Monday 30 September 2019

Sundakkai Vatha Kuzhambu || Usthikaya pulusu || Tamil Nadu sundakkai (Turkey berry) vatha kuzhambu ||

Today's recipe is Sundakkai vatha kuzhambu, it is Tamil Nadu popular recipe prepared using sundakkai vathal. Sundakkai means turkey berries in English, usthikaya in Telugu and kudanekayi in Kannada.  Vathal means sun dried vegetables, turkey berry is soaked in salted buttermilk for 2 days and dried in sun just like we prepare sun dried chillies (majjiga mirapakayallu). Kuzhambu is tamarind based recipe that includes variety of vegetables. Sundakkai taste bitter, but it has many health benifits, it controls diabetes, prevents gas trouble, strengthen bones and many more. Once my neighbor aunty gave me this sundakkai vatha kuzhambu, its really very aromatic and tasty. We use small onions to prepare this kuzhambu, all spices used in it are make this very sumptuous.  We had this sunakkai vatha kuzhambu with hot steamed rice, dollop of ghee, medhu vada and semiya payasam.



Taking this aromatic and healthy "Sundakkai vatha kuzhambu" to Shhhhh Secretly Cooking Challenge fb group started by Priya of Priyas Versatile Recipes and taken further till date by Mayuri she blogs at Mayuris jikoni.  Here admins will select one Indian state in alphabetical order. And they pick pairs for theme, pairs will share 2 ingredients, using that ingredients we will prepare recipe and post it in group album. Other group members will guess the secret ingredient.          

                                                                                                                                         


For this month september we bloggers preparing Tamil Nadu cuisines. My partner for this month is Seema DoraiSwamy Sriram, she blogs at "mildlyindian". Check out her space for wonderful and traditional recipes. I really loved her Gram flour sattu ladoo will try this Rajasthani ladoo's soon. She gave me salt and oil as secret ingredients, with that ingredients i prepared this sunakkai vatha kuzhambu recipes. In turn i gave turmeric and ginger to Seema, she prepared very tasty Lemon rice

Lets start recipe..

                          Sundakkai Vatha Kuzhambu

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time : 20  minutes
Serves : 1 bowl
Category : curries/ Regional
Recipe Cuisine: Tamil Nadu
Main ingredient: Sundakkai / turkey berry
Author : Aruna SarasChandra

Ingredients

For masala

oil - 2 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
chana dal - 1 tsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp\
coriander seeds - 1 tsp
pepper - 1/4 tsp
fenugreek seeds - 1/8 tsp
red chilli - 3
curry leaves - 1 sprig
small onion - 7
tomato - 1
garlic - 4

others

Sundakkai  vathal /sun dried turkey berry - 1/4 cup
tamarind - small lemon size
oil - 3 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
onions - 12
garlic  - 7
curry leaves - 1 sprig
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp(if need)
jaggery - small piece
salt as per taste

Instructions

1) Sun dried turkey berries looks like below, i purchased it from market. Heat a pan with 1/2 tsp of oil fry the sundakkai vathal till it changes color then take it into plate. Also soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water.




2) Now add urad dal, chana dal, coriander seeds, fry till it starts changing color then add cumin, fenugreek seeds, pepper, curry leaves and red chillies fry it well and take it into plate.




3) Now add 1/2 tsp of oil and fry onions, tomato, garlic and take it into plate. Let all the fried ingredients cool, later grind firstly grind spices to powder then add fried onions mixture and grind it to smooth paste by adding some water.







4) Now heat oil in pan add mustard, fenugreek seeds fry it for a second then add garlic and curry leaves, fry till you get nice aroma and garlic starts changing color.



5) Now add small onions, salt and turmeric powder fry till it changes color then add tamarind juice and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes. 




6) Now add freshly grinded masala to the above , add required amount of water and boil it on low to medium flames for 5 minutes by adding jaggery.




7) Check water consistency, salt and spicy taste. If you feel less spicy add red chilli powder and fried berries to the above along with a spoon of oil on low to medium flames for 5 minutes by closing lid.




That's it aromatic and lip smacking sundakkai vatha kuzhambu is ready, keep this kuzhambu for 15-30 minutes then serve as vathal soak in masala and gives good taste. Serve hot with hot steamed rice and dollop of ghee .




