Chilakada Dumpa Pulusu (Sweet Potatoes Sour Stew)

Ingredients :
Sweet Potatoes  - 1
Tamarind Pulp / Paste - 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 medium sized
Green Chilly - 3
Grated Jagery - 4 tbsp
Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Fenugreek leaves - few chopped (can also substitute with fenugreek powder)
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Method :
1.First Wash the sweet potato and cut into round or cubes.chop the onions and green chilly.In a bowl mix water and tamarind pulp.prepare 2 cups of tamarind juice.
2.Heat the oil in a kadai add mustard, coriander,cumin seeds,when it splutter add onions green chilly,curry leaves and cubed sweet potato.saute for few mins till it leaves raw smell.then cover the lid and cook for few mins.
3.Now add this tamarind juice to cooking sweet potatoes.
4.Mix well,cover the lid and once bring to boil.Then add jagery,red chilly powder,fenugreek leaves/powder and salt mix well and cook till the sweet potatoes become soft.

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5.Serve with hot rice,Papad or Vadiyam.

Earth Day and Puffed rice mixture / Churmuri

April 22 is the earth day.Earth day is a day designed and inspire awareness and appreciation for the earth's environment. Click here to get more details about earth day .
some of the earth day issues are
1.Maintain and keep environment as green ..
2.The Earth's climate changes faster than normal rate due to pollution. Fight against to the pollution.
3.Conserve the world's bio-diversity.diversity is nature gift but it is threatened from human expansion and activities.
4.Support organic or small farm food. because the world rich farmland washes into the sea,so chemical,pesticides and fertilize causes many harms to our drinking water.
5.Recycle and reuse,The garbage dumps are filling quickly,with that goods might have been reused,recycled or composted.
6.We need to protect water,air,land from the pollution.these are essential resource that we cannot live with out .so protect and save them.
okay,,Let's come to my recipe puffed rice mixture(churmuri)

Ingredients :
Puffed rice - 1 cup
Pea nuts -2tsp
Roasted chana dal - 2 tsp
Green chilly - 3 or 4 (chop length wise)
Curry leaves -1 spring
oil-3tsp
salt to taste
For Garnishing :
Tomato  - 1 (small) chopped
Onion  - 1(small) chopped
Mango -1/2 sized chopped
Carrot - 1 grated
Fine Sev-3 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
(Can also use cucumber)

Method For mixture:
1.First heat the oil in frying pan.add peanuts and roasted chana dal saute till they turned itno light golden color.then add curry leaves and green chilly.saute for few sec.now add salt mix well.
2.Now add puffed rice to it saute for few mins till puffed turned to crisp.
3.Turn off the flame transfer into airtight container for store longtime.

For Churmuri :
1.Take the puffed rice into plate.
2.Garnish with all garnishing ingredients mix well and serve.

Papaya & Orange Smoothie

Ingredients :
1/2 Riped Papaya
1 medium sized Orange
10 to 15 Grapes
1 cup low fat Milk / Yogurt / butter milk
1/2 lemon
2 tbsp sugar / honey

Method :
1.Remove papaya skin and chop.peel the orange and slice it.
2.In a blender add chopped papaya and orange slices,grapes and milk.blend into smooth.Add sugar again blend for few sec.If using honey add honey just before serving.
3.Transfer into a glass add ice cubes or refrigerate it for couple of min serve cold.

Semiya (vermicelli) pulihora

Ingredients :

semiya / vermicelli - 1 cup
Tamarind pulp / lemon juice - 3or 4 tsp
pea nuts - 1 tsp
chana dal - 1 tsp
green chilly- 2 or 3
red chilly-2
curry leaves - 1spring
turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
hing - 1/4 tsp
oil - 2 tsp
coriander,cumin,mustard seeds-1 tsp
salt to taste
water - 2 or 3 cup

Method :
1.In a bowl add water,salt,turmeric powder bring to boil.then add vermicelli/semiya.cook for 3 to 5 mins.turn off the flame.strain them in a colander run under cold tap water through it to avoid sticking.
2.In a frying pan heat oil add coriander,cumin,mustard when they splutter,add chana dal,pea nuts fry till they turned to light golden color then add green chilly,red chilly,curry leaves saute for few mins add tamarind pulp or lemon juice cook for 3 or 4 mins till it leaves raw smell.
3.now add strained semiya to it mix and saute for few mins.

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4.Turn off the flame serve hot.

