Panakam

Ingredients:

Water - 2 cups

Jaggery - 5-6 tbsp

Black pepper - 1/4 tbsp

Elachi powder - pinch

Procedure:

1. Take water, add jaggery and mix well so that it dissolves completely without leaving any lumps.
2. Add black pepper and stir well.
3. Finally add elachi powder. This is especially prepared for Sri Rama Navami to offer as prasadam to lord Rama.

TIP: Use freshly ground black pepper and elachi powder for enhanced flavor.

Vadapappu

Ingredient:

Split Moong dal - 1 cup

Procedure:

Vadapappu is nothing but soaked split moong dal. Soak it for 1 hour and drain all the excess water. It is offered uncooked to god as prasadam.

Podi Pulihora

Ingredients:
Cooked rice - 1 cup
Green chillies - 4-5
Tamarind - lemon size
Groundnuts - hand full
Bengal gram - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Red chillies - 2
Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Hing - pinch
Oil - 5 tbsp

To prepare powder:
Bengal gram - 2 tbsp
Urad dal - 2 tbsp
Ground nuts - 4 tbsp
Red chillies - 3

Procedure:

1. Soak tamarind in warm water and set aside.
2. Roast all the ingredients that are mentioned under powder preparation without oil and blend them to form a fine powder.
3. Now take a kadai, heat oil, add chopped green chillies, bengal gram, urad dal, ground nuts, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, turmeric, hing and fry them.
4. Now add tamarind juice in to oil and boil under medium flame. Once the juice is getting thick, add the prepared powder mixture, salt and mix well.
5. Take another small pan, add 2-3 tbsp of oil and heat it. Add the oil in to rice and mix well.
6. Now transfer the mixture in to rice and mix well so that all the grains are evenly coated.

Beerakaya Pachadi (Ridge gourd chutney)

Ingredients:

Ridge gourd/Beerakaya - 1

Green chillies - 6

Garlic pods - 4

Tamarind pulp - 1-2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Red chillies - 2

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Coriander leaves - 3-4 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash,clean, peel and chop ridge gourd in to small pieces and set aside.
2. Take a wide pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds, crushed garlic pods, chopped green chillies, ridge gourd pieces, turmeric and saute them with closed lid until they turn soft.
3. Let them cool for few minutes. Blend them with tamarind pulp and salt to get a coarse mixture.
4. Finally season the chutney with urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

TIP: Ridge gourd has a natural sweet taste. Add little more green chillies compared to other chutnies to mask the sweet taste.

Sorakaya Pulusu (Bottle gourd gravy)

Ingredients:
Sorakaya/Bottle gourd (small) - 1
Onoin (large) - 1
Green chillies - 4-5
Tamarind - small lemon size
Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Water - 1-2 cups
Oil - 2 tbsp

For seasoning:
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Red chillies - 2
Garlic pods - 3
Curry leaves - 5-6

Procedure:

1. Soak tamarind in warm water and set aside.
2. Wash, clean and peel bottle gourd in to 2-3 inch pieces. Similarly finely chop green chillies and onion length wise.
3. Now take a wide cooking vessel or pressure cooker. Heat oil, add chopped green chillies, onion and fry until they are transparent.
4. Add bottle gourd pieces and saute them for 2 minutes. Transfer the water, sprinkle some water and cook until the bottle gourd pieces are almost boiled.
5. Now add squeezed tamarind juice, salt and cook for few more minutes.
6. Finally season the gravy with fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, crushed garlic pods, red chillies and curry leaves. Serve hot with white rice and dal.

Atukula Upma (Poha Upma)

Ingredients:

Atukulu/Poha - 1 cup

Green chillies - 3-4

Red chillies - 2

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp 

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Bengal gram - 1 tbsp

Ground nuts - 2-3 tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Lemon (medium) - 1

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Coriander leaves - 1-2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Soak atukulu/poha for 2-3 minutes in water or wait until they become little soft. But be sure that you do not soak them for long time.
2. Immediately transfer the soaked poha in to a colander and wait for few minutes until all the moisture is left over from it.
3. Meanwhile take a kadai, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, bengal gram, urad dal, ground nuts, chopped green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves and fry them.
4. Sprinkle some turmeric and salt in to seasoning and mix well.
5. Add poha in to seasoning and mix well so that all the poha is entirely coated with the seasoning.
6. Switch off the flame, squeeze lemon juice all over and stir well.
7. Finally garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

Veg Footlong

Ingredients:

Foot long bread - 1

Lettuce - 2 servings

Spinach - 2 servings

Onion rings - 3

Tomato slices - 3

Olives - 3 rings

Cucumber slices - 2-3

Mayo - 1 tbsp

Shredded cheese - 1-2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Take one half of foot long bread and spread some mayo on it.
2. Add lettuce servings followed by spinach on the bread.
3. Now add onion rings, tomato rings, olive rings, cucumber slices one by one.
4. Finally spread some shredded cheese and place the other half on it.

