Quick Bread Pizza

Bread pizza. This is a new recipe for me. I have never heard of this before.Thanks to my friend Ashwini,who shared her recipe with me. This bread pizza can be made in minutes and it is delicious.

Ingredients:

few slices of bread

1 small cup each of finely chopped green pepper,tomato,onion.

2 tbsps fine sooji.

salt and pepper to taste

red chilly flakes or finely chopped green chillies to season

Method:

In a bowl,mix all the chopped vegetables,fine sooji,salt and pepper along with little water. Let this batter soak for 5 mins so that sooji is soft.Meanwhile,toast the bread slices on one side. Now,top the bread slice(untoasted side) with veggie batter generously,making sure that the veggetables are evenly distributed all over the slice. Now toast this side of bread and season with red chilly flakes or finely chopped green chillies if desired. Cut into triangles and serve with tomato ketchup.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Last weekend it was time to try out something new in our kitchen. We had Green Pepper/Capsicum lying in the fridge waiting for her turn to come onto the cutting board.Personally,I don't like Green Pepper and so,that is one of the vegetables I use when I am left with no option. Looking at Green Pepper,I was thinking of trying something that can make me appetizing.Then came out our Besan stuffed Capsicum recipe. All I did for this was just made the pakodi batter and stuffed it inside Green Pepper and deep fried it(I don't prefer though).
Ingredients:
2 medium sized green peppers(small ones are preferred)
1 cup besan sieved without any lumps
1/2 onion finely chopped
salt and chilly powder according to taste
1/2 of small tomato finely chopped(optional)
1 green chilly finely chopped(optional)
1/2 tsp jeera(ajwain can also be used)
you can also add apinch of garam masala powder or 1 garlic flake crushed if desired
a small pinch of baking soda
Method:
Mix besan red chilly powder,salt,jeera,tomato, onion,finely chopped green chilly and pinch of soda to a thick batter using water. Slit capsicum either horizontally or vertically. Cut off the stalk and deseed. Stuff with the besan mixture and do not over stuff as green pepper's will not cook properly . Deep fry in hot oil on medium flame to ensure that green peppers are properly cooked inside and serve with rice.

Dondakaya kura(Tindora Fry with Kura Karam)

recipe source: My Mom
prep' time: 20 mins
serves: 2-3 people

one of my favourite veggie which is available fresh and tender almost through out the year both here and back in my home town Vizag,is Dondakaya/Tindora. This is my all time favourite vegetable and this vegetable is one reason that makes me go to Indian store here every friday,the day we get fresh veggies here. I usually do 3 kinds of curries with this. The first one is very common Dondakaya fry,the second fry with kura karam(click here) and third with coconut. The first recipe is very common and already there in many blogs and can be found here.

link1 (from Sailaja's Sailusfood)

link2(from Indira's Mahanandi)

Even though I already sent few entries to Latha's RCI - Andhra Cuisine. Today I thought I'll post this one as my last entry. After all,being an Andhrite,majority of my blog's recipes are from Andhra Cuisine. :)Click on the icon to know more about this event.

For now ,I'll post the second one - my favourite.
Ingredients:
15-20 fresh dondakayalu/tindora
1 tbsp oil
salt
1 tbsp kura karam(curry powder)

Method:
After washing and pat drying the dondakayalu/tindora cut off the head and tail parts and then slit and chop into thin long pieces as shown in the picture. Take a wide skillet ,add oil,let it heat and then add dondakayalu/tindora. Add salt and cover. Let it cook till soft but cruncy ocassianally stirring in between. Then add 1tbsp kura karam and stir for a min and turn off stove. Serve hot with rice.

Vegetables in Tamarind Sauce(Mukkala Pulusu)

recipe source: My Mom
prep' time: 20 mins
serves: 3-4 people

Unlike the other sambhar's of south india ,this speciality stew of Andhra can be done with either one vegetable or a combination of vegetables and it does not have dal. I have known this dish as a very easy and yet speciality which is usuallly prepared during functions and festive occasions. It has a sweet and a sour taste. The taste level can be adjusted according to your requirement. The most common vegetables chosen for this dish are bottle guard,pumpkin,drumstick,sweet potato ,brinjal,okra. But any vegetables of your choice can be picked up. Today I used the following


Ingredients:


2 small brinjals
2 okra
1/2 onion
1/2 carrot
key lime sized tamarind
1 tbsp of grated jaggery/sugar
salt to taste
1/2 tsp chillipowder
a pinch of turmeric powder
1 tbsp rice flour
1/2 tsp sambhar powder(optional)
for tadka/seasoning
1 dry red chilly
1/2 tsp methi seeds/fenugreek
1/4 tsp jeera/curry leaves
1 big pinch of hing/asfoetida
curry leaves/coriander leaves


