I tried Andhra style raw banana curry/ Plantain curry (Aratikaya kura in Telugu) as side dish for rice for the first time. Being a South Indian, Poriyal / Dry curry is a must in our daily lunch menu. As I got bored of my Tamil nadu style vazhakkai poriyal, I wanted to try something different with raw banana. I found this curry recipe very simple and easy.This aratikaya koora has no masala or coconut, still it tasted great with rice. We loved it very much. Its taste reminded our vazhakkai podimas to me.
I tried this recipe referring Swasthi's recipes& Cooking from heart blogs.In South India, people make raw banana curry in different ways. Kerala style raw banana thoran and Tamil nadu’s Vazhakkai poriyal tastes great in its own ways.I am happy that I learnt this Andhra style raw banana curry.Soon I must try Kerala style thoran too. This recipe would be suitable for bachelors and working women as it has no grinding job. Friends, do try this plantain curry. I am sure you will love its taste and easy to cook steps. Lets see how to make Andhra style raw banana curry recipe with step by step photos.
Cook raw banana with skin in 3 cups of water till soft.
Prick a toothpick and check if its done.Peel the skin, chop into cubes.
In a kadai, heat oil. Temper all the ingredients.
Saute onion, green chilli, ginger till transparent.
Add turmeric powder, salt and raw banana pieces. Mash few banana pieces and cook for 2 minutes. Serve with rice.
Andhra raw banana curry / Plantain curry (Aratikaya kura) - Step by step pictures
Wash and cut the banana into two or three. Cook with skin in 3 cups of water. Cover cook for 8 to 10 minutes till banana becomes soft. Prick with a knife or toothpick and check if its done. Make sure you do not over cook the banana.You can also pressure cook it in high flame for 2 whistles.
Remove & keep the cooked banana in cold/plain water for 2 minutes. It helps to keep it firm yet soft. Peel the skin and chop into cubes.
Finely chop the onions,ginger. Slit the green chillies and curry leaves. Heat oil in a kadai and temper mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal and cumin seeds.
Saute onion,curry leaves, green chilli and ginger pieces till onion becomes transparent.Add turmeric powder, salt and raw banana cubes.Mix well.
Mash few banana pieces and cook for 2 minutes in low flame. Switch off the flame, sprinkle lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves if desired.I did not add it.Remove and serve with rice.
Note:
Adjust the quantity of chillies as per your spice level.
Do not over cook the banana. Check with a toothpick whenever needed.
In this post, I have shared how to make instant raw mango pickle recipe in 3 different ways from 3 different states. Yes, Its Andhra style mamidikaya menthi pachadi, Kerala style Nadan mango achar and Tamil nadu style mangai oorugai. Instant raw Mango pickle is a must to do recipe during mango season.It is our family favorite. I have already posted 2 recipes for instant mango pickle which is my mom’s version. This time just for a change, I wanted to try 3 different styles of making South Indian mango pickle from various cuisines. I followed my mil’s method for Tamil nadu style, referred Sailu’s food for Andhra style & Mia kitchen for Kerala style recipe. All the 3 came out very well & finger licking good. Yesterday I relished a plateful of curd rice with these 3 pickles. Preparation time, cooking time & Ingredients of this pickle are almost the same. But the method of making has slight variations.Each recipe has its own touch and style. Tamil nadu style raw mango pickle needs less ingredients when compared with Andhra & Kerala. It can be consumed immediately too. Of course I tasted Andhra & Kerala mango pickles immediately after making. Even though they tasted good, I felt they need a setting time of at least one day to know its best taste & flavor. If you have one big raw mango in hand, you can prepare all these 3 pickle varieties in the next 10 minutes.Its that easy ! Soon I must try Karnataka & North Indian( Punjabi) style pickles too.Ok, lets see how to make Andhra, Kerala & Tamilnadu style Instant mango pickle/ raw mango pickle with step by step photos and a video !
I have heard about this Andhra Raw Mango Dal (Pachi Mamidikaya pappu in Telugu) from my friends. It is nothing but toor dal cooked with raw mango and seasoned with spices. Basically I am a big fan of raw mango recipes. So every year I wait for the mango season to explore new recipes with raw mango and ripe mango as well. This year, I wanted to start my mango recipes with this super easy and quick Andhra style raw mango dal recipe. I got this recipe from my Telugu Brahmin friend Sandhya in my apartment. She taught me this no onion no garlic Andhra style mango pappu. After getting the recipe from her, I browsed & found many recipes with variations. But I blindly followed Sandhya’s recipe as this is my first try. It came out really well. Dal is known to be the best comfort food for rice. This mango dal with a mild tangy and spicy taste is no exception. Sendhil & myself enjoyed this dal by mixing with plain rice adding ghee! I am happy that I learnt an easy and delicious raw mango recipe. Thank u so much Sandhya . As Ugadi festival is fast approaching, most of you must be buying raw mangoes to make Ugadi pachadi. Do try this dal recipe too. You will love it. Ok, Now lets see how to make Andhra mango dal recipe with step by step photos. I will try to share a video recipe soon !
