Cluster Beans Curry (Goruchikkudu Kura) Andhra Cuisine

 

           This is an amazing Cluster Beans Curry in an Andhra style. It turned out very delectable and tasted awesome with chapattis. A little bit of sambar powder gave a nice punch to this simple vegetable dish. Some idli podi will also do wonders to this simple recipe. You can relish it as a side dish with rice or chapattis. So check out a step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this no-fuss curry. 

• 250 gms. cluster beans. chopped into 1" pieces
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. sambar powder
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

         Steam the cluster beans for 5 minutes or till they are fork tender. Keep aside. 

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

         After it stops spluttering, add the onion, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Sauté till they turn light brown. 

          Then add the steamed cluster beans and salt to taste. Stir fry on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. 

         When done, add sambar powder and chopped coriander leaves. Give it a mix and enjoy as a side dish with rice or chapattis. 

Steam the cluster beans for 5 minutes or till they are fork tender. Keep aside. 

           Heat oil in a pan & temper with mustard seeds & dry red chilies.

After it stops spluttering, add the onion, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves, turmeric powder & red chili powder. Sauté till they turn light brown. 

Add the steamed cluster beans & salt to taste. Stir fry on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. 

  When done, add sambar powder & chopped coriander leaves. Give it a mix.

                     Enjoy as a side dish with rice or chapattis. 

Raw Banana Bharta - South Indian style

 

             You must have had baingan bharta (mashed eggplant), a very popular Punjabi dish, numerous times. So how about trying out Raw Banana Bharta in a South Indian fusion style? I added some sambar powder to the end product. It is equally yummy and tastes awesome. 

             You can add some red chili flakes for extra spiciness. It goes very well with chapatti or any flat Indian bread. However, it can also be served as a side dish with dal-chawal, sambar/rasam rice or curd rice. So give it a try by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 2-3 raw bananas, boiled whole
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• pinch of asafoetida
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, chopped
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tomato, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander powder
• 2-3 tbsp. sambar powder
• 1 tsp. lime juice 
• 2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Discard the skin from the boiled bananas and mash / grate it. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and asafoetida.  

          After it stops spluttering, add the onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves. Stir fry till light brown. 

          Now add the tomato, turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix everything well and sauté on a medium flame till the tomatoes are mashed. Sprinkle some water if needed.

          When done, add the grated raw banana and salt. Give it a stir and continue to stir fry for a couple of minutes. 

          Now add the sambar powder, coriander leaves and lime juice. Give it a toss and switch off the flame. Keep it covered for 2-3 minutes. Serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

                     Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds & asafoetida. Allow it to splutter.

                    Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies & curry leaves. Sauté till light brown. 

                     Add tomato, turmeric powder, red chili powder & coriander powder. Mix 

                     well & sauté till the tomatoes are mashed. Sprinkle some water if needed.

                     Add grated raw banana & salt. Give it a stir & stir fry for 4-5 minutes. 

                    Add sambar powder, coriander leaves & lime juice. Give it a toss & switch 

                    off the flame. Keep it covered for 2-3 minutes.

                                  Serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

Stir Fried Beans

          This is just a simple homemade style healthy stir fried beans cooked with fresh grated coconut and roasted peanuts. This side dish is just perfect with sambar rice, curd rice, dal-chawal or any Indian bread. It is very easy and a quick recipe and can be dished out in a jiffy. So check the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

• 250-300 gms. French beans, cut into 1" long & steamed
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds 
• pinch of asafoetida
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1" ginger, chopped finely
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes (opt)
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 2 tbsp. coarsely ground roasted peanuts
• 1-2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and asafoetida. After it stops spluttering, add the onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Sauté till light brown. 

          Add the beans and all the dry spices. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut and ground peanuts. Mix well and switch off the flame. 

          Garnish with coriander leaves and serve as a side dish with rice or chapatti. 

                       Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds & asafoetida. Then add onion,
                       ginger, garlic & green chilies. Saute till light brown. 

                        Add the beans and all the dry spices. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. 

                        Add coconut & ground peanuts. Mix well & switch off the flame. 

                        Garnish with coriander leaves.

                                  Serve as a side dish with rice or chapatti. 

Chatpata Tindora Ka Salan - Hyderabadi Style

          This recipe is almost similar to Mirchi Ka Salan and Bagara Baingan, two other Hyderabadi delicacies which has almost the same spices. The dominant ones are coconut, sesame seeds and peanuts. The gravy is extremely delicious and has a spicy and tangy flavour. 

          It is very much relished with plain biryani, pulao and jeera rice. In fact they go extremely well with any form of rice and Indian bread. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare my version of this recipe.

          I came across this recipe from one of the TV cookery shows and thought of giving it a try. I had no idea that you can dish out so many varieties of recipes with it. 

         After the stuffed version and stir fry, here is the Hyderabadi style salan gravy which surprisingly turned out very chatpata and delectable. 

         I enjoyed it very much with hot steamed rice. So do go ahead and prepare this dish for your family and friends.

• 250-300 gms. 
• Tindora (Ivy Gourd)

Dry roast & grind -

• 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp. urad dal (split black gram lentil)
• 2 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1 tbsp. roasted peanuts
• 1 tbsp. roasted chana dal (Bengal Gram lentil)
• 5-6 dry red chilies, broken
• 1 tsp. lime juice

Gravy -

• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 sugar cube / 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste mixed with 1 cup water
• coriander leaves to garnish

          Make 2 slits lengthwise to all the Ivy gourds but it should remain intact at the bottom. Keep them aside.

          Dry roast all the ingredients under 'dry roast & grind', except lime juice. Set aside to cool down. Then grind into a paste by adding some water. Add lime juice and mix well. Keep aside.

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the slit tindora till light brown. Drain and keep them aside. Heat remaining oil and temper with mustard seeds. 

          After it stops spluttering, add the onion and curry leaves. Fry till light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste and turmeric powder mixed with a little water. Fry on a medium flame till the oil separates.

         Now add the ground paste and fry for a minute. Then add the tamarind water and salt. (Add more water according to the consistency required).

         Bring it to a boil and add the fried tindora and sugar. Cover and simmer on a medium flame till the veggies are soft and the oil separates. 

          Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve as a side dish with plain rice, pulao, jeera rice, roti, paratha or any Indian bread.

                  Make 2 slits lengthwise to the Ivy gourds, but it should remain intact at 
                  the bottom. Keep them aside.

                    Heat 1 tbsp. oil & fry slit tindora till light brown. Drain & keep them aside. 

                   Heat remaining oil & temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering,
                   add onion & curry leaves. Fry till light brown. 

                  Add ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste & turmeric powder mixed with some
                  water. Fry on a medium flame till oil separates.

                               Now add ground paste & fry for a minute.

                               Add tamarind water & salt.

                               Bring to a boil & add fried tindoras & sugar. 

                    Cover & simmer on med. flame till the veggies are soft and oil separates. 

 Switch off the flame & garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with plai

rice, pulao, jeera rice, roti, paratha or any Indian bread.

Pepe Kumro Chechki (Raw Papaya & Pumpkin Stir Fry - Bengali Style)

          This is my all time favourite dish which is a traditional Bengali stir fry. It can be made with any vegetable like raw papaya, pumpkin, carrot, radish, bottle gourd, etc. But today I went in for a combo with raw papaya and pumpkin. It is a very simple and a quick preparation with just a tempering of nigella seeds and with minimum of spices. Please note - this is a no onion and no garlic recipe.

          The end product is garnished with coriander leaves, fried and coarsely ground vadi (dried lentil dumplings) and raw mustard oil for an authentic touch. Prawns or fish head is added for the non-veg. version. It is best enjoyed with plain steamed rice or as a side dish with chapatis or parathas. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 medium size raw papaya, grated
• 250 gms. pumpkin, grated
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 8-10 vadi / dried lentil dumplings
• 1 tsp. kalonji
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. raw mustard oil

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the vadi till light golden in colour. Drain and keep aside to cool. Then grind it coarsely.

          Temper the same oil with kalonji. Sauté for a few seconds and add the grated veggies, salt, turmeric powder, coriander-cumin powder and green chilies.

          Cover and cook on a medium flame by stirring at intervals for around 8-10 minutes. When done, add the coriander leaves, ground vadi and the raw mustard oil. 

          Mix everything well and serve with plain steamed rice or as a side dish with chapattis or parathas.

                                 Grate raw papaya & pumpkin.

                                  Heat oil & temper with kalonji.

                     Add grated veggies, salt, turmeric powder, coriander-cumin powder
                     & green chilies. Cook for 8-10 minutes or till done.

                 
                        When done, add coriander leaves, ground vadi & raw mustard oil. 

                                Mix everything well.

                               Serve with plain steamed rice or as a side dish with chapatis.