Prawns Masala Curry

Ingredients:
Prawns - 2 cups washed  (marinate with lemon juice and chopped cilantro for 10min - this is optional)
Chopped onion - 1 cup
Slit Green chillies - 4
Curry Leaves - few
chopped coriander - 1 tbsp
chopped tomato- 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder - 2 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2tbsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Garam Masala powder - 1 tbsp
Oil - 4 tbsp
 
Method:
In a pan add oil and when it is hot, add green chillies and curry leaves and fry for a min

Add chopped onions and mix well and fry till onions are translucent

Add turmeric and salt and fry for a minute

Now add ginge-garlic paste

Mix well and fry till the raw smell of GG vanishes

Now add chopped tomatoes

 

Mix well and cook till tomatoes are soft

 Now add red chilli powder and mix well and cook for another 2min

 Now add prawns and mix well

 Cook on medium heat for 10min. Prawns give out water so no need to add any water

Now add garam masala powder and mix well and cook for 5 min

Add chopped coriander and cook for another 10 min or till the oil starts showing up on the sides of the pan

The curry is now ready to be served! Goes well with Roti, Naan, white rice, biryani rice and Prawns Biryani

Amaranth Leaves and Raw Tomato Dal - Thotakoora Pacchi Tomato Pappu

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Lentil/Toor Dal
1 cup water
2 cups Amaranth Leaves, wash thoroughly
3 Raw tomatoes
5-10 Green chillies (as per your spice level)
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 tbsp tamarind paste
 Salt as per taste
1/4 tbsp turmeric

For Seasoning:
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tbsp mustard seeds
1/4 tbsp cumin seeds
4-5 Red chillies
Few curry leaves
2 Garlic pods

Method:
In a pressure cooker, add washed toor dal

To it, add chopped raw tomato

 Add Green chillies

Add chopped onions

Now add amaranth leaves. No need to chop them

 

Add water and pressure cook for 5 visils and set it aside to cool

Open the lid of the pressure cooker and the dal is well cooked as below

Switch on the heat again and now add turmeric to the cooked dal

Add enough salt

Add tamarind paste

and mix and mash well Cook for 2min till the raw taste of tamarind disappears and switch off the heat

In a pan, add oil and when it is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin, red chillies, crushed garlic,curry leaves and fry for two min.

Add this mixture to the Dal. Very yummy Amaranth dal is ready to be served!

Goes well with white rice, roti and Dosa.

Curd Rice - Daddojanam

 

 

Ingredients:

Rice --- ½ Cup (125 ml)
Water --- 1 cup (250 ml)
Curd --- 1 cup (adjust it )
Oil --- 1  tbsp
½ tbsp Channa Dal
½ tbsp Urad Dal

¼ tbsp Mustard Seeds
Curry Leaves --- a few
2 tbsp finely chopped Ginger

4 Green Chillies chopped finely

Coriander Leaves --- a few (chopped)
Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Method:

Wash the rice with water and Add twice the water to the rice.Cook in a cooker till done.
 Let it cool, but not too cold as it doesn't mix well with the curd

Add curd and enough salt to the rice and mix well.

 It should be semi-consistent as shown below

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan (it takes less oil for this recipe) and when it is hot, add finely chopped ginger and green chillies and fry for 2min.

Now add asafoetida. This gives nice flavour and taste to the rice and fry for 30 sec

 Now add red chillies, chana dal, mustard seeds, cashew nuts (optional- I add to enhance the taste) and mix well and fry for couple of minutes or till mustard seeds splutter

Now add chopped coriander and curry leaves and mix well.

Fry till the raw smell of coriander disappears and switch off the heat.

Add this seasoning to the rice mixture and mix well!

 Simple yet very tasty curd rice is ready. 

 

 This can be offered as Naivedhyam to Lord Shiva and Shri Shiridi Sai baba

Carrot-Beans Poriyal

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped French beans

1 cup finely chopped carrots

2 tbsp chopped onions

¼ tbsp. mustard

1 tbsp urad dal

4 dry red chillies

4-5 curry leaves

2  tbsp dry or fresh coconut flakes

1/4tbsp turmeric

Salt as per taste

2 tbsp cooking oil.it takes very less oil for this fry

2 cups of water

Method:

1. Wash and boil carrot and beans in 2 cups of water till they turn soft but not mushy. Strain and keep aside to cool
   
    
2. Switch on the stove and keep a pan
3. Add two tbsp. oil and when the oil is hot
4. Add urad dal and red chillies
5. Add mustard and curry leaves and fry for a min
   
6. Now add chopped onions, turmeric and salt. Mix well and fry till onions are translucent
   
7. Now add boiled carrot and beans and stir well. Cook for 5min.
   
8. Now add coconut flakes and fry for 5 more min. Switch off the heat
   

The curry is now ready to be served. 

