Spicy Beerakaya masala kura / Ridge gourd masala curry

I'm not sure what it was but I had made it my goal to turn some of the boring or not so like-able vegetables into something desirable. Maybe it was due to the fact that using the most common vegetables everyday became a little boring after all.  So anyways, here I was staying at my friend Swathi's place in Atlanta and saw her making Beerakaya (Ridge gourd) one night for dinner. My first thought was "yikes"! But then, having tasted her other dishes I was confident she was going to turn this into something yummy so I paid close attention to her cooking and learned the dish. I definitely tweaked it to suit my style and thought I would share my recipe here. 

Ingredients: 

2 Beerakayas peeled and chopped

2 Medium sized onions chopped

1 bunch mint leaves

4 Green chillies chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp masala powder / corriander powder

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp oil

Salt as needed

Procedure: 

1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, green chillies and mint leaves. After 30 seconds, add the chopped onions. 

2. Once the onions are translucent, add turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste.  

3. Soon after step 2, add the beerakaya pieces, add salt and close the pan for a couple of minutes. 

4. The beerarkaya will soften fairly quickly and you may cook it till it softens and till any water produced has evaporated. You may take off the lid once the vegetable has softened/cooked as per your judgement. 

5. Finally add the garam masala powder or any other powders you generally like to use. 

6. The dish is ready to be served, with rice or roti :)

Dum Aloo / Baby Potatoes in a spicy gravy

My husband and I were grocery shopping one day and came across these really cute looking Baby potatoes in the store. My husband being a fan of potatoes, instantly wanted us to get them and figure out a recipe to make something of them. Of course, when he says "us", he really means I should figure something out and cook them. So, I looked through a lot of recipes and came across something that seemed interesting and closer to our liking. I made it soon as I could and of course my husband loved it and wants "us" to do it

again! Here is the recipe and hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did :)

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes: 15
Onions 2
Tomatoes 2

Green chillies 4

Garam Masala Powder
Oil

Salt

Red chilli powder (based on how spicy you would like it)

Garlic 2-3

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. To begin with, slightly boil the potatoes by covering them wi

th water and using either a pressure cooker (no more than 2 whistles) or a microwave. Make sure the potatoes are not fully boiled, as they might break easily in such a case.

2. You can now easily peel off the skin on the potatoes once they have cooled down after boiling.
3. Heal oil in a deep vessel and pour enough amount of oil to be able to deep fry the above potatoes. The potatoes should turn golden brown

as you fry them. Remove the potatoes into a paper towel and keep them aside.

4. Heat some oil in a pan and add sliced onions. Fry them until golden brown and add any masala powder you choose to use for your cooking.

5. Turn off the heat and let the fried onions cool down.
6. As they onions are cooling down, you may add halved tomatoes, peeled garlic and sliced green chillies into a blender. Once the onions are cool enou

gh, add them into the blender along with the others mentioned above. Now blend the mixture into a fine paste, making sure everything has blended well.
7. Heat about 1 tbspoon oil in a pan again and add cumin seeds and the above paste. Do not add any water as yet. Add salt, masala powder and red chilli powder to the paste and stir well. Let the paste cook until the oil separates and it starts to look dry.

8. As the paste is cooking, take a fork and poke the previously fried potatoes on all sides carefully. Making these tiny holes lets the above masala or paste add taste to the potatoes.
9. When the paste looks dry and well cooked, now add some water based on how thick or thin you like your gravy/sauce to be.10. Right away add the potatoes and cover with lid on medium heat and cook fir another 10-15 minutes.
11. Uncover the pan and let any of the remaining water evaporate.
12. Garnish with fresh corriander leaves and eat with rice or roti.

Inguva kharam pettina Vankaaya / Egg plant with Asafoetida

INGREDIENTS:

Brinjal / egg plant long ones.....2

Red Chilly Powder.....................3 t sp.

Asafoetida....................................3 t sp.

Salt................................................2 t sp.

Oil for shallow frying.

Water............................................2 t sp.

METHOD:

1.Take all three-red chilly powder, salt, asafoetida mix together,with water and 1 t sp of oil. Make a paste of it, but not very thick.

2.Cut Brinjal into 3'' long pieces. Then cut each piece in length wise, but not fully cutting and separating them apart. Also cut it in another direction of the length. Again not cutting at the bottom of the piece. It makes a spaces in between both the cuts.

3.Now in all the pieces fill with this paste generously and after filling, tie with a thread. so that they are secured when dropped in oil.Keep them aside.

