Panchadara Chilakalu

Diwali (Hindi) or Deepavali (Telugu) is the festival of lights. Its an important festival and celebrated by most of the Indians. Both children and grown ups every one enjoys this festival. In India for each festival we make some dishes- be it sweets, desserts, main courses or other things, but that is specific or specially made for that occasion.

Well for Diwali, since it is a celebration of happiness and joy, we make, eat and give away sweets.  Perhaps for  no other festival do we make or eat so many sweets and desserts. 

Any way here is one sweet or confectionery which is offered to Goddess Laksmi-Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity. She is said to be fond of sweet dishes. So she is offered, sugar cane, sweets etc.

This is known as Panchadara Chilakalu in Telugu- Panchadara means sugar Chilakalu means parrot. These are made of sugar. Sugar is made into a syrup of perhaps thick consistency and then poured into moulds. They are made into dollops, sticks or pyramid, parrot shapes. The most popular is the parrot shape and that is why they are called as Chilakalu (in Telugu) meaning parrot.The shape you are seeing of the parrot(white coloured) above is the traditional motif as seen on the walls of our temples or as block prints in Kalamkari or as thread work on our saris. Colours like pink and yellow are also added. But I am afraid they may not of good quality. So I avoid buying any other than white ones. 

These sweets were a great hit with children once. As a child I loved them when my Granny Now a days except for some festivals like this perhaps no one uses them. These sweets are distributed on Diwali and Holi (festival of colours) in North India and some parts of South India perhaps in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. In fact the dollops are stringed to make a garland and after applying colour, each person is garlanded with these sweets. 

We in Andhra use these sweets during the celebrations of Sankranti or Pongal (agricultural festival) when Sun enters Capricorn. This is the time when we get all agricultural produce specially sugar cane. So sweets made of sugar are used and distributed to friends and relatives.


Apart from this we Telugus have the tradition of distributing these figures made of sugar when a baby  speaks for the first time. But now we are slowly losing out to chocolates and other things.

Its so difficult

Sorry friends, I am so busy these days that I find no time at all to sit at one place for few minutes. I know I have been neglecting two of my blogs including this one. I will try to post as much as I can in the coming days. I have so much to share with you all. Especially since I have been visiting my native place and collecting lots of recipes on authentic Andhra Cuisine the old and traditional way.So kindly bear with me and keep an eye on my blog.

Spicy Powders from Indian Cuisine-6

I am sorry of late I am not able to post much on my blogs as I am always on the run. I am also not keeping good health. Writing out recipes as I found out is not that easy. I need time as well as the right atmosphere for it. More over when we cook, the measurements of various ingredients are not exact. They are just on an estimation. I don't bother with the measuring jars.But when I write them down I have to be very careful. Or else the dish will not be successful. That is why it takes time.

My previous posts on this topic are here.

http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/search/label/Spicy%20Powders

Hope you are trying them out. I hope my instructions are clear and easy for you to follow. If there are any doubts or suggestions you can mail me at:

summersofindia@gmail.com

Here is one more:

1. Coriander Seeds Powder: Coriander (leaves) is known as Chinese Parsley, or Cilantro. The leaves are used very widely in Indian cuisine. Its fruit is also used. Coriander seeds or rather dried fruits are known as Dhania(धनिया) in Hindi- even the leaves are referred to as Dhania. In Telugu seeds are known as Dhaniyaalu  (ధనియాలు) and the leaves are known as Kothimeera( కొత్తిమీర). 

Dried seeds are not only used as spice but also has medicinal values and is used in many kitchen remedies. Here is the recipe for the spicy powder made from these seeds. This can be used to eat with idlis, Dosas, upma or other such South Indian snacks, boiled rice and also as taste maker in curries.

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds     250gms

Chickpea     75 gms

Black gram    75 gms

Mustard seeds(black)  2 tbsp

Cumin seeds    2 Tbsp

Fenugreek seeds   2 tsp

Dried red chillies   20

Curry leaves  2 sprigs

Tamarind   size of a lemon

Salt To taste
Sugar 1-2 tsp

Oil    100 gms

Coriander seeds- dried.

