Gongura pachadi/Red Sorrel leaves Pachadi

Gongura pachadi is famous through out Andhra and without this pachadi no marriage function will be there in Andhra . Gongura is a very rich source of Iron, vitamins, folic acid and anti-oxidants essential for human nutrition. "Gongura" is popular in Tamilnadu as well, which is called "pulichakeerai" in Tamil. The famous combination with "pulichakeerai" is "Ragi Kali/Ragi Mudde", which once used to be a regular food for the people in villages (since these items are easily available in agricultural forms). In Maharashtra markets, it is called Ambaadi (अंबाडी). It is known as Pitwaa in Hindi, Nalitaa Saaga in Oriya, Mestapat in Bengali, Pandi in Kannada and Sorrel Leaves in English. It is a summer crop, and the hotter the place, the more sour the leaf gets.

This gongura pachadi can be done using dry red chilies or green chilies .When red chilies are used , the consistency of the pachadi will be little hard and dry and need more oil while tempering. Green chilies will give a moist consistency and cannot stay for a longer period.

There are 2 varieties of gongura , one is white stem gongura and the other is red gongura .White gongura has a little bitter taste than the red variety . Both of them really taste well. Gongura pachadi with hot rice with a dash of ghee and slice of red onions. Hmmm!!!! no words to express the taste. so Delicious. So here goes the recipe:

Ingredients :

• Fresh Red Sorrel leaves/Gongura Leaves - 2bunches

• Whole dry red chilies - 10

• Green chilies - 3(depending on

• spice level add more)

• Urad dal /Minapappu/black gram dal - 1/2 tbsp

• Senega pappu/chana dal /bengal gram dal - 3/4 tbsp

• Coriander seeds/Dhaniyalu - 1 tbsp

• Salt to taste

• Tamarind pulp - 1/2 tbsp

• Oil - 2 tbsp

Tempering/Seasoning:

• Oil - 3tbsp

• Mustard seeds/Avalu - 1 tsp

• Hing/Inguva- 3 tsp

• Whole Dry Redchillies - 2 (deseeded)

• Curry leaves/Karevepaku - few sprigs (optional)

Method :

• Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a heavy bottom vessel. Add the leaves and tamarind pulp /extract and sauté them until soft and let all the water in the leaves gets evaporated. Remove and let it cool.

• In the same vessel add 1 tbsp oil and add methi seeds and fry till light brown .

• Add coriander seeds,Urad dal,chana dal and dry red chilies and fry stirring constantly till light brown .Remove them and take into a bowl and let them cool down to the room temperature.

• In a grinder , add all the roasted ingredients(methi ,coriander seeds,urad dal,chana dal ,dry red chilies) into a coarse texture.

• Now add the sorrel leaves/gongura leaves and grind once again along with the above grinded seasoning.

• [you grind the chutney /pachadi as per your taste. I like the pachadi to be in a coarse texture instead of a smooth paste.]

• Heat 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds/

• Avalu and let them crackle down , now add the inguva /hing and remove from heat and let it completely cool down before adding to the pachadi/chutney.

• Note: Normally for the pickles and pachadi to stay longer the final tempering needs to be added once they are cooled down to room temperature . Especially when adding hing/inguva if added when it is hot ,there is a chance of pickle getting black in color .

• This pickle can be stored in refrigerator and can be used for 15 days and goes well with hot steamed rice, a dash of ghee and sliced red onions.

Sorakaya/Kaddu/Bottle Gourd chutney

 Ingredients:

• Sorakaya/bottle gourd - medium size (chopped into small cubes)
• Garlic-3 pods (layers removed and finely chopped) [optional]
• Green chillies – 3(small) (as per spice level)
• Tamarind pulp – small lemon size
• Salt as per taste
• Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

• Take sorakaya/kaddu/bottle gourd peel it and cut it in to pieces (Remove the seeds if it is hard and add if the seeds are soft)
• Take a pan and heat the oil, once heated add the bottle gourd pieces to it and let them get cooked  in low heat by  adding little salt and sprinkling of water and cover it with a lid. 
• Once the kaddu is cooked / becomes soft add green chillies and let it cook again for 2 mins, Mix it with a spatula in the middle.
• Turn off the heat and let it cool for 10 mins.
• Grind the cooked kaddu mix with garlic pods; tamarind pulp and check for salt if required add salt to it and grind to a fine /coarse paste as per taste.
• Remove the mixture into a bowl and if required add jeera, hing and mustard seeds tadka and serve hot with rice /roti. 

Carrot Chutney

Ingredients:

• Carrots-4 (finely chopped)
• Red chillies-5
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Tamarind juice - 1 tbsp

 Tadka/ Seasoning:

• Haldi - a pinch
• Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds/Avalu – 1 tsp
• Hing/Inguva – 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves – few hand full

 Method:

• Heat the pan and add oil to it.
• Add the chopped carrots and cook it till tender soft.
• Remove from heat and keep it aside and let it cool. 
• Take another pan and add few drops of oil and add red chillies and fry them.
• Take a blender/grinder and add carrot, red chillies, tamarind juice, and salt and grind to form a coarse paste.
• Remove the mix into a bowl and add the tadka to the chutney.
• Serve hot with Rice /Roti.

