కజ్జికాయలు: Kajjikayalu

Preparation time: 1 hour
Makes around 15 kajjikayalu



Ingredients

2 cups maida/all purpose flour
½ cup sugar / grated jaggery
½ cup sooji / bombay rava ( Or putnala pappu/ roasted chick peas powder Or gasagasalu/khus khus)
1 tsp cardamom/elaichi powder
¼ cup desiccated coconut powder / fresh grated coconut
2 tbsp Ghee
pinch of salt
Oil for frying


Method:

Mix all purpose flour, salt, 1 tbsp ghee and enough water to make smooth and soft dough (not too soft). Cover with a cloth and let it sit for at least 45 min.

Meanwhile, heat a pan, add ½ tbsp of ghee and roast the sooji till it changes color.
Keep aside and now roast coconut in ½ tbsp of ghee till it changes color. Fresh coconut needs more time than dry coconut.
Add it to the roasted sooji.
Add sugar and elaichi powder to this mixture and let it cool. The filling is ready.

Divide the dough into lemon sized balls.
Now, roll each ball into a thin puri ( use flour to roll out).
Spread a tablespoon( or less) of filling mixture in the center, wet the edges of the puri and close the filling with the puri to form a semi circled shape as shown.
Press the ends firmly with finger tips.



Use kajjikaya moulds to shape it into a kajjikaya.
If you don’t have it, use the edges of a fork and press it gently across the semi circled edges to give it a kajjikaya shape as shown (I use this procedure).




Heat enough oil in a pan for frying. Gently take each rolled kajjikaya without disturbing the edges and slide it into the oil. Oil should be hot enough. Try to fry 3-4 once and deep fry till they are golden brown.

Let the kajikayalu cool and then store in an air-tight container. Can be stored up to 2 weeks.


Note: Instead of 2 cups of maida, you can also use 1 cup of atta and 1 cup of maida. If putnla pappu is used instead of sooji, use jaggery instead of sugar.

పూరి కూర: Puri with potato curry

Puri(s)
Preparation time: 40 min
Makes around 20-25 puris

Ingredients:

2 cups atta (wholewheat) flour
1 tsp of oil
pinch of salt
warm water
Oil for frying



Method:

Take a wide bowl and mix together atta flour, a tsp oil and pinch of salt.
Slowly pour warm water to make a smooth stiff dough. It should be a slightly firm dough.
Let it sit covered for 5-10 minutes.
Divide dough into small lemon-sized balls and roll them out into circular shapes, slightly thicker than rotis and smaller(in diameter) than rotis.




Meanwhile, heat enough oil for frying the puris.
Slowly slide the rolled out puris into the hot oil and press gently with the spatula in the center of the puri so that it puffs up and turns golden brown.
Flip the puri to cook the other side for 15-20 seconds till it turns golden brown.
Drain the puris ensuring all the oil has been drained along the sides of the cooking vessel.
Remove onto a absorbent kitchen towel. Tastes great when served hot.

Note: If Puris dont puff up it means the oil is either too hot or not hot enough. Sometimes, it can be because of the thickness of the puris rolled. Puris should be thicker.

Puri kura is my all time favorite :)


Potato curry
Preparation time: 30 min
Serves 2




Ingredients:
2 potatoes(medium sized), finely sliced
2 onions(medium sized), finely sliced
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1 tbsp besan/senaga pindi/chick pea flour
salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsps oil

For seasoning/popu/tadka:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp minappa pappu/urad dal
1 tsp channa dal/senaga pappu
2-3 green chillis chopped
1″ inch ginger finely minced
5-6 curry leaves(optional)



Method:

Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add urad dal and channa dal and fry till they turn red. Add fresh curry leaves, green chillis and ginger and saute for a few secs.
Add the sliced onions and potatoes and saute on medium heat for a minute.
Add enough water(around 2 cups), salt, turmeric and place the lid and cook till potatoes are cooked. Stir occasionally and add water if needed.
Add besan to 2 tbsp of water without any lumps and add this mixture to the boiled potatoes and mix well. Adjust water according to the consistency you like.
Simmer till the rawness of besan disappears, about 5-6 mins and the curry slightly thickens.
Serve with puris.

