Andhra Thali : From Indian Veg Thali Cookbook

My third book Indian Veg Thalis is ready. If you like a sneak preview, mail me and I'll send over a copy. The catch?  You'll need to mail me your detailed feedback.

Andhra Curry Families - A Primer

One Page Cookbooks Andhra Curry Families – A Primer All recipes copyrighted. No reproduction / commercial use without permission. Siramki@Gmail.com
1.: Perugu Pachadi (Raw Yogurt curry) Basic Recipe : Aratikaya Perugu Pachadi Take half a handful of chopped and boiled raw banana. Mash to a coarse paste with a chopped green chili, half a handful of grated coconut, two pinches of salt and a finely chopped garlic clove. Mix in a cup of yougurt. Consistency : Thickish ) Can use in any boiled vegetable (onions, cucumber, radish,..) or fresh salad vegetable (Tomato, onion, cucumber, carrot etc)	Andhra curries - Building blocks : Tamarind, Tuvar dal, Coconut & Yogurt Key Starches: Rice & Millets ( Bajra, Ragi, Jowar) Typical breakfast:: Idli, Vada, Poori, Dosa, Pesarattu, Upma served with sambar / chutney Lunch : Rice with a variety of curries listed to the left. Key Flavourings: Mustard, Curry leaves, Asafetida, Turmeric, Chili powder, Coriander powder, Cumin. Universal flavouring /Garnish Heat half a spoon of oil. Add two pinches of mustard, a pinch of curry leaves and asafetida. This is the universal flavouring cum garnish for all south Indian curries Curry Bases: Tamarind, yogurt, Spinach, Coconut, lentils Preferred fats : Peanut oil, Ghee, Protein Source: Lentils (Tuvar dal, Mung dal, Channa Dal, ), Fish and seafood), Chicken, Mutton & Eggs. Beef & Pork are uncommon. Common Vegetables: Eggplant, , French beans, Cauliflower, Radish, Potato, Squash, Spinach, raw banana, yam, onion, tomato. , Gourds ( snake, bottle, bitter, ash, ridge ), Dosakka etc. Souring agents :, Tamarind, Yogurt, Tomatoes, Gongura ( sour spinach) .Desserts : Sweets from cooked down milk (Payasam) , Sweets from milk solids , Sugar syrup based sweets (Jalebi, Laddoo ), Mysorepak Shopping List: 500 ml : yogurt 250 gms : carrot, Raw banana, Sweet potato, Srum stick, Bottle gourd, Coconut, Tuvar dal. Broad beans, Eggplant 100 gms : Salt, Garlic, Ginger, Tamarind paste 50 gms : Mustard, Asafetida, Dry red chilies, Cumin seeds, Coriander powder, Chili powder, , Jaggery, Pepper, Peanuts Spinach, Mint, Cilantro – 1 bunch.
2.: Podi (Powdered spicy lentils) Basic Recipe : Kandi Podi Heat a pan. Add half a handful tuvar dal. Roast on low fire till it reddens. Let cool. Blend to a powder with a red chili and two pinches of salt. Eat mixed with hot cooked rice, drizzled with ghee.
3.: Pachadi (Blended sour curry) Basic Recipe : Kobbari Velluli Pachadi Take half a handful of grated coconut. Blend to a paste with a green chili, a couple of pinches of salt, a garlic clove and 2 spoons of water.
4.: Kura (Dry curry) Basic Recipe : Chikkudu Kaya Kura Heat a spoon of peanut oil. Add two pinches of mustard, a pinch of cumin, a chopped garlic clove and two curry leaves. Add a handful of chopped, tender broad beans. Blend half a handful of peanuts with a bit of tamarind, a pinch of jaggery, a dry red chili and two pinches of salt to a paste. Mix in half a cup of water. Add to peanut paste to pan. Cover and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes till beans are cooked. Can use a variety of stir fried / boiled vegetables ( Potato, okra, eggplant, beans etc) ( Microwaving vegetables for 2-3 minutes before cooking really shortens cooking time)
