jeera, mustard seeds, dried red chillies, curry leaves and fry for about a minute on low flame then switch off.

4. Add this tadka to the beaten curds, mix and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

5. Serve with rice and sun dried chillies (majjiga mirapakayalu/challa mirapakayalu).

Vegetable Curry Puffs

A tea time snack which I loved since my childhood. I was'nt aware of the fact that curry puffs are of malaysian origin until I stepped in singapore. I loved to eat these puffy pies stuffed with chicken and potato at old chang kee, singapore. As I sat there thinking what to cook for hubby dear's evening munch, this cute puffy snack came to my mind and here I go ......

All I needed was ....

Potatoes - 2 Large

Green peas - 1 cup

Onions - 2 medium (chopped)

Frozen puff pastry sheets - 2

chillie powder - 1 tbsp

coriander powder - 1 tsp

garam masala - 1 tsp

amchur (dry mango powder) - 1/2 tbsp

lemon juice - 1 tbsp

salt to taste

oil - 2 tsp

And this is how ....

1. Boil potatoes, peel off the skin, mash and keep aside.

2. Boil green peas till soft and set aside.

3. Heat oil in a kadhai, add onions and fry till soft.

4. Once onions turn soft, add boiled green peas and for 2 minutes on medium flame stirring in between.

5. Add chillie powder, garam masala, coriander powder, salt, amchur and fry for 2 minutes.

6. Add mashed potatoes, mix well and allow to cook for about 5-6 mts on low flame.



7. Switch off the flame, add lime juice, mix well and allow to cool while we get ready with the puff pastry sheets.

8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

9. Take out 2 frozen puff pastry sheets, place them on an oven proof tray. Place in the oven for about 10 seconds to allow the pastry sheets turn soft.

10. Cut the puff pastry sheets to 8 equal pieces.

11. Take a puff pastry piece, place a spoonful of curry in the centre. Seal it on top with another piece of puff pastry.

12. Gently cover all the four sides of the puff so that the curry does'nt pop out during baking time.

13. In the same way prepare remaining puffs and place them on a greased tray.

14. Bake these in the preheated oven for 20 mts till the puffs turn golden brown.

15. Serve hot with tomato or chillie ketchup.

Strawberry and Melon Salad

"Spring Is In The Air", feel it, hear it, smell it and taste it says Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey. This dish that am gonna present today is my entry for the Monthly Mingle event started by Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey. A simple quick and easy fruit salad to windup a meal or as a starter too. I've picked this recipe from hemu a good friend of mine.

We need ....

Fresh Strawberries - 1 cup (cut into two halves)

Cantaloupe -1

Honey dew - 1

Water Melon - 1/2

Lemon juice - 1

Honey - 1 tbsp

Water - 1 tbsp

Fresh Mint - 1 tbsp Finely chopped (optional)

Melon ball scoop

How to....

1. Discard the seeds of the watermelon and set aside.

2. Use a melon baller and scoop out the watermelon, honey dew and cantaloup into balls. Alternatively a knife can be used to peel of the skin and cut the fruit to cubes.

3. Arrange the fruit balls in a fruit bowl.

4. Take the stems of the strawberries, rinse and cut them to two halves then arrange them on top of the fruit balls.

5. Mix lemonjuice and honey together with one tbsp of water and pour it over the fruit balls.

6. Mix gently. Sprinkle chopped mint on top of the fruit. Serve cold.

Spicy Radish Fry

A delicious accompaniment that perks up any meal. Radish can be replaced with potatoes, plantain, taro root too. The final color and texture of this fry depends on how well you brown the onions. Add onions after the oil is hot. Stir the onions only occasionally. Make sure the radish is brushed well as we don't peel of the skin for cooking this dish. Now lets jump to the recipe.

red radish - 6 (cut into 1/4 inch slices)

Onions - 2 medium (cut lengthwise)

Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Crushed red pepper - 1 tbsp

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Garlic - 3 cloves

Ginger - 1/2 tsp coarsely ground

Dried Red chillie - 1

Green chilly - 1 (slit into two)

1. Boil the radish slices for about 6-8 mts. Over boiling turns them mushy.

2. Heat oil in a deep kadhai. Lower the heat and add cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried red pepper, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, garlic cloves and coarsely ground ginger paste.

2. Fry for about a minute, then add onions and fry till golden brown.

3. Add boiled radish slices, dried red chillie, green chillie, coriander. mix well. Cover and cook for 3 mts on low flame. Remove the lid and cook for about 4 mts.

4. Serve hot with rice or as accompaniment with dal or any other curry.

Gummadikaya Pulusu ~ Pumpkin Stew

Gummadikaya, also called as squash is usually orange in color when ripe. Tastes heavenly when served along with steamed rice, mudda pappu and vadiyalu. Here is how we cook this dish.

We need....

Pumpkin - 2 cups diced (remove the seeds and cut them to cubes)

Green chillies - 3 slit into two each

Dried Red chillies - 2

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch (finely chopped)

Garlic - 3 cloves and Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 small tsp (crush coarsely together)

Jaggery - 1 cup (grated/powdered)

Onions - 5 medium size (diced)

Tamarind - 1 big lemon sized (soaked in about 1/4 cup water)

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Chillie powder - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsps


How to....

