RCI Andhra Cuisine - May 2007 - Roundup

Thank you dear friends for the overwhelming participation in the RCI-Andhra Cuisine event. Hosting this event has been gratifying for me, in that I got to interact with a lot of wonderful people and get to know them better. It has been a challenge though to get the roundup together. What with busy schedules and my limited technical skills. I had greater plans for the roundup but somehow that did not workout. Now, here's the humbler version of that.. but its here.. the roundup that you guys have been waiting for.

Andhra Bhojanam:
A full meal..starting from appetizers to deserts.. a satisfying meal not be missed!
Let the curtain roll....

Andhra Bhojanam by Sharmi of Neivedyam



Andhra Meal by Manju of Me, Myself and More




Breakfast Dishes and Snacks:

Moving on to the first most imporatant meal of the day - breakfast.. Looks like Pesarattu the ever popular Andhra breakfast found its presence in many blogger homes this month!

Pesarattu by Pearlin of Purl Up and Crochet



Pulihora and Pesarattu by Manasi of A Cook @ heart




Pesarattu with Upma by Prema of My Cookbook




Rava Dosa by Ramya of Ramya's Cuisine



Pesarattu by Aarti of Aarti's Corner



Ulli Garelu by Aarti of Aarti's Corner


Pesarattu by Priya of Live to Cook


Pesarattu by Gayatri of Add Flavor



Perugu Dosa by Priya of Live To Cook




Curries and Sides:

The variety in Andhra cuisine is overwhelming. Simple combinations producing delicious end results! Curries and sides, a must in every Andhra meal.

Mudda Pappu by Lata of La Gourmet Chef




Beerakaya Menthem by Lata of La Gourmet Chef




Nuvvulu Porutu by Sra of When my soup came alive



Palu Posina Mulagakaya and Majjiga Charu by Neelu of Annadaata Sukhibava


Thotakura Mamidikaya Pappu by Aruna of The Mistress of Spices



Kanda Bachali Kura by Pavani of Cook's Hideout



Vankaya Kottimeera Karam Kura by Pavani of Cook's Hideout



Vankaya Chikudukaya by Madhavi of My Veggie World



Dondakaya Kura by Madhavi of My Veggie World



Vankaya Allam Pachimirapakaya by Madhavi of My Veggie World



Asparagus Patoli by Jai and Bee of Jugalbandi



Panasa Pottu Koora Avapetti by Dee of Ammalu's Kitchen




Aloo Kurma by Neelu of Annadaata Sukhibava




Bengaluru Mirapakaya Senagapindi by Vani of Batasari




Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan by Roopa of My Chow Chow Bath



Gutthi Vankay Koora by Sushma of Sunkiran's Recipe Source




Menthi Pappu from Rathanalaseema by Vani of Batasari



Chow Chow Poriyal by Lakshmiammal of Cook Food Serve Love


Kakarakaya Bellam Vepudu from Guntur by Vani of Batasari



Sanagaballa Thotakura from Nandyala by Indira of Mahanandi





Mirchi Ka Salan from Hyderabad by Indira of Mahanandi




Beerakaya Gasala Kura by Indira of Mahanandi




Methi Patoli by Suma of Veggie Platter



Gutthi Vankaya Kura by Neelu of Annadaata Sukhibava



Gutthi Vankaya Kura by Sreelu of Sreelu's Tasty Travels



Pacchi Pulusu by Neelu of Annadaata Sukhibava




Vankaya Kothimira Vepudu by Sailu of Sailu's Food




Mamidikaya Pulusu by Sailu of Sailu's Food



Chikudukaya Vepudu by Nav of Memories and Meals



Arati Davva Aava Koora by Vini of Passion for Food



Swift and Simple by Sra of When my soup came alive



Stewing in Heat by Sra of When my soup came alive



Gutthi Vankaya Koora by Latha of Masala Magic

Patoli - An Andhra Tradition by Latha of Masala Magic

Rice Dishes:

Rice - the staple of a South Indian, the pride of Andhra. Any curry, side, podi or pachadi is served with rice in an Andhra meal. Here we have a variety of rice preparations to satisfy your tastebuds!