5.: Pulusu (Sour Stew) Basic Recipe : Mukkula Pulusu Heat a spoon of oil. Add half a handful of chopped mixed vegetables (sweet potato, drumstick & bottlegourd). Sprinkle half a handful of water. Add a pinch of salt. Stir and cook for five minutes. Take a spoon of tamarind paste. Mix in a cup of water. Add two pinches each of salt and chili powder. Cook on gentle heat for ten minutes. Add garnish and serve.
6.: Pappu (Vegetable - Lentil curry) Basic Recipe : Thotakoora Pappu: Take a handful of tuvar dal and two handfuls of chopped spinach. Add a cup (200 ml) of water. Mix in two pinches each of turmeric powder and salt. Add a chopped green chili. Add to a pressure cooker and cook for two whistles. Let cool and mash. Add garnish and serve.
7.: Pachi Pulusu (Raw Tamarind Curry) Basic Recipe : Take an eggplant, the size of a tomato. Smear all over with oil. Roast over a gentle flame till skin blackens and eggplant is cooked. Peel off skin and mash well. Take a spoon of tamarind paste. Mix in a cup of water. Add two pinches of salt. Mix in the mashed eggplant. Add half a handful of chopped onions and a chopped green chili. Add garnish (see sidebar) and serve.
8.:. Pappu Chaaru (Thin lentil curry) Basic Recipe : Pudina Pappu Chaaru Heat half a spoon of peanut oil. Add a pinch each of cumin, mustard seeds, asafetida and curry leaves. Add a chopped shallot, half a handful of chopped tomato and four pinches of chopped mint leaves. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Dissolve half a handful of boiled tuvar dal in a cup of water. Mix in two pinches of chili powder, salt, a pinch of jaggery and turmeric powder. Add to pan, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.( Can mix in stir fried garlic, tomato ) A variety of stock (vegetable stock, meat stock) can also be used.
9.: Majjiga Pulusu (Buttermilk Stew) Basic Recipe : Soak two pinches of coriander seeds, tuvar dal, rice in water for 30 mins. Blend to a paste with half a handful of chopped coconut, a pinch of ginger, turmeric powder, a green chili and two pinches of salt. Mix in a cup of yogurt. Add garnish and serve (Consistency: Soupy). Can mix in a variety of boiled vegetables (gourds, potato, beans) or stir fried veggies (tomato / okra). Can also be simmered on gentle heat for 3 -5 minutes.
10.: Pappu Pulusu (Tamarind - Lentil Stew ) Basic Recipe : Aratikaya Pappu Pulusu Mix half a spoon of tamarind paste in a cup of water. Add two pinches each of salt, chili powder, coriander powder, a pinch each of asafetida, turmeric and jaggery. Mix in a handful of boiled and mashed tuvar dal. Add a handful chopped and boiled raw banana. Cook on gentle heat for ten minutes. Add garnish and serve. (Consistency : Soupy ). ( Can use a variety of boiled vegetables – (Carrot, ash gourd, colocasia etc) or stir fried veggies ( eggplant, okra )

