Colocasia Root / Chama dumpa Pulusu.. Curry!

Colocasia root / Taro root / Arbi / Kesavuna Gedde / Chama Dumpa … this root vegetable is one of my favorites ..especially when the sweet / sour & spicy curry made in Andhra style … mmmm… Taro root is beneficial medicinally in many ways..and most of the times it is very under rated yet healthy root vegetable ! Not only the curry style you can cook as dry roast, mashed, fried like chips many more varieties..try as many as you can…Let's dive in to this recipe, for now…. :-)

Chamadumpa pulusu

Ingredients :

Colocasia root - 5 to 6 (depends on the size)

Tamarind juice - 2 table spoons

Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon

Red chili powder - 2 table spoons

Sugar / Jaggery powder - 1 to 2 table spoons

Cumin seeds / Jeera - 2 tea spoons

Chopped onion - 1/2 cup

Chopped tomato - 1 cup

Curry Leaves - 4 to 5

Oil - 2 table spoons

Roasted peanuts - 1 table spoon

Methi / fenugreek seeds powder - 1/2 table spoon

Salt - As per the taste

Water - 1 to 2 cups (depends on the thickness of the gravy required)

Preparation :

- Dry roast the peanuts, 1 tea spoon of jeera & grind with the red chili powder and keep it aside.

Peanuts / Jeera / Red chilli powder - Mix

- Wash the colocasia thoroughly in the running water and make sure no mud or soil on the skin.

Colocasia root

- Boil the colocasia roots in water until they became softer ( use the fork to see if they are cooked enough ).

- Once the colocasia root is cooked, turn off the heat and let them cool down and transfer them into cold water and peel off the skin cut them in to round pieces and keep them aside.

Taro root

- Heat the oil in the pan and fry curry leaves, remaining jeera & chopped onion until onion turns slightly brownish.

Chamadumpa pulusu

- Add the choppe tomatoes and let them cook for some time.

Chamadumpa pulusu

- Once the seasoning is cooked enough, add the methi powder & turmeric powder and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

Chamadumpa pulusu

- Add some water, so that gravy will not be dry, let the gravy cook for few minutes.

chamadumpa pulusu

- Add the ground peanut & chili powder mix to the gravy and mix well.

Chamadumpa pulusu

- Add the tamarind juice and remaining water to the curry and let the gravy be cooked under medium heat until slightly comes to boil.

Chamadumpa pulusu

- Once the gravy comes to boil slowly add the colocasia root or chamadumpa pieces to the gravy,

Chamadumpa pulusu

- Add some water, so that gravy won't be dried up and add the sugar / jaggery powder & salt to the gravy and cook under low to medium heat.

Chamadumpa pulusu

- Let it cook for some time without drying up the gravy, since the colocasia root is boiled it doesn't take much time to cook in the curry after adding the colocasia pieces to the gravy.

Once, done turn off the heat and let the curry come to the room temperature & Chamadmpa Pulusu curry is ready !!!

This is one of the important tips that I learnt from my mom any gravy / pulusu with tamarind & sugar / jaggery tastes better once they come to the room temperature rather having them hot !

Tomato Pickle !

Though, this is not a Tomato Pickle ( Tomato thokku Pachadi ) which is an andhra style recipe that we preserve it for year long, but a substitute and you can preserve this pickle in refrigerator for 7 to 10 days..and have it whenever you feel like to feel the taste of andhra tomato pickle :-)

Tomato Pickle 

Ingredients :

Tomatoes - 5 to 6 medium sized

Tamarind (seedless) - a small lemon sized

Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon

Red chili powder - 2 table spoons

Methi seeds / Fenugreek seeds powder - 1/2 table spoon

Salt - As per the taste

For Seasoning:

Oil - 1 to 2 table spoons

Dry Red chilli - 1 or 2 

Jeera / Urad dal / Split moong dal / Mustard seeds / split chickpea dal - 2 table spoons
Curry Leaves - 4 to 5
Asafetida / Hing - 1/2 tea spoon

Preparation :

- Wash the tomatoes and cut each tomato into 2 halves, remove the seeds.

Tomato pickle

Note : The seeds or the middle hard portion in the tomato is not too good for the digestion.

Tomato pickle

- Grind the Tomatoes & get a slightly chunky tomato pulp ( DON'T ADD ANY WATER) & don't require to make a fine paste.

Tomato pickle

- Take this tomato pulp into a pan and add turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder, tamarind and give a nice stir & cook this under low heat.

Tomato Pickle

- After some time, you start noticing tomato pulp started cooking and leaving water slowly.

Tomato Pickle

- Let it cook slowly under low heat, after some time you can see the tomato pulp cooked well and evaporating all the moisture.

Tomato Pachadi

- As seen in the above pic this consistency is good, don't make it too dry. turn off the heat & keep it aside and prepare the seasoning for the tomato pickle.

