Bitter Gourd Curry Sweet (Kakarakaya Pulusu Koora)

Ingredients: bitter gourd / kakarakaya / karela - 2 cut into rounds
onion - 1 small
green chilly - 3 small
turmeric - 1 pinch
tamarind pulp - 1/4 cup
jaggery syrup - 1/4 cup or per your taste
dry red chilly - 2

cumin seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

mustard seeds - 1/4 tb spoon

fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tb spoon

minapappu or urad dal - 1 tb spoons

salt - per your taste
red chilly powder - 1 tb spoon

Method:

Fry the chopped onion until golden brown. Add green chilli, salt and the seasoning to the onions. Cook the bitter gourd for about 5 minutes in microwave (this makes them tender and the curry does not consume much oil). Add the bitter gourd to the onion fry for couple of minutes. Add the jaggery syrup, tamarind pulp and red chilli powder. Mix well and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

Vegetarian Pizza

Simple vegetarian pizza for a lazy afternoon! 

Ingredients:

pizza base - 1 large

red peppers / bell pepper / capsicum - 1

onion - 1 small

jalepenos - 1

tomato - 1

shredded cheese - 1 bowl (or as desired)

pizza sauce

olive oil - 1 tb spoon

Method: 

Pre heat the oven at 450 degrees. Toss a tb spoon of olive oil on to the pizza base and spread the pizza sauce evenly. Top the pizza with the jalepenos, tomatoes, onions and red peppers. Lastly sprinkle the shredded cheese lavishly. Bake the pizza for eight to 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Serve with your favourite sauce.  

Stuffed Potato

Ingredients: 

potatoes - 4 (preferably big and long)

onion - 1

tomato - 1

green chilli - 4

red chilli - 4

ginger paste - 2 spoons

cashew - handful

raisins - per your taste (only if you prefer)

cumin seeds - 1 spoon

green peas - 1/2 cup

Method:

Cut the big and long potatoes into two halves. Individually scoop out the inners of each part to make a potato shell. Save the scooped potato do not throw it away. Deep fry the potato shells for few minutes and keep them aside. 

Fry the cumin seeds, onions, green chilli, red chilli and ginger paste, add salt, scooped potato and deep fry. Add tomato in the end along with salt, garam masala and coriander powder. Let the mixture cool, then blend the mixture into a fine paste.  

Stuff the gravy into the potato shells and bring to boil the potatoes in the remaining gravy mix.

You can add some grated dry coconut and green peas to the gravy. 

Ghee Rice with Khadi

Ghee Rice Ingredients

rice - 2 cups

ghee (clarified butter) - 1/2 cup

onion - 1 thinly sliced

cinnamon - 1/2 stick

black pepper - 1 tb spoon

bay leaves - 2

cloves - 5

cumin seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

caraway seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

Ghee Rice Method

Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan (I used a cooker to season and to cook too), as the ghee melts add the spices and fry till the aroma spreads. Add sliced onions and fry till crisp. Add the washed rice and fry for a minute. Add water and salt. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. You can transfer the contents into a pressure cooker or a rice cooker and cook accordingly.

Khadi Ingredients

curd/yogurt - 2 cups

water - 2 cups

flour - 2 tb spoons (you can use any flour either besan or rice. I used rice flour)

turmeric powder - 1/2 tb spoon

salt - per taste

Making coriander paste

coriander - 1 bunch

green chillies - 3

ginger - a small piece

dried red chilli - 1

Make a paste of the above ingredients in a blender and keep aside.

Method

Finely beat the curd, water, flour, turmeric and salt. Bring it to boil while stirring continuously. Add the coriander paste, simmer and cook for 5 more minutes. Finally add the seasoning with asafoetida, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and a dry red chilli.

Aubergine Spiced Gravy (Gutti Vankaya Koora)

Vegetables - 

Aubergines/Brinjal/Eggplant - 5 medium sized (cut into four slices each without detaching each slice from its base)

onion - 2  chopped

tomato - 2 chopped

green chillies - 4 big finely chopped

coriander - 1 bunch

mint leaves - 1 bunch

ginger - sliced 

Spices 

cumin Seeds - 1 tb spoon

caraway seeds - 1 tb spoon

cloves - 3

cardamom- 3

ground black pepper - 1/4 tb spoon

dried mint leaves - 1 tb spoon (optional if you use fresh mint)

ginger paste - 1 tb spoon

bay leaf - 1

cinnamon - 1 stick

salt - per your taste

coriander powder - 2 tb spoons

Method 

Gravy - Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds,  caraway seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, dried mint, bay leaf and saute for 2 minutes. When the flavor starts to spread add the finely chopped onion and green chilli. Mix the spices and onion well, let it fry until onion turns golden color. Add mint leaves, coriander leaves and ginger paste. Add the chopped tomato. Let the mixture get cooked for 5 minutes until the tomatoes turn tender. Stir occasionally. Add coriander powder and salt per your taste. Let the mixture cool down and blend the entire contents to a soft paste. 

Bake the Aubergines -

Slightly oil the cut aubergines and microwave them on high heat for 5 to 9 minutes or until the vegetables become tender. 

