Nuvvala Podi

Nuvvulu or Til or sesame seeds is popularly known as, has the highest oil content of any other seed. Sesame oil is rich in Omega 6 fatty acids.The flour that remains after oil extraction has good carbohydrates.  Sesame seed is also rich in protein and are also good source of calcium and also contain a high amount of antioxidants.
Sesame oil, is mostly used in cooking in India. Sesame seed powder and sesame laddu (a sweet with sesame seeds) is given to girls during their menarche or first menstrual bleeding.

This nuvvula podi or sesame seed powder can be used in curries like bottle gourd and cluster beans. This can also be served with hot rice.

The main ingredients are sesame seeds and red chillies.

Ingredients:

Sesame seeds-3 cups
Red chillies-5 or 6
Salt- to taste

Procedure:

Roast the sesame seeds and red chillies in a kadai. 
Roast they till the rawness leave or the seeds turn light brown color.
Allow it to cool. Cool till they come to normal temperature.

The main and most important point to remember in preparing this powder is roasting sesame seeds. While roasting do not over heat the kadai as it leads to burn the seeds. Heat the kadai and put the seeds and simmer the stove and roast them continuously. 

Put it in the mixer grinder and press pulse button of the grinder. 
Do not grind it, as it contains lot of oil grinding too much will make it lumpy rather powdery. This can be stored at least for a fortnight in an air tight jar.

Pesarattu Koora(moongdal curry)

I have learned this curry from my mom-in-law.  Preparation of this curry takes a lot of time. One should have patience to prepare this cury.The main ingredient in this curry is dosa with moong dal. The quantities specified in this recipe are for 5 people.

Ingredients:

Moong Dal-2cups
Onions-2 Large
Ginger Garlic paste-2tbsp
Salt-to taste
Turmenric Powder-1tsp
Red chilli powder-1tbsp
Garam Masala powder-1tbsp
Tamarind Pulp-2tbsp
Oil-3tbsp
Masala-2tbsp

Ingredients for Masala:

Poppy seeds-2tbsp
Coconut-3inchs(cut into pieces)
Coriander seeds-1tbsp
Cloves-5 or 6
Dalchini/Cinnamon sticks-2 or 3pieces
Elaichi-2 or 3
Procedure for Masala:
Make a fine paste of all the above ingredients. 
Add a little water if necessary.

Preparation:

Soak moong dal for 2 to 3 hours. Grind it to a fine paste. Add salt to it. Make thick dosas with the batter. 

Cut them into blocks.

Chop onions.

Prepare Masala.
Grind ginger and garlic.

Soak tamarind in water and make thick pulp.

Method for koora:

First we have to make dosas as shown above and keep aside.

Heat oil in kadai, fry grounded masala and ginger garlic paste till it turns brown color. Add onions and again fry for 2 minutes. 

Add turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, and garam masala powder. 

Add tamarind pulp. Add previously cut dosa pieces. 

Allow it boil for 5 minutes. Hot and spicy pesarattu koora is ready. Serve with hot rice or chapathi. 

Masala Dosa

The most favourite breakfast across the South India is dosa.  Dosa can be made in different varieties, like onion dosa, Masala dosa, and Rawa dosa etc.. Plain dosa is the basic variety of dosa. For any dosa, we need to have a batter made with black gram, rice and fenugreek seeds. This batter should be fermented. If we do not ferment the batter, we get hard dosas. Of course time for fermentation depends on the climate conditions. If the climate is hot, then we can ferment it for 5 to 6 hours is enough.

Ingredients for dosa:

Black gram-1 cup

Rice-3 cups

Poha-1 cup

Sugar-2tsp

Fenugreek seeds-1tbsp

Salt-to taste

Sugar-1tbsp

Oil-5 tbsp

Preparation:

Soak black gram, rice, poha and fenugreek seeds for 8 hours. If we soak them separately grinding them will become very easy. Grind them to make a smooth paste. Add only little water to grind. Let the batter loosen while fermenting. Add salt and sugar, Let the batter ferment for 8 to 10 hours.

Heat the Dosa tawa, wipe with a wet cloth. So we can check whether the tawa is sufficient heat.  Pour one ladle full of batter on the tawa and spread it in circular motion.  Pour 1 tbsp oil on the dosa. Pour it also in the circular motion only.  Let it cook for 2 minutes or till it turn brown color. Once dosa is cooked or ready put one spoon of potato curry and roll and take it out from the tawa.

Serve with coconut chutney.

Gongura Pachadi Recipe -- How to make Gongura Pachadi

Dondakaya kura/Coccinia curry

Dondakaya is rich in beta-carotine. Dondakaya is very tasty when deep fried. This takes a lot of oil for frying. Taking lot of oil is also  not good for health so we try different varieties. It can be combined with coconut, peanut powder and ginger garlic. The recipe I am going to mention is very simple. 

Ingredients:

Dondakayalu(coccinia)-500grms

Onions-100 grms

Garlic cloves-5

Oil-2tbsp

Salt- to taste

Turmeric powder-1tsp

Mustard seeds-1tsp

Cumin seeds-1tsp

Black gram-1tsp

Bengal gram-1tsp

Red chillies-2

Curry leaves-a few

Red chilli powder-1tsp

Garam Masala powder-1tsp

Procedure:

Cut dondakayalu/coccinia in round shape .

Chop onions.

