Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Gongura Pachadi / Chutney

Gongura Pachadi or chutney is no doubt an "Andhra Special" dish. In olden days this used be one among other special dishes on any special occasions for Andhra People. Iam happy that thease leaves are easily available in Indian stores here(United States). Today Iam going to present two methods of preparing Gongura Pachadi. One is a simple & fast method; another one is little elaborated which Iam presenting with some pictures. Before proceeding I would like to say this is another versatile food item; since you can prepare Gongura Pachadi; Gongura Vepudu; Gongura Pappu from thease sorrel leaves. Below both methods are adopted from my mother and mother-in-law respectively. My mother does the same way with a little variation. I.e., aadding black chenna in pachadi. Soak the channa overnight ; wash them next day ; fry in little oil and add them after grinding all the ingredients i.e., to the paste. This we used to have with Jonna Rottelu (jawar ki roti). Soon I will blog how to do the jawar ki rotti. Some times, we distribute this as "prasadam" in Saibaba temple. Iam sure some of you who have visited or visit saibaba temple frequently, can notice this as one among other "Prasadam" served at the Baba Temple. You can try this variation too; and can have with hot rice or chapathis.
First Method:
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Ingredients:
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2 big bunches of gongura (red sorrel leaves prefferably)
1tsp mustard seeds (avaalu)
3 or 4 tsp coriander seeds (dhaniyaalu)
6 dryred chillies (endu nirapakaayalu)
1 tsp Methi (menthulu)
A pinch hing /Asafoetida(inguvaa)
Salt as required
2 tbsp of cooking oil


Method:
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  1. Separate gongura leaves from the respective stems. Wash and keep separately till all the water is drained.

  2. Take deep fry pan. Pour some oil (2 tsp) warm up. Add gongura leaves and fry till all the water is evoporated as shown in beside picture.
  3. Since the leaves are sorrel , no need to add any tamrind pulp or tamarind itself.

  4. Take out the fried leaves and keep it separately.

  5. In the same pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds , coriander seeds, dry red chillies, methi seeds and hing respectively, one after the other.
  6. Fry till the seeds starts spluttering. Now add fried gongura to this and mix well.
  7. Swith off the stove. Here at this stage you can just make paste of it using pappu gottam (which is used to mash any dal cooked in the pressure cooker) or else after it cools down make paste of it in a grinder with required salt.

Gongura Pachadi (before grinding it into paste)

Second Method:
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  1. Same till 4th step of first method.
  2. Fry dry red chillies, asafoetida or hing and mustard seeds in oil.
  3. Add the leaves to this and mix well and remove from the heat. Grind to the fine paste.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Chicken Regular & Gudur Chicken

Hi Friends! Iam back to blogging world ! Truely speaking I was never far away from it. I used to and Iam going through all my fellow bloggers new recipes, events and articles frequently. Due to my toddler activities and other work at home, it is very hard for me to join my regular blogging. Also I thought of changing my blog look..tried this and that, but finally Iam in love with my old blog. I started liking it more as more I started looking for new designs:-))

Coming to details of my trip; It was very good; especially in terms of quality of time I have spent with my near and dear. Thanks to KA (of Krishna & Arjuna's World) who gave some tips on travelling. I took care of them and had good and safe journey overall. While going we three went togeather, so there was no problem, but inreturn I was with my naughty toddler, which was also good unlike I expected:-) What all I got for my kitchen from home are some new cooking dishes (aluminium based), two aluminium pans (chapathi and dosa pans) replacement for non-stick pans. And we brought a new change in our kitchen i.e., we totally free of micro oven and successfully living with out it from one month. It was easy for me to get rid of it, as I used to heat some food and boil vege's only; which Iam doing on regular stove now. As I heard, cooking with micro oven means like keeping our head in it. Ofcourse in today's world we are totally surrounded my electronic equipments; And it is very very hard to get rid of all this and live in a natural environment which is healthy. But I think all we can do is atleast try to get rid of those things with out which we can really live. So let's try! and make our earth worth living for every body and for our self too:-))



Friends..I wanted to share some above mentioned things with all my readers..hope you enjoyed reading it and may be helpful to you in your lifes. Today Iam here with a simple chicken recipe which is very regular at many of our homes unlike butter chicken; ginger chicken; chicken in cashew nut sauce.... etc. Most of the sunday's we cook this in our homes though not special but equally tasty as good as others. Thus, I gave this name as "Chicken Regular"! And another one "Gudur Chicken" is my MIL special recipe which we enjoy with dosa when ever we visit India. This I did not take any photo yet. I will add soon when I cook. Here comes both the recipe's.....


