Gongura Egg Curry

RECIPE OF GONGURA EGG CURRY

Sorrel - leaves 1Bunch
Oil - 3 Teaspoons
Green chillies - 3
Salt - To Taste
Onion(chopped) 1/2 Cup
Curry leaves 1 Springs
Turmeric powder 1/4Teaspoons
Ginger garlic paste 1/2Teaspoons
Water - 1 Cup
Coriander powder 1/4Teaspoons
Cumin powder 1/4Teaspoons
Red chilly powder 1/2Teaspoons
Egg - 2

Directions
1. Cut sorrel leaves and wash and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add sorrel leaves, green chillies, salt and cook it, later transfer into blender and make a smooth paste.
3. Heat some oil in same pan, add onions, salt and saute it until it is transparent.
4. Add curry leaves, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and saute it.
5. Add sorrel leaves paste, little water, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilly powder mix nicely and check for seasoning.
6. Do docking to boiled egg and add to gravy and cook for 2 min and switch off flame.
7. Now gongura egg curry is ready to serve.

Chicken Curry in Chettinad Style

I first had this fiery, deeply flavorful chicken dish as a friend’s home along with dosas and ever since hooked to it. I was told it’s a traditional Chettinad chicken curry and that there are quite a few variations to this recipe. In today’s version, chicken is simmered in coconut milk and gets its unique flavor from a blend of quite a few spices like fennel seeds, coriander seeds, poppy seeds, pepper corns, cardamoms and cumin to name a few.

Quite a bit of preparation goes into the making of this curry and there is no short cut method and if you have the time and the ingredients on hand, only then venture to prepare and please don’t compromise with the ingredients if you want that authentic chicken curry flavor.

Chettinad Style Chicken Curry Recipe

Prep: 20 mts, Cooking Time: 25 mts
Serves 5-6 persons

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces
1 cup small onions, shallots (sambar onions)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
10-12 curry leaves
1 cup coconut milk (extract from 1/2 coconut)
fresh coriander leaves for garnish
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

Make a paste:
2 green chillis
8 garlic flakes
1″ ginger
1 tsp poppy seeds (soak in warm water for 10 mts)

Roast and make a powder:
1/2 tsp pepper corns
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 1/2 tbsps coriander seeds
6-8 dry red chillies
2 cardamoms
1″ cinnamon
6-7 curry leaves
1/2 tsp oil

1. Drizzle a vessel with oil and roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, red chillis, cardamoms, cinnamon and curry leaves on medium heat stirring constantly for 2 mts. Remove from fire, cool and grind to a powder.
2. Make a paste of the ginger, garlic, green chillies and poppy seeds. Keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the small onions and curry leaves and saute till transparent.
4. Add the ground paste and cook for a minute before adding the chicken and cook on high heat for approx 4 mts and do stir the chicken once in a while.
5. Reduce to medium heat, add salt, turmeric pwd and tomatoes and combine well. Let the chicken cook in this for 4-5 mts, uncovered.
6. Now add the coconut milk and transfer the contents to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 4 mts or until one whistle. Open lid and combine well.
7. Finally add the ground masala pwd and cook for 3 mts. Turn off heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
8. Serve hot with white steamed rice, biryani, chapatis or dosas.

Note:

Adjust the green chillis, red chillis and pepper corns according to your spice level. Ensure that the chicken doesn’t pressure cook for more than one whistle, as it could get mushy if pressure cooked beyond the required time. In fact, mutton is usually used for this recipe but it tastes equally good with chicken.

