Hyderabadi Mirapakaya mirchi bajji|Andhra Stuffed mirchi bhaji-pakoda

Both me & husband  have fallen in love with andhra /hyderabadi cuisine since we have shifted to hyderabad .Thats the reason I keep on searching new andhra recipes.Last friday I prepared this Mirapakaya Bajji  (bhajji /pakora /pakoda)- Mirchi chi Bajji - Stuffed green chilli bhajji  along with lettuce salad & black masoor dal,recipe  of which I got from my building friend. Vow simply superb fantastic & different is the word I can use to  describe the taste of  these bhajjis.
Try this once & I am sure this recipe will be a regular menu in your kitchen,Definitely a recipe to bookmark.

In Maharashtra also we prepare mirchi chi bhajji in which green chilles are dipped in gramflour,turmeric & red chilli powder batter. Here the whole green chillies are filled with different kind of stuffing  then dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried in oil.  Would like to mention that addition of baking soda makes a difference to these bajjis .They are often served as accompaniment to a main meal in South India. Also mentioning telugu names for the ingredients which I have learnt in due course of time.

You will find these mirchi pakodas being served as a street food in hyderabad.An ideal snack with rains drizzling is  hot mirchi bajji though I tried it in hot hot summer.

Ingredients:

Batter /coating
 
7-8 Bajji  Mirchi (Long, Stout  green Chilies ) {See tip 1}
1 cup Besan flour ( senaga pindi /gram flour chickpea flour)
1 tspn rice flour
pinch of cooking/ baking soda (soda uppu)
salt to taste

Mirchi stuffing ingredients
 
Vamu / Ajwain / owa/carrom seeds - 3 tsp
Half cup of sesame seeds roasted
1 tsp each of coriander seeds  roasted
1 tsp of cumin  seeds roasted)
3 tablespoons of coconut powder
1 lemon sized tamarind juice -
besan powder
salt





Method:
 
1.Wash and dry green chillies first. Take a green chilli, make a slit lengthwise in the middle, keeping the ends intact. With a knife or a spoon remove the seeds, clean the insides and make space for stuffing..if you want the bajjis real hot..you can retain some of the seeds.


2. Mix  gram flour (besan), rice flour, pinch of baking soda, salt to taste and half to one glass of water  thoroughly into thick batter (more like dosa/pancake batter consistency).


3. Keep tamarind immersed in little hot water.Dry roast sesame, carom,coriander & cumin seeds .Grind seeds in mixer to powder.Next add tamarind salt & coconut powder & grind again to a fine paste.stuffing is ready.
 
4.Do not remove the seeds if you want the bajjis to be hot. If you want you can remove half seeds and keep half seeds so that the bajjis will be hot but not burning. Stuff these chilies with the tamarind mixture and keep aside for 4 to 5 hours. By doing this your bajjis will not be hot at all. The chilies get a nice flavor of carom seeds and tamarind and will be tasty. 


5.Now dip the prepared chilies in the batter and drop them in the oil and fry on medium heat. Fry till golden brown. When done remove them on to the paper napkin to remove excess oil. Serve them hot. 

6.Slit bhajjis them length wise and keep aside. Chop onions finely, add some lemon juice and mix well with fingers. Stuff this onion mixture in the fried bajjis and serve. They taste excellent.




Tip

1.Special type of green chillies are used to make stuffed bajjis which you can  find  in  grocery shops. Select straight long stout green chillies,Put these slit, cleaned green chillies in bowl of salted water. If you are sensitive to green chillies, it’s better to wear gloves
2.Cut the bajjis into round pieces and spread them in a plate. Sprinkle chopped onions above these pieces. Sprinkle some lemon juice, some fine sev and serve as chat.
3.Cut the bajjis into round pieces and spread them in a plate. Take some whisked curd(smoothened curd) and add to the bajji pieces. Add tamarind chutney and green chutney to them. Sprinkle some tamarind chutney and green chutney. Cover with fine sev. Garnish with grated coconut and chopped coriander and serve.
4. Make the gram flour batter 2 hours before you fry the chillies. Then they will puff rightly.
5.So fry bhaji only on medium heat   stirring all the while to get even browning  as chillies get browned fast because of baking powder