Method:


Wash,peel and chop onion into big pieces.Wash,peel and chop carrots into rounds. Wash,pat dry and chop okra into 1 inch pieces after trimming off head and tail parts. Wash and trim off the stalk part and chop brinjal into bite size pieces. Take all these veggies into a deep sauce pan and add a big glass of water and bring to boil. Add salt ,turmeric and jaggery.Cook all the vegtables till soft but not mushy. Meanwhile add tamarind to a small bowl of hot water and cover and let it stand till water is cooled and extract tamrind juice. Add this juice to the vegetable combination. Check the spice and salt level. Adjust if needed. Take a tbsp of rice flour and mix with water to form a thin syrup of dosa batter consistency.This is used to thicken the liquid.Use a strainer while adding this to the liquid to avoid any lumps Cornflour or besan can also be used for this purpose.Turn off heat.
Now,take a tsp oil in a tadka pan and add and toast all the popu/seasoning ingredients. Add this to the stew and garnish with coriander leaves.Serve with rice along with papad.



one more picture to be uploaded!!

Apple Choclate Chip Muffins

Baking is a new interest I developed in the recent past.I understood recently that cakes,cookies and baked speciality desserts are an enormous chapter to explore in this cooking subject. My recipe today,Apple - Choclate Chip Muffins turned out perfect even though I tried them for the first time . I prefer cup cakes/muffins to bigger pan cakes as these are more convenient .

recipe source: My Own

prep' time: 30 mins

all you need to make these muffins is
Ingredients:
2 cups - all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 apple grated(1 cup of grated apple paste) or i cup finely chopped apples
fistful of choclate chips or as desired
1/3 cup melted butter/oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk.
Method:
Heat oven to 375 F.Start with whisking the egg in a blender. Now,add grated apples ,sugar,oil,milk,baking powder stir and then flour. Mix all the ingredients on high speed for a minute and then, add the choclate chips before you put the batter in muffin pan.grease the muffin pan and spoon batter into muffin liners. Bake for 20- 25 mins. Take out from oven and let muffins cool for 5 mins.Store in air tight jar for best shelf life.

Kura Karam(Curry Powder)

recipe source: My Mom
prep time': 10 mins

Unlike the other podis/powders of Andhrites,this podi Iam posting today here as my recipe is different. This podi Kura Karam is used spice up curries like a chilly powder to bring a versatile different taste to the normal cooking. Unlike chilly powder you need not restrict this powder to 1/4 tsp or 1 tsp. It does no harm and does not make the curry hot.This powder can be used with almost any recipe and every recipe.I have seen my mom and others using this podi in various curries like dondakaya/tindora,vankaya/brinjal,beerakaya/ridge guard. Among these popular routine recipes for me ,I also use this podi/powder to mix and match the tastes in my kitchen . This kura karam brings an excellent taste by itself and can be added to any fries and curries instead of chilly powder. I'll post the recipes of curries where I use this powder soon.
Ingredients:
1 cup dhaniyalu/coriander seeds
1 cup chana dal
1 cup urad dal
15 red chillies
1 tsp methi seeds
1/4th tsp jeera
Method:
Roast all the ingredients in a pan with a tbsp oil either individually(preferred) or together . Once the fried ingredients are completely cool, grind them to a fine powder and store in air tight jar.

Baby Potatoes in Spicy Gravy(Alu Dum)

My recipe this week is Baby Potatoes in Spicy Gravy. This is one of my favourite recipes among the other ones I usually make with baby potatoes.Unlike buying the prepacked bags,this weekend I got a chance to select and pick up the freshest of fresh ones when I visited the local farmers market .

recipe source: my collection

serves: 3-4 people
prep'time: 25-30 mins

To make this recipe I used
Ingredients:
15 baby potatoes- boiled in in salted water
1large onion
1 large tomato
1"ginger
1 big flake of garlic
1 tsp red chillipowder
1 big pinch kasoori methi leaves
1 tsp dhaniya powder
1/4th tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp sugar
oil 1 tbsp
salt as required
Method:
First,boil the potatoes in salted water. Meanwhile,finely chop the onions and tomatoes. Scrape and grate ginger and garlic.Take a wide pan and heat a tbsp oil. Now,add a tsp of cumin seeds/jeera. When the color of cumin seeds starts changing add onions and saute them till transperent. Add ginger,garlic paste and saute. Add tomatoes,saute till oil seperates. Now,add kasoori methi,dhaniya powder,salt,sugar,red chilli powder and add a small cup of water.Bring the gravy to boiling point. Peel and prick the boiled baby potatoes with a fork and add them to the gravy.Let it cook for about 7-8 mins.Now,add 1/4 cup of fresh cream or yogurt if desired and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
note:alternatively,you can either deep fry the potatoes or fry them in shallow oil after boiling.The quantity of sugar I used in this recipe does not make the recipe sweet.If you want you the curry to be sweet you can add more sugar or grated mawa/khova.