4.Depending upon the size of your sauce pan, heat oil and few at a time fry the masala filled brinjal pieces. It is better few at a time.

5.This does not take much time to fry, also consumes less oil.

6.Serves 4 persons.

దోసకాయ కూర: Dosakaaya Kura- Yellow Cucumber curry

INGREDIENTS:

Medium size dosakaya/cucumber----1
Bengal gram/senagapappu-------1 tbs (soaked in water)
Minapappu/black gram ------------1/2 tbs
Avaalu/mustard seeds----------------1tsp
Red chillies/yendu mirapakayalu-----2
Curry leaves--------------------few
Oil-------------1/2 tbs
Salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Soak bengal gram dal for half an hour.
2.Peel cucumber and taste a piece, discard it if it tastes bitter.
3.Cut into small cubes.
4.Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, when it splutter add black gram,
red chillies(cut in to two pieces)and curry leaves.
5.Then add cucumber, bengal gram and little water.
6.Add salt and cover with lid cook in low flame.
7.Stir in between.
8.when it is done eat with rice.

BANGALA DUMPA MASALA KURA / SPICY POTATO SABJI

INGREDIENTS:


Potato....................2
Onions...................2
Red Chilly...............5 to 6
Cumin Seeds...........2 t sp.
Garlic Cloves...........3
Dry Mango powder...1 t sp.
Oil...........................4 to 5 tbl sp.
Salt for taste
Turmeric..................1/2t sp.


METHOD:

1.Peel Potato and cut into small cubes. Half boil them and keep aside.
2.Cut Onions, roast them in 2 t sp. of oil till they look transparent. let it cool.
3.Along with chilly, cumin, dry mango powder (amchur) the onions must be put in the mixi and ground to a paste.
4.In a pan take oil, fry half cooked potato pieces few at a time. keep them aside. If oil is not a health concern then, one can deep fry them. Dependes on once choice.
5.In a wider pan again put oil, add this onion paste and fry it nicely with out getting burnt. Add salt, turmeric.
6.Add fried potatoes to the masala. Mix it well to cover the masala to all the pieces.
7.Now the hot alu masala curry is ready to taste with hot rice.
8.It serves 4 to 5 persons.

గుమ్మడికాయ వడియాలు తోటకూర: Gummadikaaya Vadiyalu Totakura: Ash gourd fritters with Amaranth greens

Serves: 2 people. Preparation time: Soaking- 3 hours, cooking- 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 bunch Amaranth greens (Cholai/Totakura)
1 medium Onion chopped
1 Tsp Mustard seeds (Rai/Avalu)
1 Tsp oil

For Vadiyalu:
1/2 rice cooker cup split black gram (Urad/Minappappu)
Ash gourd (Boodida gummadikaya)
Dry red chilli flakes (or chopped green chilli) to taste
1 tsp Cumin seeds
Salt to taste
2 pinches Asafoetida

A Cauldron of oil for deep frying

Method:
1. Wash minappappu, cover with 1" water & soak for 3 hours. Drain away excess water and grind into a coarse/grainy tight paste/dough (Do not grind it too smooth, the vadiyalu soak up lot of oil during deep frying if made with fine ground dough.).
2. Cut the Ash gourd into smaller manageable chunks, carve out the white fleshy part of the vegetable and discard the tough peel. Chop the white flesh into small (1/2") pieces. Set aside.
3. Add asafoetida, Cumin, chillies and salt to the Minappappu dough and mix in thoroughly.

4. Place the cauldron of oil on heat for deep frying.

Arrange a single layer of few Ash gourd pieces over your fingers (as shown in the photo), scoop up some Minappappu dough onto the Ash gourd pieces (again as shown in photo). Minappappu dough is a very sticky substance, so the ash gourd pieces stick together easily without breaking apart. Drop the dollop into the oil. Repeat until the surface of the oil is full of floating frying dollops. Fry them until they turn golden brown, stir them to evenly brown all sides. Remove onto a plate lined with blotting paper and set aside.

5. Remove leaves from Amaranth greens, discard the stems (You could use them to make Totakura Kadala pulusu). Wash the leaves in cold running water, drain in a colander. Take a bunch of leaves, chop them lengthwise & breadthwise so that they are fine chopped.
6. Heat 1 Tsp oil in a pan. When it is hot, add Mustard seeds. When they splutter, add chopped onion. When it  browns, add chopped Amaranth greens & salt. Cover & cook until they are soft, around 7 minutes for the small quantity mentioned above. You may add a tablespoon of water if needed.
7. Mix in the Vadiyalu into the cooked greens, cover and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Variations:
You can alter the tempering as per your wish, like adding turmeric, more green chillies, include tamarind paste.