Korivi Karam (Red Peppers Pickle)

Ingredients:

• Red chillies – 2 lb(very ripened and hot to taste only will be good for this pickle)
• Tamarind – 1 tbsp (Indian tamarind one is preferably)
• Salt to taste
• Hing – 1 tsp

Method:

• Wash and clean the red chillies, let them dry on dry cloth and make sure that no little piece of wetness need to be there on the chillies.
• Wipe the red chillies and put them in the grinder and grind the chillies coarsely with little salt and tamarind.
• Remove from the blender, Heat oil in a pan for 3- 4 min. and put hing.
• Remove from the heat, allow it cool and add it to the pickle.
• Add little bit of oil to the pickle and mix it well. Store it in a air tight jar.

Nimmakaya Karam

Lemons in Telugu are called as Nimmakaya. We all know different pickles with lemon. But this is       Andhra special. This is an instant pickle which can be prepared with 10 min. Will be very tasty along with hot rice and ghee (or) with garalu/vada.I have first tasted this in my aunt’s house and asked her the recipe, but I lost the recipe and started searching the recipe and finally found at surasa.net and    tried once and it turned it well. So without further delaying, here goes the recipe:

Recipe Adapted from surasa.net

Ingredients: 

·   Juice of Lemons – 5 

·   Salt to taste

·   Channa Dal (senaga pappu)- 1 tbsp

·   Urad dal (Minapa Pappu)- 1 tbsp

·   Red chillies - 5

·   Fenugreek (Menthulu)- 1/2 tbsp

·   Mustard seeds (Avalu)- 1/2 tbsp

·   Asafoetida (Ingunva)

·   Oil – 1/2 tbsp

Method: 

·   Fry all ingredients except lemon juice and salt in oil. 

·   Allow it to cool. Grind to a fine paste or powder.

·   Add lemon juice and salt.  

Tomato Nilva Pachadi

Now days in market we are getting Roma Tomatoes cheaper in the market. So when I went to market last week end I got 3 lbs of roma tomatoes for $1. But then few of them are much ripened so I called up my mother in law to ask how to prepare the instant tomato pickle. She gave me a very simple yet delicious recipe. After completing that recipe I really felt it is so yummy, mouth-watering smell and a super taste that any one can just eat without having any thing along with it. This pachadi goes well with Hot Rice, Dosa and Idli’s.

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes - 2 lbs. (I used roma tomatoes), (wash them and let them dry completely.)
• Tamarind – large gooseberry sized. (Use them if the tomatoes are not too sour)
• Salt – as per taste
• Methi powder –3 tsp
• Rai powder – 3 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 3 tsp
• Oil – 1tbsp

Tempering/ Tadka/popu:

• Mustard Seeds – 1tsp
• Red chillies – 2 
• Hing /Asafoetida – 1 tsp
• Oil – ½ tbsp

Method:

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add the sliced tomatoes and cook on high heat for 5 mts.

• Reduce heat to medium high and continue to cook till the oil separates and the tomatoes turn little bit soft.

•  Add the tamarind and place lid. Cook the tomatoes along with tamarind for about ½ hr. and check whether the tomatoes are cooked well .Once done, remove from heat and Cool completely.
• Once cool, add salt and grind the cooked tomatoes along with tamarind to a paste. Remove onto a vessel.

• Add chilli powder, methi powder and rai powder. Combine. Thoroughly mix all the powders. 

•  In a pan, add 2 tbsps oil, add mustards seeds, hing and dry red chillies fry till the mustard splutters   once cool, and add this tempering along with oil to the tomato paste. Combine well. Cool and store in an airtight bottle.

Kobbari Pachadi/Coconut Chutney

Normally in our daily routine we will come across two different kinds of coconut chutney’s. One which we use for Dosa and another one which we use in rice. Today I am writing a recipe for the one which is to be used in the Rice. This is very simple recipe and very easiest one. So next time try out this recipe. The main part of this recipe lies in its texture which should be coarsely ground and not into a smooth paste. You should be able to bite the small   bits of coconut along with the spices and dals which give a mouth–water feeling. Finally once after the pachadi/chutney  is done the last  adding the tadka/tempering of mustard seeds , curry leaves ,hing and red chillies give the original taste of the chutney.

Ingredients:

• Freshly grated coconut/Coconut pieces – 2 cups
• Cumin seeds /Jeera – 1tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Minappa pappu/urad dal – 1tsp
• Dry red chillies – 2
• Green chillies -2
• Gooseberry sized tamarind
• Oil – 3 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Hing – ½ tsp

For popu/tadka/seasoning:

• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Jeera -1 tsp
• Dry red chillies -1
• Oil – 1 tsp

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and toast them for a few seconds, add the urad dal, mustard seeds and let them turn red. Next add the red chillies and green chillies and fry them for half a minute on low heat.
• Grind the toasted ingredients, tamarind, and salt to a slightly coarse paste by adding very little water (few tbsp). You shouldn't make it into a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds, Jeera and let them pop and let it brown. Add the curry leaves and toss them for a few seconds till the flavours come out.
• Turn off heat and add the tadka to the ground kobbari pachadi and combine.
• Serve with hot steamed rice and ghee.