Lady’s Finger Onion Masala

Bendakaya Ullipaya Masala.

Fresh wet masala is made with roasted spices and onion. Fresh lady’s finger is added to the flavored oil along with masala paste. It is then cooked till bhendi turns soft and onion loses its raw flavor. Serve lady’s finger onion masala with steamed rice or with dal rice and papad.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Lady’s Finger Onion Masala.

Ingredients:

Lady’s Finger 15 – 20 app.
Onion 1 Large
Tamarind 3 inch Piece
Red Chile Powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder a Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Salt to taste

Masala:

Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Urad Dal 1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds a Pinch
Coriander Seeds 1 Tbsp
Oil 1 tsp

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 1 Tbsp

Method of preparation:

Wash the lady’s finger and pat them dry.
Make a slit in each lady’s finger making sure the ends are intact.
Peel and dice the onion.
Soak tamarind in few tablespoons of water for sometime.

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add all masala ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering or the spices are aromatic, remove from heat.
Cool the mixture to room temperature and grind it into fine powder using a good grinder.
Add the diced onion, sufficient water and salt to the grinder and grind again into paste.

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add lady’s finger and fry briefly.
Stir in ground masala paste and curry leaves.
Fry for couple of minutes, add tamarind extract and half a cup water.
Cook covered on low flame for about 10 or until lady’s finger are soft.
Stir in red chile powder, turmeric powder and season with salt if necessary.
Remove from heat and serve lady’s finger onion masala with steamed rice and dal.
Notes: Make sure lady’s finger is cooked well before removing the pot from heat.

Suggestions: Adjust the red chile powder to taste.
Variations: You can also cook the onion with little oil before grinding with spices. You can also garnish bhendi masala with chopped fresh cilantro.
Other Names: Lady’s Finger Onion Masala, Bhendi Onion Masala, Bendakaya Ullipaya Masala.

Cauliflower Dal

Cauliflower Dal.

Cauliflower is broken into small florets. Cauliflower is fried in oil flavored with whole spices. It is then cooked along with cooked toor dal along with tomato. Serve cauliflower dal with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Cauliflower Dal.

Ingredients:

Toor Dal 1 Cup
Cauliflower 2 Cups Packed
Tomato 1 Large
Green Chiles 2
Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
Red Chile Powder 1/2 tsp
Cilantro few Sprigs
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 Tsps

Method of preparation:

Wash and break cauliflower into small florets.
Slice the cauliflower florets vertically.
Wash and finely chop the tomato.
Wash, remove stems and slice the green chiles.

Wash toor dal under water and pressure cook the dal in 2 cups of water for 3 whistles.
Remove the cooked dal in a sauce pot.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add cauliflower florets and fry till they turn golden brown around the edges.
Then add turmeric powder, red chile powder and salt.
Add the cauliflower mixture, chopped tomato, green chiles into sauce pot along with dal.
Boil the dal for 5 – 10 minutes or until tomato turns soft.
Stir in cilantro and serve cauliflower dal with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure cauliflower is cooked well before removing from heat.

Suggestions: If the cauliflower is not cooked properly, put it back on heat and cook covered on low flame till done. If cauliflower is not tender, you can also steam it or boil it in quarter cup of water before adding to the tempering.
Variations: Check other cauliflower recipes here. 
Other Names: Cauliflower Dal.

Modak

Aviri Kudumulu.

Modak is a sweet dumpling made with rice flour. The stuffing is prepared with freshly grated coconut and jaggery. Both are cooked down along with few condiments till the mixture comes together. The mixture is then stuffed in rice flour dough to form modak.
Makes: around 8 Modak.

Ingredients:

Rice Flour 1 Cup
Jaggery 3/4 Cup
Grated Coconut 1 Cup
Salt to taste
Ghee as required

Method of preparation:

Warm up the ghee and keep aside.

Heat a pan on medium heat, add jaggery and a splash of water.
Let all the jaggery start to melt, stir in grated coconut and cardamom powder.
Let the coconut jaggery mixture cook for few more mintues till the mixture feels sticky to the fingers.
Remove the mixture onto a bowl and let it cool completely.

