Anapakaya, alu and vankaya thalimpu (Flat beans, potato and brinjal sabji)

Another dish with avarekayi. We can make this dish with variety of vegetable combinations. I use vegetables based on seasonal availability. Some yummy combinations:

1. Alu, brinjal and drumstick
2. Heerekayi and Avarekayi/Thogarikayi (Ridge gourd and flat beans/tuvar lilva)
3. Thogarikayi, Alu and badanekayi (tuvar lilva, alu and brinjal)
and many more...... Will keep posting as i prepare

ANAPAKAYA, ALU AND VANKAYA THALIMPU:

Ingredients:

100 gms Anapakaya/Avarekai/Flat beans
2 medium sized alu (cut lengthwise)
4-5 green round brinjals (cut lengthwise)
2 medium sized onions
3 tomatoes
7 cloves of garlic
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp dhania powder
a pinch of turmeric
1 tsp mustard
curry leaves
coriander leaves (dhania leaves/cilantro)
salt to taste

Method of preparation:

I use the pressure cooker instead of pan as it saves time and i don't have to keep stirring it.

1. Heat oil, splutter mustard, Add garlic, add onions and fry till translucent
2. Add the curry leaves and fry for a minute. Now add the tomatoes.
3. Fry the tomatoes for a minute and add the flat beans. Fry for 2 minutes and then add alu and brinjal.
4. Mix well and fry for a minute.
5. Add all the spice powders and coriander leaves, a little water. Check taste and close the cooker lid.
6. Cook for a whistle. Open the lid when the pressure goes down. there will be a little water in the vegetable so cook the vegetable without the lid for a further 2 minutes till the vegetable is semi dry. Take care not to stir it a lot as it will mash the vegetables.

Enjoy this with hot rice, chapathi or as a side dish for rasam rice.

Bangala Dumpa Puttu (Potato dry sabji)

There are so many different ways of preparing potato dry dish. The recipe given below is my favorite. This combined with dal and rice is comfort food for me.

BANGALA DUMPA PUTTU:

Ingredients:

1/2 kg potatoes (boiled and cubed)
2 medium sized onions
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp dhania powder
a pinch of turmeric
curry leaves
salt to taste
Oil

Method of Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a kadai, add urad dal and as it grows slightly brown splutter mustard.
2. Add the onions and fry till they are translucent.
3. Now, add the curry leaves and all the spice powders.
4. Add the boiled and cubed potatoes and mix well.
5. Fry well stirring gently.

Goes very well with dal rice and rasam rice.

Masala Pongal

I call this pongal because of the main ingredient moong dal which is used in this. This is a slight variation of the traditional pongal and it also dry whereas pongal is semi-liquid. A one dish meal on lazy days.

MASALA PONGAL:

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1/2 cup moong dal
1 inch cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
2 tbsp grated coconut
2 medium sized onions (sliced)
2 tomatoes (cut)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp jeera powder
1/2 tbsp pepper powder
5-6 green chillies
curry leaves
dhania leaves (coriander/cilantro)
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
4 cups of water (the rice i use needs 1:3 proportion of rice to water)


Method of preparation:

1. Wash the rice and dal seperately and keep aside.
2. Heat oil. Add clove and cinnamon, fry onions till translucent. Add chili, ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes.
3. Add curry leaves and stir fry for a minute and then add tomatoes and fry for a further min.
4. Now add the drained dal to this and fry for a minute. Add the spice powders to this and stir fry. Add the rice to this and mix well. Now add water and either pressure cook to 2 whistles or cook it in a rice cooker.

Bendakaya Pulusu (Okra Curry)

This is an okra recipe prepared using coconut.... Very quick and easy to prepare....

