PESARA KATTU

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INGREDIENTS

Moong dal – 1cup[ pressure cook with 3 cups of water]

Onions – 2 cut into 2 pieces

Green chillies – 4 slit

Tomatoes – 4 cut into 4 pieces

Bottle gourd pieces – 15 pieces [ optional]

Salt – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

Finely chopped ginger – 1 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice – 4tbsp

Water – 4 1/2 cups

TALIMPU

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp

Garlic – 8 cloves mashed

Dry red chilli pieces – 8

Curry leaves – few

METHOD

1. Wash and boil moong dal with 3 cups of water. Cook on high flame for 1 whistle.
2. Reduce flame to low and cook for 7 to 8 minutes and switch off the flame.
3. Allow the pressure to release and blend it to a paste. Add onions ,green chillies, bottle gourd pieces, tomatoes ,salt , mashed ginger, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
4. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook on high flame till you get 1 whistle.
5. Reduce the flame to low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes and switch off the flame.
6. Allow the pressure to release. Heat oil and ghee in a kadai.
7. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter and add all the remaning ingredients one by one.
8. Fry for few seconds and pour the boiled dal mixture over the talimpu.
9. Cover with lid for 5 seconds. Remove the lid and add 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of water and lemon juice.
10. Bring to boil on medium flame for 6 to 7 minutes and switch off the flame.

ANABAKAYA PAPPU [BOTTLE GOURD]

INGREDIENTS

Moong dal – 1/2 cup [pesara pappu]

Onion – 1 medium size cut into cubes

Green chilli – 2 slit

Water – 2 cups+ 1cup

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Anabakaya mukkalu – 1 cup [peel and remove pith. Cut into small cubes]

Dry red chilli powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Talimpu

Oil – 1tbsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2tsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp

Dry red chilli pieces – 4

Mashed garlic – 4

Curry leaves – few

THIS RECIPE WAS PASSED ON TO ME BY MY MOTHER.

METHOD

1. Wash moong dal and keep it aside. Boil moong dal in a kadai with onion cubes, green chillies and 2 cups of water.
2. Cover and boil till the dal is 3/4 done. Then add anabakaya mukkalu.
3. Don’t mix. Keep covered and on low flame till the anabakaya mukkalu are cooked.
4. Remove the lid and add turmeric powder, salt and red chilli powder.
5. Add 1 cup of water and mix well and boil for 2 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, heat ghee and oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then, add all the remaning ingredients one by one.
7. Fry for few seconds and pour the cooked dal over talimpu.
8. Mix well and boil for 2 minutes . Adjust seasonings. Dal should be semi liquid. If dal is too thick, add some more water.

MAJJIGA PULUSU

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INGREDIENTS

Curd – 6 cups [room temperature]

Water – 1 1/2 to 2 cups

Besan – 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Finely chopped coriander leaves – 1/4 cup

Pressure cook the below ingredients for 2 whistles Allow the pressure to go out and cool it. Keep it aside.

Drum stick pieces – 20

Bottled gourd pieces – 25 pieces large pieces [ remove pith]

Onion – 2 large cut into 4 pieces

Green chillies – 4 slit

Tomatoes – 2 cut into 4 pieces

water – 1cup

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Wash and soak the below ingredients for 2 hours and grind it to a paste

Green chillies – 2

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Moong dal – 3 tsp

Coriander seeds – 4 tsp

Dry red chillies – 2

Rice – 2 tsp

Moong dal – 3tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp

TALIMPU

Oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp

Garlic – 6 cloves mashed

Dry red chillies – 12 pieces

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – generous amount

METHOD

1. Take a small bowl. Mix besan with 2 to 3 tbsp of water. Mix well and keep it aside.
2. Take a large cooking pan, add curd and whisk well. Add water, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, grinded masala paste and besan mixture.
3. Whisk well and prepare smooth butter milk. Then add cooled pressure cooked pieces and mix well.
4. Cook the butter milk mixture on high flame. Make sure to stir continuously.
5. When the butter milk starts boiling, add chopped coriander leaves. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes till the raw smell of the masala fades away.
6. Switch off the flame, add salt and mix well. Keep it aside. Dont cover.
7. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add all the remaning ingredients one by one and fry for few seconds. Pour it over the boiled majjiga.
8. Immediately cover with plate for 10 seconds. Open the lid and mix well. Check out the seasonings.
9. Serve with podi pappu and rice.

SUGGESTIONS

When majjiga pulusu is hot, don’t cover it with lid.

You can add vegetables like pumpkin, okra and carrots.

PAPPULUSU

Pappulusu is a simple stew made with toor dal. It is a staple in andhra homes and can be considered a spice less version of sambhar.

INGREDIENTS

Toor dal (kandipappu) – 1 cup (pressure cooked and mashed)

Tomato – 3 (medium size, cut into quarters)

Onions – 1 (large size, cut into quarters)

Green chillies – 5 (slit length wise)

Ginger – 1 inch piece (crushed)

Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Tamarind – lemon sized ball (extract juice)

Salt to taste

Butter – 1tsp

Bottle gourd – 8 to 10 pieces peeled and cut into big size pieces

Curry leaves – few

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp

TALIMPU

Ghee – 1 tsp

Oil – 1 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/3 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/3 tsp

Garlic – 7 to 8 crushed

Broken red chillies – 5 to 6

Curry leaves – few

Sambhar powder – 1/4 tsp (optional) – check out my previous post

METHOD

• In a pressure cooker, add mashed dal. Add all the remaning ingredients expect butter. Add 3 cups of water and bring to boil. Then add butter.
• Check out the seasonings. Close the lid, cook on high flame for up to 2 whistles.
• Reduce flame and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Switch off the flame. Allow the pressure cooker to cool down on its own. Open the lid and mix thoroughly.
• Check out the pappulusu. If pappulusu is thick add more water.
• Talimpu:  Pre heat oil and ghee in a pan. Add garlic and fry for few seconds. Add mustard seeds and fry for few seconds.
• Then add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds. Let it fry  for a few seconds. Add red chillies and sambhar powder. Fry for 1 to 2 seconds.
• Immediately, add curry leaves. Pour the boiled dal mixture into the talimpu and cover it for few seconds.
• Remove the cover,  add finely chopped coriander leaves. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
• Keep covered until served. Serve hot with hot steamed rice with vadiyalu or appadam.