Pickles from Andhra (ఆంధ్ర ఊరగాయలు)-8

Tomato Pickles-1(टमाटर का आचार /టొమాటో నిల్వ పచ్చడి )

Tomatoes are perhaps the most popular vegetable used all over the world. Actually it is a fruit. We Indians love it so much that we use it daily in form or the other.

In India, we make chutneys and pickle it many ways.Chutneys keep for a day or some for a few days. but pickles can be stored for long. This is the season for it and tomatoes are available at a very cheap rates. I will give the Andhra recipes first.

Before pickling:

• Choose semi ripened ones. Should not be too red or too soft. They should be orange or light red and very firm to touch and less juice in them. However don't use green and unripe ones. 
• Use desi or local varieties(not hybrid variety) which are meant for cooking.These may be small but more tastier. Don't use those tomatoes which are meant for salad. The tomatoes meant for salad just has firm flesh but no taste or sourness. They also don't preserve well.
• Wash them in plenty of water, wipe them clean and leave them for an hour or two till the moisture is completely gone
• Keep all the ingredients ready at hand
• Use a glass or ceramic jar and plate/bowl and wooden spoons for mixing and storing. You can use stainless steel vessels and spoons but immediately transfer into glass/ceramic one.
• Please note this carefully. The quantity of salt and red chilli(dried red chillies) may vary- can be more or less than what I have given. For any pickle recipe I am posting, I am giving the quantities of spices as accurately as possible. But the quantities of salt and chilli may vary-depending upon the sourness of the basic ingredient like mangoes, tomatoes, goose berries, tamarind or when tamarind or other ingredient is used as souring agent . So it is better to add the salt a little at a time and keep checking the taste. Do not add all at once. The taste of salt should be slightly more than other tastes. Check the pickle after three four days for taste, as by this time the ingredients would have marinated well. If salt is less add some more. 
• Similarly is the case with chilli powder. Adjust it to your taste. My recipes are very spicy. So add a little quantity at a time and adjust according to your taste. Mix a fistful of red chilli powder of those chillies which are not spicy but just add colour to the pickle. Or better mix both spicy and coloured one and then add according to your taste.
• Do not used tamarind which is black in colour, if possible. Use new tamarind. If tamarind is old that is preserved for more than 6 months, it turns black. When this is added to the pickle its colour also does not come out properly. Fresh or newly harvested tamarind is available now and is light brown in colour. This is good.
• I use freshly pressed sesame oil (whole sesame and not husked one). This is traditionally used in Andhra for pickles.But you can use any oil of your choice including refined oil which you generally use for pickles. Experiment with various oils by pickling a small quantity and check for the taste. I feel mustard oil is too pungent and does not go well with this pickle as tomato is mildly flavoured. Similarly coconut oil may also not taste good. But groundnut oil, sunflower oil is OK.
• These pickles keep for an year and beyond that. But It is better to have fresh pickles in the season as nothing tastes better than that.

I have used our traditional cutter for cutting. This is easy to use. We have to sit cross legged with one leg pinning the wooden base. This helps it to keep the cutter stable. We keep a bowl or plate underneath it and the pieces and juice get collected in them.

See how the Tomatoes look.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes             1kg

Tamarind              250-300gms

Salt                      100 to 150gms

Red chilli powder  100 gms
Fenugreek seeds    100 gms
Mustard seeds          50 gms
Asafoetida pieces   10 gms

Turmeric              2-3 Tbsp
Vinegar                 150ml

For Tempering:

Oil        500 ml
Chick pea lentil     40 gms
Black gram lentil    40 gms
Mustard seeds        50gms
Fenugreek seeds     20 gms
Dried red chillies    10-12

Method:

Cut the tomatoes into medium sized pieces. There is no need to remove the seeds. 

Add turmeric and salt. Mix well. It should be little salty. But don't worry as you can adjust the salt in the end too.
Store them in glass or ceramic jar with tight lid. Leave for three days.

