Majjiga Pulusu

Ingredients:

• Sour Curd – 1 cup
• Tomato – 1 Medium
• Carrot - 2 No's
• Lady's Finger - 10
• Bottle Gourd – 1/2 Small
• Spinach - 1 Cup
• Water  - As Required

For Paste:

• Coconut Pieces – 1 Cup
• Chana Dal – 2Tbsps
• Coriander Seeds – 1 1/2tsps
• Cumin Seeds – 3/4tsp
• Black Pepper – 1/4tsp
• Ginger -  Small Piece
• Green Chilies – 6

For Seasoning:

• Salt  - 1 tsp or to Taste
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4tsp
• Methi Seeds – 1/8tsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1tsp
• Cumin Seeds – 1tsp
• Asafoetida/Hing – 1/8tsp
• Red Chilies – 2 No's
• Curry Leaves – Few
• Oil – 4 Tbsps
• Coriander - Few Springs

Preparations:

1. Wash and soak Chana Dal in water for 1/2 hr.
2. Churn the sour curd and keep it aside. Add water while churning if the curd is too thick.
3. In a heavy bottomed vessel, Chop and add Bottlegaurd, Lady's Finger, Carrot,Tomato and Spinach. Add water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let the vegetables get cooked.
4. Once vegetables are cooked, add the Churned Curd, salt and Turmeric and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes.
5. Take a mixie jar and add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper, coconut pieces,soaked Chana dal,green chillies and ginger.Add sufficient water and make a smooth paste.
6. Add the ground paste to the Curd mixture and mix well. Let it cook for another 7 to 8 minutes.
7. Heat a pan and add Oil to it.Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the cumin seeds, Methi seeds, Red chillies and fry for a few seconds till they turn brown.Add Hing and curry leaves and immediately add to the curd mixture.
8. Simmer for a minute or two and turn off heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and keep covered for 10 mts before serving.
9. Serve hot with rice.

Mukkala Pulusu

Ingredients:

• Mixed vegetables - 4 Cups 
• Tomatoes - 1 Medium
• Green chillies - 3 to 4 No's (Slit Length Wise)
• Water - 2 Litres or As required
• Tamarind - 1 Big Lemon Sized
• Jaggery - 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp or To Taste
• Turmeric - 1/8 tsp

For Paste:

• Red chillies - 2 No's
• Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsps
• Chana dal- 2 tsps
• Methi seeds - 1/8 tsp
• Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Coconut pieces - 1/2 cup

For Seasoning:

• Oil - 5 tsps
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Methi Seeds - 1/8 tsp
• Red Chillies - 4 to 5 No's
• Curry Leaves - Few
• Coriander Leaves - Few Springs
• Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp

Preparations:

1. Wash Chana Dal and soak it.
2. Soak tamarind in hot water for 15 mins and extract its juice and keep aside.
3. In a heavy bottomed vessel, Chop and add the mixed vegetables, (like Pumpkin, Bottlegaurd, Drumsticks, Lady's Finger, Brinjal, Sweet Potato etc...) tomatoes, green chillies and Turmeric powder. Add water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let the vegetables get cooked.
4. Once vegetables are cooked, add the tamarind extract, salt and Jaggery and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes, till the rawness of the tamarind disappears.
5. Take a mixie jar and add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper, red chillie pieces, coconut pieces, and soaked Chana dal.Add sufficient water and make a smooth paste.
6. Add the ground paste to the vegetable mixture and mix well. Let it cook for another 7 to 8 minutes.
7. Heat a pan and add Oil to it.Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the cumin seeds, Methi seeds, Red chillies and fry for a few seconds till they turn brown.Add Hing and curry leaves and immediately add to the vegetable mixture.
8. Simmer for a minute or two and turn off heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and keep covered for 10 mts before serving.
9. Serve with hot steamed rice and Vadiyaalu and Appadam.

Note:

We can also paste the peels of Vegetables like Pumpkin, Bottlegaurd etc and add to the dish as the vitamins of vegetables lies beneath the skin.

