Sunday, December 25, 2016

Once a week Preparations

For weekly / bi-weekly preparation, try to have the following set aside once a while, so that your curry preparation is easier


  • Dhania Powder
  • Jeera Powder
  • Black Pepper Powder
  • Garam Masala Powder
  • Cinnamon Powder - for weight loss - add in curries
  • Buy Priya Kura Kaaram for red chilly powder
  • Dry Coconut powder


  • Ginger Garlic Paste
  • Chintapandu gujju
  • Green mirchi, turmeric, salt - grinded coarsely

  • Kothimeera - washed and dried and stored in air tight container wrapped in kitchen tissue paper roll
  • Curry Leaves - washed and dried and stored in air tight container wrapped in paper for absorbing moisture

  • Cut vegetables
    • Peas, Carrot, Beans - freeze - for quick vegetable fried rice
    • Tomatoes -  boil and puree

  • Pasta Tomato Basil Sauce - just cook pasta and add the refrigerated Tomato Basil sauce for a quick pasta in weekdays/weekends - boil Pasta in Instant Pot and prepare Pasta sauce in parallel, drain pasta and add it

Vankaya Podi Curry

For stuffing:

  • 1 1/4 tbsps coriander seeds/dhania/dhanayalu
  • 3 tbsps channa dal/bengal gram/senaga pappu
  • 1 1/2 tbsps urad dal/split gram dal/minappa pappu
  • 2-3 dry red chillis, tear and de-seed
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera/jeelakara
  • pinch of methi seeds/fenugreek/menthulu (optional)
  • big pinch asafoetida/hing/inguva
  • small gooseberry sized tamarind
Add 1/2 tsp oil in a cooking vessel, add coriander seeds and stir fry till it turns slightly dark in color. Remove. 

Similarly, add channa dal and urad dal, roast till them till they turn red and remove. 

Dry roast dry red chillis, methi seeds and cumin together for 2 mts and remove. 

Cool the dry roasted ingredients. 

Add turmeric pwd, salt, tamarind, hing to these roasted ingredients and grind them all together to a coarse pwd. 

It should not be wet

Kandi Podi

Kandi Podi

Recipe source: Amma

Prep & Cooking: 20 mts


Ingredients:

  • 1 small cup kandi pappu/red gram/tur dal
  • 1 small cup senaga pappu/bengal gram/channa dal
  • 1 1/4 tsps cumin seeds
  • 7-8 dried red chillis (adjust)
  • 15 curry leaves (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp asafoetida
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp oil


1 Heat a heavy bottomed vessel and add both the dals and slowly, dry roast on low to medium heat stirring constantly till they turn red. Don’t burn them. Remove from pan and keep aside.

2 In the same vessel, add the cumin seeds and toss them on medium heat for 2-3 mts. Remove from pan and keep aside.

3 Next drizzle some oil in the vessel, add the dry red chillis and curry leaves and stir fry for 3-4 mts. Remove and cool.

4 Once cool, grind all the ingredients to a slightly coarse or a rough texture. Add salt to taste and asafoetida and combine. Store in an air-tight container.

5 Serve hot with white steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.

Nuvvula Podi

Nuvvullu Podi – Spiced Sesame Seeds Powder Recipe
Recipe source: Adapted from Kanthamma’s Cook Book
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups white seasame seeds
  • 1/2 cup senaga pappu (bengal gram)
  • 1/2 cup minappa pappu (split black gram dal)
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tbsps coriander seeds
  • 6-7 dried red chillis
  • 8-10 crushed garlic pods
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp oil


1 Add a tbsp of oil in a pan and add the Bengal gram and split black gram dal and fry them on medium heat till they turn red. Don’t burn them. Keep tossing them around continuosly. Remove from pan and keep aside to cool.
2 In the same pan add the cumin and coriander seeds and toss them on medium heat till they turn brown..approx 2-3 mts. Remove from pan and keep aside.
3 In the same pan add the dry chillis and toss them for 2 mts. Remove and keep aside to cool.
4 Now add the seasame seeds and toss them till they are crisp and roasted. Keep tossing them till they turn a light brown color (if necessary add a tsp of oil before roasting the sesame seeds). Turn off heat and cool all the roasted ingredients.
5 Once cool, grind the dals first (grind them coarse), followed by coriander, cumin seeds and red chillis and grind again. Remove and keep aside to cool.
6 Now add seasame seeds and garlic pods and grind for three to five seconds only (it should not form like a ball or paste) to make a coarse powder. Mix it with the earlier coarsely ground spices and salt. Store in an air-tight container.
7 Serve hot with white steamed rice and ghee.

Pappula Podi (Dondakaya curry)

Grind to a fine powder (Pappula Podi)

  • 1 tbsp dry coconut, grated
  • 1-2 garlic cloves (optional)
  • 2 dry red chilies, dry roast for a mt
  • pinch of cumin seeds, dry roast for a mt
  • 1 1/2 tbsps roasted chickpeas/dalia/putnala pappu
  • pinch of salt


Tastes good with Dondakaya curry

Cook/Steam Veggies

Tomato Puree - wash, cook, release steam, cool, grind

Boiled Vegetables - wash, cook, pressure, release steam naturally

How to Chana family - to be soaked overnight, cooked in instant pot for 25 mins and pressure holding for another 15 mins - dont forget the masala like chole masala to be brought in advance

Boiling Potato - wash, cut, pressure cook, release steam naturally

Soak Sabudana - soak in water for an hour, Cook sabudana in water

Pesarappu - Wash, soak in enough water for at least 4-5 hours. Drain. Pressure cooker along with salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and water(1 cup - 1 cup water)

Dal - wash, cook, pressure cook, release steam naturally
Dal - Wash, Add water 2 in above lentils (or1 dal:3 water), Cook for 2 whistles and simmer for 3-4 min, release steam naturally

Pesarapappu Curry

http://www.archanaskitchen.com/urad-ki-sukhi-dal-recipe