Making - 

Heat oil in a pan and saute the baked aubergines for 3 minutes while sauting occassionally. Add the gravy mixture. Mix the contents thoroughly and let it cook for a while. Simmer and cook for 15 to 20 min stirring occassionally. Add little water if you feel the gravy is getting dried up.  Simmer and cook for 5 more minutes. Let the aubergines marinate well in the gravy so they get flavored. Add a tb spoon of ghee or butter on top. I usually watch them patiently whilst stirring occassionally so that the curry does not get charred. 

Tomato Chutney

Vegetables -

tomatoes - 5 ripe and big (sliced)

green chillies - 5 to 6 big (per your taste you can add or remove the chillies)

coriander - a bunch

Seasoning -

asafoetida or hing or inguva - 1/2 tb spoon

cumin seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

mustard seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tb spoon (you can use the powder if seeds are not available)

minapappu or urad dal - 2 tb spoons

salt - per your taste

Method -

Heat oil in a pan. Add the seasoning & green chillies and fry until crisp. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes turn tender. Stir occassionally. Add the coriander leaves and salt, simmer and cook for 3 more minutes. Turn the stove off and let the mixture cool. Transfer contents into a mixer jar and blend into a rough paste. Do not make a smooth paste lest it becomes a sauce rather than a chutney :)

Garnish - 

Garnish with coriander leaves. 

Mixed Vegetable Salad Served Fresh!

Planning to make a healthy salad that tastes yummy too! 

Vegetables -

carrots - 2 sliced

green peas - 1/2 cup

sweet corn - 1/4 cup (only if you like, do not add if you want the salad to be spicy)

onion - 1/2 finely chopped 

tomato - 1 finely chopped

cucumber - 1/2 finely chopped

Spices -

black pepper - 1 tb spoon (roughly ground)

pudina extract - 2 tb spoons (you can use the ready made from the store or make a fresh paste)

ginger paste - 1/4 tb spoon

butter - 1 tb spoon

Method - 

Mix carrots, green peas and sweet corn in a bowl. Add a tb spoon of butter, black pepper & salt, mix well and microwave for 2 minutes. Let it cool. Add the chopped onion, tomato and cucumber. Add the pudina extract (mint extract) and mix thoroughly. Garnish with fresh cilantro. 

Fresh Red Chilli Pickle (Pandu Mirapakayala Kaaram)

Simplest of the Andhra pickles that can be made anywhere in the world! 

Vegetables - 

fresh red chillies or red peppers - 5 big chopped

Seasoning - 

asafoetida or hing or inguva - 1/2 tb spoon

tamarind extract - 3 tb spoons

cumin seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

mustard seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tb spoon (you can use the powder if seeds are not available)

salt - per your taste

Method - 

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add asafoetida and saute the seasoning. Add the chopped red chillies and cook until tender. Stir occassionally. Add the tamarind extract and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt and be careful not to char the contents. Turn off, let it cool and blend the contents using a mixer or blender. Do not make it a paste but let the red chillies get chopped finely. Transfer into a bowl and serve. 

Capsicum Aloo Gravy

This is a delightful dish for the potato and capsicum lovers! 

Vegetables

onion - 1 finely chopped

tomato - 1 finely chopped

green chillies - 2 big finely chopped

capsicum - 1/2 finely chopped and 1/2 sliced 

potato - two medium sized

coriander - 1 bunch

mint leaves - 1/2 bunch

ginger - long & thinly sliced 

Spices 

cumin Seeds - 1 tb spoon

caraway seeds - 1 tb spoon

cloves - 3

cardamom- 3

ground black pepper - 1/4 tb spoon

dried mint leaves - 1 tb spoon (optional if you use fresh mint)

tamarind extract - 2 tb spoon

ginger paste - 1 tb spoon

bay leaf - 1

Method

Gravy - Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds,  caraway seeds, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, dried mint, bay leaf and saute for 2 minutes. When the flavor starts spread add the finely chopped onion and green chilli. Mix the spices and onion well, let it fry until onion turns golden color. Add mint leaves, coriander leaves and ginger paste. Add the chopped capsicum, after two minutes add the chopped tomato. Let the mixture get cooked for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add 2 tb spoons of tamarind extract and salt. Let the mixture cool down and blend the entire contents to a soft paste. 

Baking Potatoes - Peel the potatoes and pierce each potato at several places with a fork.  This lets the extra moisture drip. Slightly oil them and microwave for 5 - 9 minutes on high heat. 

Making - Heat oil in a pan and saute the sliced capsicum until tender. Add the baked potato slices and stir. Wait for 3 minutes and add the gravy mixture. Mix the contents thoroughly and let it cook for a while. Simmer and cook for 15 min stirring occassionally. Add little water if you feel the gravy is getting dried up.  

Garnish - Add a tb spoon of butter or ghee and garnish with the thinly sliced ginger and serve. 

How it all happened....

I always had this inclination towards cooking. I was occassionally making stuff, which were sometimes excellent otherwise pathetic! Somehow my dad always loved my food :) May be coz I used extra spices and chillies making the dishes hot and tangy!

I owe the credits to many, my paternal Grandmother - who makes excellent food even at the age of 80!, my Dad -I used to scowl when ever he dragged me into the kitchen, he would make us eat bland salads saying vegetables are good for health! I just cherish his memories :) My Aunt - who taught me to try cooking from magazine recipes! and last but not the least - my Mom - who can make yummy sambhar and pulihora, which I can never learn to perfection! 

I am a vegetarian so you can expect anything and everything made of vegetables! I always liked to encourage vegetarianism :)