Chicken Regular
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Ingredients:
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Whole Chicken

2 medium onions

3 to 4 medium sized tomatoes

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

2 tsp turmeric powder

3 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder (Dhaniyaala podi)

1/2 cup curd

Salt a/c to taste

1 to 1 1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp cilantro

Oil for cooking

Method:
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  1. Wash chicken and cut into desired pieces.
  2. Then marinate chicken with curd, 1/2 tsp oil, 1 tsp salt for 40 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, cut onions and tomatoes into thin slices and keep aside.
  4. Heat oil in an big vessel. Add onions and fry till light brown in color.
  5. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry of couple of minutes.
  6. Add turmeric powder and mix well with onions.
  7. Now add marinated chicken to the vessel and mix well.
  8. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Add needed salt as already some salt is added while marinating chicken. Mix and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes more.
  9. Now add tomatoes and chilli powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder and mix all togeather well.
  10. Close the lid and cook on medium heat untill all the tomato juice get into the chicken along with other masala.( Approx about 5 to6 minutes)
  11. Open the lid and add required water if you want more gravy .(At this point you will come to know how much to add)
  12. Finally add cilantro and sim the stove for 5 more minutes. Before swithching of the heat check for the salt and chicken is well cooked or not.

Note: Chicken is cooked very fast, so whole process may take 30 hr to 40 minutes

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Gudur Chicken

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Ingredients:

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Whole chicken

1 big onion

3 medium tomatoes (ripe)

1tbsp ginger-garlic -coconut paste ( grind ginger, garlic and dry coconut pieces togeather to make paste)

Corinader powder (Dhaniyala podi)

3 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp turmeric powder

3 to 4 cloves (lavangalu)

1 bay leaf

2 Cinnamon sticks (dalchina chekkalu)

salt as required

Oil for cooking

Method:

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  1. Wash chicken and cut into small pieces(or as desired).
  2. Take this washed chicken in a wide and deep container. Add turmeric powder and salt and mix well.
  3. With out adding any water put this on stove and on medium heat with covered lid cook the chicken.
  4. As chicken will release some water no need to add any water to it.
  5. Cook until almost all the water is evaporated.
  6. Add chilli powder at this stage and mix well. Do not put any spoon to mix it. Just mix it holding the container.
  7. Decrease the heat and allow it to cook for 2 miuntes and remove from heat. Keep this aside.
  8. Take an another vessel. Heat oil. Add cloves bay leaf and cinnamon sticks. Fry for few seconds
  9. Now add onions and fry till light brown in color. Add ginger-garlic-coconut paste and fry for 2 minutes.
  10. Now add the tomatoes , mix well and cook till they are soft. Add little water here if you want more gravy . Now add cooked chicken and mix all togeather well.
  11. Allow to cook for 5 minutes approx. Remove from the heat and serve hot with hot dosa.

Note: Till 5th step you can cook chicken always and can refrigerate for later use. Or else can fry in little oil with desired pepper or chilli powder (chicken fry) and can have with sambar rice.

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Monday, May 07, 2007

Iam Back after Long Break!

HI Folks! Iam back from India few weeks ago, but took time to blog here. Now you know the reason :-( Anyways its hard to come back here, all alone (ofcourse with my little one)..but knowing some one dear are waiting for us, brings us back. I thank to all those who mailed me and left comments and enquired about me. Though I was not blogging any recipes; I was seeing all my fellow blogger sites regularly. I think lot of recipes to try a head; missed lots of events..but hopefully, I will catch you all soon , with lots of traditional and healthy home made recipes. Hope to see you soon...once Iam done with my left over work! Until then Happy Blogging!!

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Meena and Srinivasulu Kandlakuti
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