Monday, November 30, 2015

MAMIDIKAYA PAPPU / RAW MANGO DAL (Andhra Style)


This is an authentic Andhra recipe of dal cooked with raw mango. Pappu is a thicker version of dal and is cooked either plain or with the addition of vegetables, greens or raw mango. It can be relished with plain rice and ghee along with some other side dish and fried papads.

Ingredients:
Toor dal .... 1 cup
Raw mango ... 1 small (about 1/2 cup grated or pieces)
Green chillies ... 1 -2
Turmeric powder .. 1/4 tsp
Salt ........... to taste

For tempering:
Mustard seeds ... 1 tsp
Cumin seeds ..... 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies ... 1-2
Asafoetida ....... 1 pinch
Garlic ............ 2-3 cloves (crushed)
Curry leaves .... 1 sprig



Method:
1. Clean the mango and wipe it with a cloth. Peel it and cut into small pieces or grate it.
2. Soak toor dal for 3-4 hours.
3. Pressure cook dal with mango, turmeric powder, little salt and green chillies adding 2 or 2 and 1/2 cups of water.
4. In a pan heat the oil and add the tempering ingredients. When they crackle add the crushed garlic and simmer until it becomes light brown and crispy.
Mix the tempering and dal together. Save little for garnishing before you serve.

Note: the quantity of green chillies and raw mango can be according to your liking.

Recipe Video 

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Sunday, November 29, 2015

SPICY SPINACH WITH COCONUT


Here is a recipe of delicious and spicy palak dal. The addition of coconut and red chillies gives a different touch to the usual dal palak we make. If you love spicy dishes then you must give it a try.

Ingredients:
Spinach / palak ... 2 cups
Toor dal ............. 1/2 cup
Onion ................ 1 small
Garlic.............. 3-4 cloves (crushed)
Salt ............. to taste
Turmeric powder .. 1/4 tsp
Oil ... 2-3 tbsps

For coconut masala:
Grated coconut .. 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies ... 2-3 (as per your preference)
Tamarind paste ... 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds ..... 1 tsp
Coriander seeds ... 1 tsp


Method:
1. Soak dal for 2-3 hours.
2. Dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds. Add the red chillies and roast a little.
3. Now add the grated coconut and saute for a minute.
4. Grind these adding tamarind juice and a little water. Set aside.
5. In a pressure cooker or a pan add 1 tbsp oil and saute the onion.
6. Add the spinach and dal. Cook it adding salt and sufficient water. If using a pressure cooker you will need less water.
7. Now in a small pan heat the remaining oil and fry the crushed garlic until light brown in colour.
8. Add the ground masala paste and simmer for a minute stirring it.
9. Mix the masala in the cooked dal.

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Sai Bhaji







Saturday, November 28, 2015

PUNUGULU / PUNUKULU / RICE AND LENTIL FRITTERS / COCKTAIL FRITTERS


Punugulu or punukulu is a street food from Andhra Pradesh . Small bite size fritters usually made from the left over idli / dosa batter. They can also be made from plain urad or moong dal batter. There is no particular recipe that you have to follow for this. These can be made plain or with the addition of anything you prefer like finely chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves, crushed cumin seeds, asafoetida. etc etc.. choice is yours.. I have made them with moong dal and rice batter and served with spicy coconut chilli chutney.

To make perfect and crispy punugulu make sure the batter is not too thin. If you are using left over batter and need to thicken it just add a spoonful of rice flour / urad dal powder or ground poha. If the batter is thin they tend to soak oil and if it is too thick they become hard.


Ingredients:
Moong dal ......... 1/2 cup
Rice .................. 1/4 cup
 Ginger .............. 1 tsp
Garlic ............... 1 tsp
Asafoetida ........ 1 pinch
Crushed cumin seeds .. 1 tsp
Balking powder .... 1/4 tsp
Salt ............. to taste
Oil .......... for frying.

For the chutney:
Grated coconut ... 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies .. 2-3 ( as per your liking)
Garlic ............... 1 tsp
Salt ................ to taste
Mustard seeds ... 1 tsp (for tempering)
Oil ..... 2 tsps (for tempering)
Prepare the chutney by grinding all the ingredients to a smooth paste and add the mustard seed tempering.