Chick peas-split and husk removed

Black gram- split and husked

Fenugreek seeds

Black Mustard Seeds and Dried Red Chillies

Curry leaves

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan. The flame should be turned to sim(low). First add chick pea and fry for two three minutes. Keep stirring.
• Now add the black gram. Fry the lentils until they turn slightly brown. Keep on stirring  to avoid burning of the ingredients. Add Fenugreek and mustard seeds and fry for some more time till the crackling of the mustard seeds is observed. Fenugreek seeds emit a pleasant fragrance and turn brown.
• Now add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, red chillies and curry leaves and the entire mixture is fried for a few more minutes. Cumin and coriander seeds don't take long.
• Cool to room temperature. Add the remaining ingredients and grind to a coarse powder. I prefer the traditional mortar to the modern food processor. It is a bit hard work, but the  powder turns out in the right texture.
• Cool completely and store in air tight container.

This is how it looks.


You can add a few pods of garlic if you like but first peel them and dry them in shade for some time and then fry them along with other ingredients.

Greetings On Dasara

Wishing all my friends a very Happy Dasara

Spicy Chillies

OK once more I am posting recipes on green chillies or peppers. These are from authentic Andhra cuisine. I love them. They are very tasty and are eaten with cooked rice and Dal (lentil). The Dal can be Phikki Daal i.e., just boiled with enough water. Salt and turmeric is added. Some like it a bit watery-pouring consistency like in North India. In South it is called Mudda Pappu but it is very thick and turmeric is not added. Or the Dal can be prepared adding leafy vegetables or other vegetables. These spicy chillies go well with these Dals and also with curd rice.

Before I give you the recipes some points to be noted first. The chillies should be green, tender, medium sized but broad and thick skinned. Choose less spicy ones according to your taste. Too much spiciness will not bring out the taste of the ingredients used for filling them. Clean them and wipe them dry. Air them for an hour or two so that the moisture  completely dries off. If not they don't keep beyond a day or two.

1. Vaamu Mirapakayalu

Vaamu means Ajwain (Hindi) or Carom seeds or Bishop"s Weed in English. It is very pungent in taste. But has  excellent medicinal qualities. It is good for digestion, gastro problems, nausea, constipation etc. It improves our appetite. It is very widely used in Indian cuisine.

Ingredients:

Carom seeds     50 gms

oil                    50 gms

Turmeric powder   1/2 tsp

Salt      To taste

Lemons      1

Green chillies  100 gms

Method:

• Grind together, carom seeds, salt and turmeric.
• Piece the green chillies making a slit up to three fourths of its length. Don't slit them completely.
• If you think the chillies are too spicy, remove the seeds. Otherwise not necessary.
• Squeeze out the lemon juice mix with the spicy mixture thoroughly and stuu into the chillies. Place them in a bowl or a bottle-glass or ceramic and pour oil on them.
• See that all the chillies are well coated in oil. Keep aside for 2-3 hours. Then use it.
• Will keep for a week. You can refrigerate them to last for more days.

This is how the chillies should be stuffed.

2 Ava Mirapakayalu

Ava means mustard seeds. We in Andhra Pradesh use black mustard seeds for its pungent taste, in many curries and other dishes. This is powdered and used.

Mustard powder, Salt and turmeric powder

Ingredients:

Mustard seeds Black    50 gms

oil                            50 gms

Turmeric powder       1/2 tsp

Salt                          To taste

Lemons                    1

Green chillies           100 gms

Method:

• It is same as above.

Tasty Chillies

I have not been able to post in this blog for so long. sorry friends, I am travelling on and off. So it is difficult for me to keep in touch. But I am collecting many authentic, recipes from Andhra Kitchens. The moment i am back for good I will post many of them.

Any way here is one of our authentic, traditional recipes from Andhra Kitchens. Hope you like it. this called Oora (ura) Mirapakayalu or Challa or Majjiga Mirapakayalu.  Challa means butter milk and Mirapakayalu means peppers or chillies and Oora means to soak in Telugu.