Culture & Health:
This dish is traditionally made with real 'vadiyalu'. The dollops of ash gourd-minappappu paste are dried in bright sunlight for two days and stored. These dried 'vadiyalu' are then fried and added to the Totakura.
Whereas, the vadiyalu described in this recipe are actually just a kind of vada/garey, a fried dollop of fresh dough, an instant/quick way of making vadiyalu.
This preparation is very good for health, the goodness of minappappu protein, green leafy vegetable (Amaranth) and Ash gourd, which is believed to be a very sacred vegetable full of positive energy according to Ayurveda/Yoga/Hinduism.

Trivia:

My sister taught me this recipe!

కొతిమీర కారపు వంకాయ :Kotimeera karapu vankaya- Eggplant with cilantro & green chilli

Serving for 2 persons

INGREDIENTS:

Vankayalu/eggplant...........2(Long)
Green chillies.. ..............10 to 12 (medium size)
Salt .......................................to taste
Cilantro .................................1/2 bunch
Oil .......................................To fry (Not deep fry)

METHOD:

1.Cut eggplant about 3 inc length and keep in water.
2.Grind cilantro,chillies and salt make paste.
3.Make a slit on both side of eggplant as shown in picture.
4.Stuff the cilantro paste in to slits.
5.Heat oil in a pan add pieces and fry them untill it becomes tender.

It goes with hot rice and ghee.
Variations: you can stuff red chilly powder and heeng instead of above paste.

కూరిన బీరకాయ: Kourina Beerakaya- Stuffed Ridge gourd

Serving per 3 persons
INGREDIENTS

Beerakayalu (Ridge gaurd)....2 no.
Oil..........................to fry
Besan(bengal gram flour).....2 tbl sp
Red chilly powder.... .......2tsp
Cumin powder.................1tsp.
Turmeric.....................2 pinches.
salt.........................for taste.
Heeng........................1/4 tsp

Method:

1.Peel beerakaaya and cut into round cylindrical pieces.(9 to 10 pieces come)
2. Give slit in the middle of the cut kaaya, as shown in the photo
3.Roast the besan on a pan to leave the raw smell.
4. Add chilly powder, cumin powder, turmeric,heeng and salt to besan.
5.Add little oil to this powder to mix and make nice stuffing.
6.Now in a bowl take cup water, mix 1 tsp salt.
7.Take beerakaya pieces dip in this water for few seconds and squeeze out.
8.Take one by one piece and fill with the stuffing, until all the pieces done.
9.In a pan pour oil to do shallow frying, few pieces at a time.
10.When all have been done, take in a plate and garnish it with cilantro.

This item goes with rice.

అరటి పెసల కూర: Arati Pesalu Kura: Plantain with Mung bean

Serving for 2 persons

INGREDIENTS:

Raw Banana .........1 big
Little oil..................
Green Gram dal.......1/4 cup
Red Chilly........................2
Black Gram dal..................1 tsp.
Mustard.............................1 tsp
Cumin seeds.......................1 tsp.
salt for taste

Method:

1.Peel Banana and cut into small pieces.
2.Soak Green gram dal in little water.
3.Keep sauce pan on heat, put oil.
4. When it is hot, add chilly pieces, black gram dal, mustard, cumin seeds.
5.The seeds start fluttering, add the cut banana.
6.Put salt, turmeric,and sprinkle little water then close the lid.
7.When the veg. is soft, add the soaked dal.
8.Keep it for some time to cook and put off the stove.
9. Now the banana kura is ready to eat.

.It is tasty when eaten hot and with hot rice adding ghee.

క్యాబేజీ ఆవ కు- Cabbage Ava Kura- Cabbage with Mustard

INGREDIENTS:

Cabbage...............1 Lb(1/2kg)
Oil........................1 tbl sp.
Chenna dal...........2 tsp.
Black gram dal.....2 tsp.
Cumin seeds.........1 tsp.
Mustard seeds.......3 tsp.
Curry leaves...........few.
Green chilly............3 no.
Salt..........................for taste.
Turmeric.................1/4 tsp.
Red chilly.................1 or 2

Method:

1.Chop cabbage in to small size.
2.Soak 2 spoons of mustard seeds for 15 mts. and then make paste of it.
3.Keep sauce pan on the stove. put oil, when it is hot add red chilly pieces.
4. Add chenna dal, black gram dal, cumin seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds.
5.When it flutters add curry leaves and cut cabbage.
6. Put salt, turmeric,green chilly, mix well.
7.Do not close lid.
8.Keep stirring in between, when it is cooked, add the mustard paste to the curry. mix it again.
9. The cabbage curry is ready to mix it with rice or to eat it with rotis.

