Bell Pepper Bottle Gourd Curry

Bell Pepper Bottle Gourd Curry.
Bottle gourd and red bell pepper and chopped up and cooked in oil along with whole spice mix (panch phoran). Once the ingredients are cooked, it is seasoned with powdered spices. Serve bell pepper bottle gourd chutney with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Bell Pepper Bottle Gourd Curry.
Ingredients:
Bottle Gourd 1/2 of Small One
Red Bell Pepper 1
Green Chiles 1 – 2
Panch Phoran 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder a big Pinch
Salt to Taste
Oil 1 tsp
Method of preparation:
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Wash, remove stem, discard seeds and chop red bell pepper into small pieces.
Peel, wash, remove ends and chop bottle gourd into small chunks.
Heat oil in a pan, add panch phoran.
Once mustard seeds splutter and the spices are aromatic, add the green chiles and chopped bottle gourd.
Cook covered on low flame along with a splash of water for 5 minutes.
Once bottle gourd is cooked a little, stir in red bell pepper and salt.
Cook covered again for another 5 minutes till bottle gourd and bell pepper are cooked well and turns soft.
Stir in red chili powder ,turmeric powder and remove from heat.
Serve bell pepper bottle gourd chutney with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure bottle gourd is cooked well before removing from heat.
Suggestions: If any of the ingredients are uncooked, put the pan on heat and cook covered till bottle gourd and red bell pepper is cooked well.
Other Names: Bell Pepper Bottle Gourd Curry.

Spicy Idli Powder

Spicy Idli Powder.
Chana dal, urad dal and sesame seeds are roasted and ground into fine powder along with spices and salt. Serve spicy idly powder with steamed idli and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 1 Cup of Spicy Idli Powder.
Ingredients:
Chana Dal 1/2 Cup
Urad Dal 1/4 Cup
White Sesame Seeds 1/8 Cup
Raw Rice 2 Tbsps
Dry Red Chili 2 – 3
Asafoetida 1/8 tsp
Salt to Taste
Method of preparation:
Dry roast chana dal, urad dal, sesame seeds separately on a heavy bottomed pan.
Add few drops of oil and roast the dried red chiles till aromatic or until they turn dark.
Cool all the roasted ingredients to room temperature.
Grind all the roasted ingredients along with asafoetida and salt into fine powder.
Serve spicy idly powder with steamed idli and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure not to burn any of the ingredients.
Suggestions: Make sure to roast the ingredients in low flame on a heavy bottomed pan.
Other Names: Spicy Idli Powder.

Moong Fritters Stew

Pesara Pappu Punukulu Pulusu.
Yellow split moong dal is soaked in water and ground into coarse paste. The mixture is then scooped and deep fried in oil till golden brown in color. The fritters are then added to the tamarind jaggery sauce. Serve moong dal fritters stew with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Moong Fritters Stew.
Ingredients:
Moong Dal 1/4 Cup
Onion 1/2 of Small One
Tamarind 2 inch Piece
Turmeric Powder a Pinch
Red Chili Powder 1/4 tsp
Jaggery 2 inch Piece
Rice Flour 1 Tbsp
Dried Red Chiles 1
Salt to Taste
Cilantro few Sprigs
Talimpu:
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps
Method of preparation:
Soak moong dal in water for 2 – 3 hours.
Refresh in water and strain the moong dal.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro leaves.
Soak tamarind in half a cup of warm water for sometime and extract all the juice.
Stir rice flour in few tablespoons of water to make a paste and keep aside.
Grind soaked moong dal and salt into somewhat coarse paste along with red chiles adding small amount of water if required.
Remove the ground moong dal mixture onto a mixing bowl, taste and adjust salt if necessary.
Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
Scoop small spoon sized moong dal mixture and slowly drop in hot oil.
Repeat the same few more times to till the top layer of the oil is filled with fritters.
Once the fritters are golden brown on all the sides, remove onto absorbent paper.
Repeat the same with remaining moong dal mixture.
Break moong dal fritters into halves or quarters depending on the size.
Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add chopped onion and pinch of salt.
Once onion turns translucent, stir in tamarind extract, quarter cup of water, jaggery, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Bring to boil and stir in rice flour paste.
Boil for few seconds, remove from heat and stir in slightly broken moong dal fritters.
Garnish with cilantro and serve moong dal fritters stew with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure moong dal is soaked well.
Suggestions: Make sure not to add too much water in the preparing moong dal mixture. Add a tbsp or so of rice flour if moong dal mixture becomes runny.
Variations: Add corn flour in place of rice flour to make a paste to thicken the tamarind sauce.
Other Names: Moong Dal Fritters Stew, Pesara Pappu Punukulu Pulusu.