similar recipe from Indira's Mahanandi

Vankaya Allam Pachchimirapakaya Kura(Brinjal Curry with Ginger and Green chillies)

recipe source: My Mom
prep' time: 20 mins
serves: 2-3 people
Even though We keep trying new recipes sometimes,We still do not want to change some classic recipes we learnt. One such recipe for me is this Vankaya Allam Pachchimirapakaya Kura.This is a very famous and popular dish in every Andhra house.This is a simple and yet special dish. This is my entry to RCI - Andhra Cuisine hosted by Latha of Masala Magic .
RCI event is originated by Lakshmi K of Veggie cuisine.

Ingredients:
5 small Brinjals
1"piece Ginger
4 small Green chillies
few Cilantro/Kottimira sprigs
2 tsps oil
For popu:1 dry red chilly made into small pieces,1 tsp chandal,1 tsp urad dal,1 tsp mustard seeds,1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Method:
Take a pan and heat oil. Now,add and toast the popu ingredients. Add the chopped brinjal pieces(bite size pieces).Stir and cover.Meanwhile,grate ginger,finely chop green chillies and coriander. Crush them all together on a cutting board using a rolling pin to form a paste. Add this paste to the brinjals and now add salt. Sprinkle water enough to cook . Cover and let it cook till done stirrring in between.

Poha Snack

recipe source: My friend Aishwarya
prep' time: 5-10 mins

I am always on constant search for new snacks which have little or no oil.One such recipe I came through recently from my friend Aishwarya,is this Poha Snack.This recipe is quick and easy and does not need any fixed propotions.You can always adjust all the ingredients according to your taste.All you need for this is
Poha/parched rice
Roasted chana dal(chutney dal)/veyinchina senagapappu
Peanuts
Curryleaves
2 Dry red chillies/Green chillies,
Pinch of turmeric
2 tsps oil,
Salt
Chilly powder
a pinch of garam masala(optional)
garlic(otional)
sugar(optional)
method:
Take a microwavable galss bowl. Add 2 tsps oil.let it heat for 30 seconds. Add peanuts,chillies and roasted chanadal and fry for a minute or lesser carefully watching and stirring in between so that they don't burn off. Now add,turmeric,curry leaves and rest of the powders. Mix well and heat for 30 seconds. Finally add poha,stir well and microwave for a minute.Even though I did not use the ingredients mentioned "optional" it tasted great!
note:poha can be replaced with puffed rice(maramaralu) .

Potato Sandwich

recipe source: My Collection
prep' time: 20 mins


Whenever I think of snacks I usually prefer shallow fry or no oil ones.My recipe today Potato Sandwich is one such preferred one.This is an easy and yet tasty snack.All you need is any kind of potato dry curry and few slices of bread.
Method:
prepare potato curry as you like .Take two bread slices.Trim off the edges and dip the edges of one slice bread in water.Stuff curry on the other one and now,place the second bread on top of this.Using your hands press firmly and toast untill golden brown using a sandwich maker or on a hot tawa with a little oil.
The recipe for the potato curry I made is given below:
Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, boiled and peeled
1 onion,finely chopped
1 small tomato,chopped(optional)
fistful of green peas
salt,turmeric,chillipowder,garam masala as desired
ginger-green chilly paste
Method:
Take a pan,add oil,fry the onions till transperent.Add tomato,mashed potato,all powders,ginger-green chilly paste and salt.stir well.Let it cook for a minute and turn off stove and your curry is ready to use

Vankaya - Chikkudukaya Kura(baby brinjal and indian broad beans curry)

As I was going through a food blog ,MasalaMagic of Latha,I saw that there was an event RCI (Click on icon to learn more)

I came to know from Latha's blog that RCI is originated by Lakshmi K of Veggie Cuisine.