This serves for 2 people.

కాకర కాయ వేపుడు: Kakara kaaya vepudu: Bitter Gourd Fry

Serves for 3

INGREDIENTS

Bitter Guard............5 big size
Onion.......................1 big size
Oil to fry..................2 tbl sp.
salt for taste
Red chilly powder.......2 tsp.

Method..

1. Cut the bitter guard in to small pieces.
2. Apply 2 tbs. to the cut pieces. keep them aside for 1/2 hr.
3. Now squeeze out the bitter water from the veg. now it is ready to be fried.
4. Cut onions also in to small pieces.
5. Take oil in a pan, when it is hot put the cut bitter guard pieces. fry stirring them in between. add salt for taste.
6.Add cut onion to the bitter guard. fry again till is crisp.
7. Add chilly powder mix well and ready to eat.

This goes with rice.

సొరకాయ ఆవ పెట్టి కూర: Sorakaya ava petti kura: Bottle gourd with mustard

INGREDIENTS

1. Bottle Guard...............1.medium size
2.Tamarind......................big lemon size soaked.
3.Mustard seeds.............2 tbl sp.soaked and made into paste with same water.
4.Jaggery.........................small lemon size.
5.Turmeric........................1/2 tsp.
6.Oil...................................2 tbsp.
7. Water............................2 cups.
8. Salt...............................as per the taste.

Seasoning:

9.Red chillies ..................3 no.
10.Bengal gram dal...........1tbsp.
11.Black gram dal...............1 tbl sp
12.Mustard seeds for seasoning...1/12 tsp.
13.Cumin seeds............................1/12 tsp.
14. Asafoetida................................1/4tsp

Method:

1. Soak mustard seeds in enough water.
2. Soak tamarind in water to get pulp.
3. Peel guard and cut into small cubes.
4.Heat oil in a pan and add seasoning after splitters then add guard pieces.
5. Add water and salt and keep the lid.
6.Grind soaked mustard into paste.
7. Take out pulp from soaked tamarind and keep aside.
8. When veg. cooked 3/4 add tamarind pulp and jaggery.
9. Cook until it is soft.
10. Add mustard paste and cook for two more minutes.
11. Garnish with cilantro and serve.


This item goes with rice and roti.

గుత్తి దొండకాయ: Kurina Dondakaya- Stuffed Tindora (Ivy gourd)

This is the 50th recipe of our blog and 20th recipe of mine.


Ingredients

15 dondakayalu/tindora
2 tsp senagapindi/chana flour
1/2 tsp karam/chilly powder(as desired)
salt to taste
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin powder
1 to 2 tbsp oil to fry

Preparation

Wash and trim two sides of tindora and slit them length wise.
Steam them for 10 min
Mix chana flour, chilli powder, jeera powder and salt in a bowl
Stuff tindoras wit the above mixture.
Heat oil in a pan and fry them on a low flame till they turn to brown color.
Serve them hot with rice.

Arati puvvuu paatoli- Banana Flower & Lentil Curry

Ingredients

1 small cup Pacchi senagapappu/chanadal
1 small cup kandhi pappu/toordal
5to 6 Endumirapakayalu/red chilly
1/2 tsp jeelakarra/jeera
1/2 tsp heeng/inguva
salt to taste
1/4 cup oil
1 medium size banana flower

Preparation
Soak dals for 2 hours
Peel banana flower and remove buds
From each bud remove the transparent petals and thick headed strings and throw them away
Peel the banana flower as shown in picture
Cut all the flower buds in to small pieces.
Chop the remaining flower in to small pieces
In a bowl put these chopped pieces and add turmeric powder and water
Grind soaked dals , redchillis, jeera, heeng and salt without adding water.
Sqeeze water from flower and pressure cook them for 4 whistles.
Heat oil in a pan and if you want add popu/tadka
Add grinded batter and stir
When the batter is half cooked add cooked flower and stir.
Fry them until it becomes dry

This curry goes with white rice, ghee and ullipaya pulusu.
Banana flower is good for health.It helps in getting rid of kidney stones.

This dish is bit tedious to prepare but the taste is well worth the effort. I suggest you to cook this atleast once a month as it's good for health.