Fenugreek Sprouts Raita

Menthi Perugu Pachadi.
Fenugreek seeds are soaked in water and sprouted. Spices are fried in oil till golden brown. The fenugreek sprouts are mixed with yogurt along with fried spices. Serve fenugreek sprouts raita with steamed rice or with roti.
Makes: around 2 Cups of Fenugreek Sprouts Raita.
Ingredients:
Fenugreek Sprouts 1/2 Cup
Yogurt 1 1/2 cups
Green chiles 1
Salt to Taste
Cilantro few Sprigs
Talimpu:
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Oil 1 tsp
Method of preparation:
Remove stem, wash and slice the green chile.
Whisk yogurt with salt.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.
Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add green chiles.
Fry briefly and remove from heat.
Cool to room temperature and add the spices to the whisked yogurt.
Stir in cilantro and serve fenugreek sprouts raita with steamed rice or with roti.

Suggestions: Adjust spice with green chiles.
Variations: You can also add finely chopped onion to the raita.
Other Names: Fenugreek Sprouts Raita, Menthi Perugu Pachadi.

Bell Peppers with Potato

Bell Peppers with Potato.
Red and yellow bell peppers are chopped into small pieces. Potato and onion are also chopped and cooked in oil along with spices and bell peppers. Serve bell peppers with potato with steamed rice or with roti.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Bell Peppers with Potato.
Ingredients:
Red Bell Pepper 1
Yellow Bell Pepper 1
Potato 2 Small
Onion 1 Small
Green Chiles 1 – 2
Coriander Seeds 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to Taste
Talimpu:
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps
Method of preparation:
Wash, remove stems, discard seeds and finely chop the red bell pepper and yellow bell pepper.
Peel, wash and finely chop the potato.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add sliced green chiles.
Fry briefly, stir in chopped onion, potato, bell pepper (red and yellow) and salt.
Cook covered on low flame for around 5 minutes or until potato is soft and bell pepper is cooked.
Uncover, stir in coriander powder, red chili powder and fry for few minutes.
Serve bell peppers with potato with steamed rice or with roti.
Notes: Make sure bell pepper is cooked well.
Suggestions: Adjust green chiles according to spice. If the curry is not cooked well, add a splash of water and cook covered on low flame till done.
Other Names: Bell Peppers with Potato, Butta Pachi Mirapakaya Bangala Dumpa Kura.

Fenugreek Sprouts Salad

Fenugreek Sprouts Salad.
Fenugreek seeds are soaked in water and sprouted for a day or two. Finely chop the bell peppers, tomato and onion. Fenugreek sprouts are mixed with all the chopped vegetables and herbs. Serve fenugreek sprouts salad immediately or chilled.
Makes: around 2 Servings of Fenugreek Sprouts Salad.
Ingredients:
Sprouted Fenugreek Seeds 1/2 Cup
Red Bell Pepper 1/4 of Small one
Green Bell Pepper 1/4 of Small One
Tomato 1 Small
Onion 1/2 Small
Black Pepper Powder few Pinches
Lemon Juice 1 Tbsp
Cilantro few Sprigs
Salt to Taste
Method of preparation:
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Wash and finely chop the tomato.
Wash, separate leaves and finely chop the cilantro.
Wash, discard seeds and finely chop red and green bell pepper.
In a mixing bowl, mix together fenugreek seeds sprouts and lemon juice.
Leave aside for few minutes and then stir in chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, salt and black pepper.
Serve fenugreek sprouts salad.
Notes: Make sure fenugreek seeds are sprouted well.
Suggestions: Make sure to adjust fenugreek sprouts according to taste.
Other Names: Fenugreek Sprouts Salad.

Ridge Gourd Kadhi

Ridge Gourd Kadhi.
For ridge gourd / turai kadhi, oil is tempered with few whole spices. Ridge gourd is peeled and chopped into small pieces and fried in oil till they cook. Mixture of besan / gram flour and yogurt is prepared and cooked along with ridge gourd. Serve ridge gourd kadhi with steamed rice or with roti.
Makes: Ridge Gourd Kadhi.
Ingredients:
Ridge Gourd 1 Medium
Besan / Gram Flour 3 – 5 Tbsps
Plain Yogurt 1 Cup
Green Chiles 1 – 2
Turmeric Powder a big pinch
Salt to taste
Oil 1 Tbsp
Talimpu:
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps
Method of preparation:
Peel off the thick skin, wash, remove ends and chop the ridge gourd into small pieces.
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Whisk yogurt with besan and salt into smooth paste adding around half a cup of water.
Heat oil in a pan, add all other talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add green chiles, chopped ridge gourd and salt.
Cook covered on low flame till ridge gourd is soft.
Add a splash of water if required.
Take a big tablespoon of ridge gourd mixture and mix with the whisked yogurt mixture to lower the temperature of the yogurt.
Then stir in the yogurt mixture in to the pan with cooked ridge gourd.
Cook on low flame till yogurt besan mixture thickens or until raw smell of the mixture is gone.
Adjust any seasonings if required and remove from heat.
Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve ridge gourd kadhi with plain steamed rice or with roti.
Notes: Make sure ridge gourd is cooked well before adding the yogurt mixture into the pan.
Suggestions: Vary the consistency of the dish with besan / gram flour. If the yogurt gravy feels raw, cook the mixture on low flame for couple more minutes or until done. Make sure not to add cold yogurt mixture into hot pan.
Variations: Finely chopped onion can also be added along with ridge gourd.
Other Names: Ridge Gourd Kadhi.