This is prepared by soaking chillies in buttermilk. hence the name. this is one of the most favourite accompaniments like the papad. These are fried in oil and eaten with Dal (lentil)  dishes and rice. 

The idle time for preparation of this is summer time. But any time if it is hot for a week or two, we can make them and store.

For this purpose, broad, thick skinned but medium sized that is not too long chillies are used. Actually there is a special variety available locally, which is very good for this recipe. It is better to use those variety which not too spicy. They should be washed and cleaned, wiped dry and left for some time to completely dry. Sour curds should be churned after adding some water to make buttermilk. It should be thin.

Ingredients:

Chillies   500 gms

Buttermilk   half litre

turmeric  1tsp

Salt  To taste

Method:

• Don't remove the stalks of the chillies. Leave them.
• Mix in salt and turmeric to the buttermilk. Mix well until the salt dissolves completely.
• Put a slit on one side of the chillies up to three-fourths of its length. They should not be slit completely.
• Soak the chillies in the buttermilk. Lightly stir the buttermilk now and then and leave them over night.
• Next morning drain the chillies and place them in the sun to dry. Place the buttermilk also in the sun for an hour or two.
• At the end of the day, bring the chillies inside and leave them to cool for some time.
• Then again put them in the buttermilk to soak overnight.
• Next day again repeat the process.
• Repeat this for three to four days until all the buttermilk is exhausted.
• Dry the chillies in hot sun until they are completely dry and rustling.They turn slightly brown on drying.
• Store them in air tight container. This will keep for an year.
• For using them, heat oil well and bring down the heat. Put some chillies at a time and deep fry till crispy. This will only take a minute or two. So be careful not to burn them. Drain them on a blotting paper or a tissue paper and serve with Rice and Dal. They are spicy, sour and tasty. Once fried, these can be kept for a week or two in a air tight container. But it is better to fry them and serve fresh.

This is the variety of Chillies. they are not that spicy as other varieties. I like their colour.

Buttermilk with salt and turmeric.

The chillies are slit and soaked in the buttermilk over night and dried in sun until completely dry.

Recipes from Authentic Andhra Cuisine

I was away travelling extensively for some time now. So I could not keep in touch with you all. Read my latest post here:

http://summersofindia.blogspot.com/2010/09/tracing-my-roots.html

But I have collected lots and lots of recipes, traditional and authentic Andhra Cuisine from various people -both men and women who are good cooks and also from different regions. I just need to cook them once so that I can give you some pictures to make it more clear.

Something like this.....authentic, traditional and yummy fare from Andhra......

I will try my best to post some as soon as possible.

So keep a watch on my blog.....

GRATER

We women keep on buying some gadget or the other for using in our kitchens. Well I makes our lives easy and reduces our time and energy spent on cooking. Here is a small one I bought. Its a grater. It is also known as a shredder. Well I have other big ones but could not resist this.

This can be used for grating, cheese, butter, garlic, ginger, carrots, cabbage etc as well as dry coconut. The shreds are very fine, so I use it more for grating ginger and garlic as I don't have to grind them to a paste when the quantity used is very little and also when I don't have much time. I also use it for grating carrots, radish, dry coconut for garnishing. 

It has a peeler on one end. I feel it is a handy tool and much cheaper. What do you say.

Hello

Hi Friends. Its raining here for the past three weeks on and off. Mostly it is heavy downpours. We didn't get much sunlight. So I am lagging behind on all my chores. I just hope we do get some sunlight during the next few days.


Because of all these I am not able to post regularly on all my blogs.


Any way keep watching my blog as I am going to post some very special recipes......

Chutneys With Lentils-4

Andhra cuisine is known for its pickles, chutneys and spicy powders. Especially during some seasons like the hot summer and early rainy season, when it is difficult to buy vegetables, these come in handy. These can be used as dips by making them a little more thinner by adding water. So some more recipes here for you....

My previous posts on this topic are here :

These are Recipes on Chutneys
http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/search/label/Chutneys

These are Recipes on Lentil Chutneys
http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/search/label/Lentil%20Chutneys

Chick Pea-split and de husked.

