Soujanya's Kitchen

Vakkaya Dal also tastes good when cooked with green gram. It is famous in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Ingredients 1 cup uncooked Toor dal 200 gm Vakkayalu – chopped(cut them into quarter, deseeded) 2 green chilly – sliced coriander leaves - finely chopped 1/2 tsp turmeric powder salt to taste For Seasoning 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds Few curry leaves Pinch methi powder 2 tbsp oil ½ tsp Hing Method Clean the dal; add required water, turmeric powder and pressure cook the dal. In a pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Hing and methi powder. When mustard seeds begin to splutter add curry leaves, vakkayalu and green chilly. Cover it with lid and cook till vakkayalu become soft.Add cooked dal, salt, red chili powder and mix well. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves. Serve Vakkaya Pappu with hot plain rice.

Ingredients 1 cup Tindora (chopped) ½ tsp of dry tamarind coriander -finely chopped ½ tsp turmeric powder salt to taste For Seasoning 1 tsp mustard seeds 3 dry red chillies 1 tsp urad dal 2 tsp peanut oil ½ tsp Hing Method Pour a tsp of oil in a pan; add minapappu (urad dal), mustard seeds, hing, red chillies & in it. Keep it aside to cool. In the same pan, put some oil and add chopped Tindora (Dondakaya) and fry till it become soft. Remove from heat and let it cool. Grind above seasoning with fried Tindora, tamarind, salt, turmeric to a fine paste. Garnish this with chopped coriander. Tindora Chutney tastes good with hot plain rice.

Tomato Pickle is an instant pickle . Its preparation time is very less and is ready to be consumed immediately unlike other pickles (avakai) which take one week. You don’t need to worry about the guests that suddenly drop in. Have this Tomato pickle handy . This can be preserved for more than a week. Ingredients ½ Kg Tomatoes - Chopped 2 tbsp Tamarind paste ½ tsp Turmeric Salt to taste For Seasoning 1 tsp Mustard seeds 1 tbsp Channa dal 1/4 tsp Methi powder 1 dry Red chilli ½ tsp Hing 3 tbsp Peanut oil Method Heat oil in a pan; add tomatoes, salt, turmeric to it. Cover with lid and once tomatoes become soft, add tamarind paste to it. Keep this Chutney aside. Pour a tsp of oil in a pan, put channa dal, mustard seeds, and once they begin to splutter; add methi powder and hing in it. Let it cool and add red chilli powder to it. Mix above chutney with this seasoning. Tomato Pickle tastes good with hot rice and Dals.

Ingredients 1 cup Cabbage (Chopped) 1 cup Grated coconut 2 cups Water 1 tsp Turmeric (Optional) Salt as required For seasoning 2 tsps Urad dal 1 tbsp Channa dal 1 tsp Mustard seeds 1 Red chilli Pinch of Hing Few curry leaves 2 tsp Peanut oil Method In a bowl take cabbage, add salt and required water. Allow it to boil, by covering with a lid. Once boiled, drain it and keep aside to cool. Take a pan, pour some oil and add urad dal, channa dal. Fry till they turn little brown. Add mustard seeds, when they begin to splutter add red chilli, hing and curry leaves and grated coconut to it. When coconut colour changes to light brown, add boiled cabbage to it. Cook for 2 minutes on a low flame till the water gets evaporated. Serve Cabbage-coconut curry with hot Plain rice or chapathi’s.

Ingredients 1 cup Capsicum - chopped 3 tbsp Gram flour (Besan/ Senagapindi) 1 tsp Rice flour 1/2 tsp Ajwain (Vamu) 1/2 tsp Dhaniya powder (coriander powder) 1 tsp Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp Turmeric Salt as required 2 tbsp Peanut oil Method Heat peanut oil in a pan; add chopped capsicum, salt and turmeric to it. Place the lid, cook for 5 mins under medium flame and keep checking until capsicum becomes soft. Prepare thick batter by mixing gram flour (besan, senaga pindi) rice flour together with salt, red chilli powder, soda, turmeric powder, Ajwain (Vamu), dhaniya powder and mix well by adding water to it. Now add above batter to curry & cook for 5 mins under low flame. Capsicum Besan curry tastes good with hot rice & ghee.

Sorakaya with Nuvvu pappu podi is a great combination curry in Andhra Pradesh. Ingredients 1 Cup Bottle gourd cubes (Chopped Bottle gourd) 3 tbsp Sesame Powder (Nuvvu pappu podi) 1 tsp Mustard seeds 1 Dry Red chilli 1 tsp Red chilli powder Few curry leaves (Optional) Method In a bowl add chopped bottle gourd, turmeric, salt and required water. Allow it to boil, by covering with a lid. Once boiled, drain it and keep aside to cool. Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan. Add Sesame seeds, red chilies, cumin seeds. Fry them, Keep aside to cool. Grind it to fine powder by adding little salt. (Nuvvu pappu podi) Take some oil in a pan; add bottle gourd, curry leaves and fry it on a medium flame. Keep checking till water gets evaporated and add above Nuvvu pappu podi, and fry for 2 mins. Put red chilli powder and mix well the curry. Turn off the flame. Serve hot with plain rice or Chapathi's.

Ingredients 1/2 kg Potatoes – chopped 1 tsp Red chilli powder Required salt Few curry leaves Method Heat some oil in a pan; add potatoes, turmeric and fry it on a medium flame. Cover it with lid; Keep checking till potatoes colour changes to light brown. Once potatoes become soft, add salt and fry for 2 mins. Before removing from stove add red chilli and curry leaves and mix well the curry. Turn off the flame. Serve hot with plain rice and ghee.