Munakkaya sambar( Drumstick stew)

Ingredients:

1 cup of toor dal

2 1/2 cups of water

2 tbsp of oil

1/2 tsp of mustard seeds

1/2 tsp of cumin seeds

1/2 tsp of turmeric powder

1/2 cup of curry leaves
2 cloves of garlic

3-4 green chillies or dry red chillies

3/4 tsp of red chilli powder

3 medium size drumsticks(munakkayalu)

1 large lemon size tamarind ball

1/2 cup of fresh coriander leaves

salt to taste

Procedure:

Wash 1 cup of toor dal and add 2 1/2 cups of water, pinch of turmeric powder and few drops of oil.
Pressure cook it for around 3-4 whistles, let it cool down naturally( it may take 10-15 mts to cool down).
Soak tamarind in 1 cup of warm water and set it aside.
Peel outer skin of drumsticks and cut it into finger length pieces.
Heat oil in a saucepan, add mustard seeds wait until they starts splattering. Now add cumin seeds, green/red chillies, crushed garlic, turmaric powder and curry leaves.
Saute them for a minute. Add drumsticks and give them a good stir, cook them on medium to low flame for 4-5 min by placing lid on top.
Add pulp extracted tamarind juice, chilli powder and salt. Stir all together and bring them to boil.
Adjust the thickness of the sambar by adding hot water, Now stir in the cooked and mashed toor dal.
 Boil the sambar for an other 8-10 mts on low flame, cover cook till drumsticks are cooked.
Check the seasoning and add freshly chopped coriander leaves, simmer for 1 more minute and switch off the flame.
Serve hot with plain rice or bagara rice.
Try this dish, am sure you will enjoy it!

Guddu pulusu (Egg curry / Egg in tamarind gravy)

Ingredients:

6 medium size eggs

2 medium size onions

2 tbsp of oil

1 tsp of garlic ginger paste

1/2 tsp of turmeric powder

1 tsp of chilli powder

1/3 tsp of cumin powder

pinch of fenugreek(menthulu) powder(optional)

1/2 tsp of coriander powder

1 tsp of dry coconut powder

1 big lemon size tamarind

1/3 cup of fresh coriander leaves

salt to taste

Procedure:

Boil eggs for around 12-15 mts, remove shell and keep it aside.
soak tamarind in 1 cup of warm water.
Now heat oil in a sauce pan then add chopped onions, wait until onions turn into golden brown then add garlic ginger paste and turmeric powder.
 Fry them until garlic ginger loses its row smell, add chilli powder, salt and tamarind juice(soaked in warm water and pulp extracted).
Mix well, let it cook for 5 mts on medium flame. then add cumin powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder and coconut powder.
Cook the sauce for another 3-4 mts then add eggs by making slits with knife(to make eggs more tasty).
Cover the sauce pan and cook for another 5 mts until the eggs turns into golden brown(make sure that the eggs are coated nicely with the sauce).
Check the seasoning, add freshly chopped coriander leaves and sim heat for two more mts and turn off the heat.

Serve this curry with plain rice or jeera rice or with Biryani. It tastes great with any of them.
This recipe is simple and tastes greater day by day. Try this recipe you will love it !

Murukulu (Crispy Indian snack)

Ingredients:

2 cups of rice flour

1 tsp of chilli powder

1/2 cup of urad dal(split black gram)

2 tbsp of oil

1/4 tsp of Ajwain seeds

3/4 tsp of cumin powder

1 tbsp of sesame seeds

salt to taste

oil for deep frying

Procedure:

1)Dry roast urad dal and grind it into fine powder and keep it aside.

2)Now in a wide bowl add rice flour, urad dal flour, chilli powder, cumin powder, ajwain seeds, sesame seeds, salt(1 tsp approximately) and 2 tbsp of hot oil, mix it well.

3)Add enought amount of warm water and make a dough, the consistency of the dough should be just similar to roti dough.

4)Heat oil in a deep frying pan(oil should not be too hot, this makes muruku get burnt).

5)Now fill muruku mould with enough dough into it and press it in hot oil. Fry them until golden brown in colour.

6)Fry murukulu in batches and remove them on to a paper towel. Store them in a air tight container and consume with in 3-4 weeks.

Serve this murukulu on any festival/occasion and enjoy.

Dondakaya fry(Tindora fry)

Ingredients:

250 gms of dondakaya(tindora)

2 tbsp of oil

1 small onion chopped

3-4 green chillies

1/2 tsp of garlic ginger paste

1/3 tsp of turmeric powder

1/3 tsp of chilli powder

1 tsp of sesame seeds powder

1/4 tsp of cumin powder

1/4 tsp of coriander powder

1/2 of the lemon juice

salt to taste

fresh coriander to sprinkle on top

Procedure:

1)Heat oil in a nonstick frying pan, saute onions until golden brown.

2)Add garlic ginger paste, green chillies, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Fry them for a minute, then add thinly sliced dondakaya( tindora), chilli powder and salt to it.

3)Mix well, saute on medium flame for 4-5 min. Now add little amount of water if needed, cook it for 12-15 min on low flame by placing lid on top. 

4)Keep checking while sauteing them so that they don't burn. Remove lid, and add cumin powder, coriander powder and sesame seeds powder to it. 