Vadapappu Paanakam Recipe

Vadapappu panakam are offered to Lord Rama on his birthday i.e Sri Rama Navami festival celebrated by Hindus. Vadapappu is nothing but soaked moong dal that is served with jaggery and chalimidi (rice flour based sweet) and panakam. There is savory version of vadapappu where grated raw mango, coconut and green chilies are added to soaked yellow moong dal.
Panakam is a thirst quenching, palate pleasing, traditional, ayurvedic energy drink. It is a naturally sweetened summer cooler laced with a subtle hint of spice. Grated jaggery (gud), dry ginger (sonth or sonti), black pepper corns and cardamom go into the making panakam recipe. According to Indian ancient medicine, Ayurveda, panakam (also called panaka or panagam) balances the three doshas: vata, kapha and pitta during the hot summer days. Health benefits of panakam are not to be underated. It provides instant relief from the hot sweltering sun, cools the body, revives appetite and gives a rejuvenating feeling on consumption. Dry ginger has astringent properties and heals gastric related issues. Vadapappu panakam when consumed together help in digestion. I am sharing vadapappu recipe including how to make panakam.

Main Ingredients:
moong dal
jaggery
black pepper corns

Ingredients
For Vadapappu: Yellow moong dal - 1/2 cup, soak for one hour and drain completely
Jaggery - 4-5 tbsp, grated
For Panakam: Water - 1 lt (4 cups)
Jaggery - 1 cup, grated
Black peppercorns - 5, dry roast for a mt and crush
Dry ginger powder - 1/2 tsp
Green cardamom - 2, crushed

Method
For Vadapappu: Drain the soaked dal and remove to a serving bowl. Add a few jaggery pieces or grated jaggery on top. Serve with chalimidi and panakam.
For panakam: Add grated jaggery to 4 cups of room temperature water and allow it to dissolve. Strain the liquid to a serving bowl.
Add cardamom powder, crushed black pepper and dry ginger powder and mix. Pour into glasses and serve.

Tips
For savory vadapappu, add 3 tbsps of grated raw mango, 1 finely chopped green chili or 1/4 tsp red chili powder, 2 tbsps of freshly grated coconut, finely chopped coriander leaves and salt to 1 cup of soaked moong dal. You can add 2 tbsps of grated carrot too.
If you do not have dry ginger on hand to make panakam, omit it.
If panakam is too sweet, add more water.

Bhakshaalu/ Bobbatlu/ Olige - Ugadi Special Sweet Recipe

Ingredients:
Split Skinless Chanadal – 1/2 Cup (wash, drain soak in fresh water for 1 hr atleast)
Fine Sooji – little less than 1/2 Cup
All Purpose Flour/ Maida – 2 Tbsp
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Water – less than 1/2 cup approx to make sticky soft dough
Oil – 1/4 Cup
Jaggery (crushed) – 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder – from 2 pods.

Procedure:
Start by preparing the dough by mixing fine sooji, maida, salt and water to make a sticky smooth and soft dough. Coat with 2 tsp of oil and rest covered for 30 mins to an hour.
Meanwhile pressure cook the dal, drain the water from dal and pressure cook with 1/2 cup of fresh water for one whistle. Immediately run the cooker under cold water to remove all the pressure quickly. Drain the excess water and use in making any soups or dals.
Add cooked dal, jaggery, cardamom powder to food processor and blend to a paste without water. Set it covered. Make 6 equal balls and keep them ready.
Take a small portion of dough ( half the size of the jaggery dumpling made). Spread the dough into 1 1/2 inch round circle on a parchment papper. Stuff it with the jaggery dumpling and seal properly from all the sides. Flatten it a bit by greasing it with some oil and then roll into thin chapathis.
Flip it gently on to the non stick pan and fry till golden brown on both sides. Use some oil while frying. Serve immediately with ghee, milk, sweetened mango pulp. Continue till no dough and the stuffing are left.

Purnam Burelu in Telugu

Purnam Burelu in Telugu.

INGREDIENTS

Bengal Gram - 1 Cup
Jaggery - 1 Cup
Rice Flour - 3/4 cup
Plain Flour - 1 cup
Urid dal / Black Gram Batter - 1 cup
Cardamom - 2
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Oil - Deep Fry
Baking Soda - Optional