Bottle gourd kolambu or Sorakaya or Anapakaya Pulusu

Ingredients:

Bottle gourd or Sorakaya or Anapakaya  ½ medium sized

Tamarind Lemon sized or 2 inch piece

Besan or Gram flour or Senaga pindi   2 table spoons

Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon

(adjust accordingly)

Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon

Jeera ½ teaspoon

Menthi seeds  ½ teaspoon

Oil 1 teaspoons

Hing or Inguava 2 pinches

Curry leaves 1 string

Turmeric powder 3 pinches

Coriander leaves for garnishinng

Salt as needed

 Preparation:

1. Peel and chop the bottle gourd pieces. In a bowl put the bottle gourd pieces and water. The pieces has to be submerged, add salt and turmeric powder. Place the bowl on the stove.

 2. When the pieces are cooked add tamarind paste and pour the water.

 3. When the water starts to boil add besan and mix well. Ensure that no lumps are formed.

 4. When nice aroma comes and water starts to boil add red chilly powder and has reached medium consistency. Switch off the stove.

 5. Heat a pan and after it is heated add oil, add mustard seeds, jeera, menthi seeds, curry leaves and hing . When the mustard seeds start to splutter, switch off the stove.

 6. Add the above tadka and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Cauliflower stem rasam

The cauliflower stems have lot of fiber and when cooked they are very soft and so cilantro …. I don’t throw the stems I either make rasam or chutney with them …

Ingredients:

Cauliflower stem 1 medium sized (after removing the florets)

Cilantro stem 1 bunch

Rasam powder 2 teaspoons

Tumeric powder 2 pinches

Tamarind 2 inch by 2 inch piece or lemon sized

Water 6 to 8 cups

Oil 1 teaspoon

Mustard seeds ½ teaspoon

Jeera ½ teaspoon

Menthi seeds ½ seeds

Red chillies 2

Hing 1 pinch

Curry leaves 1 spring

Salt as needed

Preparation:

1. Chop the cauliflower stems and cilantro into small pieces. Heat water in a deep vessel and add tamarind or tamarind paste. Add the chopped pieces and add tumeric powder and salt.

2. When the stems are half cooked and water is boiling. Add the rasam powder and mix well. When the vegetables are fully cooked. Switch off the stove.

3. Heat a pan add oil after oil is heated add mustard seeds, menthe seeds, jeera, curry leaves and red chillies cut into two or three pieces.

4. When the mustard seed start to splutter add the rasam to the the vessel.

Usirikaya Charu or Gooseberry/ Alma / Nellikka Rasam

Ingredients:

Usirikaya or Gooseberries or Amla 6 big sized or 1 table spoon paste

Tomatoes 2 medium sized

Turmeric powder 1 pinch

Mustard seeds or rai or avalu ½ teaspoon

Jeera ¼ teaspoon

Menthi seeds or menthulu ¼ teaspoon

Red chillies 2

Garlic cloves 3

Rasam powder 1 teaspoon

Oil 1 teaspoon

Hing or asafoetida 2 pinches

Curry leaves 1 string

Salt as needed

Preparation:

1. Pressure cook or cook gooseberries or amla or usirikaya. When they become tender deseed the gooseberries and grind them or mash them into a smooth paste.

2. Wash and chop tomatoes and garlic into pieces. Heat a pan and add oil after oil is heated add mustard seeds, menthi seeds, jeera, red chilli cut into three pieces, curry leaves, hing and garlic.

3. When the mustard seeds start to splutter and garlic slightly changes color add the chopped tomatoes.

4. When the tomatoes become tender add 3 cups of water when the water starts to boil add rasam powder, tumeric powder and salt, mix well.

5. After two minutes add the gooseberries paste and mix well.

6. Boil for about 5 to 10 minutes in medium low flame. Switch off the stove.

Palak Pulusu or Palakura Pulusu or Spinach pulusu

Ingredients:

Palak leaves or Spinach 1 bunch

Onion 1 big

Green chillies 2

Garlic 2 pods

Cumin seeds/Jeera 1/4 teaspoon

Mustard seeds/ Avalu 1/2 teaspoon

Menthi seeds 1/4 teaspoon

Chana dal or Sengapapu 2 teaspoons

Turmeric powder 1 pinch

Hing or Inguava 1 pinch

Red chillies 2

Curry leaves 1 bunch

Tamarind paste 2 tablespoons

or Tamarind 1 and 1/2 pinch

Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon

(adjust accordingly)

Coriander powder 1/2 teaspoon

Oil 2 teaspoons

Salt as needed

Preparation:

1. Wash palak leaves and cut them into pieces. Cook them in cooker or a vesel. Chop onion and garlic into pieces.

2. Heat a pan add oil after oil is heated add cumin seeds, mustard seeds , dry red chilly,hing or inguava, curry leaves and bengal gram.

