A light combination of pasta with prawns, watercress and a touch of chilli.

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil.Add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 30 seconds to1 minute. Add the prawns and cook for 2-3 minutes until they turn pink and are cooked through.
3. Drain the pasta and tip into the pan with the prawns. Gently stir everything together.Toss through the salad leaves, then divide between 4 plates. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze over.

Chilli prawn tagliatelle

Fancy a quick pasta dish that’s bursting with fresh, zingy flavours? Red chilli, garlic, watercress and rocket are the perfect match for prawns in this all-in-one meal that’s ready in just 10 minutes...

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Puliyodharai ~ Tamarind Rice

A popular neivedhyam aka Prasadam offered in South Indian temples is Puliyodharai/Pulihora. Each temple has its own signature prasadam be it the Tirupathi laddu, the puliyodharai offered at the Meenakshi temple in Madhurai or the chakkra pongal offered at Sampat Vinayagar temple in Vizag. The flavor and textures of prasadam that we eat in holy places is difficult to replicate in home kitchens. Temple offerings have a superior addictive taste and its hard to describe in words how one feels relishing the holy prasad in the soothing presence of the Almighty. God bless the temple cooks as they churn out fresh and tasty food day in and day out.

Traditional dishes like Puliyodhara are simple Indian recipes that are straightforward and relished by one and all. Each home cook has his/her own variation of the popular Tamil style Puliyodharai mix which is a combination of spices that include coriander seeds, chana dal, fenugreek seeds and red chilies that are roasted and ground to a fine powder. It is this magic concoction along with a blend of tempered spices, tamarind paste, jaggery and roasted peanuts that gives this Tamil style tamarind rice its distinct taste. This traditional temple style tamarind rice is also popular in parts of Andhra especially in the Tirupathi, Chitoor and Cuddapah regions.

Puliyodharai ~ Tamarind Rice Recipe

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Main Ingredients: rice tamarind

Ingredients

     Raw rice - 2 cups (cook such that each grain is separate, spread to cool)
    Turmeric - 1/2 tsp (haldi/pasupu)
    Tamarind - large lemon size/golf size ball (soak in 1/2 cup of hot water and extract pulp)
    Jaggery - 1/2 tbsp
    Roasted peanuts - 2 fistfuls (approx 1/3 cup)
    Salt to taste
    For tempering/poppu/tadka:
    Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
    Channa dal - 1 tbsp (split bengal gram/senaga pappu)
    Urad dal - 1 tbsp (minappapu/split black gram)
    Dry red chilli - 2, tear and de-seed
    Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp (hing/inguva)
    Gingelly oil - 3 tbsps
    Puliyogare Powder Mix:
    Coriander seeds - 2 1/2 tbsps
    Chana dal - 1 tbsp
    Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp
    Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
    Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
    White sesame seeds - 1 1/2 tbsps (til/nuvvulu)
    Curry leaves - 2 sprigs (15-18 leaves)
    Black pepper corns - 1/2 tbsp (for a spicer flavor use 1 tbsp)
    Dry red chilis - 4-5

Method

1. Wash and boil the rice in 8-10 cups water. Cook the rice such that each grain is separate. While the rice is cooking, prepare the puliyogare mix.
2. In a heavy bottomed vessel, dry roast all the ingredients called for 'Puliyogare mix powder'. Dry roast on low to medium flame for 14-15 mts. Do not burn the spices. Cool and grind to a powder. Keep aside.
3. Spread the cooked rice on a wide plate to cool. Once cool, sprinkle salt to taste, a tbsp of oil and few fresh curry leaves over the cooled rice and keep aside.
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a cooking vessel, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the channa dal and urad dal and fry till the dals turn red. Next add red chilis, asafoetida, turmeric powder and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
5. Add the tamarind extract and jaggery and cook till the raw smell of tamarind disappears, approx 9-11 mts on low to med flame. Do mix the contents constantly while its cooking. The oil should separate and it will appear a like a thick but flowing paste. Remove from heat.
6. Add three fourth of the cooked tamarind mixtureto the rice and combine well such that its mixed well with the rice. Adjust salt. Finally sprinkle two heaped tablespoons of the roasted puliyodharai mix and the roasted peanuts and mix well. Taste the rice at this stage and if you feel that the rice needs to be more tangy, add the remaining one fourth tamarind mixture and mix well.
7. Let it sit for at least an hour for the flavors to set in before serving.

Tips

•     Puliyodharai tastes best after sitting for a couple of hours from the time of preparation.
•     For a spicer flavor, you can add 2 1/2 tbsps of the roasted puliyodharai powder instead of 2  heaped tablespoons.
•     You can reduce dry red chilis in the Puliyodharai mix ingredients.
•     Store the left over Puliyodharai powder in an air tight container for later use.
•     The color of the puliyodharai depends on the color of the tamarind used. Dark tamarind yields a dark colored rice and is recommended. I did not have dark tamarind on hand so I used a lighter shade tamarind.

Puliyodharai ~ Tamarind Rice

A popular neivedhyam aka Prasadam offered in South Indian temples is Puliyodharai/Pulihora. Each temple has its own signature prasadam be it the Tirupathi laddu, the puliyodharai offered at the Meenakshi temple in Madhurai or the chakkra pongal offered at Sampat Vinayagar temple in Vizag. The flavor and textures of prasadam that we eat in holy places is difficult to replicate in home kitchens. Temple offerings have a superior addictive taste and its hard to describe in words how one feels relishing the holy prasad in the soothing presence of the Almighty. God bless the temple cooks as they churn out fresh and tasty food day in and day out....

more

Perugu Garelu

Last year, as part of the Navratri special recipes, I blogged crispy Vada recipe (Garelu) that are light and fluffy on the inside with a crisp exterior. This Diwali, I have for you, dear readers, Andhra style Dahi Vada aka Perugu Garelu (Aavadalu). They differ from North Indian style Dahi Vada in terms of the tempering and the use of green chilies and ginger.

Its the same process as one would prepare Dahi Vada or Tamil style Thayir Vada. Prepare the vadas, soak in water/buttermilk for a few minutes and pour a savory yogurt sauce (seasoned with spices), over the vadas. You can serve them at room temperature or chilled. Perugu Garelu recipe is a must make snack during festivals like Deepavali, at our home. You can serve it for breakfast or as a cold starter/appetizer. Absolute melt in the mouth festive fare!

Perugu Garelu Recipe

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Main Ingredients: Black gram dal Yogurt

Ingredients

    Whole urad dal - 1 cup (minnappa gullu)

    Salt to taste
    Oil for deep frying
    Yogurt - 2 cups, thick curd
    Green chilies - 2, finely minced
    Ginger - 1", finely minced
    Carrot - 2 tbsps (grated)
    Fresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsps, finely minced
    For tempering/tadka/poppu:
    Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
    Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
    Red chilies - 2
    Split gram dal - 1 tsp (minapappu)
    Asafoetida - pinch (inguva/poppu)
    Curry leaves - 1 sprig
    Oil - 2 tsps

Method

• Soak whole black gram dal in water for 2 hours.

• Strain the water and grind the dal to a paste sprinkling very little water. Use small portions of dal to grind batch wise as its easier to grind into a soft paste. Add salt and beat till fluffy.

• Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel and heat till piping hot. Reduce flame to medium.

• Wet your hands with water, take a lemon-sized ball of batter and flatten it into a vada on a greased sheet or banana leaf. Make a hole in the center of the vada so that it cooks evenly all over.

• Slowly drop the vada into the hot oil and fry it on both sides on medium flame to a golden brown color. Deep fry 3-4 vadas per batch depending on the size of the vessel.

• Remove the vadas onto a bowl of water or thin buttermilk. Allow them to soak for 3 minutes.

• While the vadas are soaking, prepare the yogurt/curd mixture. Heat 2 tsps oil in a vessel, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add cumin seeds and split gram dal and allow them to turn lightly brown. Add red chilies, green chilies, ginger, asafoetida and curry leaves and mix for a few seconds. Turn off heat.

• Beat the thickened curd/yogurt by adding about three fourth cup of water. Add salt to taste and pour the tempering of spices over the beaten yogurt and mix. Keep aside.

• Remove the vadas from the water and place on a serving plate. Pour the tempering yogurt sauce over the vadas. Garnish with coriander leaves and grated carrot.

• Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Perugu Garelu

Last year, as part of the Navratri special recipes, I blogged crispy Vada recipe (Garelu) that are light and fluffy on the inside with a crisp exterior. This Diwali, I have for you, dear readers, Andhra style Dahi Vada aka Perugu Garelu (Aavadalu). They differ from North Indian style Dahi Vada in terms of the tempering and the use of green chilies and ginger....

more

Appalu – Ganesh Chaturthi Recipe

Usually festive meals mean long hours in the kitchen but for Ganesh Chaturthi festival, the cooking seems effortless as most of the traditional recipes hardly take much time to prepare especially today’s festival recipe, Venna Appalu. A favorite rice flour based sweet with a crisp exterior and a melt in the mouth soft interior. Each home have their own version of preparing Appalu. The version I am blogging today has only 3 ingredients going into its making and can be prepared in less than 20 minutes. Sweeten your celebrations by offering this traditional Andhra sweet to Lord Ganapati tomorrow.

soft or too hard on touch. Adding less ghee will yield a rock like texture to the appalu. Add more ghee will make the dough dissolve in the hot oil. Store bought rice flour will not work for this recipe.

Appalu – Ganesh Chaturthi Recipe Recipe

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 14
Main Ingredients: rice flour sugar ghee

Ingredients

    Rice flour - 1 1/2 cups (freshly ground at home-refer tips below)
    Sugar - 1/2 cup
    Ghee - 2-3 tbsps (melted)
    Cardamom powder - pinch (optional)
    Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Melt ghee and allow to come to room temperature. In a bowl, mix rice flour, sugar and ghee till it forms a smooth dough. (Initially add only 1 tbsp ghee and mix. If it appears like bread crumb mixture, add another 1-2 tsps ghee and mix. Only add more ghee if the dough needs to shaped to a lightly soft on touch dough) 

2. If necessary, wet you hand with milk, to form a smooth yet slightly stiff dough. It should hold shape. If its not holding shape, add a few drops of milk, a little at a time.

3.Deep fry oil in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium flame. While the oil is heating up, grease your hand and make small lemon sized balls of the dough. Lightly flatten on top and place carefully into the hot oil.
4.Deep fry on medium flame till they attain a light brown color. Do not touch the appalu till they attain a light brown shade. Use the ladle to move them or flip them over to cook the other side only after they attain a light brown shade. Continue to deep fry till they reach a deep brown shade on a medium high flame but not high flame. 

5.Remove onto absorbent paper and cool. Serve as neivedhyam/prasadam.

Tips

• How to prepare rice flour at thome - Soak 2 cups raw rice overnight. Drain the water and keep aside for 30-60 minutes. (spread it on a cloth or newspaper to dry). Grind this rice to a fine powder. Sieve the ground rice flour and use the sieved soft rice flour. Grind the left over coarse rice flour again to make a smooth powder. Use this to prepare modaks, kudumulu and appalu.
• smooth, soft dough, wet your hand with milk and mix. If necessary add a few drops of milk, not more than a tablespoon.
• If the dough become runny, add a few tablespoons of rice flour and sugar and mix.
• Be cautious while adding ghee to the dough. Add one tablespoon of ghee initially and mix. Thereafter add 1 to 2 teaspoons and mix. Add just enough so that the dough holds shape.
• The oil should not be too hot or else the appalu will burn quickly and not cook inside.

Appalu – Ganesh Chaturthi Recipe

Appalu – Naivedhyam for Lord Ganapati (Vinayaka Chavithi/Ganesh Chaturthi)
Tomorrow we celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi and I have many of you writing in asking for some traditional festival recipes. I have already blogged a few Ganesh Chaturthi festival recipes like Undrallu, Kudumulu, Paala Undrallu and Biyyam Rava Kudumulu....

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