~~>Taste Buds<~~

Nuvvu Podi [Sesame seeds Powder]


This podi easy to make and  is generally taken with rice and ghee. It gives a wonderful aroma when you mix the powder and ghee in rice.."yum!"


Ingredients:

1. Sesame seeds                                   1 cup full
2. Red chillies                                        8-10
3. Hing
4. Asafoetida                                         a pinch
5. Salt       

Method:

Flame:Low

Time: 10 min

1. Pour the sesame seeds and red chillies in a frying pan.
2. This should be done with constant stirring for 10 min. (Care should be taken that the seeds do not turn  brown.)
3. Turn off the flame and let the contents in the pan cool.
4. Now, transfer all the contents from the pan into a jar.
5. Grind the contents in the jar .
6. Then add salt and asafoetida and grind for another 3 seconds.
7. Transfer the contents into a bowl.

And "tasty,spicy nuvvula podi ready!!!"

Note:

• Do not fry the sesame seeds for long else the powder may taste bitter.
• The number of red chillies vary upon how spicy one wants it.

Happy Cooking!!!

~~>Taste Buds<~~

Alapu chutney [Ginger chutney]


This easy to make chutney goes well with all types of dosas, garelu and undarallu.(Vinayaka chavithi special). You could call this as a "Khatta meetha" type of pickle. So this blends well with plane dishes, popularly with the ones I mentioned above.

Ingredients:

1. Chinthapandu(Tamarind)              100gms
2. Red Chillies                                  15-20
3. Jaggery                                         50 gms
4. Ginger                                          10 gms
5. Chana dal                                     1tbsp
6. Urad dal                                       1tbsp
7. Mustard                                        1tsp
8. Jeera                                             1tsp
9. Asafoetida                                     a pinch
10. Vegetable oil
11. Salt

Method:

Flame: Medium

Time:   10-15 min

1. Soak the tamarind in water and keep it aside.
2. Now take a frying pan and pour some oil into it.Once the oil is heated, add chana dal and urad dal. 
3. Once they turn slightly brown, add mustard seeds and jeera. As the mustard seeds starts to splutter, add the redchilles and hing.
4. Turn off the flame after a few seconds and keep stirrinng the contents in the frying pan.(The contents in the pan need to cool.)
5. Transfer all the contents from the pan into a mixer jar and grind for a few seconds.
6. Now squeeze the juice from the tamarind,add ginger pieces and put them in the jar.
7. Then add jaggery (it shudnt be too hard, else it might spoil the blade in ur jar).
8. Next add a pinch of salt into the jar and grind all of them together.
9. Add water if you dont want it too thick like a paste.

        

And "chatpata alapu chutney ready!!!!!!!!"

Note:

• The tamarind, jaggery, ginger and salt proportion can vary depending on your like. Some like it sweet and other a little spicy and sour!
• If the jaggery is too hard to make it into a powder, keep the chunk in the over for less than 10 sec.It becomes easier to beat it.(Dont keep it for too long, it becomes greasy!)

Happy cooking!!!

~~>Taste Buds<~~

Rajma Masala 


The name alone can make your mouth water!!! Yummy...this takes the first place in my favorite dishes! It is easy to cook, delicious and goes with both rice and chapathis! :)

Ingredients :

1. 2 cups rajma seeds (Kidney beans ,soak the seeds in water one day prior to preparation)
2. 2 large onions            finely chopped 
3. 4 tomatoes                finely chopped
4. Bay leaves                1 or 2
5. Green chillies            2-3
6. Ginger                      a small piece
7. Jeera                        1 tbsp  
8. Mustard seeds          1tbsp
9. Red chilli                   1     
10. Garam masala           1 tsp
11. Salt          
12. Pepper
13. Turmeric
14. Vegetable oil

Method:

Flame:Medium

Time: 30-45 min (Cooking rajma seeds + making the gravy)

1. Put the soaked rajma beans in a pressure cooker and allow it to give 2-3 whistles.
2. Simultaneously, keep a frying pan and pour some oil into it. Once the oil is heated, add bay leaves , mustard seeds,jeera and a piece of red chilli. Fry till the mustard seeds start to splutter.
3. Then add some finely chopped onions into the frying pan. Add a pinch of salt.(This would avoid the onions from over frying and burning).
4. Make green chilles,ginger paste and add it into the frying pan. Keep stirring.
5. Then add turmeric and finely chopped tomatoes into the pan.
6. Try smashing the chopped tomatoes in the pan , this would give a nice taste, as onions and tomatoes blend well.
7. Then add garam masala ,red chilli powder and salt to taste.
8. One you see that the tomato puree is cooked (oil has formed on the top layer) you can add the cooked rajma seeds in the puree.
9. Now, either you can pressure cook the cooked rajma seeds and the puree or leave it in the frying pan.
10. When you pressure cook it, the salt is absorbed in the seeds well , takes less time and tastes better.It would be the same in the frying pan too...but would take a little extra time and energy!! :)Your choice!!! 

