May 28, 2010

MAGAYA - SUN DRIED MANGO PICKLE

One more pickle like Avakaya during this summer time made with raw mangoes and stays for long time (more then one year).Magaya is a very popular pickle like Avakaya in coastal Andhra.Making of this pickle is totally different then Avakaya and a perfect side dish for curd rice and pongal....
INGREDIENTS:-----
Mangoes - 6 big
Mustard powder -- 200g
Salt - 250g
Red chili powder - 250g
Fenugreek powder - 50g
Turmeric -- 1 tab sp
Oil ---- 400g
FOR SEASONING:----
Dry red chilies -- 10 broken
Asafoetida - 1/2 tea sp
Mustard seeds --2 teasp

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METHOD:---
1.Wash,clean mangoes with a dry cloth, peal the skin and slice the mangoes in to very thin slices (like potato chips)
2. Shift the mango slices in a wide bowl add half salt and turmeric powder combine well to coat salt and turmeric each and every piece.
3. Cover this marinated mango pieces bowl with a lid and leave a side for 1 day.
4.Next day morning you can find this marinated mango pieces ooze there juices. Now squeeze the juice lightly from mango pieces and spread the mango pieces on a big plate.
5. Sun dry this squeezed mango pieces with sap in a very hot sun for 1 day or till the wetness in the mango piece disappears.(this process will take 1 day in Indian peak summer ).
6. In the mean while dry roast the mustard and then fenugreek take care that the seeds should not splutter remove and make a fine powder.
7. Add remaining salt.red chili powder, mustard and fenugreek powder, sap to mango pieces mix well to combine every thing.
8.Heat oil in a deep frying pan add mustard seeds let them splutter then add broken red chilies and asafoetida remove from flame and let it cool.
9 Add this seasoning to mango and spice mixture mix well to combine every thing leave it for a day.
From third day you can use this pickle.
Enjoy this delicious pickle with curd rice or pongali or even with plain steamed rice.
store the pickle in a ceramic or glass jar don't use plastic jars
Make sure that you don't touch water while making the pickle and clean each and every thing like mixing bowl ladle and mangoes with a dry cloth and dry them properly.
Use a clean and dry spoon every time to take out the pickle from jar.



May 19, 2010

SPROUTED MUNG AND MANGO SALAD

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Sprouted mung beans are popular alternative to meat for vegetarians. Sprouted mung beans are hign in Potassium,Calcium.Iron, Fiber,Magnesium and B vitamins.Sprouted mung beans are excellent diet food because 1 cup of sprouted mung beans contain less then 30 calories but high in protein, only 2 grams of fat and very rich sorce of dietary fiber and they are very easily digestible. They do not generally create abdominal gas or bloating. This fiber and vitamin rich little sprouted beans can be eaten on their own or combine with rice to make Khichari or mix with vegetables and greens to make healthy soups or make a paste with sprouted mung beans to make delicious crepes or mix with seasonal fruits and nuts to make healthy salads. So sprouted mung beans are one of the most recomended food for the people who are in weight loss diet. Instead of having idlis and dosa s for break fast 1 cup of sprouted mung beans with any seasonal fruit will be a very good choice for weight loss diet and now it is the Mango season in India so here is a very simple salad for this hot summer break fast.
INGREDIENTS:----
Mango --- 1 big ripe
Sprouted mung beans -- 1 cup 250 ml or 200 g
Honey -- 1tab sp (if required)
Black pepper powder --- 1/4 teasp
Cinamon powder --- 1/4 tea sp
METHOD:----
1. Peal and cut the mango in to bite size pieces
2. combine all above ingredients in a salad mixing bowl
Serve immediately.
If you like to have this salad chilled then leave it in the fridge for 1 hour before you serve but this won't stay crisp for long time in the fridge, mango pieces will become soft.
Check my POMEGRANATE& MOONG SPROUTS SALAD

May 15, 2010

MAMIDIKAYA MUKKALA PACHADI - INSTANT MANGO PICKLE

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In a typical Andhra meal PACHADI will take the first place.A traditional andhra meal will not complite with out ooragaya and pachadi. Ooragaya means pickle which is made of seasonal fruits and vegetables and uses a liberal amount of chilli powder,spices and oil.Pachadi(chutney) is typically made with vegetables and roasted green or red chilies,spices, it consumes less oil then pickle and stay for 1 or 2 days. Normally pachadi s are made with vegetables like ridge gourd, eggplant,etc. and greens like Gongura, coriander and mint leaves, coconut and also with some lentils like toor dal and urad dal. In mango season we make pachadi with mangoes for an instent use before avakaya get ready to use. Today I am here withone of the mango pachadi for instant use....
INGREDIENTS:---
Mango --- 1 big
Coriander seeds --- 1 1/2 teasp
Dry red chillies --- 50g
Mustard seeds -- 1 tea sp
cumin seeds -- 1/2 teasp
Fenugreek seeds -- 1 tea sp
Salt -- 10 g
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 tea sp
FOR SEASONING:----
Oil --- 50ml
Mustard seeds --- 1 tea sp
Dry red chilies -- 4 broken
asafoetida -- 1/4 teasp

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METHOD:-----
1. Heat a teasp oil in a deep frying pan add one by one mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chilies and fry till nice aroma comes out in a low flame.
2. Wash and clean the mango with a dry cloth and chop the 1/4th mango with skin, peal the skin and cut the remaining mango in to bite size pieces.

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3.first grind the fried spices with salt and turmeric powder in to a fine powder.

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4.Add bite size mango pieces to the spice powder and again grind in to a fine paste(dont add water grind this mango and spice mixture with gaps for every 2 sec.If you find diffecult in grinding open the lid and mix with a spoon and again grind for 2 sec.)

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5. Remove from the blender(mixee jar) add chopped mango pieces check the salt if required add some salt mix well to combine every thing and take it out in to a serving bowl.

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6. Heat oil in a deep frying pan add mustard seeds and let them splutter then add broken dry red chilies. asafoetida swithch off the flame and add this seasoning to chutney mix well.
Serve with idli, dosa, pondali, curd rice, rice and dal(annam, muddapappu) enjoy the fresh mango pickle.

May 11, 2010

MAMIDIKAYA TURUMU PACHADI - GRATED MANGO PICKLE

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Here is the next pickle from Mango season,which is very easy to make and stay for long time(more then one year).This is an instent pickle which you can use from the next day.It tastes little different then Avakaya but process is almost the same only thing we grate the mangoes for this pickle instead of making pieces.For this pickle we can use any verity of raw green mangoes. Mangoes should be fully mature, raw, green and very sour in taste. You can serve this pickle with any thing like Idli, Dosa, Pongal, Curd rice,Rice . But my choice is when you mix this pickle with leftover rice (don't add ghee or butter that will spoil the pickle taste because ghee dominates the pickle flavor) in the next day morning mmmm that is the best way to eat this pickle for me. and here is the recipe.... INGREDIENTS:----
Mangoes --- 6 no. really big size mangoes measure the grated mango that should be 2 kg s or 12 cups with rice cooker measurement cup.
Salt ---- 250 g
Mustard powder ----200 g
Fenugreek powder ---- 1 tab sp
Red chilli powder --- 250 g
Turmeric powder --- 1 tab sp
Oil ---- 1/2 kg
Dry red chillies --- 10 no. broken
Mustard seeds --- 25 g

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METHOD:----
1. Wash mangoes and wipe with a clean dry cloth and great with skin till the seed and remove the seed and take this grated mango in to wide bowl
2. Add turmeric powder,fenugreek powder, mustard powder, salt and red chilli powder and mix well to combine all ingredients very well.


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3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan till smoking point add mustard seeds and let them splutter then add broken red chilies remove the pan from fire and let it cool to room temperature.

4. Then add this oil with mustard seeds and dry red chilies to grated mango mixture mix well and cover with a lid and leave a side for 1 day.


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5. next day morning again mix with a clean,dry ladle and check salt if required add salt or red chilli powder at this time mix well and enjoy the pickle.

May 6, 2010

AVAKAYA - A TREDITIONAL ANDHRA MANGO PICKLE FROM ANDHRA PRADESH

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Muddapappu,avakaya with hot steamed rice and ghee is the most wanted combination for Telugu people,OrPerugu annam (curd rice, cooked rice mixed with yogurt)with avakaya but most of the Telugu people likes with muddapapu(cooked and mashed pigeon peas with little salt)Avakayi, neyi(clarified butter/ghee) with steamed rice. From Ugadi (the telugu new year day) we start useing mangoes in our cooking that is the day we offer God the first crop of raw mangoes in Ugadi pachadi, After one month from Ugadi day the pickling mangoes will start coming in to the market. In this Hot summer season every Telugu household look forward for Avakaya making season. My mom will check for a good day and she first starts with making Mustard powder and fenugreek powder and then in the mid day after lunch She start mixing the pickle, by the time she finished mixing the pickle it will be evening 4o clock. Every year Amma makes this pickle for 3 households myself, my sister,my brother and for amma herself. I am so lucky that I got this treasure (avakaya pickle recipe) from my amma and to day here I am with the traditional Andhra pickle Avakaya.. And my choice is Hot rice with Muddapappu, Ghee and Avakaya yummmmmm heaven.. ok here I go with the recipe.........

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INGREDIENTS:----
Mangoes -- 6 big (we use peddarasalu)
Salt -- 250 g or 2 1/4 cup with rice cooker cup
Turmeric --- 2 tab sp
Mustard power -- 250g or 2 1/4 cup (Dry 200 grams black mustard in hot sun for 2-3 hour or heat a deep frying pan and heat mustard till they hot when you touch with your hand, take care that mustard should not splutter when you fry them. Let them cool for some time and grind in to a fine powder. Grind mustard seeds very slowly giving gap in between every 2 sec. otherwise oil may come out from the mustard seeds )
Fenugreek powder- 2 tab sp
Fenugreek seeds --- 1 tab sp

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Red chilli powder --300 g or 3 1/4 cups
Oil --- 1/2 kg ( good quality sesame oil)or idayam gingely oil.
Garlic - 100 grams(Garlic should be added on third day.

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METHOD:-----
1. Clean mangoes with a lightly wet cloth and leave a side for dry .
2. Now cut the mangoes vertically in to half that the hard stone in the inside the mango is also cut in to two parts,discard the in side soft seed and their will be a thin layer stick to the hard part of the seed discard that layer also and clean the mango pieces with a dry cloth. Leave the hard shell of mango seed to the mango piece. that means each piece should contain the hard stone part so that the mango piece should not become soft after pickling for a year.
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3. Now take half oil (I gave 1/2 kg oil in thair half means 1/4 kg oil) in to a big bowl or plate and add turmeric powder and fenugreek seeds to this oil mix well and add mango pieces to this oil and leave a side for 15 min. This will help to retain hard the mango piece in the pickle for long time.
4.Then add the mustard powder, fenugreek powder, salt and red chilli powder to the mango pieces and combine well with a ladle or with you r hand to combine the ingredients well and coat the mango pieces with the masala well.
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5. place this mango pieces mixture in a jar or a glass bottle (don't use plastic jars or bottle) and pour the leftover 1/4 kg oil on top of the mango pieces and cover tightly and leave a side for 3 days.
6. On third day clean and peel the garlic cloves.
7. Now open the pickle jar and mix with a clean and dry ladle and check salt if required add some more salt and check once again, add garlic cloves and again mix well care fully again cover tightly and leave for 1 more day.
8. This will stay for 1 year.
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NOTE:-- Choose the mangoes very carefully. Mangoes should be fully mature, raw, green and very sour in taste.
Especially for avakai choose the mangoes with high fiber, normally in Andhra pradesh we use peddarasalu or cheruku rasalu or any verity of rasalu mangoes if you don't find this verity then you can use any long verity which is fibrous, green and sour because when you pickling this fibrous mangoes the pickle will stand till the next season without going soft.
make sure that you don't touch water while making the pickle and clean each and every thing like mixing bowl ladle and mangoes with a dry cloth and dry them properly.
Don't compromise in ingredients like oil, salt and chilli powder these three ingredients are soul for this pickle (not only this every pickle). If you compromise in this three ingredients your pickle will spoil by the next day it self. So don't compromise with salt and oil measurements.
Can reduce the quantity of mustard powder in this case pickle (gravy) will become watery
first day what oil we pour in the pickle may not be visible but on the third day you can find the oil floating on top.

May 4, 2010

MANGO JUICE

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It's already mid summer in India. Power cuts and hot winds are started, this is the season for a tropical fruit which is a favorite fruit for almost every one. Mango the king of the fruits,this year they already in the market. Naturally April and may is the starting for the green mangoes and some verity of mangoes will turn in to fruit. There are hundred s of verity's of mangoes in India but in andhra pradesh especially in costal andhra pradesh there is one more verity mangoes called RASALU(juicy mangoes).
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This mangoes are specially cultivated in Krishna district. There are verity's in this mangoes they are Chinna Rasalu (small juicy mangoes),pedda rasalu or cheruku rasalu(big juicy mangoes) and nujiveedu rasalu. Nujiveedu rasalu is more sweet and tasty in this verity.
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Usually this mangoes will start coming in to the market in April and stop by may when Banganpalli mangoes starts coming in to the market. This Rasalu mangoes are specially used for pickle(avakaya) when they are green and raw once they start ripe they become very juicy and sweet at this time we can only use this mangoes for juice only, we can not cut this mangoes in to pieces. Normally we press the ripe mango from all sides and make small hole on top and squeeze all the juice in to a glass or a bowl no need to add sugar to this juice . One pedda rasalu mango weighs 3 kg and gives more then 1 litre thick juice you can make 2 ½ to 3 litres delicious mango juice by adding water to this.
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Also we dry this mango pulp in sun and make sun dried mango candy s (mamidi tandra). In my child hood I use to skip lunch for this rasalu mangoes. Me my sister, brother and cousins use to sit in a circle and enjoy each mango......... ohhh those golden days........... anyways here I am with a simple recipe of Mango juice....
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Mangoes ---- 1 big( nice ripe big pedda rasam mango – 1 or chinnarasalu mangoes 3 or any other good quality ripe mangoes 3... If you are using any other mangoes peal the skin and cut in to small cubes)
If you are using rasalu mangoes press the mango from all sides to easily squeeze the juice make hole on top and squeeze the all juice and remove the skin and seed.
sugar – 1 cup if required (I didn't add sugar because I used peddarasalu mangoes they it self very sweet in taste)
Ice cubes – 1 tab sp or according to your taste(instead of ice cubes you can add water in sufficient quantity)
Blend all above ingredients in a blender to make the juice smooth and combine the ingredients well.
Pour the juice in to glasses and serve with more ice cubes if require.
Enjoy the summer special delicious drink....
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Mango juice is very beneficial for Anemia, Excessive thirsty condition, mental stress and it energies the body,removes the toxins and helps in constipation because mango is rich in c vitamin, carotene, niacin, riboflavin and calcium....
So enjoy a healthy seasonal fruit in the season......