TIP: Make your foot long little more yummy by adding some hot or sweet sauce according to your taste.

Matar Mushroom

Ingredients:

Mushroom - 200 gms

Green peas - 1/2 cup

Tomato (medium) - 2

Onions (medium) - 2

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Cumin powder - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tbsp

Cashews - 2-3 tbsp

Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and chop mushrooms, one onion and set aside.
2. Boil tomatoes, onion and cashews together. Cool them and grind them with poppy seeds in to fine paste.
3. Take a wide pan, heat oil add finely chopped onion, ginger garlic paste and saute them until they are tender.
4. Add tomato onion and cashew paste and cook for few minutes.
5. Then add chopped mushrooms and cook them in gravy until they are soft.
6. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, salt and mix well.
7. After some time add fresh green peas and cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Sprinkle some red chilly powder, garam masala and stir well.
9. Finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.

Tomato Pachadi (Tomato Chutney)

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 250 gm

Ginger - one inch piece

Garlic - 4 pods

Green chillies - 6-8

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Coriander leaves - hand full

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Hing - pinch

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and chop ginger, garlic, green chillies, tomatoes and set aside.
2. Take a pan, heat oil, add urad dal, chopped green chillies, ginger, garlic and fry them until they change their color.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle some turmeric and salt.
4. Saute them under medium flame with closed lid until the chopped tomatoes are soft.
5. Cool the entire mixture and blend them in to coarse paste.
6. Finally season the chutney with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, hing, curry leaves and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Pala Kova (Doodh Peda)

Ingredients:

Whole milk - 1litre

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Butter/Ghee - 2 tbsp

Almonds - to garnish

Procedure:

1. Take a thick bottomed, wide kadai, add milk and bring it to boil.
2. Once the milk starts boiling, stir continuously to prevent sticking to the pan.
3. Keep the flame in medium to high and continue boiling until the volume reduces to half.
4. Reduce the flame to medium and continue stirring. After some time, milk starts sticking to the sides of kadai.
5. Then add sugar and mix well. After few minutes, milks starts thickening and you will observe a slight color change of thickened milk.
6. Reduce the flame and stir continuously until the desired consistency is attained (the point where the thickened milk leaves the surface of kadai and come together while stirring).
7. Switch off the flame at this time and let it cool.
8. Now grease the plate with butter and and make as small balls or patties of desired size.
9. Finally garnish with chopped almonds and serve.

TIP: You can adjust the sugar in this dessert according to your taste.The entire trick of making pala kova lies in continuous stirring of milk. It takes quiet long time to prepare, lot of patience is required for the entire process.  

Beetroot Vepudu (Beetroot Fry)

Ingredients:

Beetroot (large) - 1

Onion (medium) - 1

Green chillies - 2

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Turmeric - pinch

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, peel, grate beetroot and set aside.
2. Take a kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, green chillies, chopped onions, curry leaves and fry them.
3. Now add grated beetroot and continue frying until the raw smell is disappeared.
4. Add turmeric, ginger garlic paste and continue frying for few more minutes.
5. Sprinkle some coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and mix well.
6. Saute until it turns soft and serve with rice or roti.

Atukula Mixture (Chudwa)

Ingredients:

Atukulu/Poha (Rice flakes) - 4 cups

Green chillies - 10

Ground nuts - 1/3 cup

Cashews - 1/4 cup 

Roasted bengal gram - 1/3 cup

Curry leaves - 3-4 leaflets

Turmeric - 1/3 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Procedure: 

1. Transfer all the poha in a flat pan, mix 1-2 tbsp of oil and microwave for 4-5 min with occasional stirring until they turn crispy.
2. Now take a wide kadai, heat oil, add chopped green chillies and roast for few until they change their color.
3. Add ground nuts and roast for 2 minutes. Then add cashews, roasted bengal gram, curry leaves and fry for one more minute.
4. Then add turmeric, salt, poha and fry them under low to medium flame with occasional stirring until they turn crispy.

TIP: You can prepare this mixture without microwaving the poha also. But it may take little more time, be patient and roast them at medium flame with occasional stirring.

Dondakaya Pachadi (Tindora Chutney)

Ingredients:

Dondakayalu (Tindora) - 250 gm

Green chillies - 5-6

Red chillies - 2

Tamarind - small lemon size

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean, chop tindora and green chillies in to small chunks and set aside.
2. Take a kadai, heat oil, add cumin seeds, chopped green chillies, turmeric and tindora. Saute them under medium flame with closed lid until the tindora pieces turn soft.
3. Let them cool for few minutes and blend them with tamarind paste in a mixer to form a coarse paste (do not grind in to fine paste).
4. In the same pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, red chillies, curry leaves and fry them. 
5. Now transfer the seasoning immediately in to chutney, add chopped coriander leaves, adjust salt and serve with hot rice and ghee.