Sona Masuri Rice - The Pride of Andhra by Indira of Mahanandi



Beerakaya Annam by Nav of Memories and Meals



Bagara Annam by Lata of La Gourmet Chef



Methi Bagara Rice by Lavanya of Hyderabadi Kitchen

Pulihora Gongura by Pavani of Cook's Hideout




Mango Rice by Bhags of Crazy Curry

Mango Rice by MT of Menu Today



Qabuli by Jai and Bee of Jugalbandi

Hyderabadi Biryani with Boorani by Asha of Foodie's Hope

Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani by Sajeda of Chachi's Kitchen




Non Vegetarian Andhra Dishes:
Andhra Pradesh and especially Hyderabad is known for its flavorful Non-vegetarian cuisine. The influence of the Mughals has left an indelible mark on the cuisine of Hyderabad. The erstwhile rulers of Hyderabad loved their food and made sure that their meals were elaborate. Spicy and zesty.. non vegetarian hyderabadi cuisine is famous .
Andhra Shrimp Curry by Rinku of Cooking form Westchester




Spicy Andhra Chicken Curry by Mandira of Ahaar




Andhra Chepala Pulusu by Rajani of Amma Cheppindi


Chicken Curry Andhra Style by Ramya of Aromas of my Food


Pepper Chicken by Ramya of Sena's Rasoi




Podis and Pachadis:
Andhra's famous Podis (Powders) and Pachadis (Chutneys) are not to be missed. A traditional Andhra meal always begins with hot rice, kandi podi or some other dry podi and soem hot ghee. On the lines of a appetizer, ancestors always said that starting your meal with hot rice, ghee and podi fired up the tastebuds and increased the appetite!

Gongura Pachadi by Revathi of En-Ulagam

Gongura Pachadi by Suma of Veggie Platter




Mamidikaya Pachadi by Nav of Memories and Meals



Pulihara Avakaya by Soumya of Muri Mixture



Pachi Mamidikaya Kobbari Pachadi by Sailu of Sailu's Food



Mamidikaya Menthi Mukkalu by Lavanya of Spice Web




Tomato Perugu Pachadi by Lavanya of Spice Web

Dosakai Chutney by Suganya of Tasty Pallettes


Kura Kaaram by Madhavi of My Veggie World

A Trio of Podis by Nupur of One Hot Stove







Pickles - The Pride of Andhra by Latha of Masala Magic


Sweets and Deserts:

Thokkudu Laddus by Pavani of Cook's Hideout




Mini Kajjakayalu by Sukanya of Hot and Sweet Bowl


Double Ka Meeta by Viji of Malabar Ruchi

Holigalu by Rajani of Amma Cheppindi

Thank you dear friends for all the wonderful participation. Hope you enjoyed all the lovely dishes!

More on Avakaya Pickle

I have been really busy trying to get the roundup all ready! Meanwhile, I happened upon Chitra's post on Avakaya Pickle... It was just perfect. A perfect explanation and lovely pictures of the tradition of pickle making. I just wanted to share it with my dear readers ..as a sequel to my post :-)
Enjoy!

Pickles - The Pride of Andhra

Pickles are the pride of any Andhra home. Come summer, the abundance of mangoes ensure the start of the pickle making tradition. The hotter the summer, the more fiery the pickle! Spicy is the word to describe these. Andhra pickles are ever so famous, that these pickles are available bottled and are manufactured by many manufacturers in India. But nothing to beat the good old taste of homemade pickles.
Traditionally at home pickles are made during the summer months with the finest of mangoes and other tropical produce. The finest chilli powder, finest mustard powder and finest oil is used. Even though most households follow similar recipes, i have found a huge variation in the taste of the pickles. Call it the touch! These pickles are then allowed to marinade and are stored in what we call "jaadis". These jaadis are ceramic pots with lids on them. The pickles are tightly sealed in them and required quantities are taken out as and when needed.
As tradition would have it, our home is always in abundance of pickles. And as kids, mom, dad and my grandma all have made muddas for us from the various pickles. Everytime a pickle was made, rice was tossed into the bandli (pan) after the pickle was made and tightly stashed away in the jaadi, and mixed well and made into delicious muddas (or little balls). All of us eager would have our hands stretched out for the delicious muddas. Those were the wonderful days! Now what with calorie counting and weight watching, I dont delve into those nostalgias nor do I recreate them at home!