MANGO LASSI - MANGO YOGHURT SUMMER DRINK- AMBYACHI LASSI|AAM KI LASSI

Lassi (Punjabi: ਲੱਸੀ, Hindi: लस्सी, Gujarati: છાસ, Bengali: লাচ্ছি, Urdu: لسی) is a popular and traditional yogurt-based drink of the Indian subcontinent. It is made by blending yogurt with water and Indian spices. Traditional lassi (also known as salted lassi, or, simply lassi) is a savory drink sometimes flavored with ground roasted cumin while sweet lassi on the other hand is blended with sugar or fruits instead of spices.
Mango lassi

Mango lassi is most commonly found in India and Pakistan though it is gaining popularity worldwide. It is made from yogurt, water and mango pulp. It may be made with or without additional sugar. It is widely available in UK, Malaysia and Singapore, due to the sizable Indian/Pakistani minority, and in many other parts of the world. In various parts of Canada, mango lassi is a cold drink consisting of sweetened kesar mango pulp mixed with yogurt, cream, or ice cream. It is served in a tall glass with a straw, often with ground pistachio nuts sprinkled on top
 
An ideal drink to beat the summer heat enjoying the taste of ripe yellow mangoes.Long days and hot sun makes you want to sip this cold concussion and seriously I love Mango lassi, With Alphonso mangoes in abundance, I’ve been making a lot of mango lassi through the summer and can’t seem to get enough of it.If you can get your hands on Alphonso mangoes, you really should. Rich, pulpy and smooth as butter these mangoes are bursting with flavour. Blend it with a little sugar and yoghurt and you’ve made yourself the perfect summer drink!

Ingredients
1 cup  Mango pulp (requires about 1-2 large ripe sweet mangoes)
1 cup thick yogurt (I use home made, can be substituted with greek yoghurt or any other plain store brought)
1/4 cup milk (if needed for consistency. I like it thick hence did not add any)
honey/sugar (optional, to taste -depending on how sweet your mango is)
pinch of cardamom powder (optional)
slices pistachio 4-5 (garnishing)
pinch of saffron strands ( soaked in warm milk for about 1/2 hr) { optional}

Method:

1.Peel and remove the pulp of ripe yellow sweet mangoes .

2.Grind mango pulp until smooth. Now add the thick Yogurt.  Process it together until well blended. If MANGO  is not sweet enough and too thick, add sugar/honey and milk. Blend it once again - quick pulses should do.Now add saffron and blend till it seems well incorporated.
3.Refrigerate it for few hours and serve it chilled.
4.Garnish with pista,cardamom powder & serve chilled

Tips :
1.When choosing a mango, pick one that is plump and heavy for its size. Most importantly, the mango should be fragrant when held near your nose. Canned or frozen mango may be substituted. If using sweetened mango, reduce the amount of sugar used. Allow frozen mango to thaw approximately 30 minutes before using.
2.Serve lassi topped with some mango puree and some chopped mango pieces.
3.You can skip pista & saffron & serve mango lassi chilled with ice cubes

SPICY VEGETABLE PULAO | MIXED VEG PULAV(PILAF) / SPICY RICE PULAO

There are times when I am bored &  not in a mood to cook anything complicated or want a break from the regular rice and curry ,chapati bhaji especially when I  am alone. That is when I switch  to making pulao or masala rice which is a one pot meal as well you get to eat different veggies in one go. I keep experimenting with ingredients in my kitchen to add variety to the recipe. Basmati Rice flavored with exotic spices cooked with fresh assorted vegetables is often called pulao or pilaf. They are delicious and nutritious in their own way. The aroma of the spices blended with Basmati rice is so delightful. It is served along side a thick Yogurt Sauce what we call Raita and is often served as a main course.

This is one of my favourite dishes. I have few different recipes for Pulao. I have already posted about mixed vegetable pulao,green rice,green peas pulao,corn paneer pulao,corn methi pulao.This recipe is easy to prepare and very tasty & different that it is a bit spicy!This pulav has a ground masala, something which I avoid due to laziness but the  taste is definitely worth the effort of grinding .

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice
Vegetables like peas, carrots, French beans, potatoes ,corns,capsicum about 1/2 cups
2/3 large Onion chopped into length wise/vertically
2 medium Tomatoes chopped  (grind to puree)
2 tsp Cashew halves
4 tbsp butter/ghee (or equal amount of cooking oil)
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves chopped 2 tbsp
mint leaves 10-12
1/2 cup curd
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp cumin seeds jeera

 
 






Grind to  paste:

½ tsp Fennel/saunf seeds
Garlic cloves 3
Ginger 1”inch
Green chillies 4(you can add more if you want it spicy)
Red chillies 4
Cloves 4
Cardamom pods 2
Cinnamon stick 1” inch
1 tbsp coriander seeds/ dhania
½ tsp cumin seeds/ jeera
1 tomato big



Method:

1. Wash the rice till water runs clear and soak in water for 30 minutes.After 30 minutes drain & keep aside.

2. Make a fine paste of the above mentioned ingredients to be ground in mixie adding little water.

3. Melt the butter in a pan or pressure cooker whichever you intend to use and fry the onions, cashew halves  till golden.