Sieve the rice flour and keep aside.
Bring to boil a cup of water, add salt, a drop of ghee and rice flour.
Remove from heat and mix well with a spatula.
Let the rice flour dough cool a bit.
Knead the rice flour dough into smooth soft but non sticky dough.

Take a lemon sized portion of the rice flour dough and flatten it.
Flatten the edges a little more than the middle part.
Place the disk on palm of the hand and bring the fingers together to form the disk into a cup.
Make pleats more defined and fill the cup with coconut jaggery mixture.
Use ghee to grease the fingers if the rice flour tends to stick to them.
Bring the top part of cup together carefully and seal it.
Repeat the same with remaining rice flour dough.

Steam the prepared modak for 8 – 10 minutes depending on the size of the modak.
Modak looks shiny and little more transparent when cooked.
Let the modak cool a bit before serving with ghee.
Notes: Make sure to get the dough right.

Suggestions: If the rice flour sticks to the fingers, cook it for few more seconds to let evaporate the moisture a bit.
Variations: You can also add saffron, nutmeg or raisins to the coconut jaggery mixture.
Other Names: Modak, Ukadiche Modak, Modakulu, Aviri Kudumulu.

Bread in Tempered Yogurt

Bread Avada.

Dahi bread is a very quick and light dish to serve anytime of the day. Here, yogurt is whisked with ginger and green chili paste. It is then tempered with spices. Wheat bread is seasoned and toasted on flat pan till golden brown. The bread is then soaked in prepared yogurt mixture just before serving.
Makes: 4 Slices of Bread in Tempered Yogurt.

Ingredients:

Wheat Bread 4 Slices
Yogurt 1 – 1 1/4 Cups
Green Chiles 1
Ginger 1/2 Inch Piece
Red Chili Powder as required
Cilantro few Sprigs
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Curry Leaves 4
Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Cut the bread into desired shapes with help of a cookie cutter.
Alternatively, just remove the edges of the bread and keep aside.
Heat a flat pan on medium heat, apply few drops of oil.
Arrange the bread slices on hot pan and drizzle few drops of oil.
Season the bread with salt and red chili powder.
Toast them on both sides till the bread turns golden brown in color.

Peel and roughly chop ginger.
Remove stems, wash and roughly chop green chile.
Coarsely grind ginger and green chiles with pinch of salt.
Wash and finely chop cilantro.

In a wide vessel, whisk together yogurt, ginger green chilli paste, turmeric powder and salt.
Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds almost stop spluttering, remove from heat and pour into above yogurt bowl once it cools down a little.
Dip each toasted bread slice into the yogurt mixture and remove onto a serving plate.
Repeat the same with remaining bread slices.
Drizzle any leftover yogurt mixture over the bread slices.
Serve bread in tempered yogurt immediately.
Notes: Make sure to toast the bread well.

Suggestions: If the yogurt is too thin, bread becomes quite soggy, so stir in some thick yogurt to balance.
Variations: You can also garnish with boondi or with pomegranate seeds.
Other Names: Bread Avada, Bread Aavada, Bread in Tempered Yogurt, Dahi Bread.

Bitter Gourd Fry with Almonds

Kakarakaya Badam Podi Vepudu.

Bitter gourd is sliced and boiled in water along with tamarind and yogurt to reduce the bitterness. It is then fried in oil along with onion. Finally fried bitter gourd is seasoned with almonds powder and spices. Serve bitter gourd fry with almonds over plain steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 2 Servings of Bitter Gourd Fry with Almonds.

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd 2 Medium
Yogurt 1 Tbsp
Onion 1
Almonds 3 Tbsps
Tamarind 1 inch Piece
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Lightly scrape, wash and remove the ends of the bitter gourd.
Chop the bitter gourd into somewhat thin circles.
Peel and slice the onion.
Grind almonds into fine powder using a spice blender.

Bring to boil few cups of water, add bitter gourd slices, tamarind and yogurt.
Boil till bitter gourd turns soft but not mushy.

Heat oil in pan, add cumin seeds.
Once cumin seeds sizzle, add sliced onion and ginger garlic paste.
Fry till onion turns translucent and starts to brown.
Stir in boiled bitter gourd pieces.
Fry for couple of minutes to let bitter gourd slices brown around the ends.
Finally add the red chili powder, almond powder and salt.
Mix thoroughly and remove from heat.
Serve bitter gourd fry with almonds over plain steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure bitter gourd is cooked well before adding to the pan.

Suggestions: If bitter gourd is not cooked properly, either boil in enough water till soft or cook covered in the pan along with onions till soft.
Variations: Try other bitter gourd recipes here.
Other Names: Bitter Gourd Fry with Almonds, Kakarakaya Badam Podi Vepudu.

Ridge Gourd Skins with Moong Dal

Beera Pottu Pesara Pappu.

Ridge gourd is peeled and the skins are ground into paste. The ridge gourd skins mixture is then fried in tempered oil along with boiled moong dal. Serve ridge gourd skins with moong dal over plain steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 3 Servings of Ridge Gourd Skins with Moong Dal.

Ingredients:

Ridge Gourd 2 Large
Moong Dal 3/4 Cup
Green Chiles 3 – 4
Garlic 3 Cloves
Turmeric Powder 1/8 tsp
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Peel and slice the garlic cloves.
Refresh moong dal under water thoroughly.
Bring to boil few cups of water, add moong dal and boil till moong dal turns soft but not mushy.
Strain the moong dal and keep aside.

Lightly scrape, wash and remove ends of the ridge gourd.
Chop into 3 inch long pieces and eventually chop the skin off of the ridge gourd.
Chop the ridge gourd skins into small pieces.
Grind the ridge gourd skins into coarse paste using sufficient water (around 1 Cup).

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add garlic cloves and green chiles.
Fry for a minute, add ground ridge gourd skins and fry till the mixture loses the bright green color.
Once the ridge gourd mixture is cooked, stir in strained moong dal, turmeric powder and salt.
Mix thoroughly and cook for a minute or two to evaporate any excess moisture.
Serve ridge gourd skins with moong dal over plain steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure moong dal is not over cooked.

Suggestions: If the moong dal is overcooked, make sure not to overcook once added to the pan else it becomes too mushy.
Variations: You can also try the same recipe with toor dal.
Other Names: Ridge Gourd Skins with Moong Dal, Beera Pottu Pesara Pappu.

Fenugreek Leaves Kadhi

Menthi Kura Majjiga Pulusu.

Fenugreek leaves are fried in tempered oil along with onion and green chiles. Yogurt is whisked with besan / gram flour and this mixture is added to the fenugreek leaves and cooked on low flame till the flavors develop. Fenugreek leaves kadhi is rather thick and is served with steamed rice.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Fenugreek Leaves Kadhi.

Ingredients:

Fenugreek Leaves 1 Cup packed
Besan / Gram Flour 3 – 4 Tbsps
Plain Yogurt 1 1/2 Cups
Onion 1 Small
Turmeric Powder 1/8 tsp
Green Chiles 3
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Wash, remove stems and separate fenugreek leaves.
Whisk together yogurt, besan and salt thoroughly with half a cup of water.
Peel and slice the onion.
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.

Heat oil in a sauce pot, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add onion and green chiles.
Fry till onion turns translucent, add the washed fenugreek leaves.
When fenugreek leaves wilt and start to crisp up, add whisked yogurt besan mixture, turmeric powder and salt.
Boil the whole mixture on low flame for around 5 minutes for the raw smell of the besan to disappear the flavor of the fenugreek leaves to penetrate.
Serve fenugreek leaves kadhi with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure not to chop the fenugreek leaves else the bitterness gets worse.

Suggestions: Make sure to adjust the consistency of the kadhi with water.
Variations: You can also check other kadhi recipes here. 
Other Names: Fenugreek Leaves Kadhi, Menthi Kura Majjiga Pulusu, Methi Kadhi.