Bendakaya Pulusu:

Ingredients:

1/4 kg Okra/lady finger
1/2 cup coconut
1 medium sized onions or 8-10 shallots (sambhar onions)
12-14 cloves garlic
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tbsp dhania powder
a pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
curry leaves
lemon sized ball of tamarind


Preparation:

1. Cut okra into 2-3 inch pieces. Roast this in a tsp oil till it turns slightly brown.
2. Peel garlic, cut onions into small pieces (if using shallots, then skin them and keep it whole)
3. Blend coconut, chilli powder, dhania powder, turmeric, salt and tamarind to a smooth paste using a little water.
4. Heat the oil, splutter mustard seeds and fry the onions and garlic. Once onion turns translucent, add the curry leaves and stir fry for a minute.
5. Add the masala paste and stir for a minute. Add water so that the masala does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
6. Add adequate water and boil the curry. Now add the fried okra and let the curry cook for 3-4 minutes.

Don't add too much water to the curry. Serve this with hot rice. Goes well with dosas and idli as well.

Avarekai Uppit

Come avarekai season and there are so many dishes which can be prepared. This is another favorite avarekai dish which is relished by everyone at home. I use the pre-roasted rava which is available in supermarkets. This helps when i'm in a hurry in the mornings getting the kids ready for school. We can also roast it before hand and store it in air-tight containers.



AVAREKAI UPPIT:



Ingredients:

1/2 cup avarekai (cooked to 1 whistle in a pressure cooker)
1 cup rava (roasted)
2 medium sized onions
4-5 green chillies
2 tsps vangi bath powder (i use MTR vangi bath masala powder)
1 tbsp urad dal
1 tsp mustard
curry leaves
dhania leaves
1 small lemon
a pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
3 tbsp oil
2.5 cup water

Preparation:

1. Cook the avarekai to one whistle in a pressure cooker.
2. Heat the oil in a kadai and add the urad dal, once it lightly browns, add the mustard.
3. Add chillies and onions. Fry the onions till it is translucent and add curry leaves.
4. Now add the flat beans (avarekai) and stir fry for a minute. Add salt and turmeric.
5. Add the vangi bath powder and stir for a minute. Add the water and let this come to a boil.
6. Once the water is boiling, add the dhania leaves.
7. Add the rava, stirring simultaneously to avoid forming lumps. Close a lid and let it cook for 2 minutes.
8. Squeeze the lemon juice and switch off the flame.

Serve this hot. I have prepared carrot raita as an accompaniment to this. Recipe for the raita is given below.

CARROT RAITA:



Ingredients:

1 big carrot
1/2 cup thick well beaten curds
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp oil
a pinch of hing.
salt to taste.

Method of preparation:

1. Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add hing and add the carrot to this.
2. Stir fry the carrot till it is cooked. This should take around 4-5 mins.
3. Add salt and switch off the flame. When it cools down, add the curds and mix well.

Curd Rice

A very simple dish which is very easy to make and is a great hit with the kids. Can be whipped up in a jiffy. You can make it even more colorful and special by adding pomegrante seeds to it.

CURD RICE:






Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1 cup curds (beaten well)
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp jeera
1 tsp urad dal
4-5 red chillies
curry leaves
salt to taste
1 tsp Oil

Preparation:

1. Heat oil and add the urad dal.
2. As the dal turns brown, add mustard, jeera and curry leaves.
3. Now add chillies and stir. As the chilli turns bright add the curds and mix.
4. Now add the rice and mix thoroughly. Add salt to taste.
5. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and pomegrante seeds in the end to make it special and colorful.

Cool this before serving. It tastes good when cold. Serve this with roasted curd chillies.

Avarekayi husuli (Flat beans salad)

Come Avarekayi (flat beans) season and every alternate day there is a dish of these beans in the menu. There are so many dishes which can be dished of these beans. Avarekayi uppit, avarekayi bath, avarekayi saaru, huli, hitak bele saaru, sihi gojju and so many more...... Below is a recipe which my kids love and a good way to get them eat their proteins.