Peel the skin of garlic and cut them into small pieces.

Heat oil in a kadai put mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black gram, bengal gram, curry leaves and red chillies. 
When they start splutter add garlic and onions. Saute them till the onions becomes soft. Now add dondakayalu/coccinia and fry them for about 5 minutes. If necessary add a little water. Add salt and turmeric powder. Cook for 5 minutes or till dondakaya or coccinia softens.
Cook on a low-medium flame so that donkayalu and onions won't burn.  Once dondakayalu cooked add  red chilli powder and garam masala powder. We can check whether dondakayalu cooked or not by their texture. They will loose their moisture and have a wrinkle appearance. Serve this curry with hot rice. 

Potlakaya Kobbari Kura(Snake Gourd with coconut)

Gourds like snake gourd, bottle gourd and ridge gourd are the integral part of South Indian Cooking. They help in easy digestion, so they were suggested as post-illness treatment.  These gourds are high in water content and have a cooling effect on the body also. Recipes with these gourds are bland in taste but are good for health.

Snake gourd is also high in water content, low in fat and has lot of fiber, so is good to add to weight-loss diets. It is also a good source of magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.We can prepare variety of recipes with snake gourd. One among them is this recipe.  

Ingredients:

Potlakaya-1 

Grated Coconut-1 cup

Mustard Seeds-1/2tsp

Cumin Seeds-1/2tsp

Black gram-1/2tsp

Red chillies-2

Oil-1tbsp

Salt- to taste

Turmeric powder-1tsp

Curry leaves-5 or 6

Asafoetida- a pinch

Procedure:

Chop the snake gourd. Wash it with warm water. 

Heat oil in a kadai or wok put mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black gram allow them splutter and add red chillies and curry leaves. Add chopped potlakaya/snake gourd and fry for a while. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt. Sprinkle a little water to it and cover. Once the snake gourd pieces turn to tender, let it dry out excess water, if any is there. Add grated coconut to it and mix well. Tasty potlakaya kura is ready. Serve it with hot rice. 

Simple Curd

Curd is the rich source of calcium and riboflavin, readily digestible proteins. It is an ideal diet for sensitive digestive systems. It can be in the form of lassi or buttermilk or let it be as it is, the most delicious of all.

Curd or yogurt is known as perugu in english and dahi in hindi. Preparation of curd will take minimum of 6 to 16 hours. It is common practice to finish any meal th yogurt or buttermilk in most of the South India.

Preparation:

Boil the milk and filter. Cool it to the room temprature. Add a spoonful or drop of previous batch of curd and mix it well. Allow it to stand for 12 hours.

The quality and taste of curds depends on the previous batch curds.If the previous one is sour the fresh will also tastes sour. The time taken to curdle also varies with the seasons. In the hot weather it will take only 6 hours and in the cold weather it will take 16 hours. In cold weather, it is better to add previous batch of curd  in warm milk only.

Curd Rice/Perugannam/Daddojanam

Curd rice or daddojanam is mostly known as is a very easy to prepare and simple rice recipe. This can be prepared with fresh rice or leftover rice. The only main ingredients in this recipe are fresh curd and rice. This recipe serves 5 people.Chilled one can also be served.

Ingredients:

Rice-2 cups

Curd-4 cups

Salt- to taste

For seasoning:

Ghee -2 tbsp

Mustard seeds-1tsp

Cumin seeds-1/2tsp

Black gram-1tsp

Bengal gram-1tsp

Red chillies-2 Make them small pieces

Green chillies-3 

Ginger-1tbsp(cut into small pieces)

Curry leaves-fist full of 

coriander leaves-a few

Asafoetida-a pinch

Procedure:

Eight hours before the exact time of preparing curd rice we have to prepare the curd. Cook rice, for one cup of rice add 2 cups of water. If we pressure cook it, will be better. Spread it in wide plate and let it cool. Even before it cools completely, press it with a spatula or mix it with hand also. Add salt to it.

Chop green chillies and ginger.

Heat ghee in a kadai add black gram, bengal gram, when they turn brown colour, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, asafoetida and red chillies. Switch off the stove and add green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Add this seasoning to the above cooled rice. Mix it with a spatula. Add fresh curd to it and mix well. Serve it with curd chillies.

Jeera Rice

Jeera rice is an easy, less spicy rice recipe. It is liked even by kids also. I like to prepare this dish frequently. It takes very less time to prepare also. The main ingredients in this are shahjeera and green chillies and of course rice.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice-2 cups

Shahjeera-2tbsp

Cloves-3 or 4

Cinnamon-2 or 3 small pieces

Green chillies-4 or 5

Salt- to taste

Oil/Ghee-4tbsps

Bay leaf-1

Procedure:

Soak rice for one hour. Slit the green chillies.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan or pressure cooker. We can cook this in the electric rice cooker also.  Add shahjeera, cloves and cinnamon. When they started crackling add slit green chillies. Saute them for a minute and add soaked rice to it. Fry it for a minute, add water to it. 
For one cup of rice add only one and a half cup of water. So we can add accordingly. 
Once the water start boiling, add salt and cover it with lid. Simmer the stove for about ten minutes. In the very low flame cook for ten more minutes or till the rice done. Serve hot with bagara tomato. If using pressure cooker cook for three whistles.
If we use electric rice cooker just add rice and cover it after the water boiling.