But guess what, RCI Andhra Cuisine made me do it all over again. I usually have a ton of pickles at home. Thanks to carefully parceled and sealed packets of homemade pickles from back home, recreating that magic was not hard at all.

Clockwise from left: - Avakaya Pachadi, Chintakaya Thokkudu Pachadi, Mamidikaya Thokkudu Pachadi and

Gongura Pachadi.

Avakaya Pachadi (Avakaya Pickle)

Spicy Avakaya Pickle

This is a traditional pickle from Andhra that is famous the world over. After the right mangoes are bought or picked at the onset of summer, these magoes are washed and dried, chopped into pieces along with the hard shell in the middle (called 'tenka' or 'vaata'). The chilli powder (yerra khaaram), mustard seed powder (avapindi), turmeric powder (pasupu), salt and methi seeds are mixed together evenly. Then a large quantity of gingely oil (nuvvula noone) is poured into theis mixture. The cut mango pieces are added and mixed well. This mixture is them stored in a jaadi for a few days until it is ready for consumption. The storing process ensures that the mango pieces absorb all the pickle mixture and become temder enough to be eaten.

This goes best with hot rice and ghee as shown in the Avakaya mudda below, or with rice and curds (plain homemade yogurt).

Avakaya Annam Mudda (Avakaya Rice Ball)

Chintakaya Thokkudu Pachadi

Chintakaya Thokkudu Pachadi (Chintokku for short, Raw Tamarind Pickle)

This pickle always came from my grandmother's native village to our house parceled in a big jaadi. I guess the reasoning behind that was, chintakaya trees (or tamarind trees) grew in abundance over there. The tamarind is always picked fresh and is in its raw form for this pickle. Unfortunately, i have no idea how this is made. I am going to have to make a few phone calls to find out this guarded family recipe. I promise to update this post soon after :-)

Best served with rice and Ghee. Carbohydrate overdose u guys! Beware!

Chintakaya Thokku Mudda (Tamarind Pickle Rice Ball)

Maamidikaya Thokkudu Pachadi (Grated Mango Pickle)

You guys will surely appreciate this! I had mom make this pickle right before I took this picture. You see tommorrow we have the Thyagaraja Aradhana function in our temple here. As a volunteer I have been asked to make Mango Rice. So i bought green raw mangoes from the Indian store this evening. And it struck me that i can have mom make this delicious pickle for my post. This is the instant zamaana right!

Maamidikaya Thokkudu Pachadi (Maamidi Thokku for short- Grated Mango Pickle)

Nothing to beat the taste of freshly made thokkudu pachadis folks! This was delicious. Dad grated the raw green mango. Mom heated some sesame oil in a pan and seasoned it with mustard seeds. She then added the raw grated mango, salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. She mixed it well and let it cook in low heat. Meanwhile, she dry roasted a tsp of mustard seeds and some methi seeds (fenugreek seeds). She then powdered them with a mortar and pestle (you can use your coffee grinder). Once the oil separated and the pickle was oily looking and ready, she added this mustard-methi mixture and mixed well. Cool and serve with hot rice and ghee!

Maamidikaya Thokkudu Mudda (Grated Mango Pickle Rice Ball)

And finally to the last pickle on my list!

Gongura Pachadi (Sorrel Leaves Pickle)

Gongura Pachadi (Sorrel Leaves Pickle)

Gongura Pachadi is very typically Andhra. It is a Guntur speciality and is traditionally made with the freshest of gongura leaves. Gongura is also used in a variety of other dishes in Andhra cuisine.