Avarekayi Husuli:




Ingredients:

2 cups Avarekaalu (preferably the smaller green ones)
1/4 cup coconut
1 medium onion
4-5 green chillies (cut lengthwise)
curry leaves
coriander leaves
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp jeera
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste
a pinch of turmeric.
Method of Preparation:

1. Pressure cook the flat beans for 2 whistles with a little salt.
2. Drain the beans of the water.
3. Heat the oil in a kadai, splutter the mustard, add jeera to this.
4. Add the chillies and onions, stir till the onions turn translucent.
5. Add the curry leaves and stir for half a minute, add turmeric and salt. Mix well.
6. Add the cooked beans to this and mix everything well. Add the coconut and coriander leaves to it and stir this for a further 1 minute.

This goes well as a side dish or can be enjoyed individually.

Bellam Mamidakayi (Sweet Mango Relish)

This dish was usually prepared in summer when raw mangoes were available in abundance, but now mangoes are available here 10 months a year, so, it can be prepared whenever you desire for it. This dish is a delightful melange of sweet, spice and sour.

BELLAM MAMIDAKAYI (Sweeth Mango Relish):


Ingredients:
Mango (thothapuri) : 2 medium, approximately 1/2 kg.
Jaggery (Bellam in telugu) : 100 gms.
Onion : 1 medium
Chilli powder : 1 tbsp
Dhania powder : 1 tsp
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves for garnish
2 tbsp oil

Method of Preparation:

1. Finely chop onions, cut mango into 3-4 inch pieces as shown in the below picture. Discard the seed inside.



2. Heat the oil in a kadai. Splutter the mustard seeds. Fry the onions, aas it turns translucent, add the curry leaves.
3. Add the mango pieces, fry for a minute, add the spice powders and salt. Add a little water for the mango to cook.
4. Once the mango is half cooked, mix in crushed jaggery. Mix finely stirring gently.
5. Keep stirring till the mango is cooked but don't mash the mango too much.
6. Finally, add coriander leaves and switch off the flame after 1 minute of adding coriander leaves.

Serve it hot with chapathis. You can also use it as a dip for snacks. It is a huge hit with kids.

Gunta Ponganalu (Paniyaram/Paddu)

My all time favorite dish, my kids love it too.... Usually, this dish is preferably made of sour dosa or idli batter.

GUNTA PONGANALU (Paniyaram/Paddu)



Ingredients:

Dosa/Idli batter
3 medium onions
4-5 chillies (increase or decrease as per taste)
Coriander leaves
Curry leaves
1 tbsp urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
salt to taste
Oil

Preparation:

1. Cut the onions and coriander very finely. Mince the chillies roughly. Make a tempering of urad dal, mustard seeds and curry leaves.




2. Mix all the above shown ingredients together, add salt and mix the batter into this.




3. Heat the ponganalu dish (pic shown below), pour oil into the hollows of the dish. Later pour the batter. The batter usually rises as it cooks so, pour batter accordingly into the hollows.




4. After the batter rises and you see the sides browned, turn over the ponganalu.





5. Let this cook for sometime after turning it the other way. Serve it hot with chutney podi, coconut chutney or eat it as it is.

Beetroot Halwa

Yesterday, being sunday, my kids were in the mood to eat something sweet prepared by me (nothing from out, my son insisted). I wanted to prepare something fast and less tedious, so, decided on carrot halwa. There were less carrots in the fridge but found beetroots instead. So, here is my halwa recipe with beetroot which turned out very good, good enough to be cleaned off completely, instantly.

BEETROOT HALWA

Ingredients:

1/2 kg beetroot
1/4 ltr milk
50 gms unsweetened khoa (optional)
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp ghee
cashews and raisins for garnish (optional, i did not use them)

METHOD:

1. Peel the beetroot and grate it.
2. Boil the beetroot in the milk till the beetroot is cooked and milk is completely absorbed by the vegetable.
3. Heat the ghee and add the khoa, stir fry for a minute and add the cooked vegetable.
4. Stir in the sugar and fry this for 1-2 mins till the sugar is dissolved completely.
5. Add the ghee fried dried fruits for garnish.

