Urla Gadda(Potato) Pindimirium

Urla Gadda(Potato) Pindimirium

This is another variation of preparing pindimirium using urla gadda. Urla gadda is a Telugu name for Potato. In southern parts of Andhra potato is called as urla gadda. And in other regions refer it as “Bangala dumpa”. To prepare this I have used moong dal instead of toor dal. This tastes amazing. And also instead of ground paste I have added freshly prepared rasam powder. This pindimirium is so simple especially when you don’t have veggies at home and want to finish effortless cooking in no time. Potato and moong dal cooked together and finally rasam powder is added. Here I present quick, easy and delicious potato pindimirium to relish the day. Njoy Cooking,Serving n Savoring!

Ingredients:

Potato: 1 big(Or two small)

Moong dal: 1 cup

Rasam powder: 2 tsp

Salt: As required

Tempering:

Ghee/oil: 1 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Grated fresh coconut/dry copra powder: 1 tbsp

Hing: A pinch

Curry leaves: few

Method of preparation:

1. Rinse one cup of moong dal and add 3 cups of water in a copper bottom vessel.

2. Clean and peel the skin of big potato. Chop the potato into big chunks and immerse in water.

3. Mix the chopped potato with moong dal and water.

4. Heat vessel and allow them to boil.

5. Cook the moong dal and potato on low flame stirring occasionally.

6. Add a pinch of turmeric.

7. When I was preparing potato pindimirium I made rasam powder. So I added freshly ground rasam powder.

8. Add 2 tsp of rasam powder to the cooked moong dal and potato mixture. Mix thoroughly.

9. Cook it for 5 more minutes and switch off the stove.

10. Heat a small Kadai, pour tsp of ghee. Put 1 tsp of mustard seeds when it splutters add cumin seeds into it. Add a pinch of hing into it.

11. Now add grated fresh coconut or desiccated coconut and curry leaves. Fry for a minute and switch off the stove.

12. Pour the tempering onto to the potato pindimirium.

13. Now the flavoursome potato pindimirium is ready and can be served hot with rice or even chapathi.

Tip:

In this potato pindimirium I have used rasam powder. Particularly for this recipe homemade rasam powder gives best results. It contains black pepper which gives soothing effect to the throat especially during winters.

Drumstick Pindi Mirium

Drumstick pindi mirium

Pindi mirium is an authentic dish of Nellore district(Andhra Pradesh) and also popular in Andhra. Pindimirium is a nutritious  dish which is prepared by roasting ingredients like chana dal, toor dal, rice and pepper and made into a paste. This ground paste is added to the cooked lentils and veggies and simmered on low flame. This pindi mirium is a very good accompaniment to rice along with papads or even with Homemade fryums. Here I present comforting, calming and tasty drumstick Pindi mirium to enjoy the day. Njoy Cooking, Serving n Savoring!

Ingredients:

Drumsticks: 2 nos.

Toor dal(split pigeon pea): 1 cup

Tamarind: small lemon sized

Salt: as required

To roast and grind:

Chana dal: 1 tsp

Toor dal: 1 tsp

Rice: 1 tsp

Black pepper corns: 1 tsp

Fresh coconut pieces: 1 tbsp

Tempering:

Ghee: 1 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Hing: A pinch

Curry leaves: A sprig

Method of preparation:

1. Take 1 cup of toor dal and rinse it once.

2. Take 2 cups of water and add to the toor dal.

3. Cut the drumsticks into 3 inches and rinse thoroughly in water.

4. Take a pressure cooker mix drumstick pieces and toor dal.

5. Steam for 5 whistles.

6. Allow the pressure to settle down on its own.

7. Soak small lemon sized tamarind in water.

8. Meanwhile take a small kadai put few drops of ghee and roast Chana dal first for a minute.

9. Next add toor dal and roast till it changes into light brown colour.

10. Now add rice and pepper corns. Roast them also.

11. Finally add chopped coconut pieces and a red chilli too. Fry for a minute and switch off the stove.

12. Transfer them onto a plate and allow to cool down.

13. Take a mixer grinder, transfer the ingredients into it and grind to a smooth fine paste. Keep it aside.

14. Transfer the cooked dal and drumsticks into a heavy bottomed vessel and mix thoroughly with ladle.

15. Pour the ground paste into this and bring it to boil.

16. Now add tamarind extract to the mixture and allow to boil for 5 more minutes. Switch off the stove.

17. In a small kadai pour ghee.

18. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds.

