Gongura Pandumirchi Pachadi

Gongura...the name itself tickles the tastebuds. Thats the speciality of this tangy leafy vegetable that is famous throughout Andhra Pradesh. It is called as Sorrel Leaves in English. Gongura can be used to make a variety of dishes like Gongura pappu(dal), Gongura Mutton , Gongura Pachadi. Gongura pachadi is the signature dish of Guntur dist of Andhra Pradesh , any Andhra Meal is incomplete without this tangy pachadi. Guntur is famous for its red chillis, during the red chilli season these ripen red chilles are crushed and combined with cooked and ground gongura to make a spicy tangy pickle.

INGREDIENTS:

Ripe Red Chillis – ½ kg

Gongura – 1.5 cups

Tamarind- ½ cup

Salt – acc to taste

Methi seeds- 1tbsp (roasted and powdered finely)

Pickle Oil ( Sesame Oil) – 1.5 to 2 cups

Chana Dal- 3tbsp

Jeera- 2tbsp

Mustard Seeds- 2tbsp

Garlic cloves – 10 crushed

Curry Leaves- 4-5 sprigs

Dry red chillis – 5-6 broken

METHOD:

-Clean the chillis and and dry them on a clean cloth. 

-Similarly clean and dry the gongura leaves.

-Heat 4tbsp of pickle oil, once hot add the gongura leaves. After the leaves leave water add the tamarind and let them cook till dry. Keep aside.

-Grind the chillis and keep aside. Grind the gongura and tamarind to a smooth paste. Add to the chilli mixture.

-Mix the gongura and chilli mixture well.

-Add the methi powder and salt. Mix well. Keep tasting for the salt. Once done keep aside.

-Heat the remaining oil in a kadai , add the chana dal and fry for 1 min till the dal turns light golden , add the mustard seeds, jeera , garlic cloves and  dry red chillis fry for 2-3min. -Add the curry leaves and switch off the stove.

-Let the oil mixture cool completely. Once the oil is cool add to the chilli and gongura mixture and mix well.

-Store in a dry glass bottle and serve after 1 day with hot rice and a dash of ghee.

-This pickle stays for a good 5-6 months.

Beerakaya Pachadi

Chutney is a main part of Andhra meal  no traditional meal in Andhra is complete without a chutney. Hot rice with a spoon of ghee and a chutney is a heavenly  treat to our taste buds. I made chutney using beerakaya ( ridge gourd) it is a very common vegetable found throughout India and Andhra Pradesh.

INGREDIENTS:

Beerakaya – 1 medium( chopped into small pieces)

Tomato-  1 medium ( chopped into small pieces)

Green Chillis – 2-3 (depending on your taste)

Coriander leaves – 1/4^th cup chopped roughly

Chana Dal- 2 tbsp

Coriander seeds- 1 tbsp

Red Chillis- 1

Jeera – 1/4^th tsp

Oil- 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

METHOD:

-Heat  ½ tsp oil , add the chana dal fry for 2min , add the coriander seeds , jeera , chopped green chillis , and red chillies. Fry till a nice aroma is released.Finally add the coriander leaves and fry for 30secs. Keep aside.

-Heat 1tsp oil , once hot add the beerakaya pieces and fry till they are cooked , it will take around 5min to cook. Once done keep aside to cool.

- Finally add another tsp of oil to the same pan once hot add the tomato and cook till the tomato turns mushy. Keep aside to cool.

-Once everything is cool , take a mixie jar first add the masala and grind till fine powder , now add the beerakaya and tomato and salt and grind till they mix well. Dont grind it to a very smooth consistency.

-Serve with hot rice and ghee.

I am sending this to Traditional and Native Recipes Event Hosted 

by Sara at Sara's Tasty Buds

Gongura Pachadi

Gongura or Sorrel leaves is a vey popular green leafy vegetable in Andhra Pradesh. It is used in many recipes like Gongura Pappu ( dal) , Gongura Mamsam ( Mutton with Sorrel Leaves) , Gongura ROyyalu ( Prawns with Sorrel Leaves) and the most popular is the Gongura Pachadi.Gongura pachadi is a very important part of Andhra Pradesh Cuisine. This pachadi is a must for any feast. There are two types of Gongura one is the red stemmed and other is green stemmed.The red stemmed variety is more sour than the green stemmed variety. So depending on our taste we choose either of them for our recipes.Mix the gongura pachadi in hot rice and add a spoon or two ghee mix well and enjoy it...yummm....

So here is the recipe for the tangy Gongura Pachadi.

INGREDIENTS:

Gongura leaves - 2cups packed

Red chillis- 4-5

Methi seeds- 1tsp

Green chillis- 4-5

Urad dal-2tbsp

Chana dal- 2tbsp

Coriander seeds - 1tbsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Garlic- 2-3 crushed

oil - 3tbsp

Curry leaves- 2 sprigs

salt to taste

METHOD:

-Clean the leaves and let them dry.

- Heat 1tbsp oil and add the green chillis and the leaves and cook till till all the water left by the leaves goes dry.Keep aside

-Heat 1tbsp oil in the same pan , once hot add the methi seeds , 1tbsp urad dal, 1tbsp chana dal fry for 1 min , now add the coriander seeds and jeera, fry till a nice aroma fills the kitchen , add the red chillis and switch off the stove and let the mixture cool.

- Once cool first grind the dal mixture to a coarse powder , then add the gongura leaves required salt and grind to a smooth mixture.

