Beerakaya Thokku Pachadi

Beerakaya/ Ridge gourd is rich in fiber. Apart from making curry and dal from the vegetable, even the skin can be used in pachadi preparation which is preservable and easy to make. It tastes yummy with hot rice and ghee.Here's how it is made:

Ingredients:

Beerakaya thokku - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1-2 tbsp
Sesame seeds - 1-2 tbsp
Red chillies - 6-7
Tamarind - Lemon sized
Oil - 2 tbsp

Tempering :
Oil- 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 2 tbsp
Urad dal(whole) - 2 tbsp
Green chillies - 2
Curry Leaves - 5-6


Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add urad dal, sesame seeds and red chillies and let fry till golden brown and remove it to a plate and let cool
2. Now, to the same pan add the ridge gourd skin and let it cook until it loses the raw smell/ turns pale and appears cooked. Remove it to a separata bowl and let cool.
3. Grind the sesame seed mixture with salt and to this add the ridge gourd skin, tamarind and grind well.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, once they splutter, add urad dal, slit green chillies and curry leaves and add the grinded pachadi and mix well.
5. Turn off the heat and transfer the pickle into a dry airtight container once cool.
6. Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Pudina Pachadi for Rice

Mint or Pudina.. hmm.. refreshing thought... naaah.. refreshing taste :)... I have tasted mint chutney with samosas but I wanted some preservable form of mint so that I can have the minty taste as and when I want. Pudina pickle mixed with hot rice and a tiny dollop of ghee .. hmmm... irresistable.. The preparation is easy and takes hardly 15 mins.. The procedure follows:

Ingredients:

Pudina - A bunch

Dry Mirchi - 5-6

Jaggery - Lemon sized

Tamarind - Lemon sized

Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Hing - Little

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - 1 tbsp ( As per taste)

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Clean the pudina leaves thoroughly and let air dry.

2. Heat oil in a pan, fry coriander seeds,fenugreek seeds,dry mirchi

3. Turn off the heat and add hing,turmeric powder

4. Take the fried contents into a bowl and let cool

5. In the same pan, add 1/4 tbsp oil and add the air dried mint/pudina leaves and let them cook for a while such that the leaves are no more raw. Take into a bowl and let cool

6. Grind the dry contents (coriander seeds,fenugreek etc.,) with salt and jaggery powder/pieces.

7. Now add the pudina leaves and tamarind and grind.

8. Add the seasoning to the pickle and preserve once cool.

Lemon Pickle

There are many memories associated with it! ...when ever i was attacked with cold my mom always made me to eat this pickle with plain rice/curd rice...coz Lemon itself is rich in Vitamin 'C'...which is a better remedy for Cold...and even says that if we take medicine it will be free with in a week and if we don't it will be free with in 7 days :D





Ingredients:

6 lemons.(Large size)
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup red chilli powder
3 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp methi pwdr
1 tsp mustard pwdr
1/4 tsp hing powder
Juice of 1 lemon



Method:

1.Cut lemon into small dices
2.Mix lemon pieces with all the above ingredients.
3.Leave it for 2 days.keep mixing meanwhile(Better expose to sun light(not direct)).

Carrot Pickle

hmmm....Pickle...pickle...pickle.....it's nothing but preserving vegetables with some spices added ...when eaten on a rainy-day with hot ghee...nothing can beat it out....but these pickles must be stored n sterilized jars for long preserving and even salt plays the key role for preserving...

This carrot pickle can be preserved for one month when refrigerated...these types of pickles are even more tastier with curd rice and in upmas..








Ingredients:

To be mixed:
Carrots(sliced into small cubes) 1 cup
Garlic 4 clove(sliced)
Red Chili Powder 1 heaped tsp
Fenugreek Seed Powder 1/2 tsp
Mustard seed powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Salt 1 heaped tsp(or to taste)
LemonJuice 4 tsp


Tempering:

Oil 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds 2 tsp
Asafoetida 1/4 tsp

Method:
1. Mix all ingredients well and store it in a glass container for at least 5-6 hrs.
2. After resting it for few hours mix it well again.
3)Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add mustard seeds,asafoetida and curry leaves. Add the hot tempering to the pickle.


Variation:

You can even saute the raw carrot cubes before mixing with above ingredients.

Minumula Chintapandu Pachadi (Nellore Special Pickle from Mom's kitchen)

(As narrated by mom)

Peru vintagane undi kaani ruchi chooste maatram tega mechukuntaru. Oorinche ooragayalaku oopiri uttaradi. Alaage roti pachallaku kaaNaachi maa simhapuri. Minapa pappu tho tayaru chese ee pachadi ruchiki ruchi arogyaniki arogyam kuda. Ika ela tayaru cheyalo chooddam.

