Dalcha

I learnt this dish from my Mom-in-Law....so the credit goes to her..I have made a few variations to suit my taste..i bet this is the best dalcha u would have ever tasted,Its a hit with my family n all my friends..whenever i happen to make it i share the half of it with one of my friends...here goes the recipe ...

INGREDIENTS:

1. Kaddu Medium sized(cut into diamond shaped pieces)






2. Meat with bones 3-4






3. Chane ki dal 1 cup






4. Tamarind 2 handfuls(soak in water)






5. Tomatoes 3-4






6. Onion 1 big






7. Loung3,patta 2 1inch pieces






8. Curry leaves handful






9. Red chilli powder 2Tspn






10. Turmeric powder 1/2Tspn






11. Ginger-Garlic paste 2Tbspns






12. Garam masala powder 2Tspn






13. Coriander leaves handful






14. Green chilles 6






15. Salt to taste





16. Oil 4Tbspns

PROCEDURE:

• Pressure cook chane ki dal separately later grind it a semi liquid form(if u like whole chane ki dal u can simply use dal ghotni)






• Now heat oil in a cooker,add loung n patta fry for a minute.






• Later add onions sliced finely along with green chillies.






• Fry until light brown and then add ginger-garlic paste...n fry till the paste turns golden brown.






• Add the curry leaves,mutton bones along with salt,red chilli powder and turmeric powder.






• Also add the tomatoes cut finely.






• Add about 2 cups water and pressure cook for 12 mins.






• Now add kaddu and pressure cook again for 5 minutes(about 3 whistles)






• Add the grinded dal to it along with Tamarind water.






• Add coriander leaves and let it boil.






• Finally add garam masala powder,some more salt to taste.






• U can also add lime juice if u want it to be more tangy.

PREFFERED COMBINATION:Bagara khana-Sem ki phalli Gosht-Dalcha.

I made Dalcha with bagara khana and dum ka gosht .I have already posted Dum ka Murgh recipe on my blog but i tried with gosht instead of chicken...n its a superb combination to try ...hope u all will love this combination.

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Murungakkai Kozhambu / Drumstick Gravy

Ingredients:-

Drumsticks : 2 big or 15 frozen cut drumsticks
Onion : 1 small or 8 shallots / pearl onions
Tomato : 1 small
Green chilly : 1
Garlic : 1 pod
Tamarind : Blueberry size
Oil : 1tbspn
Dry red chilly : 1
cumin: 1/4tspn
Mustard:1/4tspn
asafoetida : 1/8 tspn
Fenugreek powder: 1/8tspn
Curry leaves : 1 sprig
Turmeric: 1/4tspn
Chilly powder : 1/2tspn
Salt: 1tspn
Coriander Leaves : 5-6 sprigs

Ingredients To Grind:-

Sambar powder : 1/2tspn
Fresh or frozen coconut : 1&1/2tspn
Fennel seeds /saunf: 1/4tspn
Peppercorns : 3
Coriander powder : 1/2tspn


Process :-

• Chop drumsticks into 3 inch size pieces , chop onion , tomato , garlic and green chilly.
• Soak tamarind in sufficient water or microwave it with some water for 1 min. After it cools extract the juice from it.
• Grind the ingredients under the title 'Ingredients to grind' to a fine powder .
  
• Heat a deep frying pan and add oil , when hot make tadka by adding dry red chilly , cumin seeds, mustard seeds , green chilly , garlic . Next add asafoetida , methi powder and curry leaves.
• Add onions and fry till transulent by adding pinch of salt.
• Now add drumsticks and fry till half done .Cook covered.
• Add tomato and fry till mushy.
• Add turmeric and chilly powder and give a good mix.
• Now add tamarind juice and add water till it reaches ur required consistency. U can make this as a thick or thin gravy . I love to make it in thin consistency .Once u add water add sufficient salt .
• Add grinded powder and mix it.
• Cover it and let this boil for 10-15mins.
• Next add coriander leaves and after 2 mins switchoff stove put lid.
• Drumstick kolambu is ready to serve with rice , appalam or with any side dish.