- For seasoning, heat the oil in the pan and start adding all the seasoning ingredients one by one except the hing and fry them under low heat.

- Add the methi seeds powder / fenugreek seeds powder to the seasoning and fry all the seasoning,

Tomato Pickle

- After few seconds, add the asafetida / hing to the seasoning, you can feel the nice aroma...

Tomato pickle

- Once the seasoning is fried enough, add the cooked tomato pickle to the seasoning pan and mix well with the seasoning.

Tomato pachadi

- Let the pickle be cooked with the seasoning for few seconds and turn of the heat.

Andhra Tomato Pachadi

Preferably, leave the tomato pickle to be cool down to the room temperature and best to leave it to set for 1 day, so that it would bring a nice taste and flavor once it settles down well for few hours, rather eating immediately.

After few hours or preferably next day… The Tomato pickle / Tomato pachadi is all yours to enjoy !

Raw Banana stir fry !

Easy & Tasty Raw Banana / Raw Plantain stir fry …

Aratikaya Vepudu 

Ingredients :

Raw Banana / Raw Plantains - 2 to 3

Red Chilli powder - 1 table spoon

Dry coconut shred - 1 table spoon

Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1/2 table spoon ( OPTIONAL )

Salt - As per the taste

For Seasoning:

Oil - 1 to 2 table spoons

Dry Red chilli - 1 or 2 

Jeera / Urad dal / Split moong dal / Mustard seeds / split chickpea dal - 2 table spoons
Curry Leaves - 4 to 5
Garlic cloves - 1 to 2 (chopped / crushed )
Asafetida / Hing - 1/2 tea spoon

Preparation :

- Peel off the banana & dice into small sized pieces or can slice round pieces.

Raw banana stir fry

NOTE : While cutting the raw banana you feel sticky on the knife or on your fingers, just to avoid this apply little oil to the knife before slicing the banana.

- Take the banana pieces in to a sauce pan add pinch of salt & sprinkle some water and cover the pan with a lid & let them steam cook for some time under low heat. Don't keep it on high heat.

Banana fry

- It might take 5 to 10 minutes but not more than that to steam cook the banana, to test just use a fork and see if the banana pieces are steamed well enough, don't need to mash them. Once done, turn off the heat.

Aratikaya vepudu

- For seasoning, heat the oil in a pan and start adding all the seasoning ingredients one by one and fry them.

Raw plantains stir fry

- Once the seasoning is spluttering add the ginger & garlic paste which is totally OPTIONAL and fry for few seconds.

- Add the steam cooked raw banana pieces to the seasoning and give a quick stir adding the turmeric powder.

Raw Banana stir fry

- Add the chili powder & dry coconut shred and stir well, also adjust the salt. If the stir fry feels little dry can sprinkle some water.

Arati kaya fry

- Let it cook for few minutes and Raw Banana stir fry or Aratikaya vepudu is ready, now !

Aratikaya vepudu

It tastes good with Rice & Rasam or with chapati too …enjoy the Raw Plantains stir fry !!

Mango Dal / Mamidikaya Pappu

Some times, we fall short of words… that moment you need an aid of a THING .. it may be a sign, a sigh, a gesture, a movement,..just like this pic… most of my recipes, my cooking everything & everywhere I see my mom.. <3

Lets quickly get into the recipe …. :-)

Mango Dal

Ingredients :

Raw Mango - 1/2 of the mango only
Toor dal / Masoor dal - 1 cup
Water - 3 to 4 cups
Green Chilli - 2
Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
Red chilli powder - 1 tea spoon (OPTIONAL)
Salt - As per the taste

For Seasoning:

Oil - 1 to 2 table spoons

Dry Red chilli - 1 or 2 

Jeera / Urad dal / Split moong dal / Mustard seeds / split chickpea dal - 2 table spoons
Curry Leaves - 4 to 5
Asafetida / Hing - 1/2 tea spoon

Preparation :

- Wash & peel off the raw mango and cut into medium to small pieces ( I used only half of the mango ).

Mamidikaya Pappu

- Wash the dal & add the water.

- Pressure cook the dal with raw mango pieces, green chilli, turmeric powder, chili powder & salt.

Mango Dal

- Once the dal is cooked turn off the heat & let all the pressure go.

- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan & fry all the seasoning ingredients, I added extra green chili in the seasoning since, I didn't add the red chili powder to the dal.

Mango Dal

- Add the seasoning to the mango dal and let the dal cook for 5 minutes under a low heat.

Mango dal

- Just to enhance the taste, use ghee instead of oil for the seasoning but this is totally optional.

Mmidi Kaya Pappu

Indo-Chinese : Chilli Chicken Dry !