This is how we make gongura pickle at home. Pick out the gongura leaves from their stems. Dont use the stems. Wash the leaves and dry thoroughly. Then in a pan, roast the gongura leaves and red chillies with some oil until the gongura wilts and is well fryed. Cool. Grind this mixture with salt, very coarsely in a mixer. In a pan, heat some oil and add popu ingredients. Mustard seeds, cumin seeds and garlic cloves. Turn off the stove and allow to cool. Then combine the oil mixture and the gongura paste and mix well. Dry roast methi seeds (use sparingly according to quantity) and powder finely. Add this to the gongura pickle and mix well. Store in an airtight jar when cool. Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Gongura Pickle Mudda (Sorrel Leaves Pickle rice ball)

Hope you guys enjoyed this post on Pickles. This will be my final entry to RCI-Andhra Cuisine.

Did you guys like the pictures in this post? Thanks to my dearest friend Bee for her tutoring in photography and providing me with some skills that i dont have the patience to read up on! I learnt a bunch from Jai's advice and Bee's tips. Thanks Jai and Bee. You guys are the best!

I have shied away from hosting a major event like this all through my blogging tenure due to lack of time and other commitments. But deciding to host this and finally going through with it was immensely satisfying. I got to know a lot of wonderful people through their posts and their emails. Thank you dear friends for the wonderful participation.
And thank you Lakshmi for letting me host this wonderful event.
See you all at the roundup soon :-)

Gutthi Vankaya Koora

Our family (specifically my Dad's) is from the Ananthapur district of the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. It is the part of the region that borders the neighbouring state Karnataka and the region that is predominantly influenced by Bangalore and its culture. A lot of similarities can be found in the cuisine of Rayalaseema and the cuisine of Southern Karnataka.
Gutthi Vankaya Koora is a traditional Andhra dish. Be it Rayalaseema, Telangana or Kosta.. this dish is made all over. Except there are several variations to this! I myself make a couple of variations of this delicious dish. In Bangalore, this dish is known as "Badnekai Yengai" which translates to "Nooni Vankaya" .. the other Rayalaseema name for Gutthi Vankaya. Its amazing how regional proximity can influence everything from culture to food!
Well anyway, what more fitting than posting about the most celebrated dish in Andhra cuisine? And i know, that there are tons of recipes for gutthi vankaya out there on the web. But hey, add one more to the list :-) Besides this is my grandma's traditional recipe and believe me, it is out of this world!
I have a small story to share on this note.... when i was due with my first one, the afternoon before I had her, i ate rice with Gutthi Vankaya koora. My dad made the koora that day and boy was it spicy! It was spicy but yet delicious and I can remember slurping it off with my ears and nose turning red! Anyway, later that day my labor pains started and i kept thinking that it was constipation (thanks to the spicy vankaya koora ... :-) blush blush! ) Anyways, as the pains got worse, i knew that it was not the koora but something else!
I then had my baby the next day at 12:30 in the afternoon!

Now for my grandma's recipe:



You will need:
6 small eggplants (brinjals, aka Vankaya)
1 medium sized Onion - Chopped fine
1 Ripe Tomato - Chopped fine
Salt to taste
Seasoning ingredients
3 tbsp Oil

For the stuffing:
1 cup grated fresh coconut
1 tbsp Gasalu (Khus Khus or poppy seeds, soak in some water for about 10 minutes)
3 tsp Red chilli powder
2 tsp Dhaniya powder (Coriander powder)
2 pieces Dal chini or Cinnamon
4 pieces Cloves
2 cloves Garlic
1/4 piece Onion - chopped roughly
2 tbsp Sesame seeds
a few sprigs curry leaves
2 small Tomatoes - chopped roughly
salt to taste

Method:
1. Dry roast the sesame seeds, cinnamon and cloves. Combine with the rest fo the masala ingredients and grind to a smooth paste.
2. Wash and chop the eggplants in the center both ways. Make sure the eggplant is still whole and not chopped fully. There should be two slits in the middle.
3. Stuff the ground masala into the eggplants gently ensuring that they dont break. Keep aside.
4. In a pan, heat the oil. Season with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Then add the chopped onions and saute until onions are golden brown. Then gently place each stuffed eggplant in the pan. Pour the remaining masala over the eggplants. Pour about 3/4 cup of water. Gently mix. Use a spatula to gently lift the whole eggplants while mixing. Make sure they dont break.
5. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add more salt if needed.
6. Then add the chopped tomatoes and mix gently. Cover with a lid again and cook until the gravy thickens. Add a little more water if needed.
7. Cook until oil leaves the sides.
8. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with Rice or Chapathi.