Dry roast 1 tbsp of methi seeds/Fenugreek seeds till it starts to splutter and turn light golden brown in color. Do not burn the seeds while roasting. Remove it when golden and let it cool. Powder it nicely. You can add 1/2 tsp of this powder in this mango dal. Store the remaining powder in a box and use it while making pickles, tamarind rice, vatha kuzhambu etc. My MIL adds a pinch of this powder while making filter coffee decoction. It lends a great flavor and mild bitterness to the coffee.
In a pressure cooker base, take the toor dal and add 2 cups of water. Cook in low flame for 2 whistles.In the mean time, wash and peel the skin of raw mango. ( For variations, you can add chopped mango amd slit green chillies along with toor dal in pressure cooker).
Chop into small pieces and set aside.Discard the seed. In a kadai, heat oil + ghee and splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, pinched red chillies, slit green chillies.Saute for few seconds. Add hing and roasted fenugreek seeds powder. Mix well and add the chopped raw mango pieces.
Saute the mango pieces for few minutes till it turns soft. Now add 1cup of water and add the required salt. Cover the kadai with a lid and cook for few minutes till mango pieces are completely cooked and mushy.Now take a masher and mash the mango pieces roughly.
Remove the cooked toor dal and mash it with a whisk.Add this dal to the cooked mango mixture. Mix well and add 1/2 cup of water if its too thick. Add turmeric powder, required salt and 1/4 tsp chilli powder ( optional). Mix well and boil the dal for few minutes. This dal thickens when it cools down.So adjust its consistency accordingly. Transfer the dal to a bowl and serve hot with rice. Add a tsp of ghee while serving. Tastes yum !!
Enjoy !
Note
Adding methi seeds powder gives a nice flavor to this dal.
I have added more turmeric powder.So mine looked more yellow in color. Please reduce it for mild color.
Try this easy mango recipe in this season and enjoy with rice & roti !
Kakarakaya ( Bitter Gourd in English, Pavakkai in Tamil, Karela in Hindi) is a very healthy and diabetic friendly vegetable. I make bitter gourd recipes at least once in a week. Usually I prepare bitter gourd curry, Chettinad puli kuzhambu or Pavakkai pitlai.
Kakarakaya Pulusu is an Andhra style bittergourd gravy made by frying bitter gourd pieces in oil and its added to a spicy gravy. But I came across an easy, one pot, Andhra style Kakarakaya Pulusu ( Pulusu means Kuzhambu/Gravy in Telugu) in a Youtube video. I tried it for lunch along with brinjal masala poriyal. It tasted very well without much bitterness.
Bitter gourd lovers like me must try this recipe. Addition of jaggery (Bellam), tamarind and thinly sliced bitter gourd sauted in oil helps to reduce the bitterness I feel. So friends, do try this Andhra special Kakarakaya Pulusu recipe for rice. I am sure you will enjoy it. Now lets see how to make it with step by step photos !
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp ( or use 1/2 tsp Ginger paste)
Red chilli powder - 1.5 tsp to 2 tsp
Dhania powder - 1 tbsp
Salt & water - as needed
Grated jaggery - 2 tsp
To temper
Cooking oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Hing - a pinch
Coriander leaves - to garnish
HOW TO MAKE KAKARAKAYA PULUSU - METHOD
Wash and cut the bitter gourd vertically. Remove the middle portion along with the seeds. Slice it thinly as shown in the picture below. These steps will help you to remove the bitterness to a certain extent.So slice it thinly.
In a pressure cooker base, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves. Add bitter gourd slices, saute till it becomes soft. Add onion, gg paste and saute till its raw smell goes off. Add slit green chillies and saute for few seconds. Bitter gourd turns dark green in color.
Now add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhania powder and salt. Dhania powder helps to give thickness to the gravy. Mix well in low flame without burning them. Now add 1 cup of tamarind extract, raw pinched curry leaves. Let it boil for a minute. Add the grated jaggery, check for salt and spice. Add more chilli powder and salt if needed. Mix well and pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles. Bitter gourd cooks soft.
Open the cooker and see a layer of oil floating on top. Check if the gravy is too watery. If its too watery, boil for sometime till slightly thick. Mix well and serve hot with rice, papad ! ( Oil floats on top only if you cook this gravy in pressure cooker. If you make in kadai, you should boil the gravy till oil oozes out.)
Enjoy!
Note
Adjust the quantity of green chillies and red chilli powder as per your taste buds
Add the mentioned quantity of oil to get the oil floating on top.
Try this Andhra delicacy at home and enjoy your lunch !!
Poornam Boorelu/Poornalu/ Burelu (In Telugu) is one of the most important Neivedyam /Prasadam recipes for Varalakshmi Vratham in Andhra. Most of the people make this during Diwali and Ganesh chaturthi too. Boorelu is very similar to Tamil nadu style Suzhiyam/Suzhiyanrecipe but the ingredients used for the outer covering is different. In suzhiyan, maida and rice flour is used for the outer covering whereas boorelu needs rice + urad dal batter (Just like dosa batter) for the covering. Otherwise, the procedure for making Pooranam is one and the same. Pooranam ( Stuffing) can be made with Senaga pappu ( Chana Dal ), Pesarapappu ( Moong dal ) or Kobbari ( Coconut). This morning I tried it for pooja and of course to post this special recipe on this Varamahalakshmi festival day. Even though its my first attempt, it came out very well and I am happy with the result. For this recipe, I asked my neighbor Sowjanya who is from Andhra. She told, on Varamahalakshmi, they make a count of 9 boorelu/poornalu and offer to God. It should be consumed only by the family members after the pooja. So its a must and should sweet recipe to be made for them during this festival.She shared her recipe along with some useful tips too. Thank you Sowjanya for the perfect recipe. We all loved it. Do try this Andhra special sweet recipe for festivals and have a great celebration. Ok, Lets see how to make Pooranam Boorelu ( Poornalu) with step by step pictures.
Wash and soak the rice and dal together for minimum 4 hours. Over night soaking is also fine. Grind it to a slightly coarse paste in dosa batter consistency adding required water. Make sure batter is not too thin. Set the batter aside for one to 5 hours. But I used it immediately without resting time.
Wash and pressure cook chana dal adding enough water. Chana dal should be blossomed and retain its shape ( i.e when you press the dal, it should become mushy) Do not over cook the dal. Grind it to a coarse paste without adding water or mash it with a ladle.
In a pan, melt jaggery adding water. Strain it to remove the impurities using a metal strainer. Boil the syrup till it becomes frothy or reaches one string consistency. Add the ground chana dal paste, cardamom powder and grated coconut. Mix well till it becomes a whole mass and leaves the sides of pan. Switch off the stove and let it become warm. Make balls of golf balls size and arrange in a plate.
Heat oil to deep fry. Test the oil temperature by dropping a pinch of batter. If it rises to the top, oil heat is just right. Simmer the flame completely.Take the ground batter, add sugar, mix well. Dip a stuffing ball into the batter using a spoon. Wipe the excess batter in the sides of vessel and deep fry the balls in medium flame till it turns slightly golden with brown spots.Do not fry for long time. Remove in a tissue. Offer to GOD and get the blessings. Enjoy eating!
NOTE : You should make 9 or 5 balls and offer to GOD. It should be eaten only by the family members.Do not give this as prasad to others.
Tip 1 : Adding sugar in the batter gives a mild sweet taste to the outer covering too. So it won't taste bland.
Tip 2 : Poornam should be thick and there should not be any moisture content in it else it will disperse in oil when you deep fry the balls.So add besan flour if needed to make the stuffing thick.
Tip 3 : If the batter is thin, you can add some rice flour to bring the right consistency.
Note
You can use the remaining batter to make dosa or punugulu.
While cooking dal , if u add more water , drain the excess water and grind to a smooth paste.
If there is more moisture in the cooked dal, you can add some besan flour to thicken the stuffing quickly.
It stays soft and good for 1-2 days.
Enjoy this delicious traditional Andhra sweet at home !
Andhra Pulihora also known as Chintapandu Pulihora in Telugu is a must try recipe during festival time. As Varalakshmi Vratham is fast approaching, I thought of sharing some Andhra style neivedyam recipes for this festival. This morning, I was asking my friend Megha about Varalakshmi Vratham special recipes as her MIL belongs to Andhra. She suggested recipes like Boorelu, appalu, Garelu and Pulihora. As our family is a big fan of tamarind rice, I started with this recipe. The ingredients and preparation of Andhra Pulihora is completely different from our Tamil nadu style Puliodharai. Its a very simple recipe without any grinding job. In the traditional temple style pulihora recipe, they add sesame seeds powder or mustard powder. But I made the basic version as told by Megha and watched Attammaa TV YouTube video recipe too for more reference. This Puliogare paste i.e. Pulihora Pulusu can be quickly made in minutes if you have readymade tamarind paste in hand. Its an ideal choice for quick lunch box recipe. Raksha loved it a lot and asked me for second serving as well. But this pulihora needs a standing time of minimum 2 hours for all its flavors to blend well. So friends do prepare this rice at least two hours before serving to relish its actual taste and flavor. Now lets see the step by step recipe of how to prepare Andhra Pulihora / Chintapandu pulihora in detail.
Ridge gourd (Turai/Luffa/Torai in Hindi, Peerkangai in Tamil, Beerakaya in Telugu, Hirekai in Kannada, Peechinga in Malayalam) has lot of health benefits.It is low in cholesterol and saturated fats but high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, riboflavin, thiamin, zinc, iron, manganese and magnesium. Usually I make Ridge gourd thogayal or Peerkangai Chutney/kuzhambu for rice. But recently I tried Ridge gourd peel/skin chutney and Andhra Beerakaya pappu for the first time. I followed this dal recipe from Prathiba’s blog. I tweeked a bit & It came out well. Its a quick and easy, one pot dal recipe for rice. Apt for working women and Bachelors. Soon I must try Ridge gourd curry/poriyal and gravy for chapathi too. Lets see how to make this easy Andhra style ridge gourd dal/Beerakaya Pappu.
Basically I love to make different varieties of chutney for idli,dosa.So I keep hunting some interesting chutney recipes even after posting40+ chutney recipes in my blog. I wanted to make variations in peanut chutney as Sendhil loves peanuts.I have tried Andhra stylepeanut chutney with coconut & peanut tomato chutney.But Peanut onion chutney without coconut was pending in my list.So I tried it last week for dosa.It was awesome.We all loved it.I am happy to include this yummy recipe in my chutney collection.I have not removed the skin of peanuts in this chutney after reading some health benefits of peanut skin HERE.So this chutney is quick and easy to make.Try this tasty side dish for idli,dosa.You will love it like us.Lets see how to make peanut onion chutney below.
Sendhil loves chutneys made using groundnut.I usually make Peanut/Groundnut chutney in this way.I was looking for a Peanut/Kadlekai chutney with the combination of tomato & red chillies but without onion.I came across this recipe in Sailu’s kitchen.In Andhra,this chutney is known as Palli Pachadi.I tried it by adjusting the quantity of chillies as per my family’s taste.It came out very well.Sendhil loved it a lot with hot idli.It tasted great for dosa as well.Friends,do try this chutney recipe if you are a peanut lover.You will make it very often.Color of this chutney may vary if you use more chillies & tomato.Lets see how to make this yummy Andhra style side dish for idli dosa - tomato palli chutney.I forgot to tell you – It’s a no onion no garlic recipe .I am happy to add this chutney to my35 chutney recipes collection.
Andhra Tomato Peanut chutney Recipe
Peanut chutney adding tomato--Palli Pachadi in Andhra style !
Cuisine:Andhra
Category:Side dish
Serves:Serves 2
Prep time:10 Minutes
Cook time:10 Minutes
Total time:20 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
Groundnut/Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Tomato - 2 nos ( small) OR 1 big
Red chillies - 2 nos
Green chilli - 1 no
Tamarind - a pinch (optional)
Salt &water – as needed
To temper
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Hing/Asafetida -a pinch
METHOD
Roast the peanuts in medium flame for 5 minutes till it turns crispy. I roasted in microwave high power for 3 minutes.Rub the skin and take the groundnuts in a plate.
In a kadai,heat oil and saute the red chillies,green chillies,tomatoes until tomato turns mushy. Lastly add the roasted peanuts,tamarind and salt.Switch off the flame and let it cool.Grind it to a smooth paste adding water.
Temper mustard seeds,hing & curry leaves. Add to the chutney !Serve with idli,dosa.
Enjoy !
Note
Add more chillies if u like spicy chutney.
I sauteed the green chillies too.But the original recipe called for using raw chilli.
Sorry for this week's delayed post.My younger sister Radha was here for the past week.We had a great time together after years by spending most of the time in chatting,shopping etc.So i gave a small break to my blog posts.Today’s Sunday biryani recipe is Hyderabad’s most popular qabooli biryani made using chana dal.I made this for my sister and she loved it a lot.When I heard about the title of this biryani,I wondered how come a biryani can be made just by using chana dal.But when I prepared it,I was really amazed with the flavor and taste.For any biryani,it’s the whole garam masala and spice powders that matters the taste.Even if u add vegetables,meat or make plain biryani,the right amount of spices is the key.For this biryani,Curd chutney is the best side dish that is served in Hyderabad,Andhra.So I made perugu pachadi/Curd chutney(Dahi chutney) by referring Preeti’s blog.For this biryani recipe,I watched Vahchef’s video and referred preeti’s recipe too.Friends,do try this kabuli chana biryani with curd chutney for your Sunday Lunch.Relish it with your family.
Kabuli biryani recipe
Hyderabad popular qabooli biryani recipe using chana dal
Cuisine:Indian
Category:Lunch
Serves:Serves 3
Prep time:30 Minutes
Cook time:20 Minutes
Total time:50 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
Basmati rice - 1 cup( India Gate)
Water - 6 cups
Salt - as needed
Whole garam masala - 1 each (cinnamon,cloves,cardamom,bayleaf)
For masala
Chana dal - 1/4 cup
Cooking oil – 2 tbsp
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Whole garam masala( Cinnamon,cloves,cardamom,kalpasi and bayleaf) – 1 each
g&g paste - 1 tsp
Big onion – 1 no ( sliced)
Green chilli – 1 no (slit)
Mint leaves – a handful
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Dhania powder – 1.5 tsp
Curd – 1/2 cup
Lemon juice – few drops
Big onion – 1 no to caramelize
CURD CHUTNEY FOR BIRYANI
Fresh thick curd – 1 cup
Finely chopped green chilli – 1-2 nos
Mint+coriander leaves – 2-3 tbsp
Big onion – 1 no ( finely chopped)
cumin powder- 1/8 tsp
Salt – as needed
METHOD
Wash and soak the basmati rice and chana dal for 30 minutes. Slice the big onion and deep fry till it turns golden brown.Set aside.
Boil 6 cups of water and some salt.Add the whole garam masala.Drain the excess water from the soaked rice.When the water comes to roll boil,add the rice and boil for 5-7 minutes in medium flame.Remove the rice when it is cooked till 90%.Let it cool.Do not drain the boiled water.
In the same water,add the soaked chana dal and cook till its firm and soft.Drain the excess water and keep the cooked chana aside.
Heat oil+ghee in a kadai and saute the whole garam masala.Now add the sliced onions,g&g paste and green chilli.Saute till onion turns transparent.Add mint leaves and mix well.
Add the spice powders and salt one by one and mix well.Lastly add the curd and mix well.Add the cooked chana dal and give a nice boil till the gravy thickens a bit. Make sure there is little water and the gravy is not too dry.
Once the gravy is done,layer the cooked rice and sprinkle some chopped mint leaves.
Garnish with caramalized onions and add some lemon juice.Cover the kadai tightly with a lid and keep the flame low.Put in DUM for 15 minutes.Nice aroma will waft through.It shows your biryani is done.Remove and fluff it with a fork.Serve with curd chutney or mirchi ka salan.These two are meant to be the best side dish for this biryani.
HOW TO MAKE CURD CHUTNEY
Finely chop the green chilli,mint leaves,coriander leaves and onions.Take them in a bowl.Mix thick curd and salt.Beat well and serve.
Enjoy !
Note
I saw some kabuli biryani using black chana. If you are using that,soak the chana overnight and then cook them in pressure cooker till done.
Increase the quantity of green chilli for more spicy biryani.
Enjoy kabuli biryani with this simple curd chutney.It’s the best side dish !
.
.So i gave a small break to my blog posts
.Today’s Sunday biryani recipe is Hyderabad’s most popular qabooli biryani made using chana dal.I made this for my sister and she loved it a lot.When I heard about the title of this biryani,I wondered how come a biryani can be made just by using chana dal.But when I prepared it,I was really amazed with the flavor and taste.For any biryani,it’s the whole garam masala and spice powders that matters the taste.Even if u add vegetables,meat or make plain biryani,the right amount of spices is the key.For this biryani,Curd chutney is the best side dish that is served in Hyderabad,Andhra.So I made perugu pachadi/Curd chutney(Dahi chutney) by referring 