Chana Masala / Chole masala

Ingredients :

Chick peas (kabuli chana) - 1cup / 1canned cooked chick peas

Riped Tomato - 2 medium sized

Onion-1 medium sized

Garlic- 2 cloves

Green Chilly-3 to 4

Red chilly powder-1/2 tsp

Chole masala powder-2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 spring

Coriander leaves- few

Salt to taste

oil or butter - 2 tsp

Method :

1.Soak the chick peas about 4 to 5 hrs.Then wash drain the Chick peas.In a cooker or bowl add chick peas and enough water cook about 2 or 3 whistles till chick peas become soft.I

2.mean time chop the onion and tomato and green chilly and garlic.

3.In a cooking pan heat the oil or butter do tempering and add green chilly , onions, garlic and salt fry till onion becomes light golden in color.

3.add curry leaves saute for few mins.now add chopped tomato saute for few mins.cover the lid cook till the tomato turn to soft.here don't add water to it.

4.now drain the cooked chick peas with water into tomato gravy and by using spatula mush few cooked chick peas. cover the lid cook for few mins.Then add chana masala powder and garam masala powder.cook few more mins until the curry thickened.

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5.Turn off the flame and garnish with cilantro.can also add 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice to it.serve with poori or roti or rice.

Sagu Biyyam Murukku / Sago Murukku for ICC

I already made different kinds of murukku.But I never made murukku with sago,this is very new to me.This month Srivalli choose Sagu Biyyam Murukku for Indian Cooking Challenge.I made this murukku for ICC it came out well and they sounds delicious and crispy.She add the curd to this recipe it gives sourness to the murukku,we liked the sour murukku..This is the first time I am participating in ICC event with awesome murukku.Thanks Srivalli  for choosing such a crunchy snack.

Ingredients :
Rice Flour  2 cups
Besan flour  1/2 cup
Fried gram flour - 1/2 cup
(roasted chana dal(putnalu in Telugu) make into fine powder)
Sago - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Curd - 50 gms (half of half cup)
Chile powder - 1/2 tsp or as per taste

Vegetable oil-50 gm(for dough)

oil for deep fry


Utensil 
Murukku achu /Muruku maker

Method : 
1.Soak the sago in butter milk about 2 to 3 hrs,until the sago become soft.here use enough butter milk to soak else you the sago may burst while making murukku.
2.In a mixing bowl add rice flour,add all the flours together.to this add chilly powder and salt mix well.
3.Heat the 50 gm oil,slowly pour the oil on the top of flour.with a spoon or spatula mix well.
4.now add 50 gm curd and soaked sago to it.mix,knead well. and make soft chapathi dough.
5.Heat the oil for deep fry.
6.In the murukku achu(maker) fill the dough.when oil get ready to fry press down the murukku directly as murukku shape.
7.fry both sides on medium flame till they turned into golden color.Drain them into tissue paper to observe excess oil.

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8.Store them in airtight container.

Gutti Dondakaya kura / Ivy Gourd Masala Curry

Ingredients :
Ivy Gourd / Dondakaya - 20 to 25
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Chana Dal - 3 tsp
Onion - 1 medium sized chopped
Red chilly - 4 or 5
Green chilly - 2 or 3 chopped
Garlic cloves - 2 or 3
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Curry Leaves - few
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Tamarind - small lemon sized ball
coriander, cumin ,fenugreek seeds - 1tsp
Salt to taste
Vegetable - 2 tsp

Method :
1.Wash and clean the ivy gourds and cut the ivy gourd.Slit length wise(horizontally and vertically to stuff).
2.Heat 2 tsp of oil,add ivy gourd saute for few mins then cover the lid and cook for 3-5 mins..keep it a side.
3.Soak the tamarind in enough water.make thick pulp.
4.Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan,add Pea nuts,chana dal,saute for few mins till they transfer into light golden color.then add garlic cloves,curry leaves,coriander,cumin,fenugreek seeds and red chilly.then saute till all ingredients transfer into golden color.turn off flame.let it cool.
5.In the same pan add chopped onions saute 5 mins till they leaves raw smell.remove from the flame and cool down.
6.In mixie jar Combine the above sauted spices and sauted onions ,and masala powder,salt.make it in to fine powder.now add tamarind pulp to it and grind into thick paste.
7.Take 1 tsp of paste and stuff it into slit and cooked ivy gourd.
8.In a cooking pan add 2 tsp of oil do tempering add chopped green chillies ,1 red chilly and curry leaves saute for 1 -2 mins.Now add stuffed ivy gourd cook for 3 or 4 mins.if the gravy thick add few water to it and cook for 5 to 10 mins.Turn off the flame.

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9.Serve hot with rice or roti....

Bright Idea Award.......

