Lemon Gojju - Havyaka Cooking

Havyaka Cuisine is one of the many cuisines of Karnataka. Popularized by the Havyaka Brahmins, a sect of Brahmins from North Karnataka or Shimoga district of Karnataka, this cuisine is known for its unique recipes and the extensive use of coconut in its dishes.
I have a bunch of Havyaka friends here. What is so unique about them is their language. Being born and breed in Bangalore, I am pretty fluent in Kannada. But the Havyaka Kannada or Havi kannada (ancient kannada) is a treat in itself. Very different and very sweet to the ear, I would love to learn this dialect of Kannada.
Anyways, coming to the post, thanks to my friends I have gotten to taste several Havyaka dishes. All the gojjus, the tambuli’s, hashi and the chitranna’s are a delight! The other day mom wanted to try something different and unique. What with Varalakshmi Pooja and lots of visits to several homes, we ended up with a couple of big yellow Lemons! Lemons are usually part of the tambulam bag during Varlakshmi festival! Mom decided to try Lemon Gojju or Nimbehannina Gojju as its called in Kannada. It turned out to be a sour-spicy-sweet, all in one tasty side, that is supposed to be great with rice. But I even used it as a spread on my toast and as a spread on chapathis. Innovation is a wonderful thing….
Mom said she got this recipe of this site! She's quite internet savvy, you know :-) The recipe worked great. Look for yourselves :-D


Lemon Gojju


Closer look - Dont you guys love how that seasoning looks!


All ready to be eaten - Rice mixed with Lemon Gojju - Rice Mudda!

One more entry to RCI- Karnataka – hosted by our very own Asha of Foodie’s Hope, brainchild of Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine!


These events are a wonderful thing – don’t you agree? We end up trying cuisines and ingredients that we would otherwise hesitate to try!

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 :-)

Instant Tomato Chutney

When RP of My workshop announced that the ingredient for the event "Jihva For Tomatoes" for the month of March was Tomatoes, I was pleased. What a fitting tribute to this humble vegetable to give it the spotlight at the beginning of spring when tomatoes are in abundance. And what's not to love about these red babies. They are rich in lycophene and are nutritious in any form.
And not to mention that there are a huge number of dishes that you can make with tomatoes! Read more about the magic of tomatoes here.

I had many a dishes in mind, but thanks to work, birthdays and other events in my life I had to scale down to this simple yet lip-smacking dish. Instant Tomato Chutney - a chutney so yummy and so easy to make. A tribute to my grandmother who taught me how to make this delicious dish.

Instant Tomato Chutney

You will need:

6 to 7 Tomatoes - Wash and Chop fine

3 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Methi Seeds (Fenugreek Seeds)

a few curry leaves

Salt to taste

For seasoning:

5 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Urad Dal

a pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)

Method:

Wash the tomatoes and chop fine. Keep aside. In a pan, toast the methi seeds without any oil. When they splutter remove form the heat. Transfer to a coffee grinder or a mortar and make a fine powder of the toasted methi seeds when cool. Keep aside.

In a pan , heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the hing, urad dal and curry leaves. Then add the chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. On medium heat cook the tomato mixture stirring in between until all the water from the tomatoes evaporates. Oil will leave the sides of the pan when all the water evaporates. Finally, add the methi powder and mix well. Cool and store in an airtight container.

This chutney keeps upto a week when refrigerated. You can serve this chutney with Rice, Chapathis, Dosa, Idli or even as a spread on bread!

Tomato Chutney Served on Whole Wheat Toast

This is my entry for the Jihva For Tomatoes event hosted by RP of MY Workshop.

