A - Z Andhra Recipes ~ M for Matikkaaya Karam 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' M' today. The alphabet 'M' also stands for 'Matikkaaya' in Telugu and that is what the star of today's recipe is. There were some alphabets during this journey that needed no planning and this is one of those. I had decided early on that I would do this recipe without giving a second thought because this is a regular preparation in my husband's side of the family and not a well known version outside Rayalaseema. Cluster beans are called 'Matikkaaya' in the Rayalaseema area while they go by the name 'Goru Chikkudukaaya' in Andhra region. (While Andhra Pradesh is the name of the state, the coastal areas are also referred as Andhra region sometimes.) While pronouncing the word 'matikkaaya', the stress is on the 'k' sound and not on the 't' since 'matti' means dirt in Telugu. The word 'Karam' stands for the spiciness offered by the green chillies and 'Koora' means curry. And so 'Matikkaaya Karam Koora' literally means 'Spicy Cluster Beans Curry'.

The only Andhra version of cluster beans curries we knew about while growing up were the ones using coconut or the lentils. This karam koora using cluster beans is a Rayalaseema preparation and the recipe comes from my mother in law's kitchen. It was the only dish she used to prepare using cluster beans and is quite an unusual one. The beans are not chopped here but ground along with chillies, coconut and cilantro and then sauteed until done. The resulting koora is a spicy and delicious one.

'M' Ingredients from the Pantry:
Minugulu / Minumulu - Whole black gram
Minapappu - Skinned and Split black gram
Miriyalu - Peppercorn
Mogga - A spice / Maratha Moggu

Produce:
Maaredu - Bael fruit
Mamidi Kaaya - Green mango
Mamidi Pandu - Mango
Matikkayalu / Goru Chikkudu - Cluster Beans
Medi Pandu - Fig
Menthaku / Menthikoora - Fenugreek greens
Mokkajonna - Corn
Mokka Jonna Kankulu - Corn on the Cob
Molakalu - Sprouts
Mullangi - Radish
Munagaku - Drumstick plant leaves
Munagakaaya / Munakkaaya / Mulakkadalu - Drumsticks

Some 'M' dishes:
Maagaaya & Mukka Pachadi - Green Mango Pickles
Majjiga - Yogurt churned with small quantity of water / Buttermilk
Majjiga Pulusu - Spicy gravy prepared with sour buttermilk / Andhra style Kadhi
Manugupoolu & Murukulu - Spicy Snack / Chakli
Menthi majjiga - Spicy buttermilk
Menthula Pappu - Lentil preparation with fenugreek seeds (not the leaves)
Minapa Rotte / Minapattu - Breakfast dishes
Minapa Sunni - Sunnundalu, Urad dal laddus
Mirapakaya Bajji - Spicy snack
Miriyala Charu - Pepper rasam
Miriyala Kashayam - Home remedy / Herbal concoction to cure ailments
MLA Pesarattu - Pesarattu & Upma combo Breakfast
Mudda pappu - Plain cooked lentils with salt
(And also all curries, stews and dals prepared with the above vegetables.)

Ingredients for the Koora: (Yield 3 servings)

3 cups cluster beans' pieces

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 cup shredded fresh coconut

2 green chillies

1 tbsp. oil

1 tbsp. split chickpeas / chana dal

1 tsp. black gram / urad dal

1 tsp. mustard seeds

1/8 tsp. turmeric powder

2 pinches of asafoetida powder

Salt to taste

Method:

* Rinse and wash away any dirt present on the cluster beans.
Wipe them dry / transfer them to a colander so that beans can dry as much as possible.

* String the beans if needed and tear each bean into 2 or 3 pieces. (The step is optional but recommended to avoid the curry ending up with strings and getting struck between teeth while eating.)

* Add the cut beans, cilantro, coconut, and chillies into a food processor / blender and process just to a coarse mixture without adding any water. Avoid grinding the mixture to a paste.

* Heat oil, preferably in a non stick pan and add dals, mustard seeds in that order. When dals start turn reddish, add asafoetida, salt and turmeric and stir once with a spatula. Immediately add the ground bean mixture to the pan and mix well. Cover and cook on medium flame, turning intermittently, until the raw smell of the beans and chillies is gone.

* Turn off the stove and serve hot with rice or rotis.

So far on my '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
K for Kobbari Koora

L for Lauzu

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

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