Mamidikaya pappu / Raw mango dal

Ingredients:

Toor dal (kandi pappu) : 1 cup
Raw mango pieces : 2 big cups
Red chili powder : 1 tsp (adjust to ur taste)
onion : 1/2 cup chopped into big pieces
turmeric : pinch

For tempering:

mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
cumin : 1/2 tsp
garlic cloves : 3
dry red chillies : 2 or 3
curry leaves : few
turmeric : pinch
salt : 1tsp or to taste

Wash and place the dal in a pressure cooker. Now add the mango pieces and red chili powder along with cut onions. Add some water and a pinch of turmeric and cook till the dal becomes soft and mushy.It takes about 3 whistles in the pressure cooker. Let it cool down and then remove the lid and mash it with the masher. Add the salt and adjust it to ur taste.

Now take a small pan and heat some oil and when it becomes hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, now add the cumin and garlic cut into small pieces and red chillies and curry leaves along with little turmeric and pour it over the dal . Mix well and serve either with roti or rice. Tastes heavenly when served with ghee, papad and pickle.

Bachali koora pappu / malabar spinach dal

Ingredients:

Toor dal (kandi pappu) : 1 cup
Bachali koora / malabar spinach leaves : 2 big cups
tamarind : small lemon size
green chillies : 10 (adjust to ur spice level) cut into pieces
onion : 1/2 cup chopped into big pieces
turmeric : pinch

For tempering:

mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
cumin : 1/2 tsp
garlic cloves : 3
dry red chillies : 2 or 3
curry leaves : few
turmeric : pinch
salt : 1tsp or to taste

Wash and place the dal in a pressure cooker. Now add the leaves and cut green chillies along with tamarind and cut onions. Add some water and a pinch of turmeric and cook till the dal becomes soft and mushy.It takes about 3 whistles in the pressure cooker. Let it cool down and then remove the lid and mash it with the masher. Add the salt and adjust it to ur taste.

Now take a small pan and heat some oil and when it becomes hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, now add the cumin and garlic cut into small pieces and red chillies and curry leaves along with little turmeric and pour it over the dal . Mix well and serve either with roti or rice.

Tomato bath

Ingredients :

Sooji : 1 cup

water : 1.5 cups

tomatoes : 1 cup chopped

onions : 1/4 cup chopped finely

oil : 1 tbsp

mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp

chana dal : 1 tsp

urad dal : 1/2 tsp

curry leaves : few

coriander leaves : few

peanuts : 2 tsp

dry red chilies : 4

turmeric : 1/8 tsp

red chili powder : 1/2 tsp

salt : to taste

First dry roast the sooji and keep aside. Now heat the oil in the pan and when hot add in the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Now add in the chana dal, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves, peanuts, coriander leaves, dry red chilies and turmeric. Add the onions and cook till they become golden brown in color. Now add the tomatoes and cook till they become soft. Add in the red chili powder and salt. Add water. Bring it to a boil and add in the sooji. Keep mixing while adding the sooji in order to avoid lumps being formed. Close the pan with a lid and cook on low flame for about 5 minutes. Switch off the stove. Serve hot with any pickle and a slice of lime.

Chikkudu kaya koora / Broad bean curry

Ingredients :

Chikkudu kaya / broad beans : 1 lb
onions : 1/2 cup chopped finely
red chili powder : 1 tsp
coriander powder : 1/2 tsp
salt : to taste
oil : 1 tbsp
mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
chana dal : 1 tsp
urad dal : 1 tsp
ginger garlic paste : 1/2 tsp
sesame seeds powder : 2 tsp
curry leaves : few
turmeric : 1/4 tsp
coriander leaves : few for garnishing

First pressure cook the broad beans in the pressure cooker for about one whistle after cutting them into bite size pieces. Drain the water and keep aside. In a big pan add in the oil. Add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Add in the chana dal, urad dal, cumin, curry leaves and turmeric in the same order. Now add in the onions and cook till the onions become light brown in color. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw flavour goes away. Add the red chili powder, salt and sesame seed powder. Mix well. Now add the broad beans and fry for some time. Lastly add in the coriander powder and switch off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot either with rice or rotis.

Ponganalu / Gunta punugulu

Ingredients :

Urad dal : 1 cup

raw rice : 2 cups

salt : to taste

First wast the rice and dal and soak in water for about 6 hours. Grind it into a fine paste and add the salt. Now allow it to ferment for about 8 hours in a warm place. Next heat the ponganala pennam / mould. When hot pour the batter into the holes and keep it covered for a while. Then invert them and let it cook for some more time. Remove onto plates and serve hot with peanut chutney.

Note : Some of them like to add the chopped onions, green chilies and coriander leaves to the batter and then make these so that they can be eaten without the chutney.

Pappu charu / Toor dal rasam

Ingredients :

Toor dal : 1 cup

green chillies : 3 or 4 depending on hotness

tamarind : small lime size

dry red chillies : 4

mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp

garlic : 2 or 3 pods

turmeric : 1/8 tsp

jaggery : 1/8 cup powdered

curry leaves : few

salt : as per taste

oil : 1 tbsp

First wash and boil the toor dal in a pressure cooker along with the garlic pods and 1/4 tsp cumin seeds. Then mash the dal into a fine paste and add water to make it into pouring consistency. Soak the tamarind in water for about 15 min and squeeze out the pulp and keep aside. In a pan heat the oil and when hot add in the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Next add in the dry red chillies, cumin, curry leaves ,turmeric and green chillies. Next add the tamarind extract and bring it to boil. Now add the toor dal, salt and jaggery and bring it to a nice boil over slow flame. Serve hot with plain rice.

Kakara kaya / Bitter gourd fry

Ingredients :

Kakarakaya / Bitter gourd : 2 lb

oil : for deep frying

red chili powder : 1 tsp

coriander powder : 1/2 tsp

putnalu / dalia powder : 3 tsp

sugar : 1 tsp

salt : as per taste

First wash and peel the bitter gourd. Now slice them into thin slices as u do for salads. Remove any bigger seeds in between. Deep fry these slices in oil until golden brown in color and immediately sprinkle all the other ingredients giving a nice mix so that all the ingredients are coated onto the fried slices. Continue with the remaining slices if any. Serve with rice or as a side dish.

Note : U cannot use the remaining oil for any other purpose as it tastes bitter. So discard the remaining oil.

potato jamoon

Ingredients :

potatoes : 2 or 3 big

maida : 1/2 cup

sugar : 2 cups

cardamom powder : a pinch

edible camphor : a pinch

saffron : a pinch

oil : for deep frying

First boil the potatoes and mash them into fine paste. Now make the sugar syrup by adding little water to the sugar and boiling it till u get one string consistency. Add in the cardamom, edible camphor and saffron to it and switch off the stove. Add the maida and make a dough similar to the poori dough. Now make small balls out of the dough and deep fry them in medium hot oil. Immediately put them in the sugar syrup and remove them after they increase in volume. The potato jamoons are ready to be served.