Ginger Chutney (Allum Kobbari Chutney)

Ginger root is used extensively as a spice in many if not most cuisines of the world. The sweet-sour taste of ginger, its somewhat pungent fragrance and taste originates from the essential oils in its constitution. Ginger is used in a variety of cuisines and is known for its capacity in covering up other odor producing foods. (Source of the above: www.wikipedia.org) The Chinese use it vastly in their cooking. It is used in tea in many parts of the world. In India, ‘adrak chai’ is known all over and conjures up images of a hot cup of fragrant tea in any Indian mind. It has several medicinal uses. It is mainly used to cure indigestion, nausea and motion sickness. This wonderful versatile root has an important place in Ayurveda.
I like to use this root in most of my cooking. It gives my dishes a mild, aromatic flavor to them. In my home, my mom always made this special Ginger Kobbari Chutney (Ginger and Coconut Chutney) along with Pesrattu (a special Dosa made from Moong Beans). This delicious chutney can also be eaten with Hot Rice and Ghee. Hope you enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 cup grated dry copra (or you may use Desiccated Coconut)
5 Dry red chillies
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 small piece tamarind
½ tsp Sugar
1 tsp oil

Ingredients for Ginger Chutney

Method:

Soak the tamarind in 1/4 cup of water. Wash, Peel and chop the ginger to small pieces Fry the chopped ginger with a teaspoon of oil until it is golden brown in color. Fry the Dry Red chillies with little oil until they are crisp. Grate the dry Copra. Grind the fried ginger, RedChillies, grated Copra, soaked tamarind, salt, and sugar together with the tamarind water in a mixer/blender. Grind the chutney a little coarse (make sure it does not become too pasty).

Serve the Chutney with Pesarattu or Hot Rice and Ghee.
Ginger Chutney (Allum Kobbari Chutney)

Red Hot Idli Podi

Description:
Idli Podi or Chutney podi or powder is very popular in the Southern part of India. In Andhra it is usually called Idli Podi or Kandi Podi and is usually eaten as a side with hot steaming idlis or dosas. Kandi Podi is also mixed with hot rice and ghee. In Karnataka, a slightly similar version is called Chutney Pudi.In Tamil Nadu, this powder is called Idli Molagha podi. It is eaten with idli or dosa or even Adai. Whatever the name maybe, this delicious preparation is a careful blend of lentils and spices with chillies to give it just that right flavor and taste.
I love my grandma's preparation of this Podi. It is my favourite and I can eat it with almost anything. With my grandma being no more, My mom now makes this for me most of the time and sends me parcels with friends or relatives comign to the US.

Ingredients:
1 cup bengal gram dhal(channa)
1 cup black gram dhal (urad)
2 tablespoons peanuts
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (gingelly or til)
8 nos. dry red chillies( guntur or the hot variety)
8 nos. dry red chillies( byadgi or the bright red variety)
1 cup grated dry coconut (copra)
1 small piece hing (asofoetida)
3 tsp (or to taste) salt
1 sprig curry leaf
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp oil

Method:
Heat a frying pan and fry channa and urad dhal with a tsp of oil to golden brown.Roast ground nuts and remove the husk. Roast the sesame seeds till it splutters.Fry the dry red chillies and hing with a little oil. Fry the curry leaves also with little oil till it is crispy.First grind the fried dhals, chillies,hing ,curry leaves to a coarse consistency in a mixer/blender.Midway,Add the roasted ground nuts , curry leaf,sesame seeds, grated copra,salt and sugar and run the mixer for a minute or two.Ensure that the pudi does not become too fine.Remove and store in airtight container.

Red Hot Idli Podi

Storage Tips:
Can be stored for more than a month. If stored in a referigerator in an airtight container it can last upto six months also.

Additional Info:
If Byadgi or bright red chilly is not available ,one could use red Kashmiri mirch powder. This powder can be dry roasted and mixed with the chutney powder.A small ball of tamarind also can be added while grinding if the sour taste is liked. This pudi tastes excellent for Idlis with Gingelly Oil, with ghee for dosas and with curds/yogurt for chapathis.

Peanut Chutney

Delicious Roasted Peanuts blended together with fresh coconut and chillies, just the right side for hot steaming idlis or crisp dosas.

Ingredients:
1 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup grated fresh cocunut
4 green chillies
1 clove garlic
a few sprigs cilantro (coriander leaves)
a small ball of tamarind
1 tsp salt (or to taste)

Ingredients for Peanut Chutney

For Seasoning:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
a few curry leaves
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)

Method:
Step 1: Mix all ingredients (except seasoning ingredients) and grind with 1/2 cup of water into a smooth paste in a mixer or blender.
Step 2: Seasoning with seasoning ingredients and serve with hot idli, dosa or chapathi.

Delicious Peanut Chutney