3. When bengal gram slightly changes color add garlic and onion pieces to it.

4. When onion becomes translucent add palak or spinach and water to it.

5. When palak is fully cooked add coriander powder,chilly powder, turmeric powdertam, tamarind juice and salt. Cook for 10 minutes in medium flame. Garnish with corainder or cilantro leaves.

Challa Pulusu with Bottle gourd -Variety 1

Ingredients:

Sorakai or Locky 1/2 medium sized

Curd 2 cups (Rice cooker cups) or 1 glass

Besan or Senaga pindi 2 teaspoons

Mustard seeds 3/4 teaspoon

Menthi seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Red chillies 3

Jeera 1/4 teaspoon

Curry leaves 1 bunch or 8 to 10 leaves

Hing 2 pinches
Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon

Tumeric powder 2 pinches

Coriander leaves handful

Ghee or oil 2 teaspoons

Salt as needed

Preparation:

1. Wash the sorakai or locky and peel the outer skin.Cut the locky or sorakai or anapakai into medium sized pieces. 

2. In a bowl add water and the sorakai pieces ,little salt and 1 pinch of tumeric and cook the pieces. You can cook in cooker also. Drain the water and keep the pieces aside.

3. Take the curd in a bowl add 1/2 cup water ,besan or senaga pindi to the butter milk and mix well.

4. Heat a pan add oil or ghee after it is heated turn to medium flame. Add menthi seeds, jeera , red chilli cut into 3 pieces ,mustard seeds ,curry leaves and hing. When mustard seeds  start to spulter ,turn to low flame  add the the butter milk mixture to it.

5. Ensure that it is low flame. After 2 minutes add the sorakai or locky pieces to it. Add turmeric, red chilli powder , salt  and mix well.

6. When it starts to bubble and boil  switch off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Sambar Variety - 1

Ingredients:

Sambar Powder 1 tablespoon or 3 teaspoons

Toor dal 1cup

Mixed vegetables 1 cup

(beans, carrot, peas, corn)

(You will get the packet in frozen section)

Turmeric powder 2 pinches

Tamarind 2 inch piece or

Tamarind juice 1/2 cup

Curry leaves 8 to 10

Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Hing 2 pinches

Jeera 1/2 teaspoon

Menthi seeds 1/4 teaspoon

Oil 2 teaspoons

Cilantro leaves for garnishing

Salt as needed

Preparation:

1. Cook the toor dal by adding 3 cups of water . Mash the toor dal and keep it aside. Boil tamarind in hot water and add tamarind to it . After it cools squeeze out the juice. Cut onions into small pieces.

2. Heat a pan add oil to it, add mustard seeds, jeera ,menthi seeds, red chillies cut into 2 or 3 halves and hing. When the mustard seeds start to  pop add the onions and mixed vegetables. And mix well after 2 minutes.

3. Add water to it . Add tamarind juice to it. Add toor dal. Add sambar powder to it and mix well.

4. Boil until the vegetables are fully cooked. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Lemon Rasam

In a Star hotel they gave this as soup. This is very simple to make but tastly.

Ingredients:
Lemon Rasam or Soup
Water 4 cups
Rasam powder 2 teaspoons
Tumeric powder 2 pinches
Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli 1
Jeera 1/4 teaspoon
Menthi seeds 1/4 teaspoon
Hing 1 pinch
Oil 1/2 teaspoon
Lemon 1 big sized

Preparation:
1. Heat a deep pan add oil and after oil is heated add mustard seeeds, jeera, menthi seeds ,red chilli cut int three pieces and hing .After the mustard seeds start to spulter add the water. Add tumeric powder and salt.

2. When water starts to boil add rasam powder and mix well. Boil it for 5 minutes .Sqeeze a lemon and add to it.