మణుగుపూలు / Manugupulu/Janthikalu/ Murukulu/ Rice flour snack

Ingredients:
2cups Rice flour
1/2cup Moong dal
2tsp jeera/cumin seeds
4tsp sesame seeds (Optional)
Oil for deep frying
1tsp.Red chilli powder
Salt to taste.
3 tbsp hot oil or butter

Preparation :
1. Pressure cook moong dal.
2. In a wide bowl add rice flour,moong dal paste, chili powder, salt, sesame seeds and cumin seeds mix it well.
3. Add 3tbsp.oil(hot oil) or butter,mix it well, by adding enough water make a dough of roti dough consistency.
4. In a deep frying pan add oil for deep frying, once the oil is hot enough for frying(oil should not be too hot, this makes murukulu get burnt)
5. Now take the mould(can be bought from Indian store) keep enough dough in to it, press it in hot oil, fry them until they are light golden brown in color, fry them in batches and drain on a paper towel.
6. Store them in air tight container.

Variations: Instead of moong dal you can use urad dal or puttnala pappu( Dalia). If you are using putnala pappu then just grind it and mix it in the rice flour, no need to pressure cook.


Learnt this from my mom-in-law (Manjuvani):)

గుత్తి వంకాయ కూర: Gutti Vankaya Kura- Stuffed eggplant

Ingredients
10 small round egg plants/vankayalu
kura podi (refer to our podulu)
1 to 1 1/2 tbsp oil Salt to taste

Thayarucheyatam/preparation
Wash egg plants and remove the stem
Slit them in length wise up to 3/4 height and turn the egg plant upside down (opposite side) and make a slit on the other side too.
Do not cut the brinjal completely into pieces. Just slit the brinjals.
Now put them in salt water.
In a bowl take sufficient amount of kurapodi and add salt as per your taste.
Add little oil to powder and make it litte wet
Stuff the above mixture into eggplants and microwave them for about 8 mins.
Heat oil in a pan, add semi-cooked eggplants fry them by changing sides until the eggplants become brown.

బెండకాయ కూర: Bendakaya kura- Okra curry

Ingredients:
2lbs Okra , Manju
1tbsp oil
1tbsp curd/perugu
salt to taste
chilly powder/karam (adjust as you per your taste) Thiragamatha/thadka/popu
1tbsp senagapappu/chanadal
1/2 tbsp menapapu/urad dal
1/2 tsp Avalu/mustard seeds
6 karivepaku/curry leaves

Thayarucheyatam/preparation
Wash and wipe okra with paper towel or cloth
Cut them into small pices
Heat oil in a pan, add all sesonings and curry leaves
Add okra pieces, then add curd and cover them. Adding curd removes the stickiness from okra.
Cook them on low flame
Do not stir them very frequently as okra might become paste
When half cooked add salt and cook until soft.
Add chilly powder and stir.
Serve it with rice or roti.

My mom used to say that eating Okra will sharpen your brain and also improves math skills.

కాకరకాయ పుల్ల బెల్లం: Kakarakaya pulla bellam- Bitter melon curry with tamarind & jaggery

INGREDIENTS:
6 medium kakarakayalu/Bitter gourd/melon
Big Marble sized tamarind/chinthapandu or puree (1 tbsp)
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric/pasupu
1tsp chilly powder/mirappodi
1tbsp bellam/jaggery/brown sugar

Thiragamatha/Thadka/seasoning
1tbsp oil
1/2tsp avaalu/Mustard seeds
1tbsp senagapappu/chana dal
1/2 tbsp minapappu/urad dall
6 curry leaves/karivepaku

Thayarucheyatam/Preparation
1. Wash and cut kakarakayalu into round pieces.
2. In a pan add tamarind juice,bitter melon pieces,turmeric and salt.
3. Cover and cook them until the bitter melon pieces are cooked well.
4. Don't smash them. Don't add too much water.
5. Heat oil in a pan add the seasonings, when it is all done add the boiled
bitter melon pieces and fry them for 5 min.
6. Add chilly powder, brown sugar according to your taste.
7. Serve hot with hot rice.