Method:
1. Soak the rice and dal separately for 4-5 hours.
2. Grind to a smooth batter adding little water. Mix both the batters together. Let it ferment for 5-6 hours. But if you are using only urad dal or moong dal you need not ferment. It can be fried right away like vadas.
3. When you are ready to fry add the salt, asafoetida, baking powder and crushed cumin seeds. ( and anything else you want to add)
4. Mix the batter well using your hand or a spoon for few minutes. This will make it light and fluffy.
5. meanwhile keep the oil for heating.
6. Drop small quantity of flour to make the fritters.
Serve hot with any chutney you like.


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Friday, November 27, 2015

AZUKI BEANS AND SPINACH CURRY / CHORI PALAK KI SABZI


Azuki beans or red chori are available very easily in Brazil. So we try to replace dals with them. I find them very versatile and have tried out many variations ...even the maah ki dal style. Today I have combined them with spinach. The dry version can be served with rotis or even relished as a snack by itself.

Ingredients:
Azuki beans ... 1/2 cup
Spinach / palak .. 1 cup
Onion.............. 1 medium
Green chillies ... 1-2
Garlic ,,,,,,,,,,,, 2-3 pieces
Curry leaves .... 1 sprig
Mustard seeds ... 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds ...... 1/2 tsp
Red chillies ...... 1 (broken into pieces)
Turmeric powder .. 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder .. 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder ... 1/4 tsp (optional)
Tamarind juice or lemon juice ..  1 tbsp or as per your preference.
Salt .... to taste
Oil .. 2 tbsps

Method:
1. Soak azuki beans for few hours or overnight.
2. Boil them adding a little salt. Drain and set aside. You can use the water for soups or kneading the roti dough.
3. In a pan heat oil and add the tempering ingredients.. Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, broken red chillies and curry leaves.
4. When they crackle, add the lightly crushed garlic pieces and fry them until light brown.
5. Now tip in the sliced onion and saute until golden brown.
6. Now add the coarsely chopped palak leaves and stir fry.
7. Add the green chillies, salt, spice powders mentioned and the tamarind juice.
7. Stir in the boiled azuki and mix carefully.

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Thursday, November 26, 2015

KANJI VADAS


Kanji vada is a very popular snack of North India, specially a delicacy of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh,  Moong dal vadas are soaked in mustard flavoured kanji which is made in advance so that the flavours of mustard are released into the liquid. It is mostly made during winters because mustard produces heat in the body. You can serve them chilled or at room temperature.


Ingredients:
For the Kanji:
Mustard seeds .. 2 tbsps
Chilli powder ... 1 tsp (adjust according to your liking)
Black salt ......... to taste
Turmeric powder .. 1/8 tsp
Asafoetida .. a pinch (optional)

For the Vadas:
Moong dal .... 1 cup
Green chilli ... 1
Ginger .......... 1 small piece
Fennel seeds / saunf .. 1 tsp
Asafoetida ........... 1/8 tsp
Salt ............... to taste
Oil .... for frying

Method:
1. Grind coarsely all the ingredients for kanji . Mix them in about 3 cups of boiled and cooled water.
2. Refrigerate it for one or two days so that the flavours are released well.
3. Grind the soaked moong dal adding chilli ginger paste and fennel seeds. Use very little water while grinding.
4. Remove it in a bowl and add the asafoetida and salt. Mix well with your hand to make it light and fluffy.
5. Heat oil in a pan. Take a lemon sized portion of the batter and flatten it with wet hand.
6. Drop the vadas in hot oil and fry them to light brown colour.
7. Soak the fried vadas for 1 hour in a bowl of water.
8. Remove the vadas one by one squeezing out the water carefully between your palms.
9. Drop them into the kanji and let them soak again for one hour.


Serve them chilled or at room temperature. You can serve a little kanji in a cup and sip it in between.

Adapted from Tarla Dalal's recipe with minor changes.

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Wednesday, November 25, 2015

PODI RICE / RICE WITH SPICED DAL POWDER


Here is a simple and delicious quick-fix lunch recipe with some left-over rice. You can make it with any podi you have.  MTR podi is our family favourite as it is mild. I always bring few packets each time I visit India. Usually we mix it with plain rice and ghee but for a change I made it with tempering and it turned out so delicious.