Ingredients:

Dry mirchi - 20

Mustard - 2 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds (menthulu) - 1 tbsp

Oil - As needed to fry 

Tamarind Paste- 1 big lemon sized (Tastes good only with freshly made natural tamarind paste)

Asafoetida(Inguva) -  as per taste

Urad dal (minapa pappu) - 1 cup

Procedure:

1. In a pan, fry dry mirchi and keep aside. Now add mustard seeds, once they splutter, add coriander seeds,fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and finally add salt(to avoid the spices getting burned). Now remove the ingredients from the pan. 

2. Now in a pan, heat oil and fry the urad dal till golden brown n until nice aroma spreads the kitchen and turn off the heat.

3. Grind fried dry mirchi,seasoning(mustard seeds,coriander seeds,fenugreek seeds,asafoetida,salt). 

4. To the above grinded mixture, add the tamarind paste and grind again. 

5. To this, add the fried ural dal, keeping aside a portion of it aside and grind coarsely. Make sure that urad dal is not completely mashed. 

6. Take out the mixture from the mixie and to this add the remaining portion of the fried urad dal( which we have kept aside). 

It is very tasty and is good for nursing moms n those suffering with fever.  The pickle tastes better day by day as tamarind paste coats the urad dal. Serve with hot rice and ghee and enjoy!!

Cranberry Pickle

Ingredients:

Dry mirchi - 10-15 

Mustard - 1 spoon

Fenugreek seeds (menthulu)  - Half spoon

Green chillies - 5-6

Coriander seeds - Half spoon

Chana dal - 2-3 spoons

Urad dal - 2-3 spoons

Cranberries -  1 Cup

Salt - As per taste

Oil - 2-3 spoons

Procedure:

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add chana dal, dry mirchi,fenugreek seeds,coriander seeds,urad dal and green chillies and fry.Let the mixture cool down. Meanwhile fry the cranberries for a while and let them cool too. Grind the mixture and finally add cranberries and grind. Add the seasoning and serve with hot rice.

Tomato nilava pachadi

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 2 lbs (Tomato puree can also be used)
Mustard seeds - 2 spoons
Fenugreek powder - a punch
Oil - as needed
Tamarind - lemon sized ball
Salt - as per taste
Mirchi Powder - 1 spoon
Dry mirchi - 5-6 (round shaped preferred)

Procedure:

Clean, dry and cut tomatoes. Put oil in a pan and put tomatoes/puree,tamarind and fenugreek powder. Leave the contents until mashed consistency is attained and the tomatoes leave the raw odor. Add salt and red chilli powder and after 5 mins take off the pan. Now take a pan and put oil in it. Add mustard seeds, once they splutter, add dry mirchi and add this seasoning to the pickle. Serve hot with hot rice and oil.

Nimmakaya Kharam

Ingredients:

Lemon - 2
Dry Mirchi - 2-3
Mustard Seeds - 1 spoon
Asafoetida(Inguva) - A pinch
curry leaves - 3-4
Salt- As per taste.
Red Chilli Powder - Half spoon


Procedure:

Fry dry mirchi in a very little oil in a pan. Keep them aside and add mustard seeds to the remaining oil. Once the seeds splitter add curry leaves,salt,asafoetida,mirchi powder and switch off the stove. To this add the fried dry mirchi,and lemon juice. Instant nimmakaya kharam is ready. It tastes good with hot rice and ghee.

Menthi Pachadi

Ingredients:

Dry mirchi - 7 to 8
Rai - 1 spoon
Urad dal - handful
Coriander seeds - 2 spoons
Oil - Sufficient to fry the above
Menthi leaves - 1 to 2 bunches
Tamarind paste - as per taste

Procedure:

Fry dry mirchi,rai,urad dal,coriander seeds in little oil.
Clean and fry methi leaves with all the above contents.
Soak tamarind in the water.Grind the mixture with tamarind paste.Put popu and serve with hot rice.

Kothimir Pachchadi

Ingredients:

Kothmir - 2 bunches
Mustard - 2 spoons
Fenugreek seeds - Quarter spoon
Oil - to fry
Salt - as per taste
Mirchi Powder - 1 spoon

Procedure:

Clean Kothmir leaves. Fry mustard and fenugreek seeds in lil oil and grind them with salt and mirchi powder. Grind kothimir and the mixture seperately.
Put oil in a pan, and fry mustard,dry mirchi in it. After mustard splits, add the grinded kothmir and let it remain some time. After the kothmir is no more raw, put the mustard fenugreek mixture and let it remain for some time. Remove from the gas and serve.