I have received this 'Bright Idea Award 'from Nithu's Kitchen.I had sent 2 entries strawberry pickle and pomegranate chutney for her first event "Think Beyond The Usual With Fruits ".She gave this Bright Idea Award  for my entry Strawberry Pickle with cute decoration.I was so so thrilled and excited to receive this award.And also this is my first winning award.Thanks Thanks Nithu for your award.....

And also she passed thankyou award for the participation in her event....

Thanks Nithu for your both awards...

chitti chegodilu (small rings) with leftover upma

If anyone feel bore to eat left over upma.Try this recipe rather trash the upma.It's a great and crunchy tea time snack. 

Ingredients :

Left Oner Upma - 1 cup
Rice flour- 1 cup
All purpose flour /maida-1 cup
Sesame seeds- 2tsp
Red chilly Powder-2 tsp
Ajwain - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Baking soda - pinch
Water - 1/2 - 3/4 cup(add according to
Salst - to taste
oil deep fry

Method :
1.In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients except oil and water.mix well.
2.In a bowl add water and boil bring to boil.
3.Add boiling water to flour.mix it with a spoon.cool down it.make a soft dough as chapathi dough.
4.Make a small balls out of the dough.make rope by rolling between palms.attach two ends of the rope,make a ring.repeat same for reaming dough.
   If you feel it's time consuming, just make one long rope and cut into small rope.attach both end and make small ring.
5.Deep fry them in heat oil on medium flame.fry till they turned into golden color.Drain them into a tissue.cool down it.

Step By Step Pix

6.keep them in air tight container to store about 1 month.

I am sending this recipe to Daisy Blue's Col-Left over delicacies event.

Paper Mache Clay Elephant

In our(Indian) traditions most of occasions we used bamboo baskets and bamboo tray used in the kitchen for regular use.After few months the bamboo tools became and looks like older.To bring newer look to them my Grandma used to make this paper mache clay and paste it to bamboo tools,dry it at sunlight.When I was in PG I made this elephant craft with that paper mache.

Materials :
Old news papers
Fenugreek  seeds(few)
Water for soak
Black acrylic color or ash color
materials for decoration as per your taste..
Method :

Tear the old papers as you can,soak fenugreek seeds and papers about 1 or 2 days.Drain them completely and grind into fine thick  and smooth paste.To get the dough consistency of paper mache I added fenugreek seeds.you can also add all purpose/wheat flour(not too much) to paper mache rather adding fenugreek seeds
now take the paper mache into your hands and mold the elephant shape.I made this craft 3 yrs ago.I don't have step by step pictures.I have only final craft.So here I am explaining step by step with dough.

make 2 teeth's(1 big & 1 small) and tale by rolling the mache into thin strip.for the teeth and tale take a  pin or any sharp edge just poke into the elephant make a small hole at trunk for the teeth and at back side for the tale and glue the edges of the tale and teeth put and paste them into hole.let it dry for over night.paint it with black color,decorate as per your taste.

I am sending this craft to Mindful Meanderings Artsy-Craftsy April 2010 Paper Mache

Presenting

Teepi Gavvalu / Sweet Shells

Gavvalu is the most popular Telugu Candy's.Telugu name of the Cowrie shells are gavvalu.The shape of this sweet gavvalu as the shape of cowrie shells.so these candy's are called as gavvalu.

Ingredients :
All purpose flour / maida - 1cup
Ghee / Clarified Butter - 4 to 5 tsp
Water - as required
Sugar  - 3/4 cup(can also use jaggery)
Lemon juice-2 or 3 tsp(optional)
Oil - for deep fry
Tools
 Gavval peeta (wooden tool) instead of this,use cleaned comb,fork or any bottle lid which has lines on the top of lid.

Method :
1.Heat melt the ghee,In a mixing bowl add flour and hot ghee mix with a spoon or spatula.Add required water and make a soft chapathi dough.
2.Heat the oil on medium flame for deep fry
3.Mean time make the small balls out of the dough.on the gavvala peeta prees and roll  the dough balls into shell shape.repaet this process to all balls.
5.When oil heat deep fry them till they turned into golden color and shell become crisp.Drain and keep them a side.

6.Prepare sugar syrup.In another bowl add sugar and water and make 2 or 3 string syrup consistency.here just add little water or just sprinkle the water to melt the sugar then easly can get right syrup consistency other wise it takes more time to get the consistency.

5.If you don't want the sugar crystallized gavvalu add 2 or 3 tsp lemon juice to sugar syrup.then the syrup don't turned to crystal.I like to have uncrystallized  sugar gavvalu,,So I added lemon juice to sugar.

7.When the sugar syrup done add the gavvalu to syrup and mix well.Transfer them into a plate and let it cool.

Step By Step Pictures

8.store them in airtight container.