1. Chick Pea Chutney

Chick Pea is also known as Bengal Gram. It is very tasty, nutritious and good for health. But excessive in take will cause indigestion. This chutney will be good with cooked rice or  any fried snacks.  For the recipes given below use split and cleaned (de husked) gram which is known as Chana Dal (चना दल) in Hindi and Senaga Pappu (శనగ పప్పు) in Telugu, which looks as in the picture above.

Ingredients:
Chick Pea   150Gms
Red Chillies dried    3-4
Cumin seeds     1 tsp
Tamarind pulp thick    1 Tbsp
Salt   to taste
Jaggery grated     2 tsp
Oil 1-2 Tbsp
Coriander Greens chopped fine 1 tbsp

For Tempering:
Oil   2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds 1/4th tsp
Mustard seeds   1 tsp
Split and de husked black gram  1 tsp
Cumin seeds  1 tsp
Asafoetida    1/4th tsp
Curry leaves   2 sprigs

Method :

• Heat oil in a pan and roast the lentil till golden brown in colour and gives off nice smell
• Cool it.
• Take lentil, tamarind pulp, jaggery, salt and red chillies and grind to a paste adding water little at a time.
• The paste should be a little coarse and very thick.
• To make it more tastier- Heat oil to smoking point,lower the heat, add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, black gram and fry for two minutes, then add cumin, let them splutter, add  asafoetida and  curry leaves. Add this to the chutney mix well and serve.
• Garnish with coriander greens. Serve with rice or snacks.

NOTE:

• Adjust the quantity of chillies according to your preference, as it will be very spicy.
• Add 2-3 pods of garlic(sliced) to the chutney after frying it in oil along with the tempering or separately. It can also be ground (after frying) along with the ingredients of chutney.

2. Soaked Chick Pea Chutney

Ingredients:

Chick Pea 150Gms

Green Chillies 1-2
Onions (medium) 1
Ginger grated 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Lemon juice 1 Tbsp
Salt to taste
Jaggery grated 2 tsp
Coriander Greens Chopped fine 1 tbsp

For Tempering:
Oil 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds 1/4th tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Split and de husked black gram 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Dried Red Chillies 1
Asafoetida 1/4th tsp
Curry leaves 2 sprigs

Method :

• Wash and soak the lentil in enough (two to three cups) water for 2-3 hours till well soaked. Drain the water and keep aside. 
• Take lentil, jaggery, salt, lemon juice, ginger and green chillies and grind to a paste adding little water if necessary. Actually since it is soaked, it does not require additional water. 
• The paste should be a little coarse and very thick. 
• Chop onions very finely, add to the chutney and mix. Alternately just chop them into very big pieces and add while grinding 
• Heat oil to a smoking point, lower the heat, add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds fry for a minute or two. Add cumin, asafoetida, curry leaves and pieces of red chili. After they start spluttering, remove from fire, add to the chutney paste and mix well. 
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander greens and serve. 

NOTE:

• Adjust the quantity of chillies according to your taste if you are using, both green and red chillies. The above quantity will make it very spicy.
• You can add garlic raw or fried sliced or ground to paste.

Try these and let me know please......

Its Raining

Its raining here cats and dogs..but I think I should add elephants and whales perhaps..:) It rained heavily and just now has stopped near my place but it might still be raining in other parts of the city. Boy I had a tough time getting back home. But I was one of the lucky few who reached home safely when the rain stopped to a manageable drizzle for some time. Most of the low lying areas are inundated and many have knee deep water in their homes. Poor things! I just hope they would be all right. There are so many vehicles stuck in traffic jams. Many places dont have power too.

Many of the places don't have the power now due to damaged lines or tree falls. Near my place the voltage is fluctuating. So I can't keep the system on for long. Sorry folks will post tomorrow. 

Bye Take care... Good Night....

Independence Day

Wishing all my brothers and sisters a very Happy Independence Day belatedly on the occasion of Independence Day on 15th August...