-Heat the rest of the oil , add the garlic , urad adl, chana dal , red chillis and curry leaves and add to the gongura pachadi.

-Mix well and serve with rice

Note: If you want more flavor , you can add finely chopped onoin to the chutney.

Bottle Gourd Chutney (Anapagaya Chutney)

Step-by-Step Picture Recipes have been in my thought from a long time , but never tried them out. Today morning when i was making this yummy chutney i decided will take pictures of every step and start of this style of posting. So here it is.

Ingredients:

Bottle Gourd - 1 and half cups chopped.
Tomato - 3 medium chopped
Green Chillies - 3-4 chopped (adjust acc. to your taste)
Pudina - half cup
Chana Dal - 2 tbsp
Coriander Seeds - 2tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 crushed
Tamarind - small lemon size
Curry Leaves - 4 sprigs
Oil - 4tbsp


For Tempering:
Oil - 1tsp
Chana dal - 1tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Garlic - 2 crushed
Curry leaves -2 sprigs


1) Heat oil , once hot add the bottle gourd pieces , add pinch of turmeric and little salt and fry till it is completely cooked.
2) Add little oil , once hot add the chopped chillies and tomato and cook till it is mushy.

3) Take the pudina and fry for 20-25 sec`s and keep aside.

4) heat 1 tbsp of oil in a small kadai , add the chana dal , fry for 1 min then add dhania seeds , jeera , crushed garlic , tamarind and red chillies and fry till a nice aroma comes.
5) Let the masala cool. First grind the masala to a fine powder , then add the pudina and tomato , grind once again to a paste , finally add the bottle gourd and grind well.


6) Heat oil , add garlic and fry 30sec , now add the rest of tempering ingredients and add to the chutney.


7)Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Tomato Pudina & Coriander Chutney

INGREDIENTS:
Tomato-3 medium sized
Pudina - 1/2 bunch
Coriander -1/2 bunch
Garlic - 2 pods
Green chillies - 1 or 2 (depending on ur taste)
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt as req
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil 2.5 tbsp

METHOD:
-Heat oil. once the oil is hot add tomatos ( chop them into 4 or 6 pieces) and let it cook till it becomes like a paste.
-Now add the garlic pods , pudina leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies,turmeric and salt.
-Cook for a further 5 min.
-Remove the kadai from the stove and keep aside and let it cool.
-Once it cool grind into a smooth consistency.
-Now put tadka by heating oil and crackling the mustard seeds.
-Enjoy the chutney with hot hot idli's or dosa.

Palak Chutney

INGREDIENTS:

Palak - 3 bunches

Oil - 4tbsp

Sesame seeds - 2tbsp

Mustard seeds - 2tbsp

Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp

Urad dal - 3 tbsp

Red chillies - 4-5

Green chillies - 3-4

Tamarind pulp - 3 tbsp

Hing - a pinch

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

METHOD:

-In a pan dry roast the sesame seeds till golden brown and keep aside.

-Clean the palak and roughly chop the leaves.

-Heat 1tbsp oil in a kadai and add the palak leaves and cook till the water has evaporated.

-Heat 2tbsp oil in another kadai and add urad dal and fry till brown now add the 1tbsp mustard , methi seeds and fry.

-Now add red chillies and fry for abt 30sec and add hing and green chillies and fry for another 1 min. let the mixture cool.

-To this mixture add the roasted sesame seeds , tamarind pulp and salt and grind into a fine paste now add the palak and grind to a fine paste.

-Heat 1tbsp oil and add the left mustard seeds and curry leaves and add to the chutney

NOTE:this chutney goes very well with chapathi's or phulka's.

Chow Chow Chutney

This is my post for JFI Tamarind hosted by SIG


Ingredients:

Chow Chow- 2 medium
Green Chillies- 2-3 (acc to your taste)
Tamarind- 1/4th lemon size.
Urad Dal-1/2 tsp
Chana Dal-1tsp
Red Chillies-2
Mustard Seeds-1tsp
Jeera-1tsp
Garlic-1 clove
Curry Leaves- 1 sprig.
Salt- as required
Turmeric-2 pinches.
Oil-4tbsp

Method:

-Heat 2tbsp oil , add the dals and fry for 3 min till light brown color.

-Now add the Mustard seeds , jeera and fry for 2 min.

-Add Curry Leaves and red chillies and remove into a plate and let it cool.

-Heat remaining oil and add the chopped chow chow and green chillies , salt and haldi and cook till chow chow is done , it will take about 10min to cook.

-Let the chow chow cool.

-In a blender take the fried dals mixture and add little water , the garlic clove and tamarind and grind well , now add the chow chow and grind till smooth.

-Serve with rice and ghee.

VANKAYA (BAINGAN) PACHADI

INGREDIENTS:

Vankaya(baingan) - 1 big
Onion- 1 medium chopped
green chillis - 4-5 chopped
milk-50ml
tamarind extract- 5tbsp
mustard seeds - 1tsp
jeera-1tsp
oil- 2tbsp

METHOD:

-Pre heat oven for 10 min at high and then cook the vankaya for 20 to 30 min till the whole vegetable shrivles.
-Cool the vankaya.
-Once cool remove the skin and mash it well.
-To this add milk , tamarind extract, salt and haldi and mix well.
-Heat oil add the mustard and jeera and fry for 2 min.
-Now add the onions and green chillis and fry for 1 min.
-Add the vankaya mixture and cook for 5 min and serve with rice.