Note: You can also add boiled, peeled potatoes to the fried onions after the tadka / talimpu and add little water & follow the rest of the procedure.
It is more tasty if the quantity of onions is more than the potatoes.

టమాట పప్పు: Tamata Pappu- Pigeon peas with tomato

Preparation time : 30 min
Serves : 2





Ingredients

1 cup toor dal
2-3 medium sized tomatoes cut to chunks
2 tbsp tamarind pulp (soak marble sized tamarind in hot/warm water & then extract the pulp)
1 green chilli cut lengthwise
3-4 curry leaves
salt
2 tsps red chilli powder (adjust accordingly)


For Popu / talimpu / tadka:

1/2 tbsp oil
hing / inguva
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp″ jeera
1 tbsp urad & chana dal
1/4 tsp″ turmeric

Method

Wash dal, add 2 cups of water, tomato chunks, a pinch of hing, green chilly and a drop of oil. Pressure cook till dal is cooked.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, jeera and dals.
Once they crackle, add a pinch of hing, curry leaves and turmeric.
Now add the cooked tomatoes (top layer of the cooked dal) to the popu/tadka and fry for a min.
Add the tamarind pulp and 2-3 tbsps of water.
Add red chilli powder, salt and let it cook for around 5 mins on medium flame till the oil separates.
Check the taste and adjust salt if needed.
Now add the cooked dal and mix well.
Switch off the flame. Serve hot with plain rice, ghee and pickle/papad.

Note: Dry roast dal if you like to, before you pressure cook. Mudda pappu being the very essential, tomato pappu is the next essential pappu in our kitchen. I remember we used to have it atleast 3 times a week in our childhood but never bored of it.

We can also add tomato chunks directly to the tadka (without cooking with dal), but I love this taste. Adjust water accordingly to get the desired gravy consistency.

మెంతి మజ్జిగ / Menthi majjiga

Preperation time: 10 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 cups buttermilk
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
salt

For talimpu / tadka:

1/2 tbsp oil
pinch of hing / inguva
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp″ jeera
1 tbsp urad & chana dal
1/3 tsp″ turmeric
pinch of menthi podi / methi powder
4-5 curry leaves
2 green chillis chopped
1″ ginger finely chopped


Method

Add chopped coriander, little turmeric and salt to the buttermilk and keep aside.
Heat little oil in a pan on medium flame, add mustard seeds, jeera and dals. Once they crackle, add chopped ginger, green chillies , curry leaves and turmeric. After a min, add hing, methi powder and remove from fire&add it to the buttermilk..
Serve with plain rice or with dal.


Note: You can replace jeera with vaamu/ ajwain. Also, can add crushed methi seeds if you dont have methi powder.
Majjiga pulusu needs more time for preparation and so I prefer menthi majjiga in most cases. Its equally yummy!

సేమియా ఉప్మా: Semiya upma

Preparation time: 30 mins
Serves : 3





Ingredients:

2 cups semiya, roast in a tsp of ghee for 4-5 mts till golden brown
1 finely sliced large onion
3-4 slit green chillis
1″ ginger finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (optional)
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp urad dal and chana dal
1/2 tsp″ jeera
salt

Method

Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add the urad,chana dal, jeera and saute them till the dal turn slightly brown.
Add green chillis,curry leaves and ginger and saute for 2 mts.
Add the chopped onions and saute on medium heat for 4 mts.
add 3 cups of water and add salt. bring it to boil.
Now, reduce heat and add the semiya and mix it lightly and see that no lumps form and it combines well.
Cover with lid and stir occasionally till water evaporates & semiya is cooked.
Add tsp of ghee and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with chutney or pickle of your choice.


For variation, you can add peas, grated carrot and any vegetable along with onions. Also, can add a cinnamon stick along with jeera. Make sure water quantity is 11/2 times the roasted semiya, otherwise the semiya would stick.
Tastes simply great.I make it whenever am in hurry and I make it in less than 20 mins. Try it out!