Andhra kadhi/Majjiga pulusu

Kadhi is a popular dish in India, made with yogurt/curd/buttermilk and its flavour differs from one region to the other. If you like the andhra food then you should definitely try and taste the andhra kadhi.

Preparation time - 20 mins
Cooking time - 20 mins
Quantity - serves 6

Ingredients:

Beaten yogurt/Beaten curd/Thick buttermilk - 3 cups
water 1 cup
Turmeric - 1/2 tbsp
Hing/asafetida - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - 1.5 tbsps

Vegetables:
Ripe tomatoes - 2
bottle gourd - 1/2 cup (washed, peeled and cut into one inch pieces)
ash gourd - 1/2 cup (washed, peeled, de-seeded and cut into one inch pieces)
yellow cucumber - 1/2  cup (washed, peeled, de-seeded and cut into one inch pieces)
ladies finger/bhindi - 1/2 cup (washed and cut into 2 inch pieces)

For masala paste:
chana dal - 1/4 cup
dry red chillies - 2
green chillies - 2
ginger - 2 inch piece
dry coconut/dry copra/desiccated coconut/fresh coconut - 4 tbsps grated
coriander seeds/dhaniya seeds - 2 tbsps

For tempering:
cooking oil - 1tbsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp
cumin seeds/jeera - 1/2 tbsp
urad dal - 1/2 tbsp
dry red chilli - 1
curry leaves - 5-6 no.s

For garnishing:
Few coriander leaves

Recipe:
1. To prepare the masala paste, soak all the ingredients given under masala paste except for coconut for about 30 mins
2. Boil the vegetables given under vegetables section adding turmeric and salt. Except for tomatoes you can add/skip other vegetables based on the availability. If you are using a cooker just boil them for one whistle otherwise they will become mushy.
3. Now add the soaked ingredients from step 1 to a mixer, add grated coconut and grind it to a smooth paste adding little bit of water.
4. Switch on the flame, place a wok and add the masala paste, boiled veggies and beaten curd  to it. Add salt and mix properly.
5. To this add 1 cup of water and bring it to boil. The flame has to be on low all the while as we are using curd in the preparation.
6. Once the kadhi begins to boil, this is when we will add the tempering.
7. In another kadai, add 1 tbsp of oil and once it is hot, add the mustard seeds, once they start to splutter, add jeera, urad dal, dry red chilli, hing and curry leaves.
8. Pour this tempering over kadhi and switch of the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Andhra Kadhi tastes good with rice, toor dal (plain toor dal cooked with some turmeric and salt) and ghee.

Instant Mango pickle

Now, here I should thank my friends, Saraswathi, Pavithra and Pooja for making me set an alarm for my 'so called' cooking blog and wake it up! So I made this pickle last saturday for our get-to lunch and everyone seems to like it and here goes the motivation for posting the recipe of the same.

Easiness lies only in preparing the pickle but no compromise in taste :) Come season of mangoes and nobody should miss out on this yummy tasty pickle. And if you are a pickle fan then your favorite might as well be this mango pickle :)...not boasting but such is the flavor of this seasonal vegetable and u gotta agree with me, wont you?

This pickle tastes best when hand pounded rather than a mixer. I am giving the recipe for the pound, you can follow the same order of steps mentioned in the recipe though you are using a mixer.

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins

Quantity: makes about 1.5 cups

Ingredients:

For pickle:

Raw Mango - 1 medium sized (thotapuri or any normal variety raw mango)

Garlic pods - 3-4 no.s

Coriander/dhaniya seeds - 1 tbsp

Fenugreek/Methi seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - 1 tbsps

Red chilli powder - 1-2 tbsps (based on your spice levels) 

For tempering:

Cooking oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

Dry red chillies - 2

Asafetida/hing - a pinch

Curry leaves - 5-6 no.s

Recipe:

1. Heat a tawa and dry roast dhaniya and methi seeds on low flame till they turn little brown and release the aroma.

2. Wash and cut the raw mango into small pieces without removing the skin.

3. First add the roasted dhaniya and methi seeds and pound it to a fine powder

4. Then add the garlic pods and cut mango pieces and pound it coarsely. Do not pound the mango pieces like a paste (same goes with the mixer). The pickle tastes good when you get very small mango pieces left behind in the pickle. It adds that crunchy taste to it.

5. Add salt and red chilli powder as you are pounding it.

6. Take the mixture into a bowl.

7. Heat a tawa with a tbsp of oil. When oil is hot enough, first add mustard seeds.

8. When they start spluttering, add jeera and urad dal. Then add red chillies, a pinch of hing and curry leaves.

9. Pour this tempering over the pickle. Serve this pickle with hot rice and some generous amout of ghee :). Also tastes very good with curd rice.