19. When mustard pops out add a pinch of hing and curry leaves. Switch off the stove and pour this mixture onto the drumstick pindimirium.

20. Now the piping hot drumstick pindimirium is ready and can be transferred to a serving bowl.

21. Serve the delicious drumstick pindimirium with hot steamed rice along with sago papadams.

Tip:

1. Here I have used drumsticks to prepare Pindi mirium. You can add your favourite veggies  like potato, bottle gourd,snake gourd or even cluster beans too. And also you can use       moong dal instead of one cup of toor dal(Or a combination of both toor dal,moong dal  can also be used).

2. The consistency of the Pindimirium is little thicker than sambar consistency. And also it becomes thick when it comes down to normal temperature. So adjust the quantity of water accordingly wile boiling the Pindi mirium.

Sugar Pongal

Sugar Pongal

This is another version of sweet pongal prepared with sugar. Big South Indian festival pongal is forthcoming. Pongal is a harvest festival in India with different names like Makara sankranthi in Telugu states, Lohri n Bihu in northern parts of India.

1. Pongal is celebrated for four days. First day Bhogi festival. unusable household materials are thrown into bonfire. In many Andhra families there is a tradition called bhogi pallu , showering Indian jujube fruit( in Telugu regu pandlu) on infants and children of below 5 years of age. It is believed that to protect the children from drishti(Evil eye).Second day is pongal (Makara sankranthi or Makara sankramanam),the direction of Sun god changes direction towards north(Sun God entering the zodiac sign Capricorn(Makara in Sanskrit ). On this special day sweet pongal is prepared with newly harvested rice in a earthen pot with cow milk and this  is offered to God. Traditional foods are prepared and offer them to pithrudevathalu( ancestors who were died). They also make different patterns called muggu or rangoli infront of their homes on the ground. These are drawn with either rice flour decorated with flowers, keeping gobbemma(made with cow dung) in the middle of the muggu or chalk or with limestone powder mixed with different colours.

Third day kanuma festival. Worshipping cattle and decorating cows, Buffaloes with their horns painted,tied around neck with tinkling bells. Fourth and last day is mukkanuma. Non vegetarians cook meat this day and invite families for the feast. On this occasion there are lots of fun activities like kite flying, cock fighting, bullock racing etc. Another important thing particularly this day is Haridasu(servant of Hari, lord Vishnu) singing devotional songs. He gets dressed in an unique way with a bowl on his head and carries thambura(musical instrument) and visits every house for bhiksha( bhiksha is the meal served to a monk according to Hindu tradition). In villages still we could see this culture.

Now it’s time to celebrate pongal /sankranthi with utmost devotion and also fun filled moments. We prepare so many dishes like sweet pongal, vada, dal, rasam and more. So this time I wanted  my recipe simple to prepare and very easy,delicious too.Today I Am going to prepare pongal with sugar instead of jaggery. Here I present sweet pongal with sugar for this pongal/sankranthi festival. Njoy Cooking,Serving n Savoring!

Ingredients:

Rice: 1 cup

Sugar: 1 cup

Chana dal: 1 tbsp

Cardamom pods: 4/5 nos.

Edible camphor(Pacha karpooram): A pinch

Water: 4 cups

Milk: 1 cup

Ghee: 1 tbsp

Dry fruits: cashews, almonds,pistachios n raisins(Few).