4. Add  jeera & saute .Once jeera crackles add the ground paste. Fry this well on a medium flame till the raw smell fades and also it leaves oil on the sides. Be careful not to burn.

5. Throw in the chopped mint & chopped coriander leaves and fry further till soft and mushy. Add the vegetables and fry for another minute or two.

6. Add rice and fry till the rice becomes transparent. Now add curd & mix well pour in  about 3 cups of water. You can use the same proportion for water depending on the rice you use.Adding little less than equal will be good else the basmati rice can be mushy & also looks over cooked.

7. Add salt, lime juice  and mix well. Cook for 1  whistles if using a pressure cooker & let pressure release by itself.
If cooking in a pan or kadai then cover with lid when rice is cooked 60% & water is almost absorbed.Keep checking periodically so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom and sprinkle water if needed. Cook till the rice is done and make sure the grains are separate and not sticky.

8.  Serve along side with mix veg  raita /cucumber raita & fried papad.

Tips

1.Use any veggies of your choice,you can even add paneer

SOUTH INDIAN SAMBAR (SAMBHAR) RECIPE

South Indian Sambar / South Indian Lentil vegetable Curry Recipe /Sambhar recipe

This is a very popular dish in south india...it's easy to prepare.sambar masala can be obtained from indian grocer or make your own....This is one of the variety of making sambar....spicy veg sambar... This sambar recipe is a popular south Indian recipe. It is an important side dish that is served with Rava Idli, Dosa , Steamed Rice - Plain rice.

Sambar is made with yellow lentil called pigeon peas - Tuvar dal - toor dal and vegetables. You can use any vegetables of your choice such as onions, potatoes, tomatoes, brinjals, beans, cabbage,  raddish etc. you can use any one or a mix of these vegetables.

The sambar powder can be made in large quantities and stored for 6 months or more. I use it most of the time. Of course the freshly made sambar powder has a special taste, which I make once in a while when I have more time.  You may use 1 1/2 tbsp ready sambar powder instead if you do not have time to make it now.Pls read my post on Home made sambar powder recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup toovar (arhar/pigeon peas /toor ) dal

1 cup of a vegetable of your choice like green beans, chopped carrot , brinjals , pumpkin

7 small sized shallots (madras onions) (you can use normal onion cut into big chunks

6 to 8 drumsticks (shektachya shenga /saijan ki phalli / saragavo), pieces (optional)

2 tbsp sambhar powder

2-3 green chillies

2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp tamarind (imli)

1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)

1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, quartered

2 tbsp oil

 1 tsp jaggery /sugar

salt to taste

Tempering / phodni (tadka)

1 red chili cut into pieces

1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)

1 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds

6 to 7 curry leaves (kadi patta)

2 pinches asafoetida (hing)

Method :

1.Wash the dal thoroughly and add 2 cups of water.

2.Pressure cook the dal with turmeric,hing,red chilli powder until soft.dal should be finely cooked. Blend the cooked dal in a mixer.

3.Soak the tamarind in a little water and keep aside for 30 minutes. Rub the tamarind by hand and strain the juice. Add to the dal mixture.

5.Heat the oil and fry the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds,red chilli, until they begin to crackle. Add the curry leaves and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

6.Add the asafoetida,green chillies, vegetables ,cooked dal mixture, sambhar powder ,turmeric,red chilli powder ,jaggery and coriander.

7.Add salt and boil for 5 to 7 minutes or till veggies are cooked .Add water if required to adjust the consistency

8.Add the tomatoes and boil again for 2 to 3 minutes.

9.Serve hot , garnish  with coriander leaves enjoy with rice, idli ,dosa ,uttapam,set dosa

Tip: 

1. Every South Indian makes sambar differently and there are various kinds. In richer households the sambar will probably be thicker.

2.You can even add the tempering at the end. by simmering the boiled dal with other ingredients.
3.Another method is to cook dal with veggies ,spices & tamarind juice in pressure cooker till dal is cooked well & then simmering dal with jaggery,salt & water .Lastly do the tempering with the tempering ingredients