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Tomato Pulihora

Serves : 1 Adult

Ingredients:-

Red & ripe plum tomatoes : 2(medium size)
Tamarind : blue berry size
Rice : 1 rice cooker cup (160ml cup)
salt : 1tspn
oil : 2 tspns

Ingredients for Talimpu:-

oil :1 tbspn
Peanuts : 2 tbspns
urad dal : 1 tspn
Chana dal : 1tbspn
Dry red chilly : 1
cumin seeds : 1/2 tspn
Mustard seeds : 1/2tspn
Asafoetida : 1/8tspn
Fenugreek powder :1/8tspn
Curry leaves : few
Green chillies : 3


Process:-

1. Take rice wash it and pour double the quantity of water and let it soak for 10-15 mins and then cook rice . After cooking cool it .
2. Chop tomatoes & green chillies.
3. Heat a shallow/deep frying pan add 2tspns oil and when hot add tomatoes and tamarind . Add 1 tspn salt and mix nicely . Cook covered till mushy . Then takeout the lid and increase the flame and mix continously for 2 mins so that water from tomatoes will evaporate .
4. Switchoff stove and transfer it to another container . Let this cool.
5. Take a paper towel and wipe off the pan neatly and switch it on again . Add 1 tbspn oil and make talimpu by adding urad dal , chana dal , peanuts and dry red chilly . Once they start turning golden colour add cumin ,mustard , asafoetida , methi powder , green chillies . Once green chillies are fried add curry leaves and switchoff stove.
6. Grind tomato tamarind mixture to a fine paste.
7. In cooked rice add grinded tomato paste and mix nicely.
8. Add talimpu to the rice and mix nicely .
9. Let this sit for atleast 15 mins before serving .
10. Serve this with papad or veggie straws or fryams.
11. For me this is a good lunch box idea.
12. NOTE:- U can make tomato tamarind paste in large quantity and u can store it for 2 months in refrigerator. When ever u want to prepare this tomato pulihora u can cook rice ,cool it , add sufficient paste , make talimpu and add . Mix all and tomato pulihora is ready to eat . But if u want to store like this u should take enough care while preparing . U should add sufficient salt .
    

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Andhra Avakaya / Andhra mango Pickle

'Avakaya' the word itself makes me drool . Every day in my lunch the first thing i wish to have is avakaya. My mom makes different pickles with mango and i just love them all . She makes avakaya(plain mango pickle) , allam avakaya (ginger garlic pickle) , palli avakaya(peanut mango pickle) , kobbari avakaya(coconut mango pickle) , nuvvula avakaya(sesemam mango pickle) and pesara avakaya (moongdal mango pickle) .I just love all these versions . I will show u all these delicious pickles in coming posts. But when we r in abroad away from home it is little bit difficult to carry all these pickles along with us . So i thought it is better to make our own pickle when all the ingredients are handy . We get raw mangoes all over the year and all other ingredients we normally have at our homes . I never thought that making avakaya is this easy , frds i tell u just give a try and u will only understand how easy it is and it gives self satisfaction .

Ingredients Required:-

Raw mango :1
salt:3tbspns
chilly powder:4 tbspns
Fenugreek powder :1tspn
Mustard powder :4Tbspns
Fenugreek seeds: 3/4tspn
Oil:8Tbspns or 1/2 cup (better to use sesemam oil if doing in large quantity if not u can use any other cooking oil but preheat it and cool it )


Procedure:-

• Try to select a raw green mango , as soon as u get try to do this pickle . Donot refrigerate mango since it gets ripe quickly.
• Wash it and wipe it dry.
• Chop the mango into pieces . Normally when we make avakaya we put the seed intact while chopping .Doing like this will preserve the mango piece from not getting soft and soggy . But it requires a special sharp knife but when we are making in small quantities that lasts for few days it is better not to take risk of cutting mngo with seed intact. So chop it normally. Try to use a dry knife.
• Grind 3 tbspns of mustard seeds in a coffe grinder that u use for spices grinding or in a regular mixer. So after grinding the powder becomes nearly 4tbspns.
• Take a dry bowl and in it take chilly powder , salt , fenugreek powder , mustard powder and fenugreek seeds. Mix them nicely.
• Take mango pieces in a big bowl .
• To this mango pieces add raw sesemam oil and mix nicely. (use a dry spoon and if using some other cooking oil heat it and cool it and then u can add it)
• To this pieces add mixed spices that we took in a bowl. Give a good mix and put a tight lid and store it in a dry place for 48hrs .
• After 2days has completed take that bowl and give a good mix . Now u can observe the pickle gravy is almost doubled . It is just because mango oozes out lot of moisture.
• Transfer the pickle into a air tight bottle . Delicious andhra avakaya is ready to eat .
• Serve it with hot rice and ghee. If u like u can even have it with plain dal.(My favourite Combo)

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