Chamagadda Pulusu (Colocasia / Arbi / Taro Root Curry - Andhra / Telangana Cuisine)

 

          Chamagadda Pulusu is an authentic and a very popular Andhra / Telangana recipe of Colocasia / Taro Root cooked in a spicy and tangy gravy. This classic regional dish is worth a try and it makes for a perfect side dish. You can adjust the chilies and the tamarind according to your preference. A little bit of jaggery is sometimes added to balance the taste. However, I skipped it.

          This dish is simply divine and so comforting. It is a very simple recipe, but tastes yummy and goes well with rice and some ghee drizzled on the top for a nice comfort meal. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this regional delicacy.

• 500 gms. Colocasia / Arbi
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds 
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp. urad dal
• 1 tbsp. chana dal
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2-3 green chilies, slit
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste mixed with 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Pressure cook the arbi in enough water for 2 whistles. When it is cool enough to handle, peel and cut into cubes. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, urad dal and chana dal. Sauté till it stops spluttering.

         Now add the onion, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves. Sauté till light brown. 

         Add the chopped tomato and all the dry spices (except salt). Mix well and stir fry for a minute.

         Then add the tamarind water, followed by the boiled arvi and salt. Combine everything well. 

          Add 1 cup water and simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes or till the gravy thickens. 

          Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice with a drizzle of some ghee.

Pressure cook the Colocasia in enough water for 2 whistles. When it is cool enough to handle, peel & cut into cubes. Keep aside. 

Heat oil in a pan & temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, urad dal and chana dal. Sauté till it stops spluttering.

Now add the onion, garlic, green chilies & curry leaves. Sauté till light brown. 

Add the chopped tomato & all the dry spices (except salt). Mix well & stir fry for a minute.

                 Then add the tamarind water, 

              followed by the boiled arbi and salt. Combine everything well. 

Add 1 cup water & simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes or till the gravy thickens. 

                    Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

                 Serve with steamed rice with a drizzle of some ghee.

Echore Bhapa (Raw Jackfruit Curry - Bong style)

 

            Check out this irresistible Bong delicacy of Kathal / Raw Jackfruit slow cooked to perfection in a yummy sesame seeds-coconut gravy. This dish is a total amalgamation of the pungency from the freshly ground mustard seeds and a hint of sweetness from the coconut. You can substitute sesame seeds with poppy seeds if you desire. I had to opt for the former, as the latter is unavailable at my place of residence.

          This ridiculously simple and easy to cook dish is a very good option for a nice weekend comfort meal. Drizzle some extra mustard oil if you wish and enjoy it with hot steamed rice. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this classic treat.

          I always opt for this simple recipe whenever I need something quick as raw jackfruit, being my favorite, cooked in this way turns out just amazing.

         All that you need to do, is to blend a few ingredients to make a paste, then mix them all together with the raw jackfruit and slow cook it and the dish is ready. 

          This is an absolutely quick fix weekend lunch for your entire family. In fact, it is also a great party recipe when you have guests around.

• 1 small raw jackfruit, cubed
• 2-3 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. coconut
• 3 green chilies
• salt to paste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp. dry roasted cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. + 1tsp. mustard oil
• 2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 cup water

          Grind the sesame seeds, 2 green chilies and coconut with some water into a smooth paste. 

          Mix it along with 1 tbsp. mustard oil, salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder and 2 tbsp. coriander leaves. 

          Grease a pan with 1 tsp. oil and transfer the cubed raw jackfruit. Add the ground paste, 3/4 cup water, 1 tsp. mustard oil and 2 green chilies.

          Mix well and cook, covered on a low flame till the gravy thickens and the raw jackfruit turns tender. 

          Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves and enjoy with hot steamed rice. You may also have with roti or paratha.

Grind the sesame seeds, 2 green chilies & coconut with some water into a smooth paste. Mix it along with 1 tbsp. mustard oil, salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder & 2 tbsp. coriander leaves. 

     Grease a pan with 1 tsp. oil & transfer the cubed raw jackfruit.

                 Add the ground paste, 

                  3/4 cup water, 1 tsp. mustard oil & 2 green chilies.

Mix well & cook, covered on a low flame till the gravy thickens & the raw jackfruit turns tender. Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves.

       Enjoy with hot steamed rice. You may also have with roti or paratha.

Bottle Gourd Stir Fry - South Indian style

 

             Check out this Bottle Gourd stir fry prepared in the South Indian style. It is completely a no onion and no garlic recipe. I have also not added any tomatoes. It is prepared dry to be had as a side dish with rasam-rice or curd-rice. It also goes well with chapatti or paratha. 

              I garnished the end product with chopped coriander leaves and grated fresh coconut. Some sambar powder can also be added. This is a very easy and a quick recipe with appetizing flavors. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

           Bottle Gourd is a very healthy veggie with lot of water content. It is commonly prepared in Indian household in various ways. It is low in calories, low in fat and has high dietary fibre. So a perfect veggie for all age groups. 

           It also helps in digestion and to combat acidity as it has a cooling effect on the body. Hot soups and stews prepared out of this veggie is also a good option during a cold wintry night or when sick.

• 1 medium size Bottle Gourd, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1-2 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. urad dal
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. grated ginger
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1/3 cup fresh grated coconut
• 1-2 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with dry red chilies, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. 

          After it stops spluttering, add the grated ginger, curry leaves and urad dal. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.

         Now add the cubed bottle gourd, salt, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Mix well and cook, covered on a low flame till it is tender. Sprinkle water at intervals if needed.

          When done, add the grated coconut and give it a stir. Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. 

          Serve as a side dish with curd rice, rasam rice steamed rice, chapatti or paratha.

 Heat oil & temper with dry red chilies, mustard seeds && cumin seeds. 

After it stops spluttering, add the ginger, curry leaves & urad dal. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Add the cubed bottle gourd, salt, turmeric powder & coriander powder. Mix well & cook, covered on a low flame till it is tender. Sprinkle water at intervals if needed.

When done, add the grated coconut & give it a stir. Switch off the flame & garnish with coriander leaves. 

Serve as a side dish with curd rice, rasam rice, steamed rice, chapatti or paratha.

Thankuni Pata Bata (Centella Leaves Chutney - Bengali Style)

 

          This is an extremely simple and a nutritious Bong style chutney made of Thankuni Pata (Centella Leaves). So if you happen to come across this plant, pluck out the leaves and prepare this traditional & a healthy dish. In this recipe, the leaves are ground along with green chilies and garlic. This is then sautéed in mustard oil with a tempering of nigella seeds. It is then relished with hot steamed rice for a great comfort meal. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

               Thankuni Pata, as it is known in the Bengali lingo or Centella leaves have some medicinal properties that are very healthy for us. 

             It is not much popular, though it is quite relished in the North Eastern regions, especially West Bengal and our neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to name a few. 

          These leaves can be made into delectable pakoras or can be enjoyed as salads, stir fries, juice or chutneys. 

• 2 handfuls of Thankuni Pata (Centella Leaves), chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1-2 green chilies
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. kalonji (nigella seeds)

     

         Wash the Thankuni leaves well under running water and drain them.

          Grind along with the garlic, chilies and very little water to make a smooth paste.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with kalonji. Sauté for a few seconds. Add the ground paste, salt and turmeric powder.

          Fry on a low flame till all the moisture has evaporated. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle some mustard oil over it. Enjoy with hot steamed rice.

         Wash the Thankuni leaves well under running water & drain them. 

 Grind along with garlic, chilies & very little water to make a paste.

   Heat oil in a pan & temper with kalonji. Sauté for a few seconds. 

                 Add the ground paste, salt and turmeric powder.

                  Fry on a low flame till all the moisture has evaporated. 

    Transfer to a serving bowl & drizzle some mustard oil over it. 

              Enjoy with hot steamed rice.

Begun Posto (Eggplants in Poppy Seeds Gravy - Bong Style)

 

           Begun Posto (Eggplants in poppy seeds gravy) is a take on the Bong style Aloo Posto. The latter is a very popular dish and is a must on a Bengali platter. This recipe is a very simple and easy to prepare, as it requires minimum of spices easily available in every kitchen. 

       It is an absolutely yummy dish that goes extremely well with hot steamed rice or chapatti / paratha. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare my version of this regional delicacy.

             Posto (Poppy seeds) is a hot favorite among the Bengali crowd. It is a versatile spice with which various veg. and non-veg. recipes can be prepared. 

             In this recipe, I made use of baby eggplants. However, you can go in for any variety of your choice. It is cooked in mustard oil for an authentic touch and flavor. 

            The recipe is healthy and light on the tummy with less spice. Besides, you can also relish it with luchi (poori) as a weekend breakfast with your loved ones. 

• 8-10 baby eggplants
• 3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds
• 1-2 dry red chilies
• 1 onion,  chopped
• 1/3 cup poppy seeds / sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 2-3 green chilies, slit
• 1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves to garnish
• 1 tsp. mustard oil to garnish

           Blend the sesame seeds in a mixer grinder into a paste along with some water. Keep aside. 

           Rinse the eggplants and wipe them well. Make two slits on each of them. 

          Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry them till light brown. Set aside.

          Add remaining 1 tbsp. oil and temper with nigella seeds and dry red chilies. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Then add the chopped onion and stir fry till light brown. 

         Add the sesame seeds paste, salt, turmeric powder and roasted cumin powder. Sauté till the oil separates. 

          Now add 1 cup water and green chilies. Bring it to a  boil. Add the fried eggplants. 

          Cover and simmer on a low to medium flame till the veggie turns soft and the gravy thickens to a desired consistency.  

         When done, switch off the flame and garnish with 1 tsp. mustard oil and  coriander leaves. 

          Serve with hot steamed rice or chapattis / parathas for a comforting meal.

Note - 

1.  I have used sesame seeds in place of poppy seeds as the latter is not available at my place of residence. However, there was no change in the flavor. It turned absolutely yummy.

  Rinse the eggplants & wipe them well. Make two slits on each of them. 

             Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan & fry them till light brown. Set aside.

Add remaining 1 tbsp. oil & temper with nigella seeds & dry red chilies. Sauté for a few seconds. 

                Then add the chopped onion & stir fry till light brown. 

Add the sesame seeds paste, salt, turmeric powder & roasted cumin powder. 

                      Sauté till the oil separates. 

                  Add 1 cup water & green chilies. Bring it to a boil. 

Add the fried eggplants. Cover & simmer on a low to medium flame till the veggie turns soft & the gravy thickens to a desired consistency.

  

When done, switch off the flame & garnish with 1 tsp. mustard oil & coriander leaves. 

Serve with hot steamed rice or chapattis / parathas for a comforting meal.