Oh by the way I am sorry friends that I am not able to post at all in this blog and also not much on my other blog. The reason is that this year we are having very good rains, almost continuously. Sometimes for days together. When it rains heavily, there is also wind. There are power failures as well as shut downs to avoid any mishaps due to the forceful winds, uprooting of trees which affect the power lines. Also during that time there will be high fluctuation in the power supply which may damage our computers and other appliances.

So I dare not switch on my computer for long.

Any way now that the rains have eased a little bit, I will be posting regularly. Please do bear with me. 

Keep watching......

Chutneys with Lentils-3

Please go through my previous posts on this topic if you are new to this cuisine.

Here are some more recipes for Chutneys With lentils...We have to use, de-husked (cleaned), split lentils for this and not the whole one. Split and de-husked Green Gram is known as Moong Daal in Hindi and Pesara Pappu in Telugu.

1. Green Gram Chutney-Roasted

Ingredients:

Lentil         150Gms

Ghee (clarified butter) or oil   1 Tbsp

Red Chillies(dried)        2-3

Cumin Seeds      1/2 Tbsp

Garlic Pods  2-3

Grated Jaggery -1tsp

Method:

• Heat ghee or oil in a pan and roast the lentil until it gives of a nice roasted smell. Cool it.
• Roast dried chillies just for a minute and keep aside.
• Peel and slightly roast the garlic.
• Take all the ingredients and grind to a paste by adding water little at a time. 
• Adjust the quantity of the Red Chillies as this will be very spicy for those who are not used to eating spicy food.
• The consistency of the chutney should be a very thick paste if used as an accompaniment to rice and thinner if used with Idly Upma or Dosa.
• Garlic is optional and sugar can be used in place of jaggery.

2. Green Gram Chutney-Soaked.

Ingredients:

Lentil         150Gms

Red Chillies(dried)        1

Grren chillies  1

Cumin Seeds      1/2 Tbsp

Garlic Pods  2-3

Grated Jaggery-1 tsp

Method:

• Wash and soak the lentil for 2-3 hours. Usually this lentil gets soaked easily. If not soak it till it is done. Remove the excess water.
• Roast dried chillies just for a minute and keep aside.
• Peel and slightly roast the garlic.
• Take all the ingredients and grind to a paste. Add a little water if required. 
• Adjust the quantity of the Red Chillies as this will be very spicy for those who are not used to eating spicy food.
• The consistency of the chutney should be a very thick paste if used as an accompaniment to rice and thinner if used with Idly Upma or Dosa.
• Garlic is optional and sugar can be used in place of jaggery.

Tempering or Seasoning:

For the above two recipes if tempering as follows is added it tastes good:

Ingredients:

Bengal gram split and de-husked  1 tsp

Black gram split and de-husked  1tsp

Fenugreek Seeds     1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds   1tsp

Cumin seeds   1tsp

Asafoetida   1/4 tsp

Curry leaves   2 sprigs

Coriander greens  finely chopped 2 tbsp

• Heat 1-2 tsp of ghee or oil to a smoking point and lower the heat.
• Add 1 tsp each of split and de-husked Bengal gram and black gram, fry for a minute
• Add 1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds. Fry for two minutes
• Add 1 tsp of mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
• Now add 1 tsp of cumin, one red chilli broken into pieces(avoid this if you don't like spicy food).
• Add 1/4th tsp of Asafoetida, curry leaves (two sprigs).
• Mix it with the chutney and serve garnished with finely chopped coriander greens.

These chutneys will have to be consumed within a day. But it is easy to make.

Spicy Powders from Indian Cuisine-5

My other posts on the topic are here...

http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/search/label/Spicy%20Powders

Well here are some more....

1. Dry Coconut Powder  (ఎండు కొబ్బరి పొడి ): 

It is known as Khopra in Hindi and Endu Kobbari in Telugu. The coconut fruit  is left to mature completely on the tree. Once it is done, the water inside it disappears. It is then dried as a whole after removing the outer coir and hard shell or after breaking into halves. It is either sold as a whole or in halves. The whole ones are used in some ceremonies and also for carving designs and presented in marriages to grooms party by the Brides side in Karnataka. They are very beautifully made.

