Birakaya Thoku Pachadi

Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney 

Ingredients 

1 tablespoon of Sesame oil 

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

1 tablespoon of Jeera

5 - 10 green chilies (depending on your spice tolerance) 

1 medium onion sliced

1 tablespoon of Garlic pods 

1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric powder

1.5 cups of Ridge Gourd Peel 

1 tablespoon of Tamarind 

Salt, to taste 

Method

Heat the oil in a kadai, and sputter the jeera in it. Add the chilies, onion, garlic, and turmeric. Fry till the onions are translucent. Add the ridge gourd peel and tamarind, and fry for 3 minutes on high heat. Lower the heat, cover the kadai, and cook till done. 

Once the mixture is completely cooled, grind with salt and a little water to achieve the desired consistency. 

Serving suggestion: 

This chutney is usually eaten mixed with rice and a little bit of sesame oil. We also eat it with dosa. 

Peanut Pachadi

Ingredients 

1 teaspoon of cooking oil
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
2 dried red chilies
1 green chili
1 cup of peanuts
1/2 teaspoon of tamarind paste
salt to taste
water to grind

Instructions

heat the oil in a kadai on high heat. add the cumin and let it sputter, then add the chilis and saute for 15 seconds. add the peanuts and stir to coat evenly with the oil. reduce heat to medium and roast for 3 minutes.

let it cool, then grind with tamarind and salt, adding water as needed to achieve the desired consistency,

Seasoning (Optional)

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of urd dal
1 dried chili, broken
curry leaves
a pinch of asafoetida

Instructions 

heat the oil in a kadai on high heat. add the mustard and urd dal, once it starts sputtering,  add the chili and curry leaves. saute for 15 seconds. turn off the heat and add the asafoetida. pour this over the chutney and mix.

Gongura Pachadi

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons of Cooking Oil
• 1 teaspoon of Cumin Seeds
• 6-7 long Green Chillies
• 6-7 pods of Garlic
• 3-4 cups of Roselle Leaves
• a pinch of Turmeric
• Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions: 

Heat the oil in a Kadai and add the cumin, chillies, and garlic to it. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the Roselle and turmeric, mix well, and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Switch off heat.

Grind the mixture after it cools. Add salt to taste.

Serving suggestion: 
Serve with hot Steamed Rice and finely chopped raw Onions. 

Raw Mango chutney

Ingredients
1 teaspoon of cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon of jeera
3 dry red chillies
3 green chillies
1 cup of grated raw mango
1/4 cup of mint leaves
salt to taste

Method
Heat the oil in a kadai. Splutter the fenugreek and jeera, then add the chillies. Stir a few times, then add the grated mango. Cook for a few minutes.

Grind the mixture with salt and the mint leaves. 

Vankaya Pulusu

Ingredients

10-12 dry red chillies
2 tablespoons of coriander seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
3-5 medium tomatoes
one lime-sized ball of tamarind
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of broken urd dal
a pinch of asafoetida
2-3 finely chopped medium onions
1 tablespoon of ginger/garlic paste
5-7 medium brinjals chopped into bite sized chunks
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
a few curry leaves
salt to taste

Method

Dry fry the red chillies, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds. Grind this into a fine powder.

Pressure cook the tomatoes with the ball of tamarind. Extract the juice and discard the pulp.

Heat the oil in a kadai. Once hot, add mustard seeds. When they sputter, add the urd dal and a pinch of asafoetida. Increase the heat to high. Add the chopped onions to and cook till browned. Then add the ginger/garlic paste and stir a few times. Add the ground powder, stir a few times, then add the chunks of brinjal. Stir till the brinjal is coated with the mixture, and add the tomato/tamarind extract to this and bring to a boil. Turnn the heat to low, the add the curry leaves, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

Boil till the brinjal is cooked well and the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Serve with hot rice.

andhra chilli chicken

marinate half a kilo of chicken with the following for about 45 minutes:

7-10 slit green chillies
1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon of coriander powder
1 teaspoon of cooking oil/ghee
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
a pinch of asafoetida powder

finely mince 1 big onion
dry roast a few curry leaves till dry

heat cooking oil in a kadai, add the onion and fry till light brown. add the marinated chicken and stir fry till it starts turning brown. reduce flame and let it cook. when almost done add 1/2 teaspoon of chicken/garam masala, a pinch of fenugreek powder, 1/2 teaspoon of jeera powder and cook the chicken till its done. squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and add the curry leaves, stir and turn off the heat.