Andhra Pradesh Homestyle Thaali ~ Panasa Pottu Koora / Raw Jackfruit Curry

This must be my first 'Thaali' post ever on my blog. I cook 2 to 3 side dishes almost on a daily basis to serve with rice besides the pickle / chutney and yogurt. However I am not adventurous enough to serve a thaali for my family on either a festival day or for blogging purposes. It seems suicidal to me, especially when you don't have a helping hand and you are staring at two sinks full of dirty dishes after the cooking and clicking part. However this time when the thaali theme was announced, it clicked that I don't need to cook everything on the same day and I can cook a mini thaali. And so, this thaali happened and I stuck to my home state of Andhra Pradesh for the first post to skip the 'exploring recipes' part. 

This homestyle or a simple festive thaali (sans onion and garlic) consists of 
Annam (Rice)
Gongura Pachadi (Sorrel leaves Chutney)
Cabbage - Pesarapappu Koora (Cabbage & Moongdal Curry)
Panasa Pottu Koora (Raw Jackfruit Curry)
Muddha Pappu (Lentils seasoned with just salt)
Majjiga Pulusu (Spicy yogurt based gravy)
Palakoora Pappu (Spicy Lentils cooked with Spinach)
Chaaru / Rasam (Spicy Lentil Broth)
Pulihora (Tamarind Rice)
Payasam (Kheer / Indian Pudding)
Garelu (Whole Black Bean Fritters)
Perugu (Yogurt)
Appadam (Papad) & Neyyi (Ghee)

Most of the preparations here are eaten along with rice and a dollop of ghee. The first course would be rice mixed with gongura pachadi and a tsp. of ghee. Followed by kooras / the vegetable preparations eaten in a similar fashion as above. Then pulihora and the lentil preparations again eaten with rice along with the appadam or the toasted lentil wafers . In Andhra, majjiga pulusu (a kadhi, if loosely translated) is always eaten with rice along with the muddha pappu / plain dal. Then the garelu / fritters and payasam. (My fritters are dark here because I used the whole black gram with out removing the skin.) The meal is rounded off with yogurt rice. 

I chose to post the recipe for panasa pottu koora from the above thaali for today. Vegetable preparations using panasa pottu or the shredded raw jack fruit is a common feature in the northern coastal areas of Andhra. Panasa pottu is readily available in markets there though a can of raw jack fruit in lieu of it would as well serve the purpose. My version today is one of the simple yet delicious preparations using panasa pottu.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups shredded raw jackfruit
1.5 to 2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. split chickpeas / chana dal
1 tsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
3 to 4 dried red chillies, broken into bits
A stalk of curry leaves
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
2 pinches of asafoetida powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. tamarind extract or 1 tsp. lemon juice
1 - 2 tsp. powdered jaggery

Method:
* If using canned raw jackfruit, drain and rinse thoroughly. Drain again and dry if needed. Shred the jackfruit pieces pulsing through a food processor as shown in the above picture.
* Heat oil in a pan and add split chickpeas, black gram, mustard seeds and cumin seeds in that order. When the split chickpeas and black gram starts turning brownish, add red chiilies, curry leaves, turmeric and asafoetida. saute for few seconds and then add the shreeded raw jackfruit and salt.
* Mix well and cover the pan. Cook on low flame until jackfruit is done. Add jaggery and tamarind extract to the cooked curry and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Cook for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove.

This goes to Blogging marathon #70, under the theme 'Thaali Recipes'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

Comments

Palakoora Podi Koora ~ Sauteed Spinach with Lentils

 
A typical south Indian meal even in it's simplest form and without any prior planing would be a well balanced one if one sticks to the basics. Rice served along with a lentil preparation, a vegetable dish and yogurt. Today's meal is such one - rice served with radish & lentil preparation aka mullangi sambhar and a spinach based side dish along with yogurt. I am sticking with the spinach dish for today's post as part of the blogging marathon. 

Dry sautes based on greens is a traditional and common preparation in the southern states of India. And the version I am posting today is a typical one from Andhra brahmin households and hence the absence of onion or garlic in the recipe. Or for that matter, there is no coconut either since coconut is not used that extensively in Andhra cooking as the rest of it's neighboring states do. This healthy saute is kept on a drier side and the addition of cooked lentils up the nutrition value. I have used spinach but thotakoora / amaranth greens is the most commonly used greens while preparing the dish or a combination of spinach, amaranth greens and methi / fenugreek greens can be used as well. And the word 'podi' in the title doesn't represent any spice powder used in the recipe but is a reference to the 'dry' version of the preparation.

Ingredients: (Yield 3 servings)
2 bunches of spinach / 8 cups of chopped spinach (palakoora)
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. chana dal / split chickpeas
4 dried red chillies, each broken into 3 - 4 bits
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1/4 cup cooked toor dal / lentils 

Method:
* Cook about 2 tbsp. toor dal until done but still holding the shape.
* Wash the spinach leaves and tender stalks thoroughly to get rid off the dirt if any present and spread them on a kitchen towel to air dry. Or pat them dry with a towel and then chop the leaves and stalks fine.
* Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, chana dal and chillies. When the dal starts to turn reddish, add turmeric powder and the chopped greens. Cook until the raw smell of the greens leave and any water released during the cooking evaporates. 
* Add cooked lentils and salt. Mix well and cook for about a  minute before turning off the stove.
* Serve warm with some hot, steamed rice.  
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Dry Sautees'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

Comments

Aratikaaya Vepudu / Plantain Fry

I wish everyone who are celebrating Diwali, a happy, safe and fun filled one. 