If you like it little sour then you can add 1tsp tamarind puree along with chilly powder and jaggery.

బూడిద గుమ్మడికాయ కూర: Boodida gummadi kaya kura- Winter melon/Ash gourd entree

Ingredients:

2lbs budidha gummadikaya/winter melon
1 tbsp senagapappu/chanadal

Tiragamatha/popu/Thadka
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp avalu/mustard seeds
1tsp minapappu/ urad dal
1/4 tsp jeelakarra/jeera/ cumin seeds
1 yendu mirapakaya/red chilly
5 karivepaku/curry leaves

Thayarucheyatam/preparation:
Soak chana dal for half an honor
Wash and peel pumpkin and chop into small cubes.
Heat oil in a pan and add all seasonings
Add pumpkin pieces and chana dal stir and cover with lid
Add salt and cook them until pumpkin becomes soft.
Serve with rice or roti.

This is very good for health. In Ayurveda they call this as amruthaharam.

మినుముల చింతపండు పచ్చడి: Minumula chintapandu pachadi- Black gram & Tamarind Chutney

(Nellore special)

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup whole Black gram seeds (sabut urad dal/Minumulu)
1 Tsp Mustard seeds/Avalu
10 Dry Red chillys/yendumirapakayalu (as per taste)
1/2 Tsp fenugreek seeds or powder (Methi/Menthulu)
1/2 Tsp Asafoetida (Hing/inguva)
1 large lemon sized tamarind pulp (tastes good with only freshly made paste)
11/2 tbs oil
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp jaggery (Gud/bellam)
(You may use brown sugar instead of jaggery.)

Thayarucheyatam/Method:
Soak tamarind in warm water for about half an hour.
Roast urad dal with few drops oil until it turns red and set aside to cool.
Heat oil in a small pan: add mustard seeds, fenugeek seeds, red chillys, turn off heat when done, add hing and leave to cool. Grind along with jaggery/sugar and salt.
To the above mixture add tamarind and grind again.
Take half of urad dal, above ground mixture and grind coarsely.
Make sure urad dal is not completely mashed.
Add remaining urad dal and grind just by pressing the wipping button.

Accompaniments:
This chutney is very tasty.
Serve it with hot rice and ghee.
Tastes great with the combination of kandi pachadi and kandi podi.
This pachadi tastes better day by day.

కాయకూరల పచ్చడి: Kaaya kurala pacchadi- Mixed vegetable chutney

( MY MOTHER-IN-LAW SUNDARAMMA'S RECIPE)

INGREDIENTS:
1 beerakaya/Ridge gourd
1 dosakaya/ Yellow cucumber
5 bendakayalu/okra
1 vankaya/egg plant (long)
2 big tamata/tomato
5 pachimirapakayalu/green chillies(adjust as per taste)
Marble size tamarind or 1tsp Amchur
2tbs oil
cilantro/kothimera for garnishing
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric

Popu/Thiragmatha
1tbs urad dal/minapappu
1/2 tsp mustard seeds/avalu
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds/ menthulu
1/2 tsp hing/inguva

Thayaruchyatam/preparation
1. Soak tamarind. Clean, peel and chop all vegetables into pieces.
2. Heat oil and add chillies and all the chopped vegetables.
3. Saute till they are soft
4. Once cooled, grind tamarind and chillies first, add the rest of the sauted vegetables, salt and grind again to a paste.
5. Heat oil in another pan and add the mustard Seeds and once they splutter, add fenugreek seeds, urad dal and hing, once you get the aroma turn off heat
6. Pour the oil mixture over the paste.

Accompaniments:
It tastes great with hot rice, roti ,dosa and upma .

Warning : Taste the ridge gourd and yellow cucumber as they taste bitter sometimes.