I decided to stop by,and post one of the recipes from my kitchen - vankaya chikkudukayakura,totally andhra ,this is one dish I frequently make as long as I get chikkudukaya/indian broadbeans. The aroma and taste of this curry are just mouthwatering and appetizing. recipe source: My Mom

prep' time: 20-30 mins

serves: 2-3
Ingredients
baby brinjals/vankaya
chikkudukaya/indian broad beans
Note:there is no particular measurement for vegetables in this recipe .you can take as much as you like and adjust more or less as you like.
1 tomato
1" small ginger piece
3-4 small green chillies
1 tbsp oil
salt as required
for seasoning,2 dry red chillies,1 tsp urad dal,i tsp chana dal,1 tsp mustard seeds,1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera,dash of hing
Method:
First wash,string and tear chikkudukaya into 1 inch pieces.cut brinjal. Take a wide pan,add a tbsp of oil.Add and toast the popu/seasoning ingredients. Add brinjal,tomato,chikkudukaya pieces. Sprinkle some water(optional). Cover and let it cook for 10 mins.Keep stirring in between.Meanwhile,wash and grate ginger,finely chop green chillies.Crush them together on a cutting board to get a nice aroma. Now,when the curry is three-forth done,add salt and ginger -green chilly paste. Stir well.Cover again and let it cook till done. Take this into a serving dish and garnish with coriander and serve with rice or roti.
alternatively,you can first boil the veggies together,season then add veggies and add tomato or tamrind juice for a little sour tint and add ginger - green chilly paste.

karappodi(curry leaf powder)

Thinking about greens last week,I thought about posting Karappodi(curry leaf powder). I love this karappodi and can eat with almost anything. When you are lazy to make any sidedish/chutney for your morning breakfast this comes to your rescue.Just mix with a dollop of ghee or oil and relish with your breakfast.
recipe source: My Mom
prep' time: 15 mins
Ingredients:

1/2 cup coriander seeds/dhaniyalu
1 cup chanadal
1 cup urad dal
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds/methi seeds
8 red chillies (adjust according to taste)
1 key lime sized tamarind
curry leaves(as much as you desire)
i used a fistful of curry leaves
little hing(optional)
oil 2 tsps
salt as per taste

Method:

Take a wide pan enough to roast all the ingredients. First,dry roast the curry leaves.Alternately you can microwave in a microwave safe dish for 2 minutes without oil. You can notice the curry leaves looking dried.Now,add 1 tsp oil.add coriander seeds and roast them well untill they look slightly brown in color.Take them out and keep aside.Roast chanadal , uraddal and red chillies individually in the same oil or add oil if required.Let them cool.Grind this into a fine powder along with tamarind using a mixie or a coffee grinder.Add salt.

Spinach and Chick pea Lentil in Tamarind Sauce(Bachchali Kura Pulusu)

Bachchali kura is a Popular green available in Andhra. It is available most of the time ,even here in U.S. I decided to post Bachchalikura Pulusu as my first entry to any event and my entry to JFI - Greens of Mahanandi. As I could not find exact english name for Bachchalikura,I made the name of my recipe as Spinach and chick pea lentil in tamarind sauce for the convinience of non telugu speakers.Any suggestions are welcome.
Back in my home,Bachcalikura or Oriental spinach(the name i see on the box where it is sold here in U.S) is available in plenty almost all through the year. It is a popular home garden green vegetable . The recipe I am posting here is made with bachchali kura. But this is the same recipe for other greens like gongura(sour greens),palak(spinach). So,bachchali kura can be repalced with any green like palak and gongura also.
recipe source: My Mom
prep'time: 20-30 mins
serves: 3-4 people




Ingredients:

2 stems spinach washed and finely chopped
1 cup chikpea lentil/chana dal
1 small lime sized tamarind to extract tamarind juice.
salt as required
chilli powder as required
1 tsp besan/chickpea flour mixed with water like pancake batter to thicken gravy
note:rice flour or con flour can also be used for this purpose.





For the seasoning:

1 tsp oil
1 dry red chilly
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds/methi seeds
1/4 tsp jeera
1 garlic flake
dash of asfoetida/hing(optional)

Method:
In a small heavy bottomed sauce pan add chanadal/chickpea lentil and add 2 cups water. Let it cook till 3/4 th done.i.e soft but not mushy. Now ,add the washed and chopped greens.Let them cook. Meanwhile,put the tamarind in warm water and extract the juice. Now,when the dal and greens are cooked till soft,add the tamarind juice.add salt and chilli powder according to your taste. Green chillies can also be used. But ,I prefer red chilli powder. Now,let this mixture boil together for a minute. To thicken the gravy now ,as mentioned in the ingredients,mix a tea spoon of besan with enough water to make a thin consistent batter. Add this to the boiling mixture. Keep stirring for a minute and let the gravy thicken. Turnoff the stove and keep aside.




For the seasoning,take a small pan,enough to fry the seasoning ingredients. Heat 1 tsp oil,add garlic. Let it fry for a min or till light brown shade. Now,add mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds,red chilly broken into pieces. Let mustard seed splutter.add a dash of hing if desired(for the nice aroma). Add this to the gravy. Serve it hot,wtih rice or roti.