Any way in general the halved kernels are sold in the stores. We use that for cooking .

This powder is great with Dosas and Idlis. Of coarse you can eat it with steamed/boiled  rice. This can also be sprinkled on curries in addition to other spices. This is very easy to make.  While selecting dry coconut, take care to taste them a little bit. Sometimes they taste very stale or oily. It is better to make this powder in small quantities rather than making huge quantities and storing for a long time  to retain the fresh taste.

Ingredients:

Dry Coconut Kernels (halves) 2

Dry Red Chillies  2-3

Cumin seeds 2 tsps

sugar 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

• Grate the coconut. Slightly roast it with out oil or fat for few minutes until it gives off nice smell.
• Roast dry chillies too for it is easier to powder them. Adjust the quantity according to your taste. Grind it to a fine powder.
• Coarsely grind the cumin.
• Mix all well and store in air tight jar or bottle.

2. Coconut and Groundnut Powder:

Ingredients:

Dry Coconut Kernels (halves) 2

Ground nuts or peanuts    200gms

Dry Red Chillies  5-6

Cumin seeds 2 tsps

Sugar 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

• Grate the coconut. Slightly roast it with out oil or fat for few minutes until it gives off nice smell.
• Roast peanuts well and cool them. You may remove the husk. But it is tastier and nutritious with the husk.
• Roast dry chillies too. Adjust the quantity according to your taste. 
• Grind peanuts and chillies to a powder.
• Coarsely grind the cumin.
• Mix all ingredients well and store in air tight jar or bottle.
• This can be served with, Idly, Upma, Dosa and Rice.

NOTE: The easier way out with Coconut is to cut it into small pieces and put them in the food processor. It gets grated into a fine powder saving time and energy.

Still many more spicy powder recipes....Keep a watch......

Spicy Powders From Indian Cuisine-4

My previous posts on this topics are here:

http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/search/label/Spicy%20Powders

Unroasted Groundnuts.

Roasted Groundnuts

1. Groundnut Powder (వేరుశెనగ పొడి)

Ingredients:

Groundnuts  250 gms

Grated dry Coconut   5ogms

Red Chillies dried 4-5

Cumin seeds  1 Tbsp

Garlic pods- 5-6 (optional)

Curry leaves 4-5 sprigs

Salt to taste

Sugar  2 tsps

Method:

• Roast the groundnuts till well roasted. Roast on very low fire and keep stirring constantly so that it does not get burned. Generally the skin is removed by gently rubbing the roasted nuts and .....But I prefer not to.
• Roast dried red chillies and cool. 
• Roast Garlic and peel it. 
• Roast Curry leaves till they loose their moisture.
• Cool them well and grind these ingredients to a powder. Let it be slightly coarse.
• Add the grated coconut (this can also be slightly roasted), salt and sugar. Mix well
• Store in air tight container and use when required.
• This can be eaten with boiled rice, Idlis and Dosas. This can also be used in curries as spice powder or sprinkle a little on cut fruits or salads to enhance the taste and increase the nutritive value.

2. Groundnut -Sesame-Coconut Powder
 (వేరుశెనగ-నువ్వులు-ఎండుకొబ్బరిపొడి)

Ingredients:

Groundnuts  250 gms

Sesame seeds  100 gms

Grated dry Coconut   5ogms

Red Chillies dried 4-5

Cumin seeds  1 Tbsp

Garlic pods- 5-6 (optional)

Curry leaves 4-5 sprigs

Salt to taste

Sugar  2 tsps

Method:

• Roast the groundnuts till well roasted and prepare as explained above.
• Roast sesame seeds separately.
• Roast dried red chillies too.
• Roast Garlic and peel it. 
• Roast Curry leaves till they loose their moisture.
• Grind these ingredients and to a powder. Let it be slightly coarse.
• Add the grated coconut (this can also be slightly roasted), salt and sugar. Mix well
• Store in air tight container and use when required.
• This can be eaten with boiled rice, Idlis and Dosas. This can also be used in curries as spice powder or sprinkle a little on cut fruits or salads to enhance the taste and increase the nutritive value.