And "garama garam rajma masala tayyar hain!!"
            

Note:

• Cashews,almonds fried in butter can be used for garnishing.
• Remember that you are adding salt twice, once when the onions are frying and one after you add tomatoes.
• While adding salt, make sure you add a pinch extra than what you generally add for cooking as the salt needs to be absorbed by the seeds as well.

Happy cooking!!!

~~>Taste Buds<~~

Shahi Jeera Rice 


When you are having guests in a couple of hours and you are completely unprepared for such a surprise in such a short notice, chill, this is going to save you! :)
This is a simple and yet tasty recipe!

Ingredients :

1. 2 cups rice
2. Shahi jeera
3. Jeera
4. Bay leaves
5. Cinnamon
6. Green chillies (cut into small pieces)
7. Salt
8. Oil/Butter(Unsalted)

Method :

Flame : Medium
Time :15 min

1. Wash 2 cups of rice (I am using sona masoori here), and soak it in 4 cups of water in a rice cooker vessel.. Keep it aside.
2. Take a frying pan and add a flake of butter.(Oil can also be used instead).
3. Once the butter has melted, add bay leaves and cinnamon. Fry till the color changes.
4. Then add shahi jeera ,jeera, green chillies and fry. 
5. Pour all these contents into the rice cooker vessel, add salt to taste and cook.

And , "garama garam shahi jeera rice ready!!!!!"

Note:

• You could fry cashews and almonds and place them on the rice as seasoning.

~~>Taste Buds<~~

Chintapandu Pulihora [ Tamarind rice]

This is a very well known dish in south India, infact this dish is made more often during festivals. Here is my version of Chintapandu pulihora (aava petti). I am going to a add this ingredient to the dish which would add a special aroma  and rich taste to it!!! [Try it and tell me!!! :)]


Ingredients :

1. 2 cups rice
2. Tamarind                               100 gms
3. Groundnuts
4. Chana dal                              2 tbs
5. Urad dal                                2 tbs
6. Mustard seeds                       2 tbs
7. Green chillies                         9 to 10 
8. Red chillies                            2 to3
9. Asafoetida
10. Turmeric
11. Curry leaves                         5 to 6
12. Oil    

For the aava preparation :

Take a few tablespoons of mustard seeds, 2-3 red chillies, salt (a pinch is sufficient) and grind all of them into a fine powder.

Keep the powder aside. This powder can be made in a larger quantity and can be stored for later use.

Method :

Flame : Medium flame
Cooking time : 45 min  

1. Soak the tamarind in water(just enough for the tamarind to be deeply immersed) and keep it aside.  
2. Wash 2 cups of rice , add 4 cups of water to it (I am using Sona masoori here) and put it in the pressure cooker or rice cooker. (The rice shouldn't be too sticky, so an inch less of water than the  usual is safer.)
3. Add oil in a frying pan and let it heat. After the oil is hot, add chana dal and urad dal. When they are slightly turning into brown color, add groundnuts and fry constantly until the groundnuts also change their color to light brown.
4. Now, add red chillies and mustard seeds into the frying pan and fry until the mustard start to splutter. Add a pinch of turmeric.
5. Add green chillies and curry leaves into the frying pan. (Please cover the pan for a few seconds else the chillies might sputter. )
6. Add a pinch of asafoetida.(Hing,inguva)
7. Now, take the previously soaked  tamarind and squeeze until you get a paste without seeds and mix it into the frying pan.
8. Add little bit of salt to the pan and let the tamarind paste and other ingredients in it cook in medium flame for 10-15 min.
9. Now, after the rice is cooked, transfer it into a larger vessel(it would be a lot more easier to mix) and  add a little bit of turmeric and salt (not to forget we added salt in tamarind paste also.)
10. Now, mix the tamarind paste into the rice and mix well so that each and every rice grain turns into a golden brown color.  

     

Now, finally, take the mustard powder(aava) about a tablespoon or slightly more , add little bit of water to it(a thick paste) and mix it into the pulihora.

And "tasty, aromatic aava pettina chintapandu pulihora ready!!!!!!!!!!

Note :

•  This kind of pulihora lasts longer and is much tastier when eaten after a while.(the aava and chintapandu effect comes to play)
• Do not add water to the aava powder if you intend to store the powder.
• Too much aava paste mixed with the pulihora can give a  bitter taste..(so too much of it is ruins the flavor).

Happy cooking!!