Gooseberry Pickle

Ingredients:

1 kg Gooseberry
250 gms Tamarind - soak
60 gms Guntur chilli
65 gms Byadigi chilli
230 gms Salt
250 gms refined oil
40 gms Daniya
35 gms Jeera
20 gms Methi
5 gms Hing
10 gms Mustard
20 gms Haldi

30 gms tamarind
30 gms salt

Method:

Extract the pulp from the soaked tamarind.

Fry (without oil) chillies and all the masala ingredients and powder it.

Boil gooseberrys in water with 30 gms of tamarind and 30 gms of salt, till the segments can be separated. Cool and deseed them. Discard the tamarind.

Heat oil, add mustard, then add gooseberry and fry for some time (5 minutes). Add tamarind pulp, salt, turmeric, prepared masala and cook till oil separates. Upto 30 minutes. Cool and bottle it.

Store in a refrigerator.

Sankranthi Ellu / Nuvvulu

Ingredients:

Step 1:

1 kg. Rajgira

1/2 kg Nylon Til
1.2 kg Sugar

Fry rajgira, 1 tsp at a time in a hot pan till they pop, keep aside. Clean and separate the popped rajgira and discard the rest.

Fry til 1 tbsp at a time, till they puff. Mix rajgira and til.

In a big vessel take sugar, add 3 cups of water and boil. When it starts boiling add 3 tbsp of milk. After boiling for 2-3 minutes, a layer forms on top. Strain in a muslin cloth. Keep the strained syrup on the stove and boil till it becomes thick and bubbles will form. When the right consistency is reached, remove from stove, add rajgira, til and mix thoroughly. When cool break the lumps into small bits.

Step 2:
450 gms Sugar


Melt sugar in about one and half cups of water and strain in a muslin cloth. Divide into 4 portions. Keep one portion on the stove and keep stirring till the syrup becomes thick. Add any desired food colour and when the right consistency is reached pour on a wet wooden board. When it sets, and is still hot, move it to a side. When cool slowly move and place in a plate, upside down. When dry, break into small squares. Repeat with different colours.

Step 3:
2 Dry coconut


Grate the dark skin of the dry coconut and cut it into small pieces.

Step 4:
1 Kg Groundnuts
1/2 kg Fried Gram
1/2 kg Walnuts
1/2 kg Almonds
1/2 kg whole Cashew
200 gms Chilgoza
200 gms Melon seeds
200 gms Gourd seed
200 gms Charoli
200 gms Jeera sweet / kusurellu





Groundnuts - microwave for 2+2 minutes, when cool, remove skin. Retain rounds.

Fried gram - clean and add.

Walnuts - Clean, break into small pieces and microwave for 2 minutes.

Almonds - cut into desired shape.

Cashew - cut into desired shape and fry in 2 tsp ghee.

Chilgoza - Deskin and clean.

Melon seeds - clean and fry in a pan on a low flame, till they puff.

Gourd seeds - clean and fry in a pan on a low flame, till they puff.

Charoli - Clean and microwave for 2 minutes.

Kusurellu / Jeera sweet - add.

Step 5:
1/2 kg Raisins
1/2 kg Apricot
250 gms Dry Figs
200 gms Black currents
200 gms Cherry (in sugar syrup)




Raisins - clean and add.
Apricot - Remove the seed, cut lengthwise.
Figs - cut into desired shape.
Black currents - clean and add.
Cherry - cut lengthwise.

Step 6:
Mix everything together.
Distribute to Family & Friends, along with sugarcane and fruits.

Pulusu Atukulu

Ingredients:

250 gms thick Rice flakes (poha)
150 gms onion - cut

4 gms red chilli
2 gms methi
4 gms jeera
3 gms while til
10 gms dry coconut

20 gms tamarind
18 gms jaggery
18 gms salt

60 gms oil
1/2 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp channa dal
1/2 tsp urad dal
20 gms groundnuts
3 strands curry leaves

2 pinch turmeric powder
10 gms fresh grated coconut

Method:

Soak together tamarind, jaggery and salt.