After three days, the pieces will be soft and you can observe lot of juice. 

Squeeze out juice as much as you can and collect it in a separate bowl. Spread the pieces on a plastic sheet and dry it in the sun for three days. You need to turn the pieces once or twice a day, so that they dry well. 

Above you can see my pickle being dried out. They should be at least 75% dry.

This is the new tamarind-freshly harvested.

Meanwhile you put the tamarind into the juice and sun it a few hours a day. Keep stirring it a few times while in the sun. When you bring back into the house after each day, leave it till it cools down completely before covering it with a lid. Or else it will develop fungus.

Now  there are two methods here to be followed on the fourth day or on the evening of third day itself:

A. Add the pieces to the juice and leave it for two hours. The pieces will get soaked in the juice and become soft again. Now you can grind the pieces along with tamarind. 

OR

B. First squeeze the tamarind well. Since it is already soaked in the juice, the pulp is easy to extract. keep the pulp and fish out the waste. Now add the tomato pieces to get soaked. You need not grind it. I follow this method.

Again after this there are two ways:

Method 1:

1. Heat 1-2 tsp of oil in a pan. Add asafeotida pieces and let them fry well on low heat. Let it cool, powder it and keep aside.
2. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in the same pan to smoking point. Lower the heat and add 100gms each of fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds and fry. Keep stirring it to avoid burning. Fry till you hear the crackling sound. Remove from fire, add half of the asafoetida, keep stirring it for a few minutes to avoid burning of the spices. Cool it and then grind to a fine powder.
3. Now for tempering- heat the remaining oil to a smoking point in a deep bottomed pan. Lower the heat add the lentils, fry for a minute, add the mustard and fenugreek seeds, fry for 2-3 minutes till you hear the crackling sound. Add the red chillies, fry for a minute. Remove from fire, add asafoetida. Mix well and cool it completely.
4. Now to this add the red chilli powder little by little and keep on mixing till it is completely mixed in the oil.
5. Add this to the pieces and mix well. Taste it and add salt if required. Mix well and store it in a ceramic/glass jar.  This keeps for an year. Use as required.

Method 2:

1. Under this method, store the tomato pieces after following the process at B.
2. But add salt to these pieces if required, as without adequate salt, the pickle will not last long.
3. As and when required  a small quantity of the pieces are taken and the process at Method 1 above is followed. But the quantity of the oil and all other ingredients has to be used proportionately.
4. The advantage of preparing the pickle for use each time is that it tastes fresh and tasty. In the first method when we mix everything in the beginning itself, the spices loose their freshness, the tempering also looses its crunchiness and pickle does not taste good after a month or so.
5. We can prepare the quantity required for a fortnight or so freshly each time or just before our guests arrive so that it tastes fresh.

This is how it looks. I used old tamarind as I did not have time to go to market and fetch the new one. So my pickle looks black instead of red now itself. But I have only pickled a little quantity now. I am going to make more shortly. Then I will use the fresh one.

So try this out and see for yourself. If you have any doubts or questions please mail me....

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.....

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-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.

Indian Cuisine-An Introduction

In order to understand any art, craft or language and especially the cuisine, one has to know something about the region, the people, their traditions, cultures, climatic conditions, their local produce. That way we can get a grip over the style of cooking. At least I believe in this.
 

I am going to introduce to you, our Indian Cuisine in a series of posts so that you can learn something of our lives, culture and traditions related to our cuisines.
 

