naa vantillu- My Kitchen....my Entity

TAMARIND RICE-CHINTAPANDU PULIHORA

kpushkala — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:27:43 +0000

Chintapandu Pulihora

This is the most famous vantakam(delicacy) in Andhra which is cooked for almost every festival.It is everyone’s favourite.My husband dotes on it anytime.It also holds a special place in my heart as the first recipe i have learnt from my mom.It mainly consists of Tamarind and Rice.This is also fondly called travel food as it stays longer and can be taken when in tours.Every house has its own version of this recipe.

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup

Tamarind/chintapandu – A big lime sized soaked in lukewarm water

Turmeric Powder /Pasupu – 2 tbsp

Ground nuts/ veru senaga gullu – a handful

Green Chillies/Pachi mirchi – 3 slit

Red Chillies/ endu mirchi – 3

Chana Dal/ Senaga Pappu -2 tbsp

Minapappu/Urad dal – 1 tbsp

Jeera/Jeelakarra – 2 tsp

Mustard Seeds/Aavalu – 2 tsp

Asofoetida/Inguva/Hing -A Pinch

Curry Leaves/Karivepaku – 2 stalks

Salt & Oil – As Required

Procedure:

Cook the Rice.add salt,turmeric powder(1 tbsp) and 2 tbsp oil,mix well and keep aside.Take a Sauce pan and add 2 tbsp oil in it.Add hing,Ground nuts,chana dal,urad dal,Jeera,Mustard seeds,red chillies,curry leaves,turmeric powder(1 tbsp).When they splutter (do not blacken them) add half of it to the Rice mixture.Now take the tamarind extract and pour it in the Sauce pan(it must be little watery).Keep on low flame and let this cook till it become thick.It might take 10 to 15 mins.Now add the thick mixture to the rice evenly checking the salt and adding if required.If its not that tangy,add few drops of lemon juice and mix.

JAI SRI RAM……….HAPPY RAMA NAVAMI

kpushkala — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:00:57 +0000

SRI RAMA NAVAMI

Another festival in our lives to pray,work,understand,support,cook,laugh,dress up and stay together as always.Every festival brings a radiant smile on our faces as we work together to make our life together a success with occasional events like these to cherish in our hearts!!It is our fourth Rama Navami and we remain the same,exuberant and enthusiastic to celebrate it as always with a platter of offerings to Lord Rama and gain His blessings:-)My husband helped me with the kitchen preparations as always but with an extra effort,this time!!We made panakam,vadapappu,purnam burelu( together),pulihora and daddojanam.I couldn’t decorate the Lord as we do in India,as we were short of flowers here.I lit the lamp and a couple of dhoop sticks and offered the holy prasadam to the Lord.Here is the prasadam i made on this occasion.

CHAKKERA PONGALI-An offering to God

kpushkala — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:11:09 +0000

Chakkera Pongali

This is my second attempt to attain perfection and it came out well.I am more than happy and eager to post the recipe.My mother makes it very well but never allowed me to enter the kitchen while she was cooking cos she wanted to avoid double work!!Though i didn’t have dry coconut this time,i managed with grated coconut.Still,i miss the ghee smeared coconut pieces:-( Anyways,the sweet came out more than expected and i am satisfied with what i made:)Here’s the recipe……It can be slightly liquidy when you make but become thicker after some time.

Ingredients:

Rice – 1Cup

Moong Dal/Pesara pappu – ½ cup

Jaggery powder/Bellam turumu -1Cup(It can be replaced with 1½ cups Sugar)

Milk – 2 Cups

Water – 1 Cup

Grated coconut/kobbari turumu – 1/4th Cup

Dry coconut pieces/Endu kobbari mukkalu -1/3rd cup

Cashews & Kismis – 2tbsp each

Cardomom powder/Elaichi powder – 1 tsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Procedure:

Soak Moong dal in water for 15 mins.Now take a thick bottomed pan,add rice(washed thoroughly) and moong dal,milk and water and bring to boil on a very low flame.Keep stirring without allowing it to burn at the bottom.After it is 3/4th done,Add Grated coconut,Jaggery or Sugar and keep stirring until it dissolves completely.Add Cardomom powder at this point.Now take a small pan,add ghee and when its hot,add dry coconut,cashews and kismis and fry them.Remove it from fire and pour it into the rice mixture.Mix it thoroughly and serve it hot!!

The whole procedure takes nearly 1 hour.It serves 5 people.

Mirchi Bajji-My All time Favourite!!

kpushkala — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:19:39 +0000

Mirchi Bajji

This is my all-time favourite snack which i throng upon whenever i hit the shopping streets of my hometown-Vijayawada.After coming to Finland,i really missed this when i was learning to cook.I didn’t have the courage to try it and lose my love for it.After 2 years of cooking life,I have started making it on my own by adding my own flavours like chat masala to it and it comes out very well whenever i do it!!Yummy!!!But the streetwalla’s bajji remains my all time favourite!

Ingredients:

Long Green chillies/Pedda pachi mirchi-10 nos.

Tamarind paste/Chintapandu gujju-1/4th cup

Ajwain/Vaamu-3tbsp

Gram Flour/Besan/Senaga Pindi-½ cup

Salt-As required

Soda-A pinch

Water to make the batter

Oil for Frying

Onions/ullipayalu-Cut into very small pieces-2

Coriander(finely cut)-For garnishing

Chat Masala-To Garnish

Lemon Juice-For Garnishing

Procedure:

Take the Green chillies,wash them,slit them and remove the seeds inside them.Now fill the slit chillies with Ajwain and Tamarind Paste(the paste need not be very thick) and keep aside for 1 hour.Take Gram flour,add salt and soda to it and make a batter which is not very watery as well as thick.Heat oil for frying.Take each chilli,dip it in the batter and drop it immediately into the oil.Fry all the them and spread on a paper towel.Now make a slit on these bajjis and fill them with cut onions.Garnish with Coriander and Chat masala.Pour Lemon juice over them before eating!!

UGADI Pachadi-A Good Start

kpushkala — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:10:20 +0000

UGADI PACHADI

I have been thinking about creating a blog of mine and have been successfully postponing the attempt.Somehow,I wanted to start this on an auspicious day and Ugadi came in right time.I have also gained some confidence that I can cook decently well!!I just wanted to note all my recipes in some place,but book was far to think cos of the weight constraints we always have.Next thing that came to my mind was a food blog that serves my purpose as well as some enthusiastic to-be cooks:)I may not be the greater cook but an enthusiatic one who loves to learn,experiment and try constantly till the perfect shot is given!I am also a confused one, forgetful sometimes and this is my cooking notes!!

I want to start the blog with Ugadi Pachadi which has all the six flavours/tastes(fondly called shadruchulu in Telugu) of cooking-sweet,sour,salt,tangy,bitter & hot!!

INGREDIENTS :

Tamarind Pulp in water /chintapandu rasam-1/4th Cup(tangy/pulupu)

Jaggery/bellam – neem sized powdered(sweet/teepi)

Neem Flowers/vepa pulu – 2 tbsp(Bitter/chedu)

Chilli powder/karam podi – 1pinch(hot/karam)

Salt/uppu – 1 pinch(salt/uppu)

Small Mango cut into very small pieces/mamidikaya mukkalu -1/4th cup(sour/vagaru)

Fruits cut into pieces for taste-Banana/sapota/Dates etc

PROCEDURE :

Mix all these ingredients in a bowl and take a spoonful!!

Hello world!

kpushkala — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:37:37 +0000

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!