Ingredients:
Cooked rice ..... 2 cups
MTR podi ........ 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds ... 1 tsp
Dry red chillies .. 1
Asafoetida ........ 1 pinch
Curry leaves .... 1 sprig
Oil ........... 1 tbsp
Ghee ....... 12 or 1 tbsp
Salt ........ add only if the rice is cooked without it.
Turmeric powder ... 1/8 tsp
Lemon juice .... 1-2 tbsp (optional)

Method:
1. In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil and  add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the broken chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves.
2. Tip in the cooked rice and add the turmeric powder and podi.
3. Stir well and squeeze a little lime juice if you like.
4. Add ghee finally and stir everything.
Serve with fried appalams / papads

Note: If you want it spicier add a little red chilli powder as MTR podi is not so spicy.

See home made podi recipes ....

Andhra Podi - Gun Powder -   HERE 

Curry Leaves Podi   -  HERE 

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Monday, November 23, 2015

BARMBRACK OR SPECKLED BREAD / IRISH HALLOWEEN FRUIT BREAD / CAKE


Barmbrack is a bread made with dried fruit that has been soaked in hot tea. It is traditionally served at Halloween in Ireland, but also makes for an excellent tea time treat, especially when tasted and generously slathered with butter! The Irish also call it Báirín Breac or “Speckled Bread”. Speckled because of the rains in the bread and that name comes from the Irish words “báirín” for loaf and “breac” for speckled.
The origin of Halloween goes back to the Celtic festival of "Samhain" which is derived from Old Irish and supposedly roughly translates to "Summer's End." The Barmbrack is very much a part of a traditional Irish Halloween custom that involved baking various objects or “fortunes” into the fruit bread. When the bread was cut and served, if you found one of the objects in your portion then that would tell your fortune.
There are yeasted versions of this recipe as well those that use baking powder to leaven it. I am making the yeasted version. The portions given here make 2 loaves. If you want to make one then reduce the quantity by half.


Ingredients:
All purpose flour .. 4 cups
Raisins .............  1/4 cup
Sultanas ........... 1/4 cup
Chopped apricots ... 1/8 cup
Dried cranberries ... 1/8 cup ( I could not get them so I added a few chopped cherries instead)
Hot black tea ...... 1 and 1/2 cups
Instant dry yeast ... 2 tsps
Sugar ................. 2/3 cup
Ground cinnamon .... 1/2 tsp
All spice .................. 1/4 tsp
Ground ginger ........ 1/2 tsp
Salt ....................... 1/4 tsp
Butter .................. 30 gms (room temperature)
Egg .................. 1 (optional)

1/2 to 3/4 cup warm milk for 1 cup of "milk + tea" mixture* (see below in the method) 1 tbsp caster Sugar  or honey + 1 tbsp boiling water mixed to glaze the top of the bread (optional)

Method:

Put the dried fruits in a bowl. Cover them with hot black tea and leave them for few hours or preferably overnight.






Drain the liquid and reserve it for using later. Set the fruit aside.





Collect all the ingredients at room temperature.






Take 1/4 cup warm water and add sugar. Sprinkle yeast and allow it to become frothy by leaving it in a warm place.






Take the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the spice powders, salt, sugar and butter. (I skipped egg.)
Knead this by adding the yeast and the milk and the strained tea set aside earlier. (add as much as needed little by little )




Take the dough on a floured surface and knead it well for 2 minutes.






Flatten the dough with your palm or a rolling pin.








Dust the soaked and drained fruits with a spoonful of flour. This helps in kneading as the moisture is absorbed by the dry flour.






Spread them on the flattened dough.








Fold it into two and spread the remaining fruits. Also add any trinkets if you like at this stage.






Fold it again and shape it into a nice round ball.






Place it in a greased bowl. Cover and let it rest in a warm place





Remove it from the bowl when it doubles in size ( about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hrs )







Gently remove the risen dough and knead it lightly to remove air bubbles.





Put it in a greased loaf tin or a round tin and allow it to rise again. ( about 1 hour )




 It has risen to double now and ready to go into the oven.







Bake it at 180 C (350 F) for about 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown on top. The time and temperature may vary a little according to the type and size of oven used. Check it out. Cover the bread with a foil if it is browning faster.





About 5 minutes before finally taking the breads out of the oven, brush the tops of them with the sugar glaze (if using) and return to the oven for 3 to 4 minutes for a sticky and shiny finish.

Cool the bread on a wire rack before slicing it.
This recipe makes 2 medium loaves or rounds.

We Knead to Bake # 32 - # My Diverse Kitchen

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