Coarsely powder rice flakes in a mixer, sieve to remove the fine powder. Weigh 250 gms. Wash this twice and use a strainer to remove excess water. Squeeze tamarind pulp to this along with salt and jaggery. Mix well and keep aside.

Fry without oil red chilli, jeera, methi and lastly add til and switch off. Powder all these along with dry coconut.

Heat oil, add one by one mustard, jeera, channa dal, urad dal, ground nuts and curry leaves. Add onion and fry till done.

When the onion is tender, add the prepared powder, fresh coconut, little turmeric powder, mix well and add the rice flakes and heat it. Serve hot.

Khus Khus Payasam

Ingredients:

35 gms Khus khus
70 gms fresh grated Coconut
20 gms Cashew
200 gms Jaggery
2 pinch cardamom powder
300-400 ml Milk

Method:

Powder khus khus in a mixer. Add cashew and powder again. Add grated coconut, little water and make a paste. Mix this with 250 ml water and boil till good smell comes (15-20 minutes), on a low flame.

Add jaggery and boil till it melts. Switch off, add cardamom powder. When it is cool, add milk to the required consistency.

Serve cold. Goes well with Otthu Shavige.

Ash Gourd Halwa

Ingredients:

500 gms Ash gourd - grated
(weigh after squeezing the water)
80 gms Ghee
500 ml milk
200 gms Khoya
220 gms Sugar

10 gms ghee
10 gms cashew
10 gms raisins

Method:

Cut ash gourd into small pieces (3"X3") with the skin, remove the seeds and grate it. Take this in a muslin cloth and squeeze out all the water from it. Weigh it, and then steam the grated ash gourd. (Or spread on a microwavable plate and micro for 2+2 minutes)

Divide into 2 portions. For one portion, add half the ghee and in a thick pan fry on a low flame, till the colour changes and the strands separate. Do the same for the second portion also.

Boil milk till it reduces to half.

Take the prepared gourd in the same pan, add thickened milk, sugar and mix well till it is dissolved. Add khoya and fry for some more time.

Heat 10 gms ghee, add pieces of cashew and fry till golden. Switch off and add raisins. Mix everything and serve hot.

Ragi Roti

Ingredients:

300 gms Ragi flour
125 gms Rice flour
40 gms Wheat flour
500 gms Onion
30 gms Oil
15 gms Coriander - chop finely
120 gms Carrot - grate
140 gms Cucumber - grate
100 gms cooked rice - mash
25-28 gms green chilli paste
8-10 gms salt

Method:

Mix all the flours together, add oil, green chilli paste, salt and mix again. Add finely chopped onion, coriander and grated carrot and cucumber and finally mashed rice and mix well.

Boil little water, add little at a time, mix and prepare a dough. Apply oil and spread the dough on a banana leaf or teflon sheet and transfer it to the hot tawa. Roast on both sides. Serve with chutney, or curd.

Makes around 12 or more rotis.

Note: Keep a bowl on the digital scale and add all the ingredients one by one.

Multi-Grain Roti

Ingredients:

150 gms Chiroti Rava
125 gms Rice flour
80 gms Wheat flour

700 ml water
15 gms oil
10 gms Salt

Method:

Mix all the flours together in a bowl.

Boil water, salt and oil in a thick vessel. When the water starts boiling, switch off, pour the flour and stir continuosly, without forming lumps. Switch on the stove again and on a low medium flame cook the dough till it thickens, for about 2-3 minutes.

Let it cool for sometime, and when it is still warm, knead well. About 18-20 rotis can be made. Use rice flour to roll them. Fry both sides on a tawa, apply ghee on one side and serve hot with any veg gravy or dal.

Sappe Rotti

Ingredients:

400 gms Rice flour

800 ml water
10 gms channa dal
10 gms jaggery
10 gms oil
5 gms jeera
20 gms fresh grated coconut

Method:

In a thick vessel boil together - water, channa dal, jaggery, oil, jeera and fresh coconut. When it starts boiling pour rice flour in a heap, in the centre.

On a low medium flame, cover a lid half way and boil for 5 minutes. Switch off and mix well with a wooden ladle. Keep the lid and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Knead to a smooth dough. Add water if necessary, while kneading. Divide into 12 portions.

Before making each roti, knead the dough again, and on a banana leaf or a teflon sheet, apply oil and roll it as thin as possible. Use your fingers to make it round and uniform. Transfer directly on to the tawa, apply oil on both sides and fry till done.

Serve hot with any veg gravy, or dal.

Note: While rolling the rotis, the rolling pin has to be made wet now and then. Otherwise the roti will stick to it.

Moong Dal Payasam

Ingredients:

270 gms Moong dal
15 gms Khus Khus
2-3 gms Rice flour
20 gms Cashew
40 gms Fresh grated coconut
170 gms Jaggery
150 gms Sugar
300 ml Milk
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

2 tbsp ghee
20 gms cashew
20 gms raisins

Method:

Fry moong dal in a thick pan, on a low flame, till it changes colour slightly. Boil 1.2 lts of water and when it starts boiling add moong dal and boil on a medium flame, till they are cooked.

Powder khus khus in a mixer, add rice flour, cashew, fresh coconut and a little water and grind it to a paste.

When moong dal is cooked, add the ground paste, and boil till it is cooked completely. Lastly add jaggery and sugar and cook till they melt. Switch off. Cool and add milk, and cardamom powder.

Heat ghee, add cashew bits and fry till golden, switch off, add raisins, mix to the prepared payasam.

Grapes Gojju

With variations:

Ingredients:

160 gms green seedless grapes - clean and cut into halves

24 gms cashewnuts
4 gms red chilli
5 gms jeera

4 gms salt
8 gms sugar (if the grapes are sour, add more sugar)

15 gms refined oil
1/8 tsp mustard
1/8 tsp jeera

Method:

Heat oil, add mustard, jeera and grapes. Fry till done.

Fry cashewnuts, red chillies and jeera without oil and powder in a mixer, add water and make a paste. When the grapes are cooked, add the paste, a little water, salt and sugar. Boil till done.

Goes well with Idli, Dosa, Muruku or Curd rice.

Yield: 1 cup.

Variation: Replace grapes with finely chopped pine apple and prepare pine apple gojju.

Puliogare Gojju

Ingredients:

120 gms Tamarind - soak
250 gms Jaggery
75 gms Salt
45 gms Rasam Powder

6 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp jeera
2 tbsp Channa Dal
2 tbsp urad dal
1/2 cup groundnuts
2 red chillies - break into pieces
4 strings curry leaves
1 large pinch hing

4 tbsp white til - fry and powder in a mixer.

Method:

Churn the soaked tamarind in a mixer and pass through a sieve to extract a thick tamarind paste.

Heat oil, add mustard, jeera. Add channa dal and urad dal and mix for 30 seconds. Add groundnuts and fry till the dals turn golden, add red chilli bits, curry leaves, hing.

Add tamarind paste and cook till it thickens a little and add jaggery and salt. Boil till they melt and it thickens again. Add rasam powder and give it one boil, switch off. Lastly add powdered til, mix well. Store in an air tight container in the fridge.

How to proceed:

Cook rice and spread in a bowl for it to cool completely. Heat 2 tbsp oil add seasonings and if you need extra groundnuts, this is the time to add. Lastly add the prepared puliyogare gojju according to your taste, mix and pour on the rice. After it is cooled, mix well.

Note: You need not add groundnuts while preparing gojju. They can be added later when you prepare the seasoning to mix the rice.

Mirappodi (Palya podi)

Ingredients:

110 gms Dry coconut
25 gms Guntur chilli
15 gms Byadigi chilli
20 gms crystal salt
6 gms pepper
15 gms garlic

Method:

In a mixer add both the red chillies, salt and pepper and powder it. Then add grated dry coconut and garlic pods and powder coarsely.

Heat a pan, add the powder and fry it for 2 minutes. Switch off and leave it in the pan till completely cool.

Transfer to an air tight jar and refrigerate. Can be stored upto one month.

How to proceed:

Saute vegetables like potato, bhendi, brinjal, capsicum etc., in little oil. Switch off and sprinkle the prepared powder according to your taste.

The vegetables can be prepared separately or in combinations. Onion can also be added.

If using vegetables like carrot and beans, they have to be steamed first, and then fry in little oil till the moisture evaporates and add the palya podi.

Toor Dal Pithukupappu

Ingredients:

100 gms Toor dal
150 gms onion

4 gms daniya (2 tsp)
2 gms jeera (1/2 tsp)
2 gms pepper (15 nos.)
1 gm mustard (1/4 tsp)
2 gms methi (1/4 tsp)
6 gms guntur red chilli (7-8 nos.)

12 gms Tamarind - soak
12 gms Salt
12 gms Jaggery

15 gms khus khus
10 gms raw onion
20 gms fresh grated coconut

Method:

Pressure cook, toor dal and onion with a pinch of turmeric, till one whistle only. The dal should be just done and should not be over cooked.

Keep a small microwavable container on your digital scale and add one by one - daniya, jeera, pepper, mustard, methi, red chilli and microwave all these together for 1 minute.
Or fry without oil in a pan, on a low flame.

Powder in a mixer all the masalas along with khus khus without adding water. Now add 10 gms onion, coconut and little water and make a paste.

Add the masala paste to the cooked dal, add salt, jaggery and sqeeze tamarind juice. Add water if necessary and boil.

For the seasoning: Heat 1 tbsp of oil, add 1/2 tsp mustard, 1/4 tsp jeera and 15 no. of peeled garlic cloves. When the garlic is done, add little hing and curry leaves. Pour on the prepared dal and serve hot with Rava Roti.

Serves 4.

Poori

Ingredients:

150 gms Wheat flour
75 gms Chiroti Rava
10 gms Rice flour
7 gms Oil
4 gms Sugar
5 gms Salt
25 gms Curd

Water - as required
Oil for frying

Method:

Keep a bowl on your digital scale and note the weight of the bowl. To this add all the above ingredients one by one. Mix well and lastly add little water to make a hard dough. Knead well. Divide into small balls, roll them using a rolling pin, and fry in hot oil.

Peas Masala

Ingredients:

400 gms Potato
250 gms Shelled Peas
500 gms Tomato

6 gms Chilli powder
17 gms Salt
28 gms Jaggery

2 gms cinnamon (3" pc)
2 gms cloves (8 Nos.)
1 tbsp Ghee

Method:

Pressure cook potatoes, peel and mash coarsely.

Boil peas separately. Cook till tender.

Make puree of 500 gms tomatoes.

Powder cinnamon and cloves.

Heat ghee, add cinnamom and clove powder, and pour tomato puree. Cook for a while.

Add potato and peas, chillipowder, salt and jaggery and add water to adjust consistency. Boil for 5 minutes.

Serve hot with Poori or Chapathi.

Mango Pickle

Ingredients:

4 kg Raw Mango
1 Pack Bedekar Pickle Mix
200 gms Red chilli powder
950 gms Salt
75 gms Mustard - powder in a mixer
15 gms Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Hing

Method: Cut raw mangoes into desired size or about 1" squares and weigh 4 kgs.

Mix together - red chilli powder, bedekar pickle mix, salt, mustard powder, turmeric powder and hing. Reserve 1 cup of this mixture aside. Spread a layer in a glass bottle or a ceramic jar.

Mix the rest of the mixture to the mango pieces and fill the jar. And finally sprinkle the reserved mixture on top.

Do not put a lid. Tie a muslin cloth and leave it for 3 days. After 3 days mix everything well and it is ready to use after one more week.

Bisi Bele Bhath

Ingredients:

175 gms Toor dal - wash and soak for 1/2 an hour
250 gms Rice - wash
200 gms Carrot - cut into 1" pcs
200 gms Beans - cut into 1" pcs
150 gms onion - cut
250 gms shelled Peas

35 gms Tamarind - soak
35-40 gms Sambar Masala
30-35 gms salt
40 gms Jaggery

For the seasoning:

2 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp refined oil
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp jeera
1 tbsp channa dal
1 tbsp urad dal
2 tbsp cashewnuts - break into halves
4 strings curry leaves
200 gms Tomatoes

Method: In a thick copper bottom vessel, take 2.5 litres of water, add 1 tsp oil and 1 large pinch of turmeric and boil. When the water starts boiling, add the soaked dal, and boil for 10 minutes.

Now add carrot, beans, onion and peas and boil till the dal splits on sides. Add the rice and cook till the rice is done.

Mix sambar masala with little water to make it a paste, without lumps forming, and add. Squeeze tamarind juice, add salt and jaggery. Boil till everything mixes and dissolves. Add water to adjust consistency, if required.

Heat oil, ghee - add one by one mustard, jeera, channa dal, urad dal, cashew bits and fry till golden, curry leaves and lastly add chopped tomatoes and cook till tender. Pour this on the prepared bisi bele bhath and mix. Serve hot.

Variation: Cook rice separately and cool. Pressure cook dal with carrot, beans, onion. Boil peas separately. Mix everything along with masala, salt, jaggery and tamarind paste in a thick copper bottom vessel, add water to adjust consistency and boil. Lastly add seasoning.

Green chilli paste

Ingredients:

100 gms green chilli
50 gms salt
20 gms curry leaves

Method:

Take all the ingredients in a mixer. Make a paste without adding water and store in a small plastic or glass jar in a refrigerator. This can be stored for 2 weeks or more. I use a lot of green chilli paste in everyday cooking.

Onion Roti

Ingredients:

250 gms Rice flour
20 gms fried gram powder
300 gms Onions - finely chopped
100 gms grated cucumber (or cooked mashed rice)
20 gms oil
18 gms green chilli paste
5 gms salt
10 gms coriander - finely chopped
optional - finely chopped spring onion

Mix all the ingredients, add curds to prepare a hard dough.

Method:

Apply oil to a cold tawa, take the dough and spread it thinly on the tawa and roast on the stove, adding little oil. It can be roasted one side or both sides. (You need a minimum of 3 tawas to follow this method - because they have to cool)

Alternatively apply oil and spread the dough on a banana leaf or teflon sheet and transfer it to the hot tawa. Roast on both sides. ( because the rotis are little thick in this method.) Serve with chutney, or curd.

Sweet Avalakki (Poha)

Ingredients:

150 gms Thick Rice flakes (Avalakki)
15 gms Khus Khus
75 gms fresh grated Coconut
250 gms Jaggery - grated
80 gms ghee
25 gms Cashew nuts - break into pieces
20 gms raisins
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

Wash and soak rice flakes in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside, for 1 hour.

Powder khus khus in a small jar of a mixer and now add fresh grated coconut, water and grind it to a smooth paste.

Heat 20 gms of ghee, add cashew and fry till golden. Switch off and add the raisins.

In a thick pan add the ground coconut, khus khus along with 50 ml of water and boil till good smell comes. Now add grated jaggery and let it melt. Boil for 2-3 minutes, add the remaining 60 gms ghee, mix well and add soaked rice flakes. (Before adding, if the rice flakes are hard, you can sprinkle a little water on them). Heat it for a couple of minutes. Switch off. Lastly add, cashew, raisins and cardamom powder. Serve.