K for Kobbari Koora / Kobbari - Pachi Senagapappu Koora

I am doing 'A - Z' recipes from Andhra cuisine this month, presenting dishes with regional names in an alphabetical order and it's time for the letter 'K' today. I had a good number of choices to pick from, for today's recipe considering that we have a decent number of produce and pantry ingredients with regional names that start with 'K'. I had the option of preparing pachadi (chutney), koora (curry), pulusu / pappu (Andhra style dals) using the below vegetables besides the list of dishes I have given below.

'K' ingredients from the Pantry:

Kalakanda - Rock sugar
Kandulu / Kandipappu - Whole and Split Toordal / Lentils
Kharjuram - Dates
Kishmish - Raisins 
Kobbari - Fresh coconut
Kobbari paalu - Coconut Milk
  
Produce:
Kakarakaaya- Bitter gourd
Kamala Pandu - Orange
Kanda gadda -  Elephant Foot Yam / Suran 
Karivepaku - Curry leaves
Keera Dosakaya - Cucumber 
Kharbooja - Cantaloupe / Musk Melon
Knolkhol - Kohlrabi 
Kobbarikaaya - Coconut
Kosu gadda - Cabbage
Kothimeera - Cilantro leaves
Koyyataaku / Koyya Thotakoora - A variety of amaranth green

Chutney / Pickle / Podi:
Kandipappu Pachadi - Toordal Chutney
Kandi Podi - Spicy Toordal Powder
Karivepaku Podi - Curry Leaves Powder
Kobbari Pachadi - Coconut Chutney
Korivi Kaaram - Fresh Red Chili Pickle
Kothimeera Pachadi - Cilantro Chutney / Pickle

'K' Dishes:
Karapu Kaaya - Stuffed Vegetable
Kashayam - Herbal Concoction
Khaaja - Sweet dish 
Kajjikaayalu - Sweet dish
Karappooosa - Savory treat
Khova Kajikayalu - Sweet dish
Kobbarananam - Coconut Rice
Kobbari Burfi - Coconut Burfi
Kobbari pappu - Coconut Dal
Kobbari Undalu - Coconut Laddu
Kudumulu - Steamed Sweet

I chose to go with a curry recipe today where the fresh, shredded coconut is the star ingredient and not a vegetable. The addition of shredded coconut in curry preparations is a norm in the other southern states while it was not so in the case of Andhra (brahmin) homes, up until a generation back. Even for today, many of my aunts and other relatives don't use coconut in every day cooking. If you had offered a coconut at temple during olden days, it would be broken into pieces outside and shared then and there among the family as 'prasadam' (offering). If you had extra at home, you probably prepared some kobbari pachadi / kobbari podi / kobbari annam or if you had still some more, may be a burfi. It did not go into vegetable / lentil preparations.

This kobbari koora is however an exception where coconut is used as the main ingredient of the curry along with some soaked split chickpeas. This koora would be a great option when you have those extra coconuts on hand or when you run out of vegetables given that you have the patience to grate the coconut and some soaked chana dal / split chickpeas handy. I use frozen coconut instead since the fresh ones I get locally are fit to be thrown in a garbage than to be used in the cooking. I am lucky enough to end up always with rotten ones even after a careful scrutiny. Now coming back to the recipe, the quantity of split chick peas can be reduced by half or more and replaced by vegetables such as cabbage, beans, cluster beans, beets or carrots. The chopped vegetables are added and sauteed after the tempering step. When they are cooked firm, the coconut and soaked split chickpeas are added and sauteed some more.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup split chickpeas / chana dal / pachi senaga pappu
1 cup fresh / frozen shredded coconut
2 tsp. oil
1 tsp. split chickpeas / chana dal
1 tsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
3 or 4 dried red chillies, each broken into 4 to 5 bits
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method:
* Rinse and soak split chick peas in water for about 2 hours. Drain and keep aside.
* Heat oil in a pan and add split chickpeas, skinned black gram, mustard seeds and cumin seeds in that order. When split chickpeas and skinned black gram start to turn reddish, add chillies and curry leaves and saute for few seconds. Next add soaked & drained split chickpeas, coconut and salt and mix well to combine. Cover and cook on low flame for about 10 minutes, stirring intermittently.
* Serve with hot steamed rice and ghee.

So far on A - Z Andhra Cuisine,
A for Alasanda Vada
B for Bellam Garelu
C for Chiyali
D for Dondakaaya Kaarapu Kaaya
E for Endu Kobbari Podi
F for Fine Biscuits 
G for Gongura - Mamidikaya Pappu
H for Halwa Holigalu
I for Idli Karam Podi
J for Janthikalu

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 63.
 

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