Andhra Kitchen Virgin Survival Manual - Vegetarian

Click the image on the left to see the cookbook. This cookbook focuses on basic Andhra recipes anyone can cook up on the very first try. Absolutely no knowledge / skill is assumed on the part of the reader. The following recipes are listed in this cookbook.

 No Cook recipes :
Kobbari Pachadi (Coconut – chili blended curry)
Pacchi Charu (Thin raw tamarind curry) 
Pappula Podi  (Lentil - chili powder)
Perugu Pachadi (Raw vegetable - Yogurt curry) 

 Simple Curries :
Pulusu (Tamarind Stew)
Majjiga pulusu (Buttermilk Stew)
Kura ( Dry curry) 

 Lentil curries
Sambar ( Sour lentil stew) 
Pappu ( Mashed lentil curry)
Mamdikkaya Pappu (Mango-  Lentil curry)

Light Dishes :
Pongal ( Rice and lentil porridge)
Bread Upma 
Idli (Steamed rice cakes)  

10 Simple Pappu ( Andhra's lentil stews)

Click the image on left to view the cookbook.

This cookbook lists 10 simplified, thick lentil stews from Andhra. For more detailed recipes,  check out the links from fellow bloggers listed below. The following stews are listed in this cookbook:

0.:  Mudda Pappu  

1.:   Pesaru pappu   

2.:   Tomato pappu  

3.:  Mamdikkaya pappu  

4.:  Nimmakkaya Pappu  

5.:  Dosakkaya Pappu   

6.:  Thota koora pappu   

7.:  Chinta chiguru pappu    

8.:   Gongura pappu   

9.:  Beerakkaya pesaru pappu   

And this is my first entry to SRA's legume love affair,. As the turmeric used intensifies the yellow colour of the lentils, this also would be a good fit for Sunshine Moms FIC - Yellow

1001 Simple Pappu ( Andhra's Lentil stew )

Click the image on the left to view the cookbook.
This cookbook lists 1000 simplified lentil stews, the Pappu, cooked in Andhra. Ten bases are combined with ten different additives and ten different flavouring to create a thousand different pappu varieties.  The building blocks are listed below: 

The bases:

The following dals as listed in column 1 are used in most pappu.

0.: Kandi pappu : Tuvar dal is used to cook most pappus

1.: Pesara pappu or mung dal  is the next most commonly used dal.

2.: Misore Pappu : Called Mysore pappu / Masoor dal, this pink lentil is not very commonly used.

3.: Senaga pappu : Bengal gram / chana dal takes longer to cook and is usually presoaked before cooking. This is generally paired with sour spinach ( gongura) to cook the gongura pappu.

4.: Mukkula pappu : A combination of dals can also be used for pappu.

5.: Ulava pappu : Though more famous for Ulava Charu, this earthy dal can also be cooked into a great pappu.

6.: Roast pappu : Roasting dals before cooking imparts a nutty flavour.

7.: Stir fried lentils : Stir frying dals before cooking imparts a nuttier flavour.

8.: Global Pappu A variety of quick cooking lentils are found around the world and all these can be turned into delicious pappu

9.: Combo : Any combination of the above lentils can be used for pappu.

The additives:
A variety of additives are simmered in a sour base to cook up various pappu. Column 2 lists the most commonly used additives in Andhra.

0.:  Plain boiled dal tastes delicious without any additives. Eaten as Mudda Pappu , it is mixed with cooked rice, drizzled with ghee and is accompanied by a pickle.

1.: Raw Mango gives us the famous Mamdikkaya pappu

2.: Tomato is cooked into the Tomato pappu

3.: Spinach : A variety of spinach varieties are cooked into delicious pappu like  Aakukoora  Pappu/ Thota koora pappu  / Gongura pappu  .

4.: Dosakka. The much loved vegetable in Andhra gives us the  Dosakka Pappu.

5.: Tamarind leaves . It is in Andhra we see the use of tender tamarind leaves being cooked into the  Chinta chiguru pappu   

6.:  Red Pumpkin is boiled with dal into the Gummadikaya Pappu

7.:  Ridge gourd  with mung dal gives us Beerakkaya pesaru pappu 

8.: Bottle gourd is cooked into the Sorakkaya Pappu

9.: Fusion. A variety of fresh vegetables / spinach / herbs can all be cooked into delicious pappu. A combination of the above additives can also be used. 

The flavouring:
Pappu is a simple stew and does not need elaborate flavouring. Usually a simple garnish of fried mustard, red chili and curry leaves is sufficient. But a variety of different flavouring techniques are used as listed in Column 2 .

And this is reposted for Suganya's Vegan Ventures and My legume love affair, an event started by Susan.

100 Simple Pappu ( Andhra's Lentil Stews)

This cookbook lists 100 simplified lentil stews, the Pappu, cooked in Andhra. Ten bases are combined with ten different additives and ten different flavouring to create a thousand different pappu varieties.  The building blocks are listed below:  

The base:

The following dals as listed in column 1 are used in most pappu.
0.: Kandi pappu : Tuvar dal is used to cook most pappus

1.: Pesara pappu  or Mung dal is the next most commonly used dal.

2.: Misore Pappu . Called Mysore pappu / Masoor dal, this pink lentil is not very commonly used.

3.: Senaga pappu : Bengal gram / chana dal takes longer to cook and is usually presoaked before cooking. This is generally paired with sour spinach ( gongura) to cook the gongura pappu.

4.: Mukkula pappu : A combination of dals can also be used for pappu.

5.: Ulava pappu : Though more famous for Ulava Charu, this earthy dal can also be cooked into a great pappu.

6.: Roast pappu : Roasting dals before cooking imparts a nutty flavour.

7.: Stir fried lentils : Stir frying dals before cooking imparts a nuttier flavour.

8.: Other lentils : A variety of quick cooking lentils are found around the world and all these can be turned into delicious pappu

9.: Combo : Any combination of the above lentils can be used for pappu.