Method of preparation:

1. Take one cup of rice and 1 tbsp of chana dal in a heavy bottomed vessel. Rinse thoroughly with water.

2. Now heat vessel and pour 4 cups of water in rice and dal mixture.

3. Cook on low flame stirring occasionally.

4. When it’s 3/4 th cooked add crushed cardamom powder and edible camphor. Mix thoroughly.

5. Now keep stirring continuously to avoid sticking to the pan.

6. When it’s completely cooked add sugar into it and mix well. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes. Switch off the stove and add milk.

7. Slightly Crush the dry fruits in a mortar pestle. Now take a small Kadai pour ghee and first fry the cashews,almonds and pistachios  till they change into light golden brown colour.

8. Now add raisins to the fried dry fruits and fry them till they puff up well.

9. Now pour the fried dry fruits onto the Pongal. Mix well.

10. If you are preparing the dish on festive occasions offer to God and consume it as a Prasadam.

11. Now the piping hot sugar Pongal is ready to relish and can be served in a serving bowl.

Tips:

1. In this sugar Pongal recipe I have added only chana dal. If you like moong dal(yellow lentils) can also be added.

2. I have cooked rice and chana dal with water first and later added milk. If you want more creamy and rich flavour, rice can be cooked directly with milk instead of water. And sugar should be added at the last once rice is cooked and after switching off the stove. Otherwise sometimes milk may curdle.

3. I have made the Pongal using heavy bottomed vessel. Instead of that you can steam it in a pressure cooker. But add only 3 cups of water to 1 cup of rice if cooking in a pressure cooker n allow it to get 6 whistles.

Apple Halwa

Apple halwa

Apple halwa is very delicious and just melts in mouth. Apple halwa is an amazing dessert to treat kids. Usually kids must be bored of eating apples. So this is the best way to serve apples in the form of halwa. This is made with generous amount of ghee and dry fruits hence very nutritious and rich in calories. I have prepared Apple halwa using cinnamon powder. Apple and cinnamon a great combination,they made for each other. Here I present luscious Apple halwa to be served on any day. Njoy Cooking, Serving n Savoring!

Ingredients:

Apples: 9 nos.

Cinnamon powder: 1 tsp

Sugar: 1 1/2-2 tbsp

Cardamom pods: 2/3 nos.

Saffron strands: 10 nos.(Approximately)

Ghee: 1 1/2 tbsp.

Dry fruits: Few for garnishing.
(Cashews,almonds n raisins)

Method of preparation:

1. For Apple halwa I have used red delicious apples. Rinse thoroughly under running water and keep aside.

2. Peel the skin of the apples, finely chop them and sprinkle sugar on it before proceeding for halwa. Because apples easily oxidizes and changes  colour before chopping all apples. In order to prevent from decolorization we are drizzling  sugar on them.

3. Now heat kadai and pour ghee. Put all the chopped apples into it. Keep on low to medium flame stirring at regular intervals.

4. Meanwhile  take a mixer grinder or coffee grinder, put 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks and grind to a powder.

5. To get fine powder out of it sieve through a tea filter into bowl.

6. Now use this cinnamon powder for halwa. Take 2 tsp of cinnamon powder and drizzle on the apple.

7. In a mortar pestle crush cardamom pods and saffron strands together.

8. Add this also to the Kadai containing Apple pieces.

9. Mix thoroughly and continue cooking the apples on low flame.

10. Now  add sugar to it and mix well.

11. Cook the apple and sugar mixture on low to medium flame stirring at regular intervals. While stirring apple pieces will turn into soft texture.

12. Using pestle carefully press the remaining apple chunks to become into smooth paste.

13. Add few raisins to the mixture and cook till mixture leaves the kadai and attains good gooey texture.

14. Grease a plate with ghee and pour the Apple halwa onto the plate. Spread the halwa quickly with a spatula uniformly.

15. Garnish the halwa with dry fruits and can be served hot.

16. Now the delicious Apple halwa is ready and can be topped with crushed dry fruits powder also.