Sorakaya Chutney/pachadi - Bottle Gourd

Ingredients:


1 1/2 cups bottle gourd cubes,peel off the skin
1/2 tbsp split gram dal/minapappu
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 dry red chillis, de-seed
3 green chillis, chop each into two
4-5 garlic cloves
half lemon sized tamarind
salt to taste
3 tsps oil


For seasoning:
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp split gram dal/minappa pappu
1-2 dry red chillis
few fresh curry leaves
1/2 tsp oil
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (optional)

1.Heat 3 tsps oil in a cooking vessel, add split gram dal, cumin seeds and stir fry for about 2 mts or till the dals turn red 
2.Then, add garlic, green chillis, curry leaves and fry on medium heat for a minute. 3.Then add the chopped bottle gourd cubes and then add Tamarind .And cook for about 10 minutes with the lid closed. Remove and cool.
4 Once cool add salt and grind it to paste.
5 Heat half a tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds  and let them pop, add Cumin and split dal and let it fry , add curry leaves and dry red chillis and stir fry for a few seconds.
6 Pour the seasoning over the ground pachadi and serve with hot rice.

Vegetable cutlet

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped mixed veggies (carrots, beans, peas)
2 cups boiled and grated poatatoes i.e 2-3 potatoes(Make sure to remove the potatoes from water as soon as they are done ,so that they don't absorb the water)
1 medium onion finely chopped
1/4 tsp of turmeric
1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste
1/2 tbsp of green chilli (2-3)and coriander paste
1/2tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
1/2 tsp chat masala
2 cups bread crumbs
4 tsp All purpose flour
salt to taste

Procedure:
Squeeze out the excess water in the veggies
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan,add cumin and then add onions, salt and saute till transparent.
Add the gingergarlic paste and saute it till it looses its raw flavour
Add turmeric,coriander and green chilli paste,coriander powder,red chilli powder,chat masala.
Add the mixed veggies and continue to saute till all the moisture evapourates and then switch off the flame.
Now add this to the grated potatoes and mix it properly and check the salt and add accordingly.
Add little bread crumbs to the mixture,if there is any extra moisture.
Roll out small balls and pat them to the shape of cutlets.
Add little water to the all purpose flour and make it into a thick paste and dip the cutlet in it.
Now drop these cutlets in a plate filled with bread crumbs. Toss it over and make sure that it is well coated with a layer of bread crumbs.
Now you can deep fry it or shallow fry it.

If you are deep frying it,make sure that the oil is hot enough.
Fry these cutlets on both sides till they are well done and crisp.
Serve hot with ketchup /green chutney

Ground Turkey Curry/Turkey keema curry

Ingredients:
2 medium sized onions
2 tomatoes
3 green chilles
1/4 tsp of jeera
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of garam masala
2 tsp of dhania powder
2 tsp of red chilli
2" Cinnamon stick broken in half
4 Cloves
3 Cardamom cracked open
salt to taste



1.Heat oil in a pan,add jeera ,add cinamon,cardamom and cloves
2.Now add onions and fry them till the onions turn slight brown.
2.Now add ginger garlic paste and fry it till it turns slight brown color
3.Add garam masala ,turmeric,chilli powder and add little salt and fry it
3.Now add ground turkey and fry it till the color of the turkey is changed to brown
4.Now add tomatoes and cook it till tomatoes get dissolved and now add 1/2 cup of water and adjust the salt and spice and cook it for about 10 minutes or till you can see traces of oil.

Serve it with Rice or Roti

Spinach dal /Palakura pappu/Palak dal

Spinach Dal

Ingredients :
1 bunch of Palak
1 cup of Toor dal
1 medium sized onion
10 Green chillies
1/4 tsp of Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp spoon of oil
Small ball size Tamarind
water
Salt to taste


For Seasoning

1/4 tsp of Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp of Jeera
3 Garlic cloves
2 Red chillies
5-6 Curry leaves

Procedure

1.Pluck the leaves of palak wash it and cut them

2.Wash and pressure cook dal,palak,tamarind,chopped onions,green chillies,turmeric together with water ( 3 or 4 whistles) .

3.When the pressure is released,remove the lid add salt and mash it.

4.Heat oil in a Pan add mustard seeds,jeera,red chillies,crushed garlic cloves,curry leaves and fry them till they turn brown .e

5.Now add the seasoning to the the pressure cooked dal


Serve hot with rice,ghee and mango pickle.

Andhra khichdi/ pulagam

Serves 3 people
Ingredients:

1 cup of moong dal
2 cups of rice
2 tbsps oil or ghee
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
4 cloves
1 inch cinnamom stick
1 large onion finely chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1/2 cup carrots and potatoes (u can also add peas,cauliflower)
1 large tomato finely chopped
1/2 tsp garam masala pwd
1/4 tsp whole black pepper
2-3 green chillies
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
salt to taste
6 cups of water(I use electric rice cooker)

Preparations:
Wash the rice and moong dal and soak it for about 20-30 mts

Procedure:
1.Heat oil in a pan ,add jeera then add cloves, cinnamom,pepper corns and saute it
2.Add chilles & onions and saute it till they turn slightly brown, add ginger,garam masala ,turmeric and saute it.
3.Add vegetables and saute it till they are partially cooked ,now add tomatoes and
saute it till the tomatoes are mashed up.
4.Add the soaked rice and moong dal and saute it till rice is properly coated with the masala
5.Now take the required amount of water in electric cooker and add the masala rice to it.
6.Alternatively u can pressure cook/directly add the water to the masala rice and cook
And your kichdhi/pulagam is ready

Serve it by itself or with pickle or curd

khara pongal/katte pongali/venn pongal

Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients
1 cup of Moong Daal
2 cups of Rice
2 tbsp of ghee/oil
1/2 tsp of pepper corns
1/2 tsp of Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
few curry leaves
2 or 3 Chopped Green Chilli (as per your spice levels)
1/2 tsp of Turmeric Powder
8-9 cups of water
8 Roasted cashewnuts
Salt to taste

Preparations:
Wash moong daal and the rice and soak it for about 30 minutes.

Procedure:
1.Take a pressure cooker and heat oil/ghee in it.
2.Add mustard seeds and when they start crackle ,add cumin seeds and then add green chillies ,pepper corns,curry leaves and fry for a a minute and add turmeric powder
3.Now add the soaked moong dal and rice and fry it for 2 to 3 minutes
And then add water,salt and pressure cook for about 3 whistles
4.After the whistle is down, finally mix cashewnuts and your pongal is ready

Serve it with coconut /groundnut chutney and it will be yum... yum....... yummy......

Varation:You can add few ginger pieces to oil before you add rice and moong dal

Raw Mango chutney/Mango mukkala pachadi

Raw Mango chutney

Ingredients:

1 raw Mango cut into small pieces with the skin
3 or 4 tsp of red chilli powder
3 finely chopped garlic cloves
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp of methi seeds
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
3 tsp of oil
salt to taste

For Seasoning
mustard,channa dal,curry leaves,a pinch of hing/asafoetida

Preparations:

Dry roast methi and mustard seeds and grind it fine powder

Procedure:
1.Mix well the mango pieces with salt,turmeric,red chilli powder,garlic pieces and the prepared methi and mustard seeds powder.

2.For seasoning heat little oil and add mustard seeds and when it pops up add channa dal ,then curry leaves and hing

3.Now just add the seasoning to the mixed mango pieces and the mango chutney is ready
Note:You can add 1-2 tsp of lemon juice ,if the mango is not sour enough