Pachi Pulusu

Ingredients:
Tamarind (2 tsps/a very small ball)
Water (3-4 small cups)
Salt
Jaggery (1-2 tsp)(Depends on how sweet you like ur rasam)
Onion (1 small)
Green Chilli (2 )
Crushed Coriander seeds(1/2 tsp)
Mustard Seeds
Jeera
Hing/Vamu Seeds
Dry chilli
Turmeric
Curry Leaf
Cilantro

Method:
Cut Onions to small pieces, slit chilli vertically .Soak Tamarind in water for 20 minutes and extract the juice . Add water until it comes to the consistency of rasam. Mix ground jaggery, salt, onion, crushed Coriander seeds and add the tamarind water to it.
Take oil in a small pan for tadka, and once heated add mustard seeds, Jeera, Dry Chilli, turmeric, curry leaf and vamu seeds and let it splutter.
Add this to the rasam. Top it with some cilantro leaves.

Great with pappu beeyam, pongal and other rice dishes :-)

Pappu Beeyam

This one is from one of my very good friend, Swathi.
She learnt it from her mom, and always had her making it for me. Recently I made an attempt at it and it came out sooo soo delicious. Made Pachchi Pulusu to go with it and yummmm..... Authentic Andhra Food...:-)

Pappu Beeyam
Ingredients:
2 cup rice
1/2 cup Toor Dal(Kandi Pappu)
Carrots 2 medium
Tomatoes 3 small
Garlic, 1 lg clove
Mustard Seeds (avalu)
Jeera (jeelakarra)
Curry Leaf (karivepaku)
Green Chili 3
Dry Mirchi 2
Salt

Method:
Soak rice, dal together for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the carrots into circles or medium size pieces. Cut tomatoes medium. Slice green chillies length wise
In a pan take some oil, and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add jeera, garlic, Green Chilli and Curry leaf. Add carrots to it and let it cook for about 2 minutes, next add the tomatoes. Let it stay for a minute. Now add the carrot mix to the rice and cook it either in a pressure cooker, or a rice cooker.

Serve it plain with Ginger Pickle or with Pachi Pulusu and papads.

Tomato Dhaniyalu Charu

This Rasam is just the thing for a cold rainy day!

This one started out late one evening after a tiring day at work, as tomato pachadi and transformed into Charu.

Very simple and uses the very basic ingredients.

Ingredients:
3 Tomatoes (Small Size)
4 Green Chilli
Ginger(1 inch)
Coriander Seeds(2-tsp)
Coconut (1 tbsp)
Mustard Seeds(Avaalu)
Cumin Seeds(Jeelakarra)
Dry Red Chilli (Endu Mirapakaya)
Oil
Salt

Method:
Take the tomatoes and slit it to 4 pieces and Green Chilli in a vessel and add a small amount of water and cook it on a low heat, with the lid on.
In about 10 minutes, the tomatoes will be cooked. Run it in a blender if you like ur rasam smooth. For having a feel of tomato pieces, add the boiled green chili to Mortar pestle and pound it until its a paste(coarse or fine paste is ur choice). Add tomato pieces and break them into small pieces. Mix this with the water for rasam, and add some fresh ground coriander powder. Chop ginger pieces and add it to the pot. Let this cook until the whole mix starts to boil. Add fresh grated Coconut/Dry Coconut powder.Add salt.
In a seperate pan, add oil and once it heats up, add Mustard seeds and once they splutter, add Jeelakarra, Dry Chilli, Karivepaku. Add this seasoning the rasam, and let boil for 1-2 minutes. Add Fresh Cilantro(kothmir).

Tastes very good with rice or plain as soup. Having lots of ginger gives the spice and is the right taste on a cold soggy day!

Majjiga Pulusu

One of my Mom's recipes, and I absolutely love it! A must try.
Ingredients:
Bachali Koora (2 cups)
4 cups Sorakaya(medium size pieces)
Bendakaya ( 1 cup, cut into approx 2in length)
Majjiga (Creamy is the best)
Senagapappu ( 3tsps, soaked in water)
avalu (1 tbsp)
Minappapu
Endu mirapakayalu
karivepaku
jeelakarra
menthulu
pasupu
dhaniyalu (1/2 tsp)

Method:
Soak senagapappu in water for 1 hr
Grind the pappu, avalu, dhaniyalu, in the grinder.
Add this to the majjiga
Pressure cook bachali aaku, sorakaya
Take some oil in a pan and do a popu of avalu, senagapappu, minappapu, menthulu, endu mirapakaya, pasupu, jeelakarra. Add mirapakaya,bendakayalu and fry it for a min and on medium heat, cook it, covered with a lid. After 2-3 minutes, add the boiled veggies and add salt and cover with a lid and cook for another 5 mins. At this point add the majiiga and turn the heat on to high. In about 5 mins the liquid will rise to the top of the vessel. At this stage, turn if off and add kothmir.

Tastes very good with rice.

My First Blog Ever!

Nothing much in this blog. Just getting started. Hopefully I will kick off soon with a list of my favorite recipes.