Tips

** As sun dried sundakkai vathal contains salt in it, add salt accordingly.

** Adjust red chilli quantity according to its spicy taste, i added only 3 red chillies. It is very spicy so i did not added red chilli powder , if need you can add red chilli powder.

** You can have this kuzhambu for next day also. 

Also check other related recipes by clicking the link below pic..

                                     
                                                  Lemon rasam

                         Miriyala Charu / pepper rasam



                                                        Drumstick Rasam

                         
                             Mamidikaya pappu




Hope you like this aromatic, healthy,hot and piping pepper rasam / miriyala charu. Give it a try and drop your comments in inbox.

Also follow me on

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In pintrest @pintrest
In Instagram @Instagram Also drop your feedback 🤗😍.

You can also search recipe in BetterButter

in Indiblogger
in MyTaste


Thanks for visiting my blog,

ArunaSaraschandra :) 








Monday 23 September 2019

Miriyala Charu || Pepper Rasam || Milagu Rasam || Andhra miriyala charu in just 15 minutes without using rasam powder

Miriyala charu || pepper rasam || milagu rasam with step by step pics and tips. Today's recipe is  South Indian popular rasam variety - pepper rasam using tomatoes, garlic and without using rasam powder and dal/ pappu / paruppu just in 15 min. It is very aromatic, tangy and healthy rasam, as season changed we are getting lots of health issues mainly cold, cough and fever. Miriyala charu / pepper rasam is the best option to cure it. Whenever i am down with cold i prepare this miriyala charu as it is very easy to prepare in 15 minutes and gives very  relief from cold. Pepper, cumin and garlic are the 3 key ingredients to prepare this rasam. No need to add rasam powder to this pepper rasam, adding dal is optional. I always cook dal / mudda pappu separately as hubby like to mix dal and rasam with lots of ghee. It can be prepared in many variations, the one i am sharing here is the easy and fast process. Also check drumstick rasam, surely you will like it.


 Taking this aromatic pepper rasam / miriyala charu to #FoodieMondayBloghop fb group's  #214 #RasamRaaga theme. This week theme was suggested by Priya Iyer, she blogs at "thephotowali", do visit her space for super delicious, very tasty recipes from different regions. I love her writing, photography a lot. Priya suggested us to prepare rasam for this week, first recipe came in my mind is pepper rasam as its raining heavily in chennai. We enjoyed this miriyala charu with mudda pappu, ghee & banana chips.                                                                     
                                       Miriyala Charu / Pepper Rasam

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cook Time : 10 minutes
Serves : 4
Category : Rasam 
Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Main ingredients : Pepper 
Author : Aruna SarasChandra

Ingredients

for tempering

oil - 1 tsp
ghee - 1 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
red chilli - 2 to 3

curry leaves - 1 sprig

for rasam powder

pepper / miriyalu - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp(adjust as per your quantity)
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
garlic cloves - 5

others 

Tomatoes - 2
Green chilli - 1
tamarind - lemon size
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
red chilli powder -  1 pinch
jaggery - 1/8 tsp
coriander leaves - 1 tsp(chopped)
salt as per taste

Instructions

1) Soak lemon size tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes, chop tomatoes, chilli and keep it aside.






2) Coarsely powder pepper, cumin seeds and garlic using mortar pestle or in a mixer jar. As mortar pestle not available i used mixer jar.




3) Heat oil and ghee in a kadai, then add mustard seeds once it starts crackling add cumin seeds, red chilli and curry leaves one after other and fry it well.



4) Now add chopped tomatoes, green chilli and mix it well. Later add turmeric powder, salt cook it on medium to low flames till tomatoes becomes smooth.





5) Now  add tamarind pulp, grinded pepper powder mix it well and cook it for 2 minutes.




6) Now add pinch of red chilli powder, jaggery and 2 glasses of water ( adjust according to your quantity), half portion of coriander leaves to the above.





7) Now boil above pepper rasam on medium flames for 5 minutes then add remaining coriander leaves.



That's it aromatic, healthy, hot piping traditional miriyala charu / pepper rasam is ready to serve. 



Tips

** Adjust pepper quantity when you are serving to kids, as it tastes spicy and strong. 

** Adding pinch of red chilli powder enhances rasams color and taste.

** You can also add cooked toor dal, adding dal will change rasam taste. 

** You can skip adding jaggery or instead of jaggery you can use sugar(just add a pinch). 

Also check other related recipes just by clicking the link below pic..





