GARELU WITH COCONUT CHUTNEY

Ulli Garelu (Andhra Vada)

A festive treat especially made for the sons in law of our family. Garelu, also called vada make a perfect combination with kodi koora or kobbari pacchadi (coconut chutney). In my first few days every time I make the dish, it was a disaster. Later I learned the right way from my mother in law.

Ingredients

minapappu (whole urad dal) - 2 cups

onions - 4 finely chopped

green chillies - 7 finely chopped

coriander leaves - 1 small bunch finely chopped

jeera - 2 tsps

salt to taste.

oil for deep frying.

Preparation:

1. Soak minapappu in water for about 4-5 hours/overnight. Drain water completely.

2. Grind minapappu in a mixer/blender without adding water to tight paste. The batter must be thick that when you make vada's they should not run out of shape.

3. Remove and add salt, jeera, chopped onions, green chillies, coriander leaves and mix well.

4. Heat a deep pan with oil.

5. For making the vada's you can use your hands or a thick polythene sheet. Back at home in India, we use plantain leaves (arati akulu) to make these vada's.

6. Take a small ball of batter on to your left hand, pat into round shape and make a hole in the center.

7. Drop gently into hot oil from the sides. Fry till golden brown turning them both sides.

8. Serve hot with coconut chutney(recipe given below) or kodi koora.

Kobbari Pacchadi (coconut chutney)

Ingredients:

grated coconut - 1 cup

green chillies - 10 (slit length wise)

minapappu - 2 tb sp

jeera - 1 tb sp

dhaniyalu - 1 tb sp (coriander seeds)

garlic - 2 cloves

a small ball of tamarind

oil - 2 tsps

for seasoning

dried red chillies - 3 (broken to small pieces)

mustard seeds - 1 tsp

jeera - 1 tsp

minapappu - 1 tb sp (urad dal)

curry leaves - 2 sprigs

oil - 1 tsp

Preparation

1. Heat 2 tsps of oil in a pan, add urad dal, jeera, dhaniyalu, green chillies and crushed garlic. Fry till golden brown. Remove and allow to cool.

2. Grind the above with coconut, tamarind and salt to taste.

3. Do the popu, by heating 1 tsp of oil in a pan, adding minapappu,mustard sees, jeera, curry leaves, dried red chillies. Add this to ground chutney.

4. Goes well with all tiffins like vada, dosa, idli etc.,