Pappu Pulusu

Ingredients:

Toor Dal/Kandi Pappu - 1 Cup
Mixed vegetables - 2 Cups 
Small Sambar Onions (or Shallots) - 8 to 10 No's or 1 Small Regular Onion
Tomatoes - 1 Medium
Green chillies - 3 to 4 No's (Slit Length Wise)
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Water - 3 Cups or As required
Tamarind - 1 Big Lemon Sized
Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp or To Taste
Oil - 5 tsps
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 3/4 tsp
Methi Seeds - 3/4 tsp
Red Chillies - 4 to 5 No's
Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - Few
Coriander Leaves - Few Springs

Preparations:

1. Pressure cook 1 cup of Toor Dal with 2 cups of water.
2. Soak tamarind in hot water for 15 mins and extract its juice and keep aside.
3. In a heavy bottomed vessel, add the chopped mixed vegetables, (like Lady's Finger, Carrot, Drumsticks, Brinjal,Sweet Potato etc...) sliced onions,tomatoes, green chillies and Turmeric powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let the vegetables get cooked.
4. Once vegetables are cooked, add the cooked and mashed dal,water, tamarind extract, salt and Jaggery and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes, till the rawness of the tamarind disappears.
5. Heat a pan and add Oil to it.Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the cumin seeds, Methi seeds, Red chillies and fry for a few seconds till they turn brown. Add Hing and curry leaves and immediately add to the dal-vegetable mixture.
6. Simmer for a minute or two and turn off heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and keep covered for 10 mts before serving.
7. Serve with hot steamed rice and Vadiyaalu and Appadam.

Charu / Rasam

Ingredients:

• Tomato - 1 Small
• Tamarind - Small Gooseberry Size
• Rasam Powder - 1 1/2 tsp (Home Made/MTR Rasam Powder)
• Sugar - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/8 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp or To Taste
• Curry Leaves - Few
• Coriander Leaves - Few Springs
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Methi Seeds - 1/8 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
• Red Chillies - 2 No's
• Oil - 4 tsps
• Water - As Required

Preparations:

1. Soak tamarind in hot water for 15 mins and extract its juice and keep aside.
2. Heat a pan and add oil to it. Add Mustard and Cumin seeds and fry till they splutter.
3. Add Methi seeds and fry till they change color.Add Asafoetida, Curry Leaves and Red chilles and mix well.
4. Add roughly chopped Tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
5. Add the tamarind extract,turmeric and water.
6. Bring to boil and add the rasam powder, salt and sugar.Mix well and just bring to boil,makes it frothy.No Need to boil for long time as it will not be tasty.
7. Garnish with Chopped coriander leaves.

Beans Dal (With Toor Dal)

Ingredients:

• Beans - 1 Cup Finely Chopped
• Toor Dal/Kandi Pappu- 1Cup
• Urad Dal - 2 tsps
• Chana Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/8 tsp
• Red Chillie Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to Taste
• Red Chillies - 3 to 4 No's
• Asafoetida/Hing - 1/8 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 Strand
• Oil - 4 tsps

Preparations :

1. Take Toor dal in a bowl and wash it. Add 2 cups of water and place this bowl in a pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles. Remove the dal bowl from the cooker after it cools down. 
2. Finely Chop the Beans and wash them.
3. Heat a pan and add oil to it. When oil is hot add urad dal,chana dal,mustard seeds and cumin seeds and fry till they splutter. Add red chilles,curry leaves and asafoetida and mix well. 
4. Add chopped Beans to this seasoning and cook till they are soft.
5. Add the cooked dal, salt, and turmeric to the Beans. 
6. Mix well and add water and red chillie powder if required. Cover and cook on medium flame for 5 minutes. 
7. Serve hot with plain rice.

Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

• Gulab Jamun MTR Mix - 1 Packet
• Oil - For Deep Frying
• Sugar - 2 1/2 Cups
• Water - 3 Cups
• Elaichi/Cardamom - 6 No's
• Saffron (Optional) - Few Strands
• Ghee - 2 Tbsps

Preparations:

1. Sieve the MTR Gulab Jamun mix to remove all the lumps.
   
2. Lightly blend Jamoon Mix with water (in 1:1/4 proportion) to make dough of smooth consistency.Slowly add water according to the instructions on the pack(add carefully as less is needed) and make a smooth dough without any cracks. No need to knead hard, just gather with your hands so that it forms a smooth dough without lumps. 
   
3. Keep it aside for 5 mins and make small equal sized balls.The balls should be smooth outside, but do not roll so tightly applying pressure. Just roll softly but until smooth.
4. Meanwhile prepare the sugar syrup (according to the instructions on the pack) with water, sugar, powdered elaichi and saffron. Bring to boil and stir until the sugar dissolves completely and syrup becomes slightly sticky. Do not boil too much, boil for 8 to 10 mintues in a medium flame. Keep it aside.
   
5. Bring the oil hot, not smoking hot, but hot enough to fry the jamuns. Keep in a medium flame and fry the rolled jamuns.Keep rolling the jamuns gently with the use of the ladle inside the oil so that it gets evenly cooked and fried to deep golden brown in colour. Fry only few at a time, don't dump the Jamuns so many in oil.
   
6. Drain the Jamuns in a kitchen towel to cool off a little and immediately add them to hot Sugar syrup. Let all the Gulab Jamuns get soaked well in the syrup for at least 3 hrs and enjoy the soaked, syrup drunken Jamuns! 
   
7. Serve them Hot or Cold. If preferred, you can top it with vanilla ice cream and enjoy.

Note:

• If you have cracks in the dough or balls when you are making, sprinkle more water and make a smooth dough. Apply ghee to your hands if it's sticky,while making balls. 
• Make sure you drain the Jamuns well in kitchen tissue before droping them in the hot Sugar Syrup.
• If oil is too hot, then Jamuns gets brunt and won't get cooked from inside. So make sure you cook in low or medium flame maximum.
• If oil is not hot enough, the Jamuns will get cracked and suck more oil and they will not be cooked from inside and will not absorb Sugar Syrup.
• To test the right hotness of oil take a small piece of dough and put it into the oil. The dough first sits at the bottom of the pan and then slowly rises to the top—that is the right temperature at which we have to fry the Jamuns. If the dough rises fast from the bottom of the pan, it indicates the oil is overheated. You need to switch off the stove and wait for a while.
• Keep turning the jamun while frying to ensure even browning. But be gentle.
• Sometimes oil will get low in heat while you fry jamun, so make sure to keep the flame more in between when needed.
• The Jamun may look too dark when you take out from oil but it gets the gorgeous red colour as it gets soaked in syrup.
• Keep the sugar syrup warm till you finish frying all the Jamuns.Heat the sugar syrup again before dropping the gulab jamuns, if it has become cold. 

Menthi Majjiga

Ingredients:

• Curd - 7 to 8 Tbsps
• Ajwain/Carom Seeds - 1 tsp
• Methi Seeds/Methi Powder - 1/8 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Green Chilies – 3 No's
• Curry Leaves – Few
• Red Chilies – 1 No
• Asafoetida/Hing - 1/8 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp or To Taste
• Oil - 5 Tsps
• Coriander - Few Springs
• Water - As Required

Preparation:

1. Take curd in a bowl and churn it to make buttermilk. Add water accordingly and make thick buttermilk.
2. Add Salt and Turmeric powder and mix well.Add finely chopped green chillies to it and keep it aside.
3. Heat a pan and add oil to it. When the oil is hot add Mustard seeds and Ajwain seeds and fry till they splutter.
4. Then add Methi sedds or Methi powder and fry till the seeds start changing color. 
5. Add curry leaves, Hing and red chillies. Fry all well. 
6. Now add this seasoning to the prepared buttermilk and mix well. 
7. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve with plain rice and plain dal.