Sambar

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal - 1/2 cup 
• Tamarind - 1 Tbsp (Gooseberry Size)
• Ladies finger - 12 No's
• Onion - 1 Medium (Small Shallots or Regular)
• Tomato - 1 Medium
• Green chillies - 4 No's
• Sambar powder - 1 1/2tsps (Home made or MTR Powder)
• Turmeric - 1/4 Tsp 
• Salt - 1 1/2 Tsps or To Taste 
• Jaggery - 1 Tsp
• Water - As Required
• Oil - 3 Tsp
• Mustard - 1 Tsp
• Methi Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Jeera - 1 Tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing) - 1/4 Tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 Spring
• Coriander - 2 Springs

Preparations:

1. Soak tamarind in hot water.Pressure cook 1/2 cup dal with 1 1/4 cups of water for 4 whistles. 
2. Clean and pat dry ladies finger with a clean kitchen towel. Cut into 1 inch pieces. 
3. Cube onion, tomato and slit green chillies.
4. Heat a pan and add oil for tempering. Add Mustard, after it splutters, add Methi seeds followed by Jeera. Add asafoetida and then curry leaves. Add onion, fry till transparent and then add green chilli.
5. Add tomatoes and fry for a minute. Add cut ladies finger and fry in a medium flame stirring 
6. occasionally to avoid burning.
7. Mean while, extract tamarind juice and add to it.Add water and bring it to boil. 
8. Add turmeric, sambar powder, asafoetida,jaggery and salt. Boil until the ladies finger gets cooked. 
9. Roughly mash the cooked dal with a ladle.Add dal to the boiling sambar and boil for 5 minutes or until the required consistency arrives. 
10. Garnish with fresh curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Note: 

You can also add any other vegetables like Carrot, Bottlegaurd, Brinjal, Drumsticks,Green Peas, Beans  etc...

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.

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.