5)Cook on medium to low flame for another 10-15 mts. The tindora should retain  slightly crunchy texture. 

6)Finish it up by adding lemon juice and freshly chopped coriander leaves on top.

Serve this side dish with steamed rice and sambar.  

Mudha pappu chaaru 

Mudha pappu

Ingredients:
1 cup of toor dal(lentils)
2 1/2 cups of water
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 cup of curry leaves
2 tbsp of oil
4-5 green chillies
freshly chopped coriander
salt to taste

Procedure:
1)Wash 1 cup of toor dal and add 2 1/2 cups of water, pressure cook it for 4 whistles then keep it aside, let it cool down naturally.
2)Heat oil in other pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Wait until they splatter, now add turmeric powder, green chillies and curry leaves.
3)Fry them for a while then add the cooked dal and salt to it. Stir occasionally and cook for around 4-5 min by placing lid on top.
4)Finish it up by adding freshly chopped coriander on top.
[Tip: Add 1/2 tsp of oil and pinch of turmeric to dal before pressure cooking, to make it even more tasty.]

Chaaru

Ingredients:
1 tbsp of oil
1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
1/4 tsp of cumin seeds
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of sugar
2-3 green chillies
1/3 cup of curry leaves
1/3 tsp of chilli powder
2 1/2 cups of water
2 tsp of sesame seeds powder
tamarind - 1big lemon size
1/3 cup of chopped onions(optional)
fresh coriander to sprinkle on top
salt to taste

Procedure:
1)Heat oil in a saucepan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds wait until they splatter.
2)Saute green chillies, turmeric powder and curry leaves. then in an other bowl pour in 2 1/2 cups of water and add tamarind to it. Squeeze all the juices from tamarind.
3)Drain the diluted tamarind water and add them to the saucepan. Switch off the flame, add remaining ingredients (sesame seeds powder, chilli powder, sugar, salt, fresh coriander and chopped onions).
4) Mix all together, check the seasoning and adjust any spices if needed.

 Prepare this dish when ever you like to eat simple and tasty food.

Serve this mudha pappu and chaaru with white rice and enjoy.

Spicy Mutton curry (lamb curry)

Ingredients:

500gms of tender lamb(mutton)

2 medium size onions

1 tsp of garlic ginger paste

2 tbsp of oil

1/3 cup of mint leaves

1/3 cup of methi leaves

1/2 tsp of turmeric leaves

1 tsp of red chilli powder

1/2 cup of coriander leaves

1/3 tsp of garam masala

1 1/2 tsp of coconut powder 

2 cups of water

2 medium size tomatoes
salt to taste

Procedure:
1)Heat oil in a pan, add onions sautee until golden brown. Then add mint leaves, methi leaves, turmeric powder and garlic ginger paste.
2)Stir them all together and cook them for couple of minutes. Now add mutton, chilli powder, salt and mix all together (make sure that mutton is coated nicely with all spices).
3)Cook on medium flame by placing lid on top for around 4-5 minutes. then add 2 cups of water to it and pressure cook it for 4-5 whistles ( if you don't have a pressure cooker, then place tight lid on top and cook it on medium to low flame for around 30-40 min).
4)Switch off the flame and keep it aside, let the cooker cool down naturally( it may take around 10-15 min).
5)Remove the cooker lid and switch on the flame to medium. Now add coconut powder, garam masala and chopped tomatoes.
(garam masala: bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns).
6)Stir them all together and let it cook until tomatoes are done. If the gravy is little watery leave it on a medium flame until it becomes bit thick.
7)Check the seasoning, finish it up by adding freshly chopped coriander leaves on top.
Serve this spicy mutton curry with bagara rice and enjoy.

Polelu (burelu or puran poli)

Ingredients:
1 cup of chana dal
4 cups of water
1 tbsp of clarified butter(ghee)
2 tbsp of oil
1 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp of cardamom powder
1 1/2 cup of wheat flour
pinch of salt

Procedure:
1)Wash 1 cup of chana dal and add 3 cups of water to it. Cook in a pressure cooker for around 5 to 6 whistles.
2)Let the cooker cool down naturally, it may take 10-15 minutes. Drain all the excess water from dal and mash it. Add ghee to the saucepan,when it is hot add mashed dal and sugar (if you like more sweet go ahead and add 2 more teaspoons). Cook it for 10-15 min by stirring occasionally, Add cardamom powder and turn off the flame. Let it cool down, meanwhile prepare the wheat flour dough.
3)Dough preparation:
Add 1 1/2 cup of wheat flour, pinch of salt and 1 cup of water(approximately). Mix all together,Add 2tsps of oil and knead the dough until the texture of the dough becomes smooth and soft(just like poori dough).

4)Place tawa or fry pan on low flame, now spread some oil on any plastic cover or wrap the chopping board
with cling film as shown in the picture.

5)Now take small portion of dough and spread it as shown in the picture. Take same portion of dal mixture and place it on top, cover it with the dough from all sides.

6)Remove the extra dough from the top. Apply little oil to your fingers and spread by pressing evenly.

7)Add 1tsp of oil to the pan and place this pole on it. Cook this pole on medium ti low flame by sprinkling some oil on both sides.(If there is any leftover dal mixture you can refrigerate it and use with in 7 days)

Serve hot with some desi ghee on top and enjoy.