Indian cuisine is as diverse as our people, languages and cultures and varies from region to region, culture to culture and even family to family. So we can say that our cuisine is a potpourri of many regional cuisines. Our cuisine has been influenced to a great extent by;

• Many invaders and traders form other parts of the world since the ancient times, like Turkey, Arab, Persia, China, Central Asia, Europe etc
• Especially during the colonial period, by Continental cuisine
• Various religions, beliefs, traditions, cultures, taboos,
• Especially, the diversity in geographical climatic conditions ranging from tropical, arid, alpine conditions,
• Different and varied local produce such as vegetable, spices fruits, due to different climates
• The most important factor being on the one hand, the tolerance, flexibility existing here which allow the intermingling of cultures, yet the taboos and strict adherence to traditions which maintain the purity on the other hand

Brief History:

Thus our cusuine is sophisticated and is unique in its own way, due to the use of various spices, herbs and condiments, widespread vegetarianism, a wide assortment of delicacies and cooking styles and techniques.
 

As early as the Indus Valley Civilisation, wheat , barley, sesame, brinjals, etc were known to Indians. In the later periods, turmeric, cardmom, black pepper, mustard and many other herbs were known to the people. It is believed that many recipes were used during the early Vedic times,when food consisted of agriculture produce, hunting and forest produce and included vegetables,fruits, grains, honey, meat, fish and dairy products, etc. Later as people embraced the Ahimsa or non violence, vegetarianism became wide spread, strengthened by Buddhism and Jainism.

It is believed that, the invasions Arabs, Persians and others new vegetables, like potatoes, tomatoes and chillies were introduced as well as some baking techniques. Mughlai Cuisine which is rich and lavish, was the result of the blending of Indian and Islamic cuisines which led to, tandoori style of baking or cooking, dishes like Biryani, Pulao, Kebabs, Nans, using of fruits like the melons, peaches, apricots, walnuts, almonds etc.

Indian Food-Basic Elements:

Here are the basic elements of Indian cuisines which are frequently used in general. When I am dealing with specific regional cuisines I will go in depth.

• Staples-Rice, Wheat (whole wheat flour), Jowar, Bajra, Corn and Ragi
• Pulses- Bengal gram (chana dal), Red gram (masoor), Pigeon pea (tuvar), Black gram (urad), Green Gram (moong)
• Oils-Ghee, Butter, Peanut oil, Mustard oil, coconut oil, Gingely oil and Hydrogenated vegetable oil.
• Mostly vegetable oils are used for cooking.
• Spices-Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Saffron, Turmeric, Cumin, Fenugreek, Coriander seeds, Caraway seeds, fennel seeds, dried red chillies(peppers), black pepper, dried ginger, fresh ginger, Garlic, Bay leaf, coriander greens, Fenugreek greens, Mint leaves and Curry leaves, fresh and dry coconut, dates, cashes, almonds, raisins and many more.

In most of Northern and Western India daily fare consists of Breads roasted on hot pans or fire called Rotis, Naans, Kulchas made of whole/refined wheat flour along with curries made of vegetables or non vegetarian, like chicken mutton etc, chutneys, pickles, milk, curds, buttermilk, ghee, butter,Cottage cheese (Paneer). Tea is the most popular beverage.

In Southern Eastern and parts of Western India, daily fare consists of mainly, Rice, veg and non veg curries including sea food and coconut in coastal areas, Sambar and Rasam (something like soup), Curds, buttermilk, ghee, pickles, chutneys and Poppadoms. Most widely used beverage is Coffee.

Sweet dishes, desserts, fruits and other snacks etc are of course consumed through out India. Some are common through out but some of the delicacies are unique to particular regions. However, its common sence that the delicacies or dishes will contain those ingredients which are mostly produced locally.


This is a typical South Indian Masala (spices) Box, containing split bengal gram, split, black gram, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chillies, turmeric, red pepper powder, curry leaves. Whats missing here is the Asafoetida. All these are used for seasoning the dishes.

Here you can see dried ginger in the center, bay leaf, cloves, onion seeds, cinnamon, green and yellow cardamom and black pepper. These are only a few of the many spices we use.

 

Red peppers and garlic exposed to the sun for few minutes before pickling. Andhra Pradesh is very famous for its pickles which includes mango and red chilly pickle.

So in the next post I will discuss various regional cuisines....till then.....