 
                                                  Lemon rasam


                                                        Drumstick Rasam

                         
                             Mamidikaya pappu




Hope you like this aromatic, healthy,hot and piping pepper rasam / miriyala charu. Give it a try and drop your comments in inbox.

Also follow me on

In facebook @Facebook
In pintrest @pintrest
In Instagram @Instagram Also drop your feedback 🤗😍.

You can also search recipe in BetterButter

in Indiblogger
in MyTaste


Thanks for visiting my blog,

ArunaSaraschandra :) 









Monday 16 September 2019

Pumpkin halwa, yellow pumpkin halwa, kaddu ka halwa

Today's recipe is pumpkin halwa || yellow pumpkin halwa || kaddu ka halwa, it is melt in mouth and very delicious dessert prepared using yellow pumpkin.  It is very easy to prepare in 20 - 30 minutes, we use to have pumpkin regularly in our diet when we are in Khurda, Odisha. Pumpkin halwa is the most loved dessert by my hubby from that time. We can prepare this in many ways, the one i am sharing today is my favorite and always hit at home. Adding mava / kova to this halwa add rich and creamy taste to this halwa. I used full fat milk to prepare khova, condensed milk and brown sugar to make this halwa creamy and tasty. Also we can prepare this halwa by grating or by cutting pumpkin into pieces. I always choose to prepare halwa by grating pumpkin. We can use dry fruits of your choice, i used cashew nuts and almonds. Again here you have choice you can add dry fruits by frying in ghee or you can add grated nuts, today i added grated nuts in halwa.



 Taking this delicious pumpkin halwa to #FoodieMondayBloghop fb group's  #213 theme #LetsCelebrateFall theme . This week theme was suggested by Poonam Bachhav, she blogs at Annapurna. She is a wonderful and talented chef, recently she won "super Chef" cooking competition conducted by Tata Sampann and also got chance to meet  chef "Sanjeev Kapoor" 😍. She suggested us to prepare fall recipes for fall season. Some of the veggies, fruits that we get in this fall season are pumpkin, apples, pomegranate, figs, fennel, winter greens, broccoli, sweet potatoes,  etc.. As per theme we all bloggers planned to prepare fall party recipes, I thought to prepare pumpkin choco chip cake but because of some reasons i ended up with my favorite pumpkin halwa, thanks Poonam for accepting my request.


                 

Let's start our recipe..

                Pumpkin Halwa 

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cook Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 2 bowls
Category : Desserts
Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Main ingredients : yellow pumpkin 
Author : Aruna SarasChandra

Ingredients 

Yellow pumpkin - 1/2 kg
Milk - 4 cups
Condensed milk - 1 cup
Brown sugar - 2 tsp
Cardamom / elachi powder - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 3/4 cup
Cashew nuts - 7
Almonds - 7

Instructions 

1) Boil milk on medium flames till reduces to half. 



2) Peel yellow pumpkin skin and grate it. 




3) Heat a pan with 3tsp of ghee then add grated pumpkin fry it well till it cook well without any raw smell. 




4) Mean while grate cashew nuts and almonds. 


5) Add boiled and reduced milk / mava to the above fried pumpkin mix it well and cook till pumpkin absorbs milk. 






6) Now add condensed milk, brown sugar and elachi powder mix everything well. 






7) Cook the above on low to medium flames till we get thick and creamy consistency by adding remaining ghee. 




8) our yellow pumpkin halwa is ready add grated cashew nuts and almonds. 



Serve pumpkin halwa hot or cooled as per your wish and enjoy this fall with your loved ones😍. 




Tips

** Adjust ghee quantity according to your taste. 

** You can also skip adding milk. 

** instead of condensed milk and brown sugar you can use sugar or jaggery. 

** Instead of grating pumpkin you can cut into pieces.

Also check other desserts by just clicking the link below pic.. 


                           
                         
               
                       Besan Ladoo         

                     Poha Badam Ladoo

                              
                     Ragi Peanut ladoo            


       Sabudana Coconut Ladoo




              Puffed Rice/Maramarala Ladoo


Hope you like this delicious and melt in mouth pumpkin halwa. Give it a try and drop your comments in inbox.

Also follow me on

In facebook @Facebook
In pintrest @pintrest
In Instagram @Instagram Also drop your feedback 🤗😍.

You can also search recipe in BetterButter

in Indiblogger
in MyTaste


Thanks for visiting my blog,
ArunaSaraschandra 😄