Pulihora / Tamarind Rice

Ingredients: 

• Sona Masoori Rice - 2 Cups
• Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 Spring
• Salt - 2 tsps
• Tamarind - Large Lemon Size
• Bengal Gram/Chana Dal - 1tbsp
• Urad Dal/Minapappu - 1tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1tsp
• Dry Red Chillies - 3 to 4 Medium
• Green Chillies - 4 to 5 Slit Length wise
• Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp 
• Peanuts/Groundnuts - 1 Fistful
• Oil - 5 to 6 tsps

Preparation:

1. Cook 2 cups of Rice with 4 cups of water such that each grain is seperate. Spread to cool and keep aside.
2. Soak the Tamarind in a cup of warm water and extract the pulp.
3. Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add cumin seeds, chana dal, urad dal, peanuts and fry for a minute till light brown. Next add dry red chillis, slit green chillis, asafoetida and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
4. Add the tamarind extract, salt, turmeric and cook till the raw smell of tamarind disappears, and till the oil oozes out i.e, approx 5-7 mts. It will be a like a thick paste. Remove from heat.
5. Add the cooked tamarind mix and combine well such that its spread all over the rice. Adjust salt and combine well. Let it sit for at least 3-4 hours for the flavors to set in.
6. Make it a complete meal by serving with yogurt.

       

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

• Coconut - 1 cup of small pieces / Half piece of coconut
• Dalia - Fistfull, (Roasted Bengal Gram/Putnala Pappu)
• Green Chilies - 2 to 3
• Ginger - 1/2 inch
• Salt - To Taste
• Tamarind - A very small size (Optional)
• Coriander leaves - 3 to 4 Springs (Optional)
• Water - As Required
• Curry leaves - A spring
• Mustard seeds (Aavalu) - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing) - A pinch
• Oil - 1 tsp

 Preparation:

1. Grind fresh coconut, roasted bengal gram, green chilies, ginger, tamarind (Optional), coriander leas (optional) and salt to a smooth paste by adding required water. Remove onto a serving bowl.
2. Heat oil for tempering in a small pan. Add mustard seeds , jeera and allow them to splutter. Add Hing and curry leaves and turn off the heat. Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well.
3.  Serve this hotel style coconut chutney along side with idli or dosa.

Note:

1. Scrape out the outer brown layer of the coconut for a white colored coconut chutney.
2. You can also add tamarind and few coriander leaves  to step 1 for an added flavor.

           

Ugadi Pachhadi

Ingredients:

• Tamarind Pulp – 2tbsps
• Grated Jaggery – 1tbsp
• Green Chillies – 1/4tsp Finely Chopped
• Salt – 1/8tsp
• Mango Pieces – 1tsp Finely Chopped
• Neem Flowers – 1tsp

Preparation:

1. Pluck Neem Flowers from the stems and keep them aside.
2. Take a tender and raw Mango and wash it. Peel the Mango and cut it vertically. Remove the inner portion of the mango (JEEDI) and cut it into fine pieces.
3. Soak Tamarind in water till soft. Squeeze out pulp from the soaked Tamarind.
4. Grate or powder the Jaggery.
5. Wash and finely chop the Green Chilli.
6. Take tamarind pulp in a bowl and add finely chopped green chilies, neem flowers, grated jaggery, finely chopped mango and salt. Mix all well till the jaggery is melted.
7. Serve this tasty pachhadi and enjoy the six flavors of this unique pachhadi and welcome the TELUGU NEW YEAR.

Chekkara Pongali

       Ingredients:

• Sona Masoori Rice - 1 Cup
• Moong Dal/Green Gram - ½ Cup
• Sugar - 1 Cup
• Ghee - 5 to 6 tsp
• Milk - 2 Cups
• Water - 1 Cup
• Cashewnuts - 10 (Halves)
• Raisins - 10
• Cardamoms - 6 Finely Crushed

Preparation:

1. Take Rice in a bowl, wash it and keep aside.
2. Heat a non-stick pan and add Green Gram to it. Fry the green gram stirring all the while on low flame till it changes the color lightly. Add it to the washed rice and mix well.
3. Cook Rice and Green gram with Water and Milk. Cook till it is done and gets a nice smooth texture by adding extra Milk and Water if needed.
4.  Add sugar to the Pongali and mix well. Cook the Pongali covering the pan partially for 2 to 3 minutes. Now remove the lid and pour in Ghee generously.
5. Heat a pan and add Ghee to it. When ghee is hot add the Raisins and Cashewnuts and fry till they turn golden brown in color. Add them to the Rice mixture.  
6. Add the Cardamom Powder and mix well. Serve hot and enjoy the dish.

Annam Paravannam / Sweet Pongal

Ingredients:

• Sona Masoori Rice - 1 Cup
• Whole Milk - 2 Cups
• Water - 2 Cups
• Jaggery - 1 ¼ Cup Grated
• Cardamom - 6 Finely Crushed
• Cashewnuts - 10 (Halves)
• Raisins - 10
• Ghee - 3 tsp

Preparation:

1. Cook 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water until tender.
2. Add Milk. Mix well and simmer for 5 mins, stirring frequently.
3. Add grated Jaggery. Mix once, cover it  and cook till Jaggery melts.
4. Meanwhile, in a small skillet/kadai, heat Ghee on medium heat. Fry Cashewnuts and Raisins till they turn golden brown color. Add them to the Rice-Jaggery mixture.
5. Simmer on medium-low heat stirring in-between, until the whole thing thickens a bit.
6. Just before turning off the heat, stir in cardamom powder and mix thoroughly. Serve warm.

Semiya Payasam

Ingredients:

• Whole Milk (Or Low Fat) - 1/2 Lit
• Semiya/Vermicelli - 1 Cup
• Sugar - 1 Cup 
• Cardamom (Elaichi) - 5 to 6 Finely Crushed
• Cashewnuts - 10 to 12 (Halves)
• Raisins (Kissmiss) - 10 to 12
• Ghee - 2 to 3 tsp

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan, add 2 tbsp of Ghee and toast the Cashewnuts and Raisins till golden brown. Remove from pan, keep aside.  
2. In the same pan, add the Vermicelli (if it's not roasted vermicelli) and roast it for approximately 5 mins, till u get nice aroma and till it turns light brown color.
3. Add 2 cups of Milk to the roasted Vermicelli and cook till it becomes soft.
4. Add Sugar and let it slowly simmer for another 7 to 8 mins, stirring it once in a while. Add additional Milk if required.
5. Add Cardamom Powder, toasted Cashewnuts and Raisins and serve hot.