This is one of my contributions to RCI- Andhra cuisine. Hope you guys enjoyed the little story and the recipe.

Also, see Indira's wonderful post on Gutthi Vankaya Koora. Her pictures describe the process just right! I tried her Stuffed Poluru Vankaya Koora recipe sometime back and it was excellent! Cannot go wrong with that one... I used the last stuffing in her list!

Reminder:
Tommorrow - May 25th is the last day to get your entires in for the RCI- Andhra Cuisine event. Thank you all for participating.

Patoli - An Andhra Tradition

Patoli with Chikudukaya (Broad Beans)
Patoli, a typical Coastal Andhra dish is traditionally made with dals, chillies and seasonings. It can be eaten as a snack or served with rice. Innovation has devised patoli with a variety of vegetables. It is usually made with green beans or plantains (aratikaaya). On the lines of the Tamilian Paruppu Usili, Patoli is a tasty side dish that is nutritious and wholesome. It can be served with rice or chapathis.Here I am using Broad beans aka Chikudukaya in Telugu along with the dal mixture to create magic for the taste buds.
You will need:

For the dal mixture:
½ cup channa dal
¼ cup Moong dal
6 red chillies
a small piece of ginger
¼ tsp jeera

Soak the above dals in water for about ½ hour. Drain. Combine the dals and the rest of the above ingredients and gring to a coarse paste in a mixer. Make little balls and steam in an idli pan or a regular dish for about 10 minutes.

Dal mixture ready to be steamed

Steamed Dal lumpsFor the Patoli:
4 cups Chopped Chikudukaya or Broad Beans (you may substitute this with chopped green beans, chopped Aratikaaya or plantain or chopped cluster beans or gorchikudukaya or mattikaya)
1 onion - chopped fine
1 pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut

Chopped Broad BeansFor the seasoning:
2 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
a few curry leaves

Method:In a pan, heat the oil. Season with mustard seeds and the dals. Add the curry leaves and saute for a minute. Then add the chopped onions and saute till soft. Then add the chopped vegetable. Add a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste. Mix well. Add about 1/2 cup of water and cook covered with a lid until tender or until all the water has evaporated.Meanwhile, crumble the dal lumps into a coarse powder. In another pan, heat some oil. Add the crumbled dal lumps and saute, stirring in between for about 10 minutes on a medium flame. The dal mixture should be cripy a bit at this point.Once the vegetable is cooked, add the sauteed dal mixture and mix well. Leave on stovetop for about 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh grated coconut and serve hot.

Patoli

Patoli served with Rice and Sambar

This is one of my entries to the RCI- Andhra event.

Rava Rotti (Suji Rotti)

Ever since I saw Supriya's post on Sajjige Rotti, i have been wanting to try that recipe. In fact, i have several recipes that i have bookmarked, but I never come around to trying those, thanks to busy schedules! But I do make an effort :-)
But i thought i'll kill two birds with one stone ( just a figure of speech..)! This is my entry to gorgeous Trupti of The Spice who Loved me's - Spring Fling with Family and Friends. And also my entry to the lovely Nupur's of One Hot Stove's event - A to Z of Indian Vegetables - Letter 'R' for this week. I have come to look forward to the roundup every Sunday! She does an awesome job and i just love the variety of dishes!
Thanks Trupti and Nupur for hosting these wonderful events!
And thanks a bunch Supriya for this great recipe. I had my mom make it, since i wanted to enter the Spring Fling. She loved the recipe so much that she said - that she is going to make it when she goes back to Bangalore for my brother and other family folks:-)

Mom pretty much followed Supriya's recipe. She chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves, cilantro and ginger. Mixed everything with rava or Suji, salt and some water. She then seasoned with some mustard seeds, urad dal and hing. Mixed it with the rava batter. The only difference is, she made the batter thicker and prefered patting it on to the tava or pan rather than pouring it out. We liked it better that way. The rottis were crispy yet soft and were delicious. She served it with some Red hot chutney pudi! It made a yummy and very filling brunch.