This very healthy fry goes well with roti, white rice, can be used as a stuffing for sandwiches or can be eaten directly as an evening snack.

Aloo Bonda

Ingredients:
2 potatoes, wash and boil till soft, peel the skin and mash
2 green chillies - chopped finely
1/2 small onion - chopped finely
1/4 tbsp coriander powder
1/4 tbsp red chilli powder
a pinch of turmeric
salt per taste
2 cups oil for deep frying
1/4 tbsp of chopped coriander
 1/4 tbsp chopped garlic

For Batter:
1/2 cup besan flour
1/4 tbsp ajwain seeds
A pinch of red chilli powder
salt as per taste

 Preparation:

• In a pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil and when it is hot, add green chillies, chopped garlic, onions and fry till onions are translucent
• Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder and mix well and fry for a min
• Add mashed potato and fry for 5min. Garnish with coriander and let it cool
• Once the curry is cold, make them into small dumplings
• Meanwhile in a bowl, add besan flour, ajwain seeds, salt and red chilli powder and mix well. Add enough water to make into a thick batter.
• Dip the potato dumplings in the batter and deep fry them.

Very yummy Aloo bonda is ready to eat!! Goes well with any chutney or without any chutney. Ideal for evening snack.

Pesarapappu Payasam

Ingredients:
Pesarapappu - 1/2 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Jaggery - 3/4 cup
cashews, raisins - a handful
3 tbsp ghee
3 cardamom - make into powder

Preparation:
In a bowl add pesarapappu and a cup of water and cook till the dal turns soft and mushy (In microwave it usually takes 12 min)
In a pan, add 2 tbsp of ghee and when it is hot, fry the raisins and cashews till they are golden brown and keep aside
In another bowl, add jaggery and a cup of water and heat till just one boil and keep aside
Boil milk in a deep vessel till it turns a little thick. To this add pesarapappu and mix well..Now add the jaggery water to the pan slowly and keep stirring while doing so and let it boil for 10 min
Garnish with cardamom powder, raisins and remaining ghee

This payasam is very very very very very very tasty :-)

Prawns Iguru - Royyala Iguru

Preparation time: 10 Min
Cooking time: 15 Min
 
Ingredients:
1 lb uncooked shrimp, peel and wash thoroughly
1 small onion, finely chopped
4,5 green chillies slit length wise
2tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tbsp Garam masala powder
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/4 tbsp cumin powder
2 tbsp red chilli powder
salt as per taste
  2 pinches turmeric
4 curry leaves
1 tomato, finely chopped
1/4 bunch coriander, finely chopped
3 tbsp cooking oil
1 small cinnamon stick
2 cardamom
2 cloves

Preparation:
In a pan, add oil and when it is hot, add cinnamon stick, cardamom and cloves and fry for a min
Now add curry leaves, coriander leaves, onion pieces, green chillies and fry till onion turn translucent
Now add turmeric, salt and Ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell of GG disappears
Add chopped tomato pieces to the pan and mix well and cook till tomato pieces turn soft
Add Chilli powder,  coriander powder and cumin powder and fry a min
Now add prawns to the curry, mix well and cook for 10min or till the oil separates on the sides of the pan
Add garam masala powder and mix well and cook for 2 min and turn off the heat


This curry tastes very very good and goes well with white rice, Biryani rice or with Roti.

Saravana Bhavan Style Kurma

All the Saravana Bhavan Thali lovers simply love the kurma they serve in the special thali. I am one among them :-) I always wondered how they made it. I tried to get the recipe from the folks working there but they wouldn't reveal. Finally I figured it out myself. The below recipe tastes exactly like SB Kurma. Enjoy Guys!!! :-)

Ingredients:
Carrot - 1 - peel wash and cut into small pieces
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Fresh Corn - 3 tbsp
1 potato - peel, wash and cut into 1 inch cubes
French Beans - 4, wash and cut into 1 inch long pieces
Cauliflower - 1/4 cup
Tomato - 1, wash and cut into small pieces
1 small onion, cut into small pieces
2 Green chillies - slit length-wise
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 tbsp dry coconut flakes
10 cashews
Salt as per taste
1 tbsp red chilli powder
A pinch of turmeric
2 bay leaves
1 small cinnamon stick
2 cardamom
 2 cloves
1 tbsp coriander powder

Preparation:

• In a microwave safe bowl, add all the cut vegetables and a cup of water and cook for just 5min and strain and keep aside
• In a pan, add 2 tbsp oil and when it hot, add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and fry for a min
• Add onion and green chilli and fry till onion turn translucent
• Add Ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell of ginger vanishes
• Now add tomato pieces, coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric and mix well and cook till tomato pieces turn soft
• Add vegetables and mix well, add 1/4 cup of  water and cook for another 5 min or till the veggies are soft
• Meanwhile make a smooth paste of cashews, coconut and poppy seeds by adding water.
• Add this paste to the vegetables and cook for 2 min and turn off the heat
• Garnish with Chopped coriander

Goes very well with Poori, Roti and Idiyyappam.

