Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Spicy Powders From Indian Cuisine-2


These powders are used directly as accompaniments to main dish i.e., boiled or steamed rice. In fact these powders are mixed with hot boiled or steamed rice with a dollop of ghee (clarified butter) and eaten. But most commonly oil-sesame or peanut oil is used in place of Ghee.This goes well with Rasam, Chaaru or Sambaar- soup like dishes which are accompaniment to rice. So here are the recipes.....

Pigeon Pea-split and husked
Pigeon Pea-roasted
Split and husked Green Gram
This is split and husked Chickpea.
This is split and husked Black Gram. Actually its husk is black in colour. Hence its name.


1.Pegion Pea Powder :

This is known as Kandi Podi (కంది పొడి) in Telugu as Pigeaon Pea is known as Kandi Pappu (కంది పప్పు) in Telugu and Tuvar Daal (तुवर दाल) in Hindi . 


This is one of the most popular spice powders and is used as a substitute for the regular cooked Pigeon pea known as Mudda Pappu. in Andhra. Pigeon pea is boiled and eaten with hot boiled rice. Various vegetables or leafy vegetables are added to make different varieties.

In the following recipes Green Gram (split and husked) known as Moong Daal (मूंग दाल) in Hindi and Pesara pappu in Telugu and Chick pea or Bengal gram split and husked known as Chana Daal (चना दाल) in Hindi and Senaga Pappu (శనగ పప్పు) in Telugu will also be used.

In olden days pulses with husks were used. But it is better to use de husked split pulses for these recipes.

Ingredients:
Pigeon pea        250 gms
Red chillies dried   4-5
or
Red Chilli Powder 1-2 tsps
Cumin seeds    1 tbsp
Garlic pods- 5-6 (optional)
Salt to taste

Method:
  • Roast the pigeon pea and dried red chillies separately and cool.
  • If you use red chilli powder it need not be roasted. Adjust the quantity of  this spice according to your taste. 
  • Roast Garlic and peel it. It is better to use old garlic ( at least six months old). Newly harvested garlic will have more moisture content.
  • Mix all the ingredients and grind to a powder. The powder should be like fine semolina- not too fine.
  • Store in air tight container and use when required.

2.Green Gram Powder:

Ingredients:
Green Gram 250 gms
Red chillies dried 4-5
Cumin seeds 1and 1/2 tbsp
Garlic pods- 5-6 (optional)
Salt to taste

Here we use split and husked green gram.

Method:
  • Roast the grams and dried red chillies- separately and cool. 
  • Roast Garlic and peel it. It is better to use old garlic. Newly harvested garlic will have more moisture content.  
  • Mix all the ingredients and grind to a powder. The powder should be like fine semolina- not too fine. Cool It.  
  • Store in air tight container and and use when required. 
  • Goes well with steamed/boiled rice and hot Ghee(clarified butter).

3. Pigeon Pea-Green Gram Powder:

Ingredients:
Pigeon pea 250 gms
Green Gram 100 gms
Red chillies dried 4-5
or
Red Chilli Powder 1-2 tsps
Cumin seeds 1and 1/2 tbsp
Garlic pods- 5-6 (optional)
Salt to taste


Method:
  • Roast the grams and dried red chillies- all separately and cool. 
  • If you use red chilli powder it need not be roasted. Adjust the quantity of this spice according to your taste. 
  • Roast Garlic and peel it. It is better to use old garlic. Newly harvested garlic will have more moisture content. 
  • Mix all the ingredients and grind to a powder. The powder should be like fine semolina- not too fine. Cool It. 
  • Store in air tight container and and use when required.

    4. Pigeon pea-Green Gram-Chickpea powder:

    Ingredients:
    Pigeon pea 250 gms
    Green Gram 100 gms
    Chick Pea (Bengal Gram ) 100 gms
    Red chillies dried 4-5
    or
    Red Chilli Powder 1-2 tsps
    Cumin seeds 2 tbsp
    Garlic pods- 5-6 (optional)
    Salt to taste

    Method:

    • Roast the grams and dried red chillies- all separately and cool.
    • If you use red chilli powder it need not be roasted. Adjust the quantity of this spice according to your taste.
    • Roast Garlic and peel it. It is better to use old garlic. Newly harvested garlic will have more moisture content. 
    • Mix all the ingredients and grind to a powder. The powder should be like fine semolina- not too fine. Cool it.
    • Store it in air tight container.

    5. Mixed Grams Powder:

    Ingredients:
    Pigeon pea 250 gms
    Green Gram 100 gms
    Chik Pea 100 gms
    Black Gram 100 gms
    Red chillies dried 4-5
    or
    Red Chilli Powder 1-2 tsps
    Cumin seeds 2 tbsp
    Garlic pods- 5-6 (optional)
    Salt to taste

    Method:
    • Roast the grams and dried red chillies - all separately and cool. 
    • If you use red chilli powder it need not be roasted. Adjust the quantity of this spice according to your taste. 
    • Roast Garlic and peel it. It is better to use old garlic. Newly harvested garlic will have more moisture content.  
    • Mix all the ingredients and grind to a powder. The powder should be like fine semolina- not too fine. Cool it. 
    • Store in air tight container and and use when required. 

    More to come in my next posts. Try and let me know how they taste.




























    5 comments:

    1. Hi Sailaja, Great blog with lots of food from India, the last time I was in India was 1965 long time, my bother in law comes from India and will like your blog i am shore I will tell him when I see him.Brian

      ReplyDelete
    2. Nice traditional recipes from South India,. Your step by step detailed explanations are easy to follow even fro novices like me. Keep posting more

      ReplyDelete