Coming to this week's recipes for BM, it is going to be dry sautes that can be served with rice and/or rotis. I did not have to go looking for recipes elsewhere for this theme as I prepare vegetable dishes on a daily basis, just like the rest of the Indians do. All I had to do was pick those dishes that I haven't posted on my blog yet. The first one is going to be this crispy and yummy fry made with plantain, an absolute favorite of my family. Generally I stay away from frying vegetables but as usual there is one exception for which I keep gladly breaking the rule. And that happens to be this plantain fry, that everyone at home loves to indulge in. This is a regular fare in my mother's kitchen and in fact a commonly served dish for new mothers in our families since plantain is believed to generate heat in the body.

Ingredients: (Yield 4 servings)
2 large sized plantains
2 tbsp. oil
Salt to taste
Red chili powder to taste 

Method:
* Trim the edges and peel the plantains. Quarter each plantain lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
 
* Heat oil in a kadai or a wide non-stick pan and add the plantain pieces. Fry on medium flame, intermittently stirring / tossing the pan until they turn crisp and golden brown uniformly. 
If the plantain pieces are scorching or sticking to the bottom of the pan, then gently scrape with the spatula and lower the heat. Add extra oil if needed. The fried plantain should have an inviting crunchiness and not the rock hard texture.
* Turn off the stove and then add salt and chili powder to the fried plantain. Toss the pan to coat the plantain pieces with the spices uniformly. (One is going to end up with a coughing fit if the stove is not turned off before adding the chili powder.)
* Serve immediately with hot, steamed rice. They taste good and crisp off the pan. They go soft after a while and doesn't taste that good.
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Dry Sautees'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

Comments

Goruchikkudu Kaaya - Senagapappu Koora

This is one of those typical curries that gets prepared regularly in my mother's kitchen and mine or for that matter in any south Indian kitchen. This simple and homely dish goes well with some hot steamed rice or rotis. The cluster beans in the recipe can be replaced by other vegetables like cabbage, beans, beetroot, snake gourd or bottle gourd.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped goruchikkudu kayalu / cluster beans / guvar beans
3 - 4 tbsp. chanadal (Soaked in water for a couple of hours)
1/2 cup shredded, fresh coconut
Salt to taste
For tadka:
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. split chickpeas / chana dal
1 tsp. split black gram / urad dal
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
Few curry leaves
2 green chilies, finely chopped 
2 dried red chilies, broken into bits
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
 
Method:
* Trim the ends and string the beans, if necessary and chop them fine. Pressure cook the beans adding a little water for 2 whistles or until cooked.
* Heat oil in a kadai or a sauté pan and add mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
* When the dals turn reddish, add the chilies and sauté for about 30 seconds. (If cluster beans are not pressure cooked in the earlier step, they can be added now and cooked on low flame directly in the sauté pan, covered.)
* Next add the cooked cluster beans, soaked chana dal, coconut, turmeric powder and salt. Stir them well and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes.
* Serve it warm along with rice / rotis.
 
This goes to blogging marathon #57 under the theme 'Side Dishes' and check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.

Comments

Methi - Pakoda Curry

This is one 'Methi' curry that I wanted to try ever since I copied the recipe from one of my husband's aunts years ago. The deep frying part kept me away from the recipe so far and this week's BM theme of "methi' seemed like a right occasion to try it. Besides it sounded like this palakoora- vadiyala koora we love. It is kept on a dry side unlike the other Andhra pakoda curry versions or the kadhi pakora. The methi leaves add a nice, aromatic background for the yummy pakodas in this curry.

Ingredients for the pakodas:
1 cup besan / garbanzo flour
One big onion, finely minced (The original recipe didn't use it.)
Salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
Oil to fry (I used canola oil.)
Ingredients for the curry:
Pakodas from above
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1 to 1& 1/2 cups fenugreek greens / methi leaves
Salt & chili powder to taste

Making Pakodas:
* Sift besan, salt and chili powder together in a mixing bowl.

* Add chopped onion and mix well. Next add water and make a thick batter.

* Heat oil for deep frying in a pan. Drop small balls of batter into the hot oil. Fry them on low flame until they turn golden brown through out.

Curry Preparation:
* Wash and roughly chop the methi leaves.
* Heat a tbsp. oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add methi leaves and turmeric powder. Stir well, cover and cook until the rawness of methi leaves is gone.
* Add salt and chili powder to the cooked methi and stir well. Add the fried pakode and stir to combine.
* Cook for about a minute and remove from fire. Serve immediately with rice.

This goes to Blogging Marathon #50, under the theme of "Methi Dishes". Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.
 
Comments