Hurulikayi and Heerekayi Bassaru

This is an authentic Karnataka dish usually made with a variety of lentils. This dish consists of a curry made of the water which is used to cook the lentils...., hence, the name BASSARU or BASIDA SAARU which means " strained water curry " in kannada. Traditionally this was made more with horse gram (huruli kaalu) but i have tried this out with Flat beans (avarekai), heerekayi, beans and cabbage. Below is a combination of heerekayi (ridgegourd) and beans bassaru.

Sounds a tedious recipe but easy when you get the hang of preparing it and the taste makes it worth the job done..... So, enjoy.....

Hurulikayi and heerekayi bassaru (Beans and Ridge gourd curry)

Ingredients:

1/4 kg french beans
1/4 kg ridge gourd
1/2 cup tuvar dal
a pinch of turmeric
mustard seeds and curry leaves for tempering.

For the masala:

3/4 cup coconut
1/4 tsp jeera
3-4 peppercorns
1 tbsp coriander seeds (dhania)
5-6 red chillies (you can increase or decrease as per taste)
1 small size onion (sliced and fried till golden brown)
10-12 cloves garlic (fried till raw smell goes)
lemon sized ball of tamarind
salt to taste
For the palya (dry sabji):

the boiled vegetables and dal which is strained (strained water should be kept aside for the curry)
2 onions (sliced fine)
3-4 green chillies
3-4 tbsps of grated coconut
mustard seeds
curry leaves
coriander leaves for garnish
1 tbsp oil

Preparation:

1. String the beans and snap it to 1 inch pieces, lightly scrape the ridge gourd and evenly slice it to 1 inch pieces
2. Boil the daal alongwith beans and a pinch of turmeric till 3/4th done.
3. When the dal is 3/4th cooked add the ridge gourd (ridge gourd cooks relatively faster)
4. When the dal is cooked (take care to not make the dal mushy), strain the water and keep aside.

Preparing the masala:

1. Fry the onions, garlic separately. Roast the dhania, chillies, cumin, pepper separately.
2. Grind all the roasted spices, onion, garlic and coconut together with the tamarind. When grinding, add 2-3 tbsp of the cooked dal (this helps in making the curry thicker if necessary)
3. Now add this ground masala to the strained water, mix well and boil for 5-6 mins.
4. Make a tadka (hoggarane/tempering) of mustard seeds, a little hing and curry leaves and add to the curry.

Preparing the palya:

1. Heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Add onions and fry till translucent
2. Add curry leaves fry, add salt according to taste.
3. Now add the strained vegetables and stir-fry for 2 mins.
4. Add coconut and fry for a further minute.
5. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame.

This dish goes well with raagi mudde (ragi balls) and rice.

Bhindi Masala

This is my first recipe on my newly created blog. I have always loved to cook but never had the time to cook when i was working. Now with 2 kids and sitting at home, i have all the time (of course, only when kids are at school) to cook and try out my hand at new dishes i browse from different blogs. Today i decided to start my own blog and here i am with my first recipe.





BHINDI MASALA (Bendekayi gojju)

Ingredients:

1/4 kg Bhindi (Okra, bendakayi, lady finger)
3 medium onions
3 tomatoes
1 inch piece cinnamon
2 cloves
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste (u can prepare larger amount and store it in the freezer)
1 tsp (as per your taste) chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp oil
curry leaves
salt as per taste

Directions to prepare:

1. Cut bhindi into 1-1/2 inch pieces.
2. Fry them till a little brown (you can either dry fry or fry with a little oil)
3. In a kadai, add 1 tbsp oil and when the oil is hot add the cinnamon and clove to it.
4. Add onions and fry till it turns lightly translucent, then add the ginger-garlic paste.
5. Once the raw smell of paste is gone, add the curry leaves (adding curry leaves at this stage increases the flavor)
6. Add the tomatoes and fry for a minute.
7. Add all the spice powders and mix everything well and fry it. Add 5 tbsps of water and simmer it to a boil.
8. Now add the fried bhindi to this and cook for a further 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally.
9. If necessary, sprinkle finely cut coriander leaves to garnish. The dish is ready to serve.

This dish goes well with Rice and Chapathi. I also enjoy this with dosa.