Time for some Indo - Chinese recipe….what say ?!
The thought of Indo - Chinese recipes..makes you feel the Sweet - Sour - Spicy..all in one shot ..bring it on..Chilli Chicken Dry : Indo - Chinese style :-)

Chilli Chicken

Ingredients :

Boneless Chicken - 1/2 lb 

Chopped Bell Pepper / Capsicum - 1 to 1 1/2 cup( I used orange & yellow colored peppers )

Broccoli Florets - 1 cup

Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup ( I didn't use the onion for some reason )

Chopped Carrot - 1/2 cup

Chopped celery - 1/2 cup

Chopped Garlic & Ginger - 2 table spoons

Dry Red chili - 2

Sweet & Sour sauce - 3 table spoons

Soy Sauce - 1/2 table spoon

Red Hot sauce - 4 to 5  table spoons

Red chili powder / ground pepper powder - 1 tea spoon (OPTIONAL)

Oil - 3 to 4 table spoons

Sesame oil - 1/2 tea spoon (OPTIONAL)

Salt - As per the taste

Preparation :

- Dice the chicken into small to medium cubes.

- Wash the chicken thoroughly in the running water.

- Add 1 tea spoon of salt to the chicken & steam / boil the chicken in a pan, until well cooked.

- Don't add any extra water / oil to the chicken, steam it slowly under low to medium heat, until the chicken is cooked and all the water from the chicken is evaporated.

Steamed Chicken

- Mean while, chop the vegetables, ginger & garlic.

Indo-chinese

- Don't have to chop all the vegetable too finely, let the pieces be small to medium sized.

- Heat the oil in the pan and fry Chopped ginger & garlic, dry red chillies.

Chilli Chicken Dry

- Add all the chopped vegetables to the fried seasoning in the pan.

Chilli chicken dry

- Add a pinch of salt to this seasoning and give a good toss.

Chilli Chicken Dry

- Add the steamed chicken to the pan.

Chilli Chiken dry

- Stir well and let the vegetables & chicken be fried for few minutes.

Chilli chicken dry

- Add the sweet & sour sauce, red hot sauce to the vegetables, chicken & stir well.

Chilli chicken dry

- NOTE 1 : If you don't have sweet & sour sauce you can use tomato ketchup as well & also if you don't have red hot sauce, just substitute it with red chili powder but taste might differ. Also you can add other vegetables too, like cabbage, scallion / spring onions as per your preference.

- NOTE 2 : While adding sauce & cooking, make sure you cook on low heat.

- Add the ground pepper powder (OPTIONAL) & adjust the salt, stir well and let the chilli chicken dry cook under low heat.

Chilli chicken dry

- Once done, turn off the heat and add the soy sauce to the chili chicken dry and stir well.

- Before serving just coat the Chilli Chicken dry with little sesame oil & sprinkle some sesame seeds but this is totally OPTIONAL.

Chilli Chicken dry is all ready, you can have it with some stir fried rice / noodles on side !

Indo chinese style chili chicken recipe

Chia seeds Pudding with Chikoo !

It is been quite a while, I have posted any recipe..just held up with some work & tada..came back with a simple, delicious & healthy..easy..quick recipe for you all, and also this recipe is a perfect cooler for your body as the summer is going to visit us very soon ….. Hurrah…Lets Jump in to the recipe of,

" Chia seeds Pudding " with Chikoo (Sapota / Sapodilla) for that matter you can use any fruit of your choice !

Talking about the Chia seeds, these are very similar & belong to the same family of Basil seeds / Sabja seeds that we use for the summer drink in India. I remember my mother making sweet drink with sabja / basil seeds in the summer evenings !

Chia seeds pudding

Ingredients :

Chia seeds - 2 table spoons

Water - about 3/4 cup to soak the chia seeds

Milk - 1 cup

Sugar - 2 table spoons

Sapodilla / Sapota / Chikoo / Chiku - 2

Preparation:

- Chia seeds / basil seeds / Sabja seeds , soak them in about 3/4 th cup of water for 3 to 4 hours preferably over night.

Chia seeds

- You can see the well soaked / puffed up chia seeds after 3 to 4 hours / over night.

Soaked Chia seeds

- Boil the milk with sugar until milk becomes 3/4th of the original quantity.

- Remove the excess water from the chia seeds, or better you soak them just in 1/2 cup of water (Don't leave too much water along with soaked chia seeds).

- Add the boiled milk to the chia seeds & stir well.

Chia seeds pudding

- Adjust the sugar.

Chia seeds pudding

- Once the mix comes to room temparature, keep this chia seeds & milk mixture in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, covering with a lid / cling wrap, so that no water crystals will be formed over the pudding.

- Meanwhile, cut the chikoo and remove the seeds & scoop out the chikoo pulp.

Chikoo / Sapodilla / Sapota

- By now, the pudding must be slightly firm & ready to be served. Take out from the freezer and take the pudding in to serveware & top it with chikoo pulp.

- For that matter you can use any seasonal / Tropical fruit to top the Chia seeds pudding like, papaya, peaches, mango or passion fruit or any fruit of your choice.

Enjoy the chilled & delicious chia seeds & chikoo pudding !

Chia seeds pudding