The additives:
A variety of additives are simmered in a sour base to cook up various pappu. Column 2 lists the most commonly used additives in Andhra.

0.: None :  Plain boiled dal tastes delicious without any additives. Eaten as Mudda Pappu , it is mixed with cooked rice, drizzled with ghee and is accompanied by a pickle.

1.: Raw Mango  gives us the famous Mamdikkaya pappu

2.: Tomato is cooked into the Tomato pappu

3.: Spinach : A variety of spinach varieties are cooked into delicious pappu like  Aakukoora  Pappu/ Thota koora pappu  / Gongura pappu.

4.: Dosakka. The much loved vegetable in Andhra gives us the  Dosakka Pappu.

5.: Tamarind leaves . It is in Andhra we see the use of tender tamarind leaves being cooked into the  Chinta chiguru pappu

6.:  Red Pumpkin is boiled with dal into the Gummadikaya Pappu

7.:  Ridge gourd   with Mung dal gives us Beerakkaya pesaru pappu 

8.: Bottle gourd  is made into the Sorakkaya Pappu

9.: Fusion . A variety of fresh vegetables / spinach / herbs can all be cooked into delicious pappu. A combination of the above additives can also be used.

And this is my second  entry to SRA's legume love affair, continuing the event started by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.

1001 Pulusu ( Andhra Sour Stew)

This cookbook lists 1000 simplified sour stews, the Pulusu, cooked in Andhra. Ten bases are combined with ten different additives and ten different flavouring to create a thousand different pulusus.  The building blocks are listed below: 

The base:
The following sour bases as listed in column 1 are used in most pulusu.

0.: Pacchi Pulusu is raw tamarind curry, unique to Andhra cuisine.

1.: Pulusu has a variety of additives simmered in tamarind water.

2.: Bellam Pulusu has jaggery added to tamarind water, making it a sweet and sour stew.

3.: Majjiga Pulusu uses buttermilk as a souring agent instead of tamarind.

4.: Tomato Pulusu uses sour tomatoes in place of (or in addition to) tamarind.

5.: Mamdikkaya Pacchi Pulusu uses sour, boiled raw mangoes as a souring agent.

6.: Gongura Pulusu uses the sour spinach ( sorrel) for its sourness

7.: Pesarapappu Pulusu has boiled and mashed mung dal mixed in along with tamarind water

8.: Pappu Pulusu has boiled and mashed tuvar dal mixed in with tamarind water.

9.: Fusion : You can try using a variety of souring agents like gooseberry or even vinegar. Or try using a combination of the above souring agents.

The additives:
A variety of additives are simmered in a sour base to cook up various pulusu. Column 3 lists the most commonly used additives in Andhra.

0.: Garlic is cooked into the velluli pulusu

1.: Red Pumpkin gives us gumidikaya pulusu

2.: Eggplant , the much loved vegetable across Andhra gives us the Vankaya pulusu

3.: Okra is slimy and by stir frying it for a few minutes minimizes the sliminess.

4.: Bitter gourd can be made less bitter by rubbing it with salt, resting it for half an hour and washing it to remove excess salt.           

5.: Bottle gourd is cooked into the Anapakkaya pulusu

6.:  Drumstick gives the munnakaya pulusu.

7.:  Mixed Vegetables  : A variety of mixed vegetables can be cooked into the mukkula pulusu.

8.: Non Veg pulusus : Chicken and mutton can be boiled first and then simmered into the pulusu. Fast cooking sea food like fish , crab or  prawns can be simmered in the pulusu without prior cooking. Hard boiled eggs are added after scouring them with a knife so that the flavouring can reach inside the egg. Marinating meats prior to cooking makes them more flavourful. Chopped Chicken can be pressure cooked without water for two whistles, mutton for three whistles and then added to the pulusu. Cleaned fish, crab or prawns can be directly added to the boiling pulusu as they will cook in less than five minutes.. Eggs can be hard boiled, shelled, slashed on the surface and then simmered in pulusu for five minutes. A variety of non- veg pulusus like the Kodi pulusu ( chicken stew),  Mamsam Pulusu ( mutton stew), Chepala pulusu ( fish stew),  Peethalu pulusu ( Crab stew),  Royalla pulusu ( Prawn stew