1. In a sauce pan heat 1 tbsp of oil and fry half the diced onions till the raw smell disappears and the onions start
changing their color.

2. Transfer the fried onions from the pan to a plate, allow to cool and grind them to paste without adding water. Set
aside.

3. Add remaining oil (1 tbsp) to the sauce pan. Once the oil is hot, add green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves and
fry for about 2 mts on medium flame till the chillies turn their color.

4. Add remaining diced onions and turmeric. Fry till soft and the onions turn light golden brown.

5. Add diced pumpkin, salt and chillie powder. Mix well and cover the pan with lid. Allow the diced pumpkin
cubes to turn soft on medium flame. This would take about 6-8 mts.

6. Remove the lid, add ground onion paste and 2 cups of water. mix well.

7. Squeeze pulp from soaked tamarind and add it to water.

8. Add powdered jaggery and bring to boil.

9. Add coarsely crushed garlic and jeera to it, mix and simmer the flame. Allow to cook for about 10 mts with

lid covered till the stew turns a little thick resembling the consistency of a cream soup. Keep stirring in

between.

9. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with a dollop of ghee, rice, mudda pappu and papads/vadiyalu.

Beerakaya-Nuvvulu koora (Ridge gourd-Sesame seeds Curry)

This is a simple quick and easy dish prepared with ridge gourd. I love the mild sweet taste of this veggie when cooked, and has been my all time favourite.

We need ...

Ridge gourd - 1

sesame seeds -1 cup

Dried Red chillies - 4

Green chillies - 3 (slit lenghtwise)

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch

Onions - 2 medium size (cut lengthwise)

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsps

How to....

1. Peel the skin of ridge gourd and cut them to small cubes.

2. Heat a tava, fry sesame seeds and dried red chillies on medium flame without oil till the seeds turn to light golden brown in color. Turn of the flame and allow to cool.

3. Grind the sesame seeds and dried red chillies to coarse powder and set aside. Left over powder after cooking this curry can be stored in an airtight container for further use.

4. Heat oil in in a kadhai, add green chillies fry for few seconds, add curry leaves followed by onions and turmeric. Allow the onions to turn to golden brown.

5. Add ridge gourd cubes, salt to taste and allow to cook on low flame with lid covered till the ridge gourd pieces turn soft. Once soft remove the lid and allow to cook on medium flame for about 3 mts.

6. Add 3 tbsps of ground sesame-redchillie powder mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.

7. Serve hot with rice and papad.

Radish - Green Peas Curry

Last few weeks since my landing up at florida was so busy setting up our home that I was looking at some fast lternatives to fix up our meal. Here comes another easy recipe that goes well with breads.

I loved cooking this dish with those cute little red ones that I bought at Walmart the other day and yes they don't take much time for cooking too. Thats what I need right now. Now lets get on to the show...

We need ....

Radish - 5 (cut into cubes)

potato - 1 (cut into cubes)

Onions - 2 (chopped)

Green peas - 1 cup (boiled)

Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch

Tomato - 1(puree in a grinder)

Garlic - 2 cloves

Ginger - small piece

Bay leaf - 1

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Chillie powder - 2 tbsps

turmeric - one small pinch

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Water - 1 cup

How to ...

1. Heat oil in a kadhai, add bay leaf,chopped onions, turmeric and fry till soft.

2. Add cubed potato and radish pieces, mix well and cover with lid. Allow to cook on low flame till they turn soft.

3. Grind ginger and garlic to paste and set aside.


4. Once the pieces turn soft add green peas,ginger & garlic paste,salt to taste,garam masala and fry for about 2 mts.

5. Add chillie powder,tomato puree and a cup of water. Mix well and allow to cook on medium flame till thick gravy is formed.

6. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rotis.

Back to blogging again!

Aratikaya Masala Vepudu (Plantain Masala Fry)

Huh! finally back to blogging after a short break. Short break! you must be wondering :) yeah I know. Just kidding! Well anyways am back.

Feeling lazy today, I was thinking of what to cook for lunch and here came to my rescue this plantain lying down in my fridge. I've always loved this vegetable for its mild sweet taste when cooked. Ok! All set. Now here goes the recipe .....

What we need.....

Plantain - 1

Onion - 1

Ginger - Small piece

Garlic - 4 Cloves

Cloves - 4

Cinannmon stick - Small piece

Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Chillie powder - 2 tbsps

Oil - 5- 6 tsps

Salt to taste

How to .....

1. Grind onions, ginger, garlic, cloves, cinannmon,elaichi, coriander seeds, jeera to paste without adding any water.

2. Wash the plantain and peel of the skin.

2. Cut it to semi-circle pieces.

3. Heat oil in a kadhai, add curry leaves and plantain pieces.

4. Allow the plantain to cook in low flame with lid covered till the pieces turn soft.

5. Remove the lid and allow them to turn a little crispy frying now and then.

6. Once the plantain pieces are soft and start turning color to light brown add the ground paste, turmeric, salt and continue frying in low flame till the raw smell disappears and the pieces turn crispy. Add a tsp of oil if required.

7. Once the pieces turn crispy and golden brown in color add chillie powder, mix well and turn off the flame.

8. Serve hot with rice. This tastes very good when accompanied with dal, rasam or sambhar.