Mahanandi

This is a collection of my favorite images taken from the recipes I have blogged so far on Mahanandi. These images appeal to me personally for a variety of reasons, some for technical reasons and others for aesthetic reasons. I hope you enjoy them too.

a:
(aloo, amla and avocado)

b:
(bhakshala rasam, blackeye peas, brinjal, brussels sprouts, buggani, besan, beetroot, bendi, beans, beerakaya, banana, banana pepper and bajjis)

c:
(cabbage, capsicum, caramel, carrot, chana masala, chaaru, cherries, cherry pepper, chestnuts, chikkudu kaya, chitrannam, chocolate, cilantro, cluster beans, coconut, corn meal, couscous, cranberries and cucumber)

d:e:f:g:h:
(dondakaya, drumsticks, eggplant, eggs, frittata, fruit tart, ghee, gongura, guggullu and hominy grits)

i:j:k:l:
(idli kaaram, idli, jaggery, kadala curry, kakara, lasagna, lentil burger, lima beans, limes and lemon cucumber)

m:
(mamoul, mango, masala-tea;dosa;idli, menthi, mint, mirchi bajji, moong beans, muruku and majjiga mirapa)

n:o:
(naan, nimona, oatmeal and onion)

p:
(paneer, pappulu, pappu chaaru, paramannam, parappu usli, pasta, pie, peanuts, pesarattu, plantain, pongali, ponganalu, popu and portabella)

r:
(raagi, red beans, red chillies, red radish, rice noodles and rosematta rice)

s:
(sesame, shallots, silk squash, sonti, sorakaya, sorghum, soya, spinach, steelers pizza, sweet burger and sarson)

t:u:v:w:x:y:z:
(taro root, tomatoes, turnips, undrallu, upma, watermelon, wheat flour dosa, white radish, whole wheat bread, wild rice, yogurt, yuba and zucchini)

Zucchini Kurma

When we buy vegetables that are in season, they reward us with incredible fresh flavor. I guess, as if saying thanks for saving them from a fate of an artificial light enhanced, wax coated, every 30 minute sprinkler spray hell of 24-hour open, chain grocery shop environment.

Zucchini is one such vegetable. My first few times cooking this vegetable, the result was not good. The vegetable went all weepy with no taste or substance. I thought what a loser and why would anyone pay good money to buy this. Keep in mind that we don’t get this vegetable in India. After a year break, the next spring, I couldn’t resist giving them another try when I saw the farm fresh, tender skinned and no waxed zucchinis in an appealing shade of pale green. They rewarded me for buying them fresh. The curry with them tasted good, almost like ridge gourd, my favorite vegetable from India. I guess that’s why people often say moving to a new country is a learning experience. Everyday is a new day to find out something new about people, traditions and particularly about food.

We can get zucchini that is freshly picked for the day from neighborhood “Rulli Brothers” grocery shop. I like to cook them by baking & broiling for few minutes or as traditional Indian curry. This is one such recipe where zucchinis are cooked with other fresh vegetables like bell peppers, new crop potatoes, carrots and springtime tomatoes. A satisfying taste and filling side dish suitable to any time of the day.

Recipe:

Cut and chop:
Fresh Zucchinis – 2, cut into big bite sized cubes
Bell Peppers – 2, cut into small pieces
Baby potatoes – 6 to 8, cut into cubes
Carrot – 1, cut into cubes
Tomatoes 6 to 8 or 1 pound cherry tomatoes – chopped
Onion – 1, chopped into small pieces

Heat in a large pan over medium heat:
1 tsp of peanut oil. To it add and toast
1 tsp of each – minced garlic, cumin, mustard seeds and few curry leaves (tadka)

Add and cook:
First onion, then tomatoes until they soften.
Next, 1 cup of overnight soaked dried green peas
Also all the chopped vegetables – Zucchini, bell peppers, potatoes and carrots
Add 1 cup of water and mix. Cover and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat.

Stir in:
1 tsp of each – red chilli powder, salt and turmeric or to taste
1 tsp of cumin-coriander-clove and cinnamon powder (CCCC)
1 tsp of amchur (dried mango) powder
Mix to combine. Simmer another 10 to 15 minutes, covered on medium heat, stirring in-between.

Serve warm with:
Chapatis or parathas.

Zucchini Kurma with Chapatis

Four Seasons Farmers and Flea Market, Youngstown, Ohio
(About six miles from my home in Boardman)

Boxes and Crates – Out of State Produce

Unloading the Produce

Shopping, Shopping

Flower Pots For Sale

Red Radish Bunches 3 for $1.25

Limes 6 for 1 Dollar

Hot and Fresh Kettle Popcorn – For the Ride Home

Fruits and Vegetables from Farmers Market – Pineapple, Cantaloupe, Grape Tomatoes, Beans, Bell Peppers, Red Radishes, Green Onions, Corn, Baby Red Potatoes and Limes
Total Money Spent – 12 dollars

Strawberries from Local Farms

This is our local Farmers Market in images, for Farmer’s Market Parade hosted by Melissa of Cooking Diva.

No other fruit is as delicious and magnificent as mango. Now is the mango season in India and I thought mango would be the right ingredient to start the JFI. I was little bit nervous and was not sure how the response is going to be, since this is the first time I am hosting an event in my blog. The responses I received showed how dear this fruit is to all of us. Mango is not just a delicious fruit; most of us also have very fond memories related with it. That might be the mango tree in the back yard, or might be one of those summer vacations at grand parents’ house where we enjoyed the fruits, or might be the avakaaya preparation that we did with mother – so many precious mango memories!

I would like to thank all the participants, fellow bloggers and readers for your exhilarating enthusiasm, participation and interest. I am humbled to receive such a vivid variety of recipes for this event. Each one of these entries is excellent and I enjoyed them all and am sure you would do too.

Following are the entries that I received for the JFI ~ Mango event.

Ambe Dal By Nupur of One Hot Stove Grated Mango, Chana Dal, Coconut, Cilantro and Tadka

Mango-Spinach Dal By Mythili of Vindu Mango, Spinach, Toor dal, Chilli Powder and Tadka

Mamidikaaya Chutney By Lakshmi of Flavors of Indian Rasoi Unripe Mango, Ginger, Chilli Powder

Mango Tokku By Menu Today Grated Mango, Gingelly Oil, Jaggery

Raw Mango Raita By Shilpi of Memoirs From My Kitchen Unripe Mango, Yogurt and Tadka

Vadu Maanga Pickle By Srikala of Mango Mirattals Whole Tender Mangoes, Mustard and Red Chillies

Uddamethi By Ashwini of Food For Thought Unripe Mangoes, Black Gram, Fenugreek

Mango Thokku (Grated Mango Pickle) By Karthi Kannan of Kitchenmate Grated Mango, Gingely Oil, Chilli Powder

Mamidikaya Pachi Pulusu By Love2Cook of Cooking Medley Unripe Mango, Onion and cilantro

Methamba – Sweet & Savoury Mango Relish By Vaishali of Happy Burp Mango Cubes, Jaggery, Chilli Powder

Mamidikaya Putnalu Pachadi By Santhi of Me and My Kitchen Mango, Dalia, Red Chillies and Jaggery

Aamer Chatni (Green Mango Chutney) By Sury of Lima Beans and Delhi Chaat Mango, Sugar, Ginger and Panch Phoron

Vendhaya Manga By Menu Today Unripe Mango Pieces, Red Chilli Powder, Hing

Green Mango in Jaggery Syrup By Anthony of Anthony’s Kitchen Green Mango Pieces, Jaggery

Raw Mango – Methi Chutney By Padma of Vantalu Unripe Mango, Methi seeds, red chilli powder

Mango Pickle (Aavakaaya) By Tanuja of Kodalis Kitchen Unripe Mango, Fenugreek, Mustard and Red chilli powder

Mango Curry By Bilbo of Smorgasbord Unripe Mango, Green Chillies and Tadka

Cut Mango Pickle By Smitha of Andhra Food Network Unripe Mango, Tamarind and Tadka

Mango Sago By Rokh of Tham Jiak Mango, Sago Pearls and Milk

Mango, Coconut and Ricotta Tartlets By Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything Atleast Once Mango cubes and Puff Pastry

Mango Gazpacho By Mika of The Green Jackfruit Mango, Orange Juice, Evoo and Peppers

Mango-Pineapple Salsa by Barbara of Tigers and Strawberries Mango, Pineapple, Shallot and Bell Pepper

Mango Cake By Revathi of En Ulagam Mango, All Purpose Flour, Egg Whites and Raisins

Mini Mango Cheesecake By Saffron of Saffron Hut Mango, Cheesecake Mix, Walnuts and Milk

Maampazha Pulisseri By RP of My Workshop Mango, Yogurt, Coconut and Tadka

Mango-Ginger Chutney Rosie –What’s The Recipe Today Jim? Mango, Onion, Ginger and Garlic

Simple Mango Mousse By Ilva of Lucullian Delights Mango, Fresh Cream and Gelatin

Johnny Cake with Mango-Rhubarb Sauce By Linda of Out Of The Garden Mango, Rhubarb Stalks and Cornmeal

Mango Chaat By Gini of Salt and Pepper Mango, Grapes, Peanuts and Chaat Masala

Mamuang Kao By Susan of Porcini Chronicles Mango, Thai rice, Coconut milk, Sugar

Mambazha Kutan with Soy By Vidya of Today’s Menu Mango, Coconut, Soy, Buttermilk and Spices

Mango, Corn, Jicama Salad By Gabriella of Reluctant Housewife Mango, Corn, Jicama and Vinaigrette

Mango Pancakes By Nandita of Saffron Trail Fresh Grated Mango, All purpose flour, ginger, all spice and buttermilk

Mango Cupcakes By Marie-Laure of � D�lices Mango, Millet, Milk and Coconut

Mango Tofu Curry By Mandira of Ahaar Ripe Mango, Tofu and Veggies

Rice Pudding with Mango By Santhi of Me and My Kitchen Mango, Basmati Rice, Milk and Cardamom

Mango Creme Brulee By Yum of Record of What I’m Eating Mango, Heavy Cream, Egg Yolks and Chilli Powder

Mango Mousse By Archana of Spicyana Mangoes, condensed milk, Eggs and Whipped Cream

Spiral Mango Pastries By Gattina of Gattina Mango Puree, Macadamia Nut and Ricotta Cheese

Mango & Glutinious Rice Kuih By Puspha of Pusiva’s Culinary Studio Mango, Glutinious Rice, Coconut Milk

Mango Payasam By Ramya of Cooking Within My Grasp Mango, Milk, Sugar

Aam Ki Lassi (Mango Lassi) By Priya of Sugar and Spice Mango, Yogurt, Sugar and Orange Juice

Mango Cr�me Brulee By RP of My Workshop Mango Puree, Egg Yolks, Heavy Cream

Mango Pie By Vee of Past, Present and Me Mangoes, Creamcheese, Gelatin

Mango – Cracked Wheat Cake By Arjuna of Krishna&Arjuna’s World Mango Pulp, Cracked Wheat, Butter

Mango Pudding with Coconut Sago By Sam of Sweet Pleasure Mango Puree, Milk, Heavy Cream, Gelatin, Coconut Milk, Tapioca Pearls

Mango Pudding By Nandita of Saffron Trail Mango Puree, Evaporated Milk, Sugar and Gelatin

Kesar Mango Cheesecake By Rainee of la_pgal Mango Pulp, Tofu, Green Tea Fresh Mango and Cherry Topping

Sweet Mango Bobbatlu By Vineela of Vineela’s Cuisine Mango Pulp, Jaggery, All Purpose Flour and Ghee

Mango Payasam By Sailaja of Sailu’s Food Mango, Milk, Rice and Cardamom

Mango Shrikhand (Aamras) By Manasa of Sanjose, CA Mango Pulp, Yogurt, Sourcream and Sugar

Mango-Almond Oatmeal Cookies By Baking Fairy Dried Mango, Oatmeal, Almond

Mango Pulihora (Mango Rice) By Indira of Mahanandi Grated Unripe Mango, Rice and Seasoning

Mango Dal By Indira of Mahanandi Unripe Mango, Toordal, Chilli Powder and Tadka

Mango Halwa By Indira of Mahanandi Mango Cubes, Semolina, Sugar and Cardamom

Fruit Tart with Mangoes By Indira of Mahanandi Fresh Mangoes, Strawberries, Cherries, Tartshell and Walnuts

Yogurt Rice with Mangoes By Indira of Mahanandi Mango cubes, Rice, Milk and Yogurt Culture

Homemade Mango Jam by Indira of Mahanandi Mango, Sugar and Lemon Juice

“Every summer in Madras was filled with the sumptuous, succulent, luscious king of fruits, the intricate and sweet mango,… Maitri remembers. “How I love thee… How many white T-shirts I have stained with your inimitable juice,” she asks in mock humour.”
– Mango Fool by Tilotamma of “Apropos of Nothing“.

“On the courtyard of my mother�s house in a quiet sunny seaside town of Cherthala (Kerala), stood a large, shady mango tree, on which, as kids, we used to have swings for Onam, and other celebrations. Come April- May, that blessed tree is all drooping down with a heavy load of mangoes, with the finest form and color.”
–In a Mango Mood by Archana of Spicyana

“When I was a kid, we had 4 different kinds of mango trees in our compound. We never had to buy a mango. Baby mangoes, sour mangoes, unripe, ripe, sweet mangoes were all lavishly available during the season. We, the kids, loved to eat baby mangoes with salt. I remember taking baby mangoes in my schoolbag to distribute among my friends.”
– Mango Adventures by RP of My Workshop

“The story goes like this – Sage Naradha once brought a Mango fruit as an offering to Lord Shiva and there was a fight between Lord Ganesha and Lord Muruga as to who would get the fruit. Lord Shiva told them they have to go around the world thrice and whoever comes first would get the mango . Lord Muruga at one flew in his peacock around the world. Lord Ganesha cleverly went around his parents thrice indicating that they were his universe. So he won the Mango Fruit.”
– Food of Gods by Priya of Sugar and Spice

“We will replace our full-fat buffalo milk, that we grew up on, with 2%. We will melt unsalted butter and pretend that it is asli desi ghee. Heck, we will even pretend that tofu is a vegetable. Eventually, we will get used to all of that and stop craving for the original. One thing we will never be able to replace or stop missing is the indian mango.”
– For Jihva by Vee of Past, Present and Me

“I remember how those mangoes tasted: rich and ripe, filled with honied juice and a heady flavor that was unlike any other fruit in the world. Grandpa would liken them to bananas mixed with peaches and cantelope melons, but I never thought he was right. There was nothing that tasted like them, nothing. They were sweet, like the scent of honeysuckle in high summer, and they were smoother and butterier than a peach. They were so good, I always thought that people who said that the fruit Eve tempted Adam with was an apple were dead wrong. “
– It Had to Have Been a Mango – By Barbara of Tigers and Strawberries.

Original post on main blog – click here.

No other fruit is as delicious and magnificent as mango. Now is the mango season in India and I thought mango would be the right ingredient to start the JFI. I was little bit nervous and was not sure how the response is going to be, since this is the first time I am hosting an event in my blog. The responses I received showed how dear this fruit is to all of us. Mango is not just a delicious fruit; most of us also have very fond memories related with it. That might be the mango tree in the back yard, or might be one of those summer vacations at grand parents’ house where we enjoyed the fruits, or might be the avakaaya preparation that we did with mother… so many precious mango memories!

I would like to thank all the participants, fellow bloggers and readers for your exhilarating enthusiasm, participation and interest. I am humbled to receive such a vivid variety of recipes for this event. Each one of these entries is excellent and I enjoyed them all and am sure you’d do too.

Following are the entries that I received for the JFI ~ Mango event.

Ambe Dal By Nupur of One Hot Stove Grated Mango, Chana Dal, Coconut, Cilantro and Tadka

Mango-Spinach Dal By Mythili of Vindu Mango, Spinach, Toor dal, Chilli Powder and Tadka

Mamidikaaya Chutney By Lakshmi of Flavors of Indian Rasoi Unripe Mango, Ginger, Chilli Powder

Mango Tokku By Menu Today Grated Mango, Gingelly Oil, Jaggery

Raw Mango Raita By Shilpi of Memoirs From My Kitchen Unripe Mango, Yogurt and Tadka

Vadu Maanga Pickle By Srikala of Mango Mirattals Whole Tender Mangoes, Mustard and Red Chillies

Uddamethi By Ashwini of Food For Thought Unripe Mangoes, Black Gram, Fenugreek

Mango Thokku (Grated Mango Pickle) By Karthi Kannan of Kitchenmate Grated Mango, Gingely Oil, Chilli Powder

Mamidikaya Pachi Pulusu By Love2Cook of Cooking Medley Unripe Mango, Onion and cilantro

Methamba – Sweet & Savoury Mango Relish By Vaishali of Happy Burp Mango Cubes, Jaggery, Chilli Powder

Mamidikaya Putnalu Pachadi By Santhi of Me and My Kitchen Mango, Dalia, Red Chillies and Jaggery

Aamer Chatni (Green Mango Chutney) By Sury of Lima Beans and Delhi Chaat Mango, Sugar, Ginger and Panch Phoron

Vendhaya Manga By Menu Today Unripe Mango Pieces, Red Chilli Powder, Hing

Green Mango in Jaggery Syrup By Anthony of Anthony’s Kitchen Green Mango Pieces, Jaggery

Raw Mango – Methi Chutney By Padma of Vantalu Unripe Mango, Methi seeds, red chilli powder

Mango Pickle (Aavakaaya) By Tanuja of Kodalis Kitchen Unripe Mango, Fenugreek, Mustard and Red chilli powder

Mango Curry By Bilbo of Smorgasbord Unripe Mango, Green Chillies and Tadka

Cut Mango Pickle By Smitha of Andhra Food Network Unripe Mango, Tamarind and Tadka

Mango Sago By Rokh of Tham Jiak Mango, Sago Pearls and Milk

Mango, Coconut and Ricotta Tartlets By Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything Atleast Once Mango cubes and Puff Pastry

Mango Gazpacho By Mika of The Green Jackfruit Mango, Orange Juice, Evoo and Peppers

Mango-Pineapple Salsa by Barbara of Tigers and Strawberries Mango, Pineapple, Shallot and Bell Pepper

Mango Cake By Revathi of En Ulagam Mango, All Purpose Flour, Egg Whites and Raisins

Mini Mango Cheesecake By Saffron of Saffron Hut Mango, Cheesecake Mix, Walnuts and Milk

Maampazha Pulisseri By RP of My Workshop Mango, Yogurt, Coconut and Tadka

Mango-Ginger Chutney Rosie –What’s The Recipe Today Jim? Mango, Onion, Ginger and Garlic

Simple Mango Mousse By Ilva of Lucullian Delights Mango, Fresh Cream and Gelatin

Johnny Cake with Mango-Rhubarb Sauce By Linda of Out Of The Garden Mango, Rhubarb Stalks and Cornmeal

Mango Chaat By Gini of Salt and Pepper Mango, Grapes, Peanuts and Chaat Masala

Mamuang Kao By Susan of Porcini Chronicles Mango, Thai rice, Coconut milk, Sugar

Mambazha Kutan with Soy By Vidya of Today’s Menu Mango, Coconut, Soy, Buttermilk and Spices

Mango, Corn, Jicama Salad By Gabriella of Reluctant Housewife Mango, Corn, Jicama and Vinaigrette

Mango Pancakes By Nandita of Saffron Trail Fresh Grated Mango, All purpose flour, ginger, all spice and buttermilk

Mango Cupcakes By Marie-Laure of Ô Délices Mango, Millet, Milk and Coconut

Mango Tofu Curry By Mandira of Ahaar Ripe Mango, Tofu and Veggies

Rice Pudding with Mango By Santhi of Me and My Kitchen Mango, Basmati Rice, Milk and Cardamom

Mango Creme Brulee By Yum of Record of What I’m Eating Mango, Heavy Cream, Egg Yolks and Chilli Powder

Mango Mousse By Archana of Spicyana Mangoes, condensed milk, Eggs and Whipped Cream

Spiral Mango Pastries By Gattina of Gattina Mango Puree, Macadamia Nut and Ricotta Cheese

Mango & Glutinious Rice Kuih By Puspha of Pusiva’s Culinary Studio Mango, Glutinious Rice, Coconut Milk

Mango Payasam By Ramya of Cooking Within My Grasp Mango, Milk, Sugar

Aam Ki Lassi (Mango Lassi) By Priya of Sugar and Spice Mango, Yogurt, Sugar and Orange Juice

Mango Crème Brulee By RP of My Workshop Mango Puree, Egg Yolks, Heavy Cream

Mango Pie By Vee of Past, Present and Me Mangoes, Creamcheese, Gelatin

Mango – Cracked Wheat Cake By Arjuna of Krishna&Arjuna’s World Mango Pulp, Cracked Wheat, Butter

Mango Pudding with Coconut Sago By Sam of Sweet Pleasure Mango Puree, Milk, Heavy Cream, Gelatin, Coconut Milk, Tapioca Pearls

Mango Pudding By Nandita of Saffron Trail Mango Puree, Evaporated Milk, Sugar and Gelatin

Kesar Mango Cheesecake By Rainee of la_pgal Mango Pulp, Tofu, Green Tea Fresh Mango and Cherry Topping

Sweet Mango Bobbatlu By Vineela of Vineela’s Cuisine Mango Pulp, Jaggery, All Purpose Flour and Ghee

Mango Payasam By Sailaja of Sailu’s Food Mango, Milk, Rice and Cardamom

Mango Shrikhand (Aamras) By Manasa of Sanjose, CA Mango Pulp, Yogurt, Sourcream and Sugar

Mango-Almond Oatmeal Cookies By Baking Fairy Dried Mango, Oatmeal, Almond

Mango Pulihora (Mango Rice) By Indira of Mahanandi Grated Unripe Mango, Rice and Seasoning

Mango Dal By Indira of Mahanandi Unripe Mango, Toordal, Chilli Powder and Tadka

Mango Halwa By Indira of Mahanandi Mango Cubes, Semolina, Sugar and Cardamom

Fruit Tart with Mangoes By Indira of Mahanandi Fresh Mangoes, Strawberries, Cherries, Tartshell and Walnuts

Yogurt Rice with Mangoes By Indira of Mahanandi Mango cubes, Rice, Milk and Yogurt Culture

Homemade Mango Jam by Indira of Mahanandi Mango, Sugar and Lemon Juice

‘‘Every summer in Madras was filled with the sumptuous, succulent, luscious king of fruits, the intricate and sweet mango,’’ Maitri remembers. ‘‘How I love thee… How many white T-shirts I have stained with your inimitable juice,’’ she asks in mock humour.”
– Mango Fool by Tilotamma of “Apropos of Nothing“.

‘‘On the courtyard of my mother’s house in a quiet sunny seaside town of Cherthala (Kerala), stood a large, shady mango tree, on which, as kids, we used to have swings for Onam, and other celebrations. Come April- May, that blessed tree is all drooping down with a heavy load of mangoes, with the finest form and color.”
–In a Mango Mood by Archana of Spicyana

‘‘When I was a kid, we had 4 different kinds of mango trees in our compound. We never had to buy a mango. Baby mangoes, sour mangoes, unripe, ripe, sweet mangoes were all lavishly available during the season. We, the kids, loved to eat baby mangoes with salt. I remember taking baby mangoes in my schoolbag to distribute among my friends.”
– Mango Adventures by RP of My Workshop

‘‘The story goes like this … Sage Naradha once brought a Mango Fruit as an offering to Lord Shiva and there was a fight between Lord Ganesha and Lord Muruga as to who would get the fruit. Lord Shiva told them they have to go around the world thrice and whoever comes first would get the mango . Lord Muruga at one flew in his peacock around the world. Lord Ganesha cleverly went around his parents thrice indicating that they were his universe. So he won the Mango Fruit.”
– Food of Gods by Priya of Sugar and Spice

‘‘We will replace our full-fat buffalo milk, that we grew up on, with 2%. We will melt unsalted butter and pretend that it is asli desi ghee. Heck, we will even pretend that tofu is a vegetable. Eventually, we will get used to all of that and stop craving for the original. One thing we will never be able to replace or stop missing is the indian mango.”
– For Jihva by Vee of Past, Present and Me

‘‘I remember how those mangoes tasted: rich and ripe, filled with honied juice and a heady flavor that was unlike any other fruit in the world. Grandpa would liken them to bananas mixed with peaches and cantelope melons, but I never thought he was right. There was nothing that tasted like them, nothing. They were sweet, like the scent of honeysuckle in high summer, and they were smoother and butterier than a peach. They were so good, I always thought that people who said that the fruit Eve tempted Adam with was an apple were dead wrong. “
– It Had to Have Been a Mango – By Barbara of Tigers and Strawberries.

Thank you for participating and see you all again on June 1st at Baking Fairy’s “JFI-Strawberries” event.

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So, what are your favorites? If you try any recipes from this JFI-Mango roundup, let me know how you like them. Thanks.

The only ethnic grocery in our small town is a Middle Eastern shop called Ghossains Mid East Bakery. We buy dates and couscous, occasionally goat cheese, pita bread and baklava and other Middle Eastern sweets like mamoul from that shop.

I love the shape, texture and taste of tiny round couscous. Even though the authentic way to make couscous (according to middle easterners) is using a coucousiere (double boiler with a perforated top to hold the couscous), I make it just like bulgar/suji/semolina upma and with lots of vegetables for a light meal.

Recipe:

2 cups couscous
Vegetables: onion, green chillies, tomato, bell pepper, potato, carrot, ginger, garlic – all finely chopped – how much, your choice.
One fistful of fresh peas and golden raisins
1 tablespoon of ghee
1 teaspoon of cumin and mustard seeds
Limejuice to taste and fresh cilantro for garnish

Melt ghee in a big pan. Toast cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add and sauté the finely chopped vegetables (onions, tomato, green chilli, bell pepper, potato, carrot, ginger, garlic, peas and raisins) until they turn light brown. Add three cups of water and stir in half teaspoon of salt. Cover, increase the heat and bring that water to rolling boil.

Stir in couscous. It won’t form lumps unlike suji/semolina. Very forgiving, you don’ even have to stir, just pour all of couscous into hot water without any worries of lump formation. Cook covered over low medium heat for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Uncover and cook until fluffy. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro. For zing, drizzle some lime juice and serve hot.

Couscous Upma ~ a light meal today

During festival times, the sugar of choice at our home for Naivedyam is jaggery.

Jaggery – the pure, wholesome and traditional sweetener of India is made out of raw sugarcane juice by slowly simmering it in big pans until all the water is evaporated. The final solid product is then poured into moulds. The complete process is 100% chemical-free, prepared in natural way and no animal parts (bones) are used or added at any stage. This process is unlike the commercial sugar manufacturing, where cane juice is subjected to a potpourri of chemicals as sulfur dioxide, lime, phosphoric acid, bleaching agents & viscosity reducers.

How do I know all this? Well, some of our relatives cultivate sugarcane and produce jaggery in small scale. They do that in the fields after harvesting the sugarcane. It is quite an event with all the relatives and friends come to help and taste. The thing I always remember is the smell. The sweet smell of boiling sugarcane follows you forever.

It is the ancient wisdom and is now scientifically proven that jaggery is known for its many medicinal benefits. One thing I know is jaggery is rich in Iron. In India, people who know, even doctors advise anaemics and pregnant women to take jaggery daily to increase their hemoglobin levels.

What can I say about the taste of jaggery- there is always the sweet taste but there is something more. The taste is not a mind numbing sweetness but more subtle, much more flavorful and makes us want more. Its sweetness is quite different from that of commercial sugar, brown sugar or even molasses. Because it contains the minerals and vitamins inherently present in sugarcane juice.

In addition to using it for traditional sweets of festival times, like Undrallu, Jaggery is my sweetener of choice always, for ragi malt, vegetable curries, rasam, occasionally for tea & coffee. Compare to commercial sugar, it is not that expensive. You can buy a 10-pound block of jaggery for about 5 to 8 dollars in an Indian grocery shop, here in US.

Jaggery from India

Undrallu is a sweet, especially prepared on Vinayaka Chavithi festival. They are made with jaggery and chana dal then wrapped in dough and deep-fried in oil or ghee. The tradition is we have to prepare 9 varieties of undrallu with different fillings for this festival. My mother prepares 9 varieties for puja whenever we girls visit home. She has a saint like patience and great time management. You see we have to prepare all varities on the day of festival, by afternoon while on fasting. At least the person who does the puja and cooking must be on fasting till the puja is done. Family members would taste the festival specials only after the puja and naivedyam are done. Our customs dictate that the first offerings on festivals and special occasions must be to God, a sign of respect.

Recipe:
(For two)

For Purnam:

One cup – chana dal
One cup jaggery (pounded into tiny pieces)
6 cardamom pods, seeds separated and powdered

Wash chana dal and take them in a pressure cooker. Add the cardamom and about one cup water. Mix and pressure cook to 3 whistles, till the chana dal is firmly-soft. There should be no water left in pressure cooker. and we want a tight cooked chana dal. If there is excessive water, drain the dal using a colander and then spread the cooked dal on paper towels or on a cotton cloth to remove the moisture and to make them firm.

In a food processor (mixer), or in a stone mortar, take the cooked chana dal. Add jaggery and grind to smooth. The end product must be solid and it has to hold the shape. Make baby’s fist sized small rounds. My mother also dips the rounds in coconut gratings.

This is Purnam.

Chana Dal, Jaggery and Cardamom ~ Pressure-cooked, Mashed and Made to Small Rounds called Purnam

Preparing the Dough:

There are two kinds of wraps for the Purnam.

1. Urad dal and rice flour wrap called chovi. For it, take quarter cup of urad dal and soak them in water overnight. First thing in the morning, drain water and grind the dal in a blender to smooth adding very little water. Remove to a cup and half cup of rice flour. Mix them together thoroughly. Keep it covered for about 2 to 3 hours. This is called chovi. Purnam balls are dipped in this batter and fried in oil or ghee. Tasty and good.

2. Maida (all purpose flour) wrap: My mother’s method and I prefer this wrap.
Take one cup all-purpose flour (maida) in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add about half cup water. Mix and make a firm dough. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons ghee and gently knead the dough, until it becomes very soft and pliable. Keep it covered for about 2 to 3 hours. Preparing the maida dough is the first thing I do in the kitchen on festival day morning.

When you are ready with purnam:
Take out and knead the dough again adding ghee for about 5 minutes.
Divide the dough into marble sized rounds.
Roll out each one into a small round using a rolling pin or with hand, thin at the edges and thick in the middle.
Place a lemon sized Purnam in the middle and cover it by bringing the edges together. Place them on a plate and cover with a wet cloth, to prevent drying out.
Repeat the procedure for all the dough rounds with the purnam.

Once you are done, place a kadai on stove-top. Add and heat the oil or ghee for deep-frying.
Gently drop the rounds and deep fry them to pale gold. Offer them to God first, then enjoy.

I prepared them in two shapes, the round ones are called undrallu, and the other two are called Kudumulu in Telugu.

Green Bell Peppers with Spicy Chickpea Powder:

My favorite way to cook green bell peppers is this very easy, 15 minutes from start to finish capsicum curry. The special ingredient which makes it the absolute favorite of people who tried this curry is the spicy roasted chickpea powder. Mildly sweet and spicy chickpea powder and hot bell peppers compliment each other, and the prepared curry is a tasty delight.

Recipe:

3 bell peppers, sliced thinly lengthwise, then halved crosswise
3 tablespoons of pappula podi (spicy chickpea powder)
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
For popu or tadka:
1 tablespoon of peanut oil
¼ teaspoon each – curry leaves, chopped garlic, cumin and mustard seeds

Preparation:

Place a wide skillet on stove top. Add and heat peanut oil. When oil is hot, add the curry leaves, garlic toast to pale gold. Then add the cumin and mustard seeds. When seeds start to pop, add the bell peppers.

On high heat, cook for few minutes, until the excessive moisture evaporates from them. Then reduce the heat, cover the pan partially, and cook for another five minutes.

When bell peppers are tender to touch, add the seasoning. Sprinkle the spicy chickpea powder, turmeric and salt. Mix and cook for about five more minutes. Turn off the heat. Serve the curry hot, over steamed rice and dal, or with chapatis.

Capsicum curry with rice, spinach dal and yogurt – our meal today.

Pappulu, Putnala pappulu or Dalia are prepared from chickpeas. Not the regular, white chickpeas but from a special variety of chickpeas specific to India and commonly sold under the name “Kala Chana or Black Chickpeas”.

The preparation of pappulu (dalia) is a fascinating process. First, the black chickpeas get soaked in water for several hours, and then after draining, chickpeas are roasted in big caldrons under controlled low fire for several hours. Until the chickpeas turn to crisp. Once the roasting process is completed, the hulls of chickpeas will be removed and each chickpea will be split into two equal pieces. This whole soaking-roasting process intensifies the chickpea flavor, and also changes them to light yellow, mildly sweet pappulu or Dalia. This process is done in special places called Bhattis. Almost every town in Andhra Pradesh would have a bhatti. People go there to buy the freshly prepared pappulu and also the puffed rice There were couple of bhattis near our home in Nandyala and we were used to buy them fresh and hot from those places.

Among all the lentil types available in an Indian store, pappulu are the only one which you can just open the packet and pop them into mouth. As kids and even now, we love to eat them as they are or mixed with murmura. They are a snack item for us, like popcorn. If you are from South India, I assume you already know the pappula taste. For those of you who don’t, you must try them at least once. They are usually sold in Indian grocery shops under the label “Dalia” in lentil section. They are really great tasting, guilt free snack.

Pappula Podi is a famous Andhra preparation. In some parts of Andhra this is also called gunpowder. We add it to season the curries and also to prepare chutneys and to spread on dosas, idly, pongali and upma. Pappula Podi not only spices but also adds a mild sweetness to the preparation. This following recipe is from my mother’s and my most valued one. If you are used to besan (gram flour) preparations, try this one instead. You will be delighted, I promise.

Pappula Podi:

1 cup – Pappulu
6 to 8 – dried red chillies, Indian variety
2 tablespoons – grated coconut or dried coconut pieces
1 tablespoon – cumin
½ teaspoon – salt or to taste
4 garlic cloves (this is optional, even without garlic this powder tastes great.)

Take pappulu, chillies, coconut, cumin, garlic and salt in a clean and dry mixer jar or food processor. Grind to fine powder. This is a dry preparation and do not add water. Store the powder in a clean, dry, airtight container. This will stay fresh as long as it remains dry.

The following are the most common ways I enjoy the Pappula Podi:

1. Add a tablespoon of Podi to fistful of cooked rice. Add a teaspoon of ghee. Mix and make small rounds. Eat.

2. Add a tablespoon of Podi to cooked rice and dal (tomato or spinach etc). Add a teaspoon of ghee. Mix and eat.

3. Prepare dosas and spread the pappula Podi on the dosa for Masala Dosa. Yum!

4. Dunk and coat the Idly, Upma and pongal morsels in Pappula Podi, and eat. My new favorite is Pappula Podi and oatmeal upma combination.

5. I also add pappula Podi to vegetable curries. Cabbage, bell pepper, green beans and Indian variety broad beans (Chikkudu kaya), the sauté style curries with these vegetables taste great spiced with pappula Podi. I usually sprinkle one tablespoon of this powder before turning off the heat.)

6. Add roasted onion, garlic and few branches of fresh cilantro to Pappula Podi, along with about half glass of water. Grind to smooth to make an instant chutney.

Pappula Podi

I prepared a big block of paneer this weekend. Half of it went into the palak paneer and with the remaining half, I prepared this tasty kadai paneer, today.

Ingredients:
Three ripe juicy tomatoes, 4 bell peppers, small onion – all cut into small pieces
Half tsp of ginger- garlic-cilantro paste
Cumin-coriander powder, salt and red chilli powder~ each half tsp or as per your taste
10 to 15 paneer cubes.

Preparation:

Just like the regular curry, first fry the onions in 1 tsp of oil, then add g-g-c paste and c-c powder, sauté them little bit, then add salt, red chilly powder, tomatoes and bell peppers. Cook them for few minutes until the gravy (juice from tomatoes) thickens, then add paneer cubes. Simmer them for few more minutes in the gravy.

Kadai paneer and chapati- that’s one good and filling combination

You can always substitute paneer with very firm tofu. I often make paneer curries with tofu. Different taste, but after knowing how they obtain milk here, I cautiously use milk and its products.

What you need:

Whole Milk – half gallon

Juice from one lime, about 2 to 3 tbs

Muslin cloth (gangi gudda)

Boil the milk in a thick-bottomed vessel on medium heat, stirring occasionally (sometimes milk stick to the bottom and burns, so take caution). Once the milk starts to boil, reduce the heat and add the limejuice, stirring continuously.

In few minutes, you see small curds like white clouds floating on top. Wait till they get bigger (if they don’t, add some more lime juice and stir) and the whey below gets less milky. This process takes few minutes, so wait at least five minutes. Switch off the heat and let it stand for few more minutes. Then pour the whole thing immediately into a clean muslin or cheese cloth in a sieve, over a sink. Gather the curds and discard the whey.

Keep the curds in the cloth, tie a knot much above their level and hang it over a kitchen sink. Let the whey drip for half an hour. Now remove the knot, twist the cloth several times to make it tighten, squeeze out any remaining whey, make a tight knot just above the paneer, shaping the paneer into a round ball. Keep it hanging for another 30 minutes.

Remove the paneer from the cloth. Now with the all the whey gone, it turns out into a firm ball. Store this in the refrigerator, 2 to 3 hours, for further solidification. After that, you can use the delightful paneer in curries or just plain fried, as you wish.

Try it, if you have not already, this easy to make, pure, rennet free, Paneer~ the Indian cheese.

Paneer Recipes I have blogged so far on Mahanandi:

Palak Paneer ~ Paneer with Spinach
Pudina Paneer ~ Paneer with Fresh Mint
Paneer Jalfrezi ~ Paneer with Green Bell Pepper and Tomato
Kadhi Paneer ~ Paneer with Spicy Yogurt Based Sauce
Matar Paneer ~ Paneer with Fresh Peas of Summer
Hare Chane Paneer ~ Paneer with Fresh Green Garbanzo/Chickpeas
Sarson da Saag ~ Paneer with Baby Mustard Greens and Spinach
Paneer Pad Thai with Bok Choy
Paneer Naanini ~ Naan stuffed with crumbled paneer & spinach curry

My mother used to make upma for breakfast 2 or 3 times a week when I was growing up. I can’t blame her, with four children, making them to get ready for school in the morning; I don’t know how she even found time to prepare breakfast. Upma is easy to prepare, filling and nutritious. During marriages upma is the standard breakfast item in our area and tastes completely different from that of home made one, I have to say much better. Now I know the secret, measurements of ghee and oil were equal to the upma rava quantity. No wonder it tasted so good. But at home, my mother was always conservative in use of ghee/oil in upma, unconsciously healthy. I didn’t appreciate that back then, but now I do.

Recipe:

2 cups of semolina or suji or cracked wheat and 4 cups of water
(suji:water always in 1:2 ratio)
1 onion, 2 green chillies, 1 carrot, small piece of ginger
– all cut into small pieces
Half cup of fresh peas
Handful of roasted cashews or peanuts
For popu or tiragamata: 1 tsp each – urad dal, chana dal, minced garlic, curry leaves, cumin and mustard seeds.

If you are going to prepare upma with fine semolina or suji, roast them slowly till the color changes from cream to light gold. This process makes them not only more tasty, it also allows the grain to thoroughly mix with water without forming any lumps. For cracked wheat, bulgar because of large size of the grain, this step is not necessary. But roasting always adds some extra flavor so do it if you can spare some time.

Preparation:

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan, add popu ingredients in the order listed. Popu is a must for upma. When fried in oil, urad dal and chana dal bring cruchy nuttiness, garlic and curry leaves add some sweet fragrance, where as cumin and mustard seeds some essential oils and health benefits.

When mustard seeds start to jump around, then quickly add onions, green chillies, ginger, carrot and peas. Saute them to tender. Sometimes, I also add other vegetables like potato, bell peppers and tomato to make it more rich and nutritious. You can change the vegetables and create numerous varieties of upma. Do not be afraid to experiment. Upma is a very forgiving recipe.

Add 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix. Close the lid and bring the water to a boil on high heat.

Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat. Pour the upma ravva (suji, semolina, or cracked wheat) slowly, stirring continously with a spoon, to prevent the lump formation.

Also add the toasted cashews or peanuts. On reduced heat, cook the upma covered, untill all the water is absorbed and upma becomes soft and smooth like porridge. Turn off the heat and let it sit for few more minutes, covered.

Serve warm with lime/lemon juice sprinkled to taste. Have delicious upma with pickle (mango or lemon) or with chutney (coconut or peanut).

Upma with Mango Pickle. Traditionally a breakfast, but now at my home, a quick filling meal on a weekend or on a busy day.