Batter for Rava Rotti

Making the Rotti

Making the Rava Rotti

Rava Rotti Served

Cheers Everyone!

Davangere Masala Dosa Anyone?

Davangere.. .a city in Karnataka.. not too far away from Bangalore, my hometown. I have never been there but having migrated to US, I have met several people from Davangere that talk highly of the ever so famous Davanagere Masala Dosa. So when I saw this post here about the Davanagere Masala Dosa I was so hungry! Just thought you guys would like to read about this and enjoy the pictures. Thanks to Ravikumar the author of this post for the visual treat :-)

Edited to add updates: 05/16/2007
Wow, looks like we have tons of fans of the Davangere Benne (Butter) Masala Dosa. I did some research on this and even called a local good friend of mine from Davangere. It seems that the Davangere Benne Masala Dosa is very similar to the Bangalore/Mysore Masala Dosa. Except that it is smothered with butter (now you know how it gets its name?...) when the Dosa is made and also the Potato filling inside is blander and less fancier than the Bangalore/Mysore Potato Palya. And it is usually served with coconut chutney.
I should tell you guys this.. last night we had Masala Dosa at home! I was too hungry for Masala Dosa after reading Ravi's post :-)
There you go folks.

For the recipe of Mysore Masala Dosa please visit my recipe here. Innovate and to make it the Davangere kind.. just use loads of butter (at your own risk though!)

Keep Smiling!

Pudina Kobbari Pachadi (Mint and Coconut Chutney)

What comes to mind when I think of Andhra cuisine is the innumerable pachadis or chutneys we make. Pretty much anything and everything can be whipped up into a pachadi. There are basically two kinds – pachadis that can be stored for longer that belong to the pickle variety and pachadis that should be consumed fresh when they are made, the chutney variety. This second variety we called “Roti Pachadi” ..a name that is derived from the Telugu word “Roti” which here refers to the mortar and pestle (also called Rolu) that was traditionally used to grind the pachadi. Even now, pachadi that is ground or made using a mortar and pestle has a unique taste and is delicious beyond comparison.
In our house we make pachadlu (the plural of pachadi)or chutney’s with almost anything. My dad and me are true to our blood, we love Pachadlu and anything spicy. We can make do with rice and chutneys anyday and everyday! Mom is always making pachadlu with Radish (Mulangi), Tomato, Beerakaaya (Ridge Gourd), Pudina (Mint), Allum (Ginger), Vankaya (Brinjal) etc. And each pachadi can be unique in the ingredients that go into it.
Now that mom and dad are here you should see more home cooking coming your way from mom’s kitchen (my kitchen which is now hers :-). And since mom is originally Tamilian you should see some wonderful Tamilian dishes coming your way too. For now, today’s post is about Pudina Kobbari Pachadi – which is Mint Coconut Chutney.

You will need:
Fresh Mint Leaves (Pick and wash) – 1 bunch
½ cup grated fresh coconut
5 green chillies
1 small clove Garlic (optional)
1 small piece Tamarind
1 tbsp Urad Dal (black gram dal)
Salt to taste

Method:
In a pan, roast the washed mint leaves and the green chillies with ½ tsp oil. Roast until the leaves wilt and are slightly brown. A nice aroma will emanate. Turn off the stove. Add the tamarind piece and garlic to this and keep aside. In a small pan, roast the urad dal with a drop of oil on low heat until light brown. Combine all the roasted ingredients, the fresh coocunut, salt and about ½ cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. Season with mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Serve with rice, idli or Dosa.

This is one of my entries for the RCI-Andhra Cuisine event hosted by me this month and the brainchild of Lakshmi of VeggieCuisine.