Dosakaya Roti Pacchadi - Yellow Cucumber Chutney

No one can deny the fact that anything moms make taste just incredible specially freshly made chutneys. May be because, lot of love goes into it and then they use the basic equipment. Here I tried to do something like that and made this chutney by using a stone mortar and pestle! :-) Nevertheless to say, the chutney turned out very very yummy..Hope you guys too try it out! 

Ingredients:
Yellow Cucumber/dosakaya – 1 medium size
Green Chilies – 15 or to taste
Red Chilies – 3
Black Gram – 3tsps
Fenugreek Seeds – 1/4tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1 1/2tsps
Tamarind – Small lemon size, wash and soak in little water
Oil – 10 tsps
Coriander for garnishing
Turmeric Powder – 1/4tsp
Salt to taste
Asafoetida – A Pinch
garlic pods - 2
1/4 tbsp cumin seeds

Method:

• Before using the cucumber, always taste a small portion of the cucumber as most of them are sour. DO NOT use the sour ones for chutney.
• Wash and peel the cucumber and cut into half longitudinally.
• Remove the seeds from the cucumber and wash the cucumber thoroughly
• Chop the cucumber into really tiny pieces.
• Chop coriander finely and keep aside
• In a pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and when it is hot, add 1 tbsp black gram, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, mustard seeds and fry till the black gram turn golden.
• Now add green chillies and red chillies to the pan and let them fry. Drain all the ingredients from the oil into a stone mortar and keep aside to cool.
• To the ingredients in the mortar, add soaked tamarind, 2 garlic pods, 1/4tbsp cumin seeds, cucumber pieces and chopped coriander and grind into a coarse paste
• No need to add seasoning to this chutney

Yummy Dosakaya chutney is ready to be served. This chutney stays fresh for 3 days and goes really well with hot white rice and ghee.

Raw Banana Bajji - Aratikaya Bajji

Ingredients:
Raw Banana/Aratikaya - 2, Peel wash and slice length-wise
Corn Flour - 1/4 cup
Besan Flour - 1/4 cup
1/4 tbsp Red chilli powder
1 cup water
salt as per taste
2 cups oil for deep frying
1 tbsp ajwain seeds

Preparation:
In a bowl,add corn flour, Besan flour, salt, red chilli powder, ajwain seeds and mix well
Now add enough water and make it into a thin batter suitable for making bajjis
Dip Raw banana slices into the batter and let the slice covered with batter well and deep fry and drain

This is a very very tasty evening snack.

Jeera Aloo Fry

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 4, wash them and cut length-wise
 turmeric - 1 pinch
salt to taste
1 tbsp Coriander/Daniya Powder
1/2 tbsp Jeera/Cumin powder
1 tbsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tbsp chopped coriander for garnishing
2 tbsp oil

Preparation:

•  In a microwave safe bowl, add Potato pieces, a cup of water and microwave for 12 min or boil normally on stove till the potato turns soft. Drain the water. Peel the potato skin off and cut the boiled potato into 1 inch cubes
• In a pan, add oil and when it is hot, add potato pieces, salt and turmeric and fry in low heat for 5 minutes
• Now add coriander powder and cumin powder, red chilli powder, mix well and fry for a min
• Now add little water (about 3 or 4 tbsp), mix the curry well and let it fry till the oil separates
  Switch off the heat and garnish with chopped coriander

This curry is very simple to make and tastes very good when served hot. Goes well with white rice and roti

Beerakaya Ulliporaka Vepudu - Rige Gourd Spring Onion Fry

Ingredients:
2 Ridge gourd (Peel, wash and cut into small pieces)
1/4 bunch spring onion stalks (wash thoroughly and chop into small pieces)
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1/2 small onion, cut into small pieces
salt to taste
1/4 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp red chilli powder

Preparation:

1. In a pan, add oil and when it is hot, add spring onion pieces and chopped coriander and fry for a min
2. Add onion pieces, ridge gourd pieces, salt, turmeric and chilli powder and mix well
3. Cook this curry on medium heat for 10 min or till oil separates. Ridge gourd cooks really fast and doesn't need lot of time
4. Very tasty curry is ready to eat! This curry goes well with rice and roti

Mutton Pulusu

Ingredients:-
Mutton 500gms
 1 small onion
1 small Tomato
1/4 bunch coriander
1 tbsp coriander powder
2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
 1/4 tbsp cumin powder
 Bay leaf 2
Cinnamon 2
Clove 1
Red chilly powder 2 tsp
a pinch of turmeric powder
Salt as per taste
Canola oil 1 tbsp
1 tbsp butter 

For Garam masala powder:-
Cinnamon 1
Clove 4
Big elachi 2
Shah jeera 1 spoon
Nutmeg - small piece
Combine all the above masalas and make a fine powder

Pulusu Masala:
2 tbsp poppy seeds - grind into smooth powder


Preparation:

1. In a bowl, add washed mutton and to it add tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1/4tbsp salt, a pinch of turmeric, 1/2tbsp garam masala, 1 tbsp cumin powder and mix well.
2. Add the above ingredients to a pressure cooker and cook for 5 vigils and let it cool.
3.  In another deep pan, add butter and oil and when it is hot, add bay leaves, 1 small cinnamon stick, 2 cloves and fry for a min
4. Add onion, slit green chillies, curry leaves and fry till onions are translucent
5. Add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell of GG vanishes
6. Add chopped tomatoes and mix well and cook till tomatoes become soft
7. To this, add cooked mutton, mutton stalk, add remaining garam masala powder, turmeric, salt and chilli powder and stir well and cook for another 10min on low flame.
8. Finally, add poppy seeds powder to the curry, stir well and cook for just 2 min, not more.
9. Before  you turn off the heat, add chopped coriander leaves to the curry. 

This curry goes really well with Plain rice, Mutton Biryani, Bagara rice,  Roti and naan!

Vankaya Aloo Ulliporaka koora - Eggplant Potato Spring Onion Curry

Ingredients:
 4 Brinjal/eggplant/vankaya, wash and cut into 1/2 inch pieces and put them in salt water
2 small size potatoes, peel, wash and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 bunch spring onion - peel, wash and chop into small pieces
1 small size onion - chopped finely
 1 medium sized tomoto - chopped finely
4 green chillies, slit length-wise
chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
5 curry leaves 
2 garlic pods, chop finely
1 inch ginger, chop finely
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1/4 tbsp turmeric
salt as per taste

Method:
1. In a pan add oil and when it is hot, add curry leaves, green chillies, spring onion and onions and fry till onions are translucent
2. Add turmeric, finely chopped garlic and ginger and salt and fry for 2 more min
3. Add eggplant pieces and potatoes and fry for 5 more minutes
4. Now add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes are soft. Now add 1/4 cup of water and let the curry cook till eggplant and potatoes turn soft.
5. Now add chilli powder to the curry and mix well and cook for 5 min on low heat. Switch off the heat
6. Garnish with coriander leaves

Goes well with hot white rice or roti

Pilli Pesara Vada - Moth beans Vada

 

Ingredients:
1 cup moth beans/Pilli Pesarlu
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tp cumin seeds
1/4 spoon black pepper
1/4 bunch coriander leaves, finely chopped
 salt as per taste
4-6 green chilli finely chopped
1/4 inch ginger

Preparation:

1. Soak Beans  for 4  hours in enough water. Strain after 4 hours and add into a mixie jar or blender
2. Blend it into a course paste along with ginger and green chillies
3. Take a Frying pan add oil to it and let the oil turn medium hot.
4. Meanwhile take a bowl, add blended beans,onion pieces,cumin seeds,pepper,coriander leaves,salt as per taste mix all these ingredients well.
5. Make a doughnut with the batter and deep fry in the oil until it turns to golden color. This snack does not much absorb oil.

This is very nutritious and very very very tasty snack. Unlike other beans varieties, this beans are very light on stomach. Stays fresh for a week. Goes well with Tomato chutney and Capsicum chutney. Tastes great even without any chutney :-)

Spinach Fry - Palakoora Vepudu

Ingredients:
 Spinach - 2 cups, wash and chop finely
1 medium size onion - chopped finely
 1 medium sized tomoto - chopped finely
4 green chillies, slit length-wise
chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
5 curry leaves 
2 garlic pods, chop finely
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1/4 tbsp turmeric
salt as per taste

Method:
1. In a pan add oil and when it is hot, add curry leaves, green chillies and onions and fry till onions are translucent
2. Add turmeric, finely chopped garlic and salt and fry for 2 more min
3. Add tomatoes, spinach and cook till tomatoes are soft. No need to add water as spinach gives away water
4. Now add chilli powder to the curry and mix well and cook for 10 min on low heat till oil separates on the sides of the pan. Switch off the heat
 5. Garnish with coriander leaves

Goes well with hot white rice or roti