Gongura (Sorrel) Pickle

Ingredients:

Sorrel/Gongura leaves - 2 cups

Red chillies - 15 (as per your spice levels)

urad dal - 2 tbsps

cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp

coriander seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Red chilli flakes - 1/4 tbsp for tempering

fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Garlic pods - 3

Salt to taste

tamarind - 2 tbsp

curry leaves- 5

Tamarind pulp - 1/2 tbsp, if you need extra tangy taste to the chutney

Method:

1. In a pan add oil and when it is hot, add red chillies, urad dal, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and fry for 2min
2. Now remove all the ingredients from oil and let them cool
3. To the oil add sorrel leaves and fry till the water evaporates (Sorrel leaves give out lot of water)
4. In the mixie jar, grind 2 garlic pods and salt coarsely. 
5. Add all the above fried ingredients except sorrel leaves and grind coarsely 
6. Lastly add sorrel leaves and tamarind pulp and grind coarsely
7. Transfer the chutney from the mixie jar into a dish
8. In a pan, pour oil and when it is hot, add mustard seeds, red chilli flakes and  curry leaves and fry them for 1min. Add this to the chutney and mix well
9. Stays fresh for 3 weeks

Not to mention, this chutney tastes heavenly! Goes well with hot white rice, roti, with muddapappu & white rice, with white rice and tomato dal

Red Pumpkin/Gummadikaya pulusu

Ingredients:
Red Pumpkin/Gummadikaya Pieces - 10
Tamarind Pulp - 3 tbsp
Grated Jaggery - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
A pinch of turmeric
One small onion, cut into small size pieces
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

For Seasoning:
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
4 Red chillies, cut into 1 inch pieces
5 curry leaves
1/2 tbsp Asafoetida/Hing
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp Urad dal

Method:
In a pan, add 2 tbsp oil and when it is hot, add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, red chillies and fry till mustard seeds start spluttering
Add curry leaves,Hing and fry for 1 more min
Now add onion pieces, turmeric, salt and fry till onions are translucent
Add pumpkin pieces and 1 cup of water and bring it to boil. Pumpkin pieces become soft within 5 min.
Add red chilli powder, jaggery, tamarind pulp and stir well and cook for 5-7 minutes on medium flame
Garnish with coriander and switch off the heat

Goes well with white rice! It tastes very good if you eat it along with muddapappu (plain Toor Dal)

Urad Murukulu

Ingredients:
 1 1/2 cups rice flour
1/2 cup Urad dal flour
1 tbsp seasame seeds
1 tbsp ajwain seeds
Salt as per taste
1 tbsp chilli powder
2 tbsps buttter
1/2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
2 cups Oil for deep frying

Method:
1.In a bowl add rice flour, urad dal flour,sesame seeds,ajwane,salt,chilli powder,melted butter, ginger-garlic paste and mix well.
2. Make into a stiff dough by adding water as needed.
3. In a heavy bottom pan, add oil for deep frying
4. When oil is hot enough, take the murukulu press, add the dough into it and press. The dough will fall like small rounds into the oil. If you move them with spatula immediately, they will break into pieces as you can see in the picture.
5. Fry till light golden brown color and remove from oil and let them cool
6. Store in air-tight container

Nevertheless to say, they taste extremely  tasty and crispy. Stay fresh for a month

Tomato Pickle/tomato Niluva Pacchadi

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 20, wash and dry and cut into 4 halves
Small lemon sized tamarind
Mustard seeds- 1 tbsp, dry roast and powder
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tbsp, dry roast and powder
Red chilli powder - 3 tbsp
salt as per taste
1 cup oil

For Tempering:
Garlic pods - 10, slice them into long pieces
Curry leaves - 10
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/8 tbsp
Red chillies - 6, cut them into 1 inch pieces
Asafoetida/hing - 1/2 tbsp

Method:

1. In a pan, add 4 tbsp oil and when it is hot, add tomato pieces and cook them till oil separates. Add tamarind and keep aside to cool down. Once it cools down, grind into smooth paste
2. In a dry bowl, add chilli powder, salt, mustard powder, methi powder and mix well
3. Add tomato paste to the bowl and mix well. Adjust salt and chilli powder as needed
4. In a pan, add 1 cup oil and when it is hot, fry red chilli pieces, mustard seeds and methi seeds till mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves, asafoetida, garlic and switch off the heat and let it cool down
5. Add the tempering to the pickle and mix well.
6. Keep it Refrigerated and store in air-tight dry container. Use only dry spoons to serve the pickle
7. You can serve it after couple of hours. Tastes very very yummy. Goes well with white rice, Mudda pappu, Idli, Dosa and Upma

Jalapeno Pickle

Ingredients:
Jalapeno - 20, wash, dry them thoroughly and then cut into halves
Peanut powder - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 2 tbsp, dry roast and powder
Fenugreek (Methi) - 1 tbsp, dry roast and powder
oil - 1 cup
Small Lemon  sized tamarind, soak and grind into smooth paste
Salt as per taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp

Method:

1. In a pan, add oil and when it is hot, fry jalapeno pieces till they are light brown on all sides. Strain and keep aside
2. In the same oil, add tamarind paste and fry for 2 min. Add salt and turmeric and fry for a min.Switch off the heat
3. Cool and store in a air-tight jar. Always keep it in the Refrigerator. 
4. Stays fresh for 3 weeks to 1 month!

Podugu Vankaya (Long Eggplant) Pickle

Ingredients:
Long Eggplant - 10
Garlic Pods - 10, peel and cut them into long pieces
Red chilli powder - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp, dry roast and make powder
Fenugreek (methi) seeds - 1/8 tbsp, dry roast and make powder
Salt as per taste
Turmeric - 1/2 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Vinegar - 1/2 cup

For tempering:
Oil - 1/2 cup
Hing/Asafoetida -  1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/8 tbsp

Method:
 1. Wash the eggplant thoroughly and wipe them dry. Cut into 2 inch long pieces
2.  In a pan, add 1/2cup oil and when it is hot, add eggplant pieces and fry till they are light brown on all sides. Strain and keep aside
3. In the same oil, add Asafoetida, mustard seeds and cumin seeds and fry till mustard seeds splutter. Switch off the heat and set it aside to cool down
4. In a dry bowl, add mustard powder, methi powder, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric,garlic pieces and mix well. Now add eggplant pieces and mix well. Add lemon juice, vinegar and mix. Lastly add the tempering and mix the pickle well.
5. Set it aside for a day and serve next day!
6. Refrigerate for it to stay fresh for longer time!