Allam Pacchadi (Ginger Pickle)

As promised, the ginger pickle recipe follows the puli inji recipe. I love this pickle with Idli, Dosa, and steamed rice. You can make it as hot as you wish by increasing the amount of red chilly powder that you add. I prefer medium spicy, and so my dish turned out to be less pickl-ish than normal Andhra pickles. The recipe is also a much simpler version than the original, as I did not want to spend too much time making this.

(Forgive the curry leaf standing out in the picture, but it was not deliberate, if you can believe me!!)

You will notice that there is less oil, and that is because I do not like the taste of gingelly oil that is normall used to preserve the pickle. If you use less oil, you can refrigerate the pickle to make it last longer. Things you will need:

Ginger - peeled and cut into small cubes - 4 cups ( I used 1 kilo)

Curry leaves - 3 strands (optional)

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp (optional)

Red chilly powder - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 cup

Methi (fenugreek seeds) powder - 1/2 cup

Jeera (cumin) powder - 1/4 cup (optional)

Coriander powder - 1/4 cup (optional)

Jaggery - grated - 1/2 cup

Tamarind paste - 1 cup

Gingelly oil - 1 cup

Salt - to taste

Method:

• Soak the grated jaggery in tamarind paste for 1-2 hours
• Heat the tamarind-jaggery mixture in a pan and keep aside when thick
• Roast the ginger along with the turmeric, red chilly, and methi powders
• Once cool, grind the ginger and powder mixture with the tamarind-jaggery paste
• Add salt to taste while grinding into thick paste
• Heat gingelly oil in a pan, temper mustard seeds and curry leaves
• Add the ground mixture into the oil and keep stirring, do not boil
• Keep aside to cool and store in air-tight glass container

Serve with Idli, Dosa, and rice

Puli Inji curry

Amma makes Puli Inji (literally, Tamarind Ginger) usually for Vishu (one of the many items prepared as part of the Vishu Sadya), and it is my all-time favorite. While deciding to make the Puli Inji, I also thought I will try to make the Allam (Ginger, in Telugu) Pacchadi (pickle) made by my mother-in-law. The recipe that follows this post will be that of Ginger Pickle.

Things you will need:

Ginger - peeled and cut into small pieces - 2 cups (250 gms)

Red chillies - 2

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Tamarind paste - 1/2 cup

Jaggery syrup - 1/4 cup

Coriander leaves - 1 strand

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped ginger pieces
• Add the red chilly powder and stir well
• Once the ginger turns a darker brown, let it cool
• Grind the ginger into a thick paste, do not add water
• Heat tamarind paste along with jaggery syrup on low flame and bring to boil
• Add the ginger paste and keep stirring until the mixture boils to a think paste
• Temper mustard seeds, red chillies, and curry leaves and add to the mixture

Serve with hot rice, idli or dhokla

Ajwain Rice

Whenever there is leftover rice, I try to make different varieties such as tomato rice, lemon rice, tamarind rice, curd rice, palak or methi rice, or plain onion rice. However, this time my husband wished to have Ajwain in his dish.

Ajwain (Carom seeds) or Ayamodakam (in Malayalam) has a strong flavour and taste, and is very good for digestion. You can use less Ajwain if you do not prefer the strong aroma and flavour, which may dominate the dish.

The recipe may be similar to Jeera rice, but this is the way I made it. You will need the following:


Rice - 2 cups
Ajwain - 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Green chilly - sliced - 2
Pepper - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Chopped onions - 1/4 cup (optional)
Coriander leaves - chopped (optional)

Method:

• Thaw the leftover rice if it was refrigerated
• Heat oil in a pan and temper the mustard seeds, and add curry leaves
• Add the Ajwain seeds and fry well
• If using onions, you can add the onions at this stage, and cook until light brown
• Add the green chillies and turmeric powder and mix the rice well
• Do not add water, but keep mixing the rice well
• Add pepper with a pepper grinder and garnish with coriander leaves

Serve with Masala Chana, Onion Raita or Cucumber Raita

Masala Chana

Chana (chickpea) or Kadala is used to make Kadala curry by Ama for breakfast, to go with Puttu. At home, we don't usually prefer the kadala curry. Because of the protein content, I try to use chickpea in some form atleast once a week. This weekend, to make a side dish for Ajwain rice (recipe here), I decided to make the Masala Chana. The recipe is not that of the typical Masala Chana made in North India. You will require:

Black Chana/ Kadala/ Chick peas - 2 cups

Chopped Onions - 1/2 cup

Ginger and Garlic - pounded - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Jeera powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 strand

Coriander leaves - chopped - 2 tbsp

Method:

• Soak the chana overnight and pressure cook for two whistles or boil to cook
• Heat oil in a pan and temper the mustard seeds and add curry leaves
• Add chopped onions, ginger, and garlic and fry until the onions turn light brown
• Add the turmeric, red chilly, coriander, and jeera powder and mix well
• Mix the cooked chana dal and cook on low flame with the pan covered for about 5 minutes
• Remove cover, add the garam masala and mix well
• Garnish with coriander leaves

Serve with rice, bread, chapathi, wheat dosa, or wheat rava upma

Moru (Buttermilk) Curry

Buttermilk can be used as a base for gravy curries, and Moru curry can be made with different vegetables or without. Usually, yam and plantain, carrot and drumstick, tomato and potato, tomato and okra, tomotao and onions are the combination of vegetables used by my mother. The ingredients tpo differ depending on the vegetables, for instance, for the yam and plantain version, pepper is used, for carrot and drumstick version, more methi is added, while for the tomato and okra version, more jeera is added.

I usually make the simple tomato onion version with the caramelized onions as seasoning, but all the other versions are seasoned the typical way with spluttered mustard seeds and curry leaves. Things you need to prepare the moru curry seen in the picture:


Buttermilk - 1 cup (low-fat skimmed milk used to make curd, and beaten in the mixer with a cup of water, remove cream)
Tomatoes - each sliced into 4 pieces - 3
Chopped onions - 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup (to season)
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 1tsp
Jeera (cumin) powder - 1/2 tsp
Methi (fenugreek) powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chilly - sliced - 1
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup (optional)
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

With coconut:

• Make a paste of coconut, jeera powder, turmeric powder, chilly powder, methi powder, and ginger
• Boil the tomatoes and onions in a pan until cooked
• Add the coconut paste first and keep stirring on low flame until the mixture begins to boil

Without coconut:

• Boil the tomatoes, onions, ginger, and mix the powders well
• Add buttermilk and keep stirring on low flame for a few minutes
• Heat the oil in a pan and caramelize the onions
• Add curry leaves to the caramelized onions
• Season the curry

Serve with hot rice

Vendaykka Thoran/ Bhindi Subji

Okra or lady's finger as the vedakka is also known, is one of the favourite vegetables in our house. It is used to make different dishes, including the Vendaykka Rasa, which will be featured in another post.

To prepare the vendaykka thoran in the picture, you will need:



Vendaykka - cut into small cubes - 2 cups
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 1 tsp
Green chilly - sliced - 1
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Jeera/ cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Methi (fenugreek seed) powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup (optional)
Chopped onions - 1/2 cup (optional)
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in pan (preferably non-stick heavy-bottomed pan), splutter mustard seeds, and add curry leaves, ginger, and onions
• Add the turmeric, red chilly, jeera, coriander, and methi powders and stir well
• Add and mix the vendaykka along with salt, and cover pan to cook on low flame
• Stir occasionally and gently
• Add the grated coconut and mix well

Serve with rice, chapathi as a side dish

Muringa Ila Thoran (Drumstick Leaf Subji)

Leafy vegetables are a source of iron for the body, and though cabbage leaves, spinach leaves, and lettuce leaves can be eaten raw, drumstick leaves taste better when cooked. You can add aloo (potato) or drumstick pieces too to the dish. However, my mother usually makes this just a leafy affair. I personally do not like this dish, but it is highly nutritious and a source of vitamin C, iron, and protein.

Things you need:

Drumstick leaves - washed, dried, and removed from the stem - 4 cups

Rice - 2 tbsp

Urad Dal (White lentils) - 2 tsp

Red chillies - 2

Garlic - 3 cloves

Chopped onion - 2

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Jeera or Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in pan, and add leaves, garlic, salt, and turmeric,red chilly, and jeera powder
• Leave pan covered and cook on low flame, stirring in between
• Heat oil in pan, add urad dal and rice until light brown
• Add red chillies and once it splutters, season the dish

Serve with rice or chapathi

More fish - Pomfret Curry

Pomfret fish is really tasty, and can be prepared in a variety of methods. The version that I will describe now is also used to make Mackarel curry.


Ingredients:

Pomphret - Medium sized pieces - 1/2 kg
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 1 tsp
Garlic - peeled and pounded - 3-5 cloves
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Pepper - freshly ground - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand (optional)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Water - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Add a cup of water to the fish pieces in the earthen bowl (preferable, but if you do not have one, you may use normal cooking pan) along with ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric, red chilly powder, and bring to boil on medium flame.
• Lower the flame and ensure that the fish is cooked
• Add pepper
• Add oil OR splutter mustard seeds in oil, add curry leaves and season the dish

Serve with rice, chapathi, puttu or dosa.

Rava Upma with Grated Carrot

Upma is a very common South Indian breakfast dish. My mother usually makes upma with a variety of items, such as Rava (Sooji), Godambu (Wheat) Rava / Semolina, Semia (Vermicelli), Bread, and Rice flakes. These can be made with vegetables - usually carrot, beans, cauliflower, potato, and tomato - or without, or with any one vegetable as a main ingredient.

The picture below shows rava upma with grated carrot.


Things you need:

Rava - 2 cups serves 4
Carrots - grated - 2
Chopped onions - 2
Ginger - peeled and pounded - 1 tsp
Green chilly - 1
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Oil - 2 tsp
Water - 2 1/2 cups
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup (optional)
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Roast the rava in a pan until light brown
• Boil 2 cups of water and keep ready
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds
• Add curry leaves, ginger, green chilly, and onions
• Stir well until onions are cooked
• Add the grated carrot and 1/2 a cup of water
• Cover with lid and leave on low flame until grated carrots are cooked
• Add the roasted rava, add salt, and stir well
• Pour the boiling water in and cover with lid
• Stir well in between to ensure that lumps are not formed and mix well
• Garnish with grated coconut

Serve with ketchup or coconut chutney or as it is.

Cherupayar (Green Gram) Curry

Cherupayar or Green Gram curry is usually served with Puttu/ Dosa/ Bread for breakfast, with rice gruel for lunch, and with chapathis for dinner by my mother (not 3 times a day, though!). I love it with Puttu and Bread the most.

The ingredients for the curry seen in the picture are:

Cherupayar or Green Gram - 1 cup

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Curry leaves - one strand

Chopped onion - 1

Ginger paste - 1 tsp (optional)

Garlic - 2-3 cloves (optional)

Turmeric and Red Chilly powder

Jeera or Cummin powder

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

• Pressure cook the green gram along with ginger and garlic and onion
• Heat pan, add oil and splutter mustard seeds
• Add the curry leaves, turmeric, chilly and jeera powder
• Immediately add the contents from the pressure pan
• Mix the grated coconut, stir well, and bring to boil

Serve hot with bread, dosa, chapathi, or rice gruel

Simple meal for lunch

After the breakfast of Dosa and chutney, I was so bored watching TV and playing puzzles with my daughter, that I decided to help Amma in the kitchen today. When I suggested I will help her wash the dishes, she said that I might as well decide what to prepare for lunch.
I opened the refrigerator to find kaya (plantain-1) and payar (yardlong beans-100 gms), and washed and cut them into small pieces. To make the kaya-payar thoran seen in the picture, you will also need:

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Add the finely cut kaya and payar pieces into a kadai with 1 cup of water and bring to boil
• Add turmeric, chilly powder and salt
• Cover the kadai and let the water dry
• Add grated coconut and curry leaves along with 1 tsp of oil

You may season with mustard seeds spluttered in oil along with the curry leaves

Serve with Rice/ Chapathi

The most common gravy curries made by Amma are Sambhar, different vegetable curries with Moru (buttermilk) and coconut as base, masala curries, curries with puli etc.

As I was given the option to choose, I decided to make a simple daal curry. Daal or lentil is rich in protein and easy to cook. Of the many varieties of daal, yellow daal is used in sambhar, and that is what I chose to make today, along with tomatoes.

To make Tomato-Daal you will need:

Yellow daal - 2 cups
Tomatoes chopped - 3
Ginger chopped - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Green chilly - 1
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1 tsp Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

• Pessure cook the yellow daal, chopped tomatoes, green chilly, crushed ginger-garlic paste with 2 cups of water
• After 4-5 whistles over medium flame, allow the cooker to cool down
• Heat a pan on low flame, and add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder, and jeera powder to it.
• Remove immediately, open the cooker, and add the powder mixture.
• Turn on the flame and stir the mixture well, adding boiled water to make a smooth curry.
• Add salt to taste
• Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves to the oil heated in a pan
• Season with coriander leaves, if you wish

Serve with Rice/ Chapathi

Breakfast side dish

Dosa is the Indian pancake, mostly made in South India. It is usually had with chutney and sambhar. I will surely dedicate another post to the different varieties of Dosa as soon as possible, but this post will feature the dry coconut chutney that Amma makes to accompany the Dosa.

Coconut chutney can be made in many different ways, with different ingredients. To make the simple dry coconut chutney (chammanthi), you will need:

Grated coconut - 1 cups - serves 4
Ginger - peeled and chopped - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 2/3 cloves Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup
Green Chillies - 1
Dried Red chillies - 2
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Grind the ingredients to a smooth consistency in the mixer/grinder

You may also use shallots, which may be tastier and healthier

Serve with Dosa/ Idli/ Rice/ Kanji (Gruel)

Amma also has a lot of podis (powders) that she prepares and keeps. Groundnuts can be used to make chutney powder that can be served with Idli, Dosa, Chapathi, Rice and even bread.

To make the Groundnut Podi seen in the picture you will need: Groundnut - deskinned - 2 cups

Dried Curry leaves - 1/2 cup

Dried red chillies - 15 (or to taste)

Jeera (Cummin) seeds - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

• Roast the groundnuts, curry leaves, red chillies, and cummin seeds until groundnuts turn light golden brown
• Grind coarsely along with salt
• Store in air-tight glass container

This powder will last for a few weeks. You may also add fresh coriander leaves while grinding, if you intend to use the chutney powder instantly.

Let's start with Fish

We happened to buy fish in the morning on one of the days I was at home with my parents, and after it was prepared (actually, after the first serving was over), it struck me that I should start this blog and took pictures of the two dishes prepared.

The first picture shows the Nathal (Anchovies) Kurumulakittathu or fish curry made with pepper as the main ingredient. Things you need:



Fish-Nathal (Anchovies) -1/2 kg serves 4
Pepper - freshly ground - 2 tsp OR to taste
Ginger - peeled and finely chopped - 1 tsp
Garlic - peeled and finely chopped - 1/2 tsp (about 2 garlic cloves)
Salt - to taste Oil - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Turmeric and Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp each

Method:

• Add a cup of water to the fish in the earthen bowl(preferable, but if you do not have one, you may use normall cooking pan) along with ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric, red chilly powder, and bring to boil on medium flame
• Lower the flame and ensure that the fish is cooked
• Add pepper, Curry leaves, and oil

Serve with rice, chapathi, puttu or dosa

The second picture below, shows Pomphret Fry. Things you need:

Fish - Pomphret - medium sized - 1/2 kg serves 4
Turmeric, Chilly powder
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3-4 tbsp

Method:

• Mix turmeric, chilly powder and salt into a thick paste with water
• Rub the paste onto the sliced fish pieces
• Heat oil in a frying pan and add the sliced fish
• Ensure that both sides of the fish pieces are fried well

Serve with rice, chapathi as a side dish, or as it is.

My mom, and therefore I, do not use readymade ginger-garlic paste available in the market. We prepare ginger garlic paste afresh. Wherever ginger and garlic are mentioned in the recipe, you may use the ginger garlic paste according to taste. Feel free to improvise and add curry leaves or garnish with coriander leaves depending on the dish.

About...

MY INTEREST IN COOKING AND (HENCE) THIS BLOG

THOUGH I HAVE LEARNED TO MAKE MOST OF THE DISHES FROM MY MOTHER, I HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY (NOR THE WILL POWER AND INTEREST) TO TRY AND COOK THEM MYSELF. NOW THAT I FIND COOKING INTERESTING APART FROM BEING A STRESS BUSTER, I WOULD LOVE TO DOCUMENT MY ATTEMPT AT COOKING MY MOM'S DISHES ALONG WITH THOSE I HAVE LEARNED FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

MY MOM IS NOW 59 YRS OLD, AND HAS BEEN COOKING SINCE THE AGE OF 20; MOSTLY FOR HER FAMILY, AND ALSO FOR ALL THE PARTIES HOSTED AT HOME UNTIL 2005. EVEN TODAY, SHE MANAGES TO HAVE A SCRUMPTIOUS MEAL COMPRISING 3-4 DISHES, THAT SERVES 4-5 ADULTS, READY IN ABOUT 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR.

I HOPE TO TRY AND INCLUDE ALL THE DISHES I HAVE HAD FROM CHILDHOOD TO THE PRESENT (SOME OF WHICH SHE DOES NOT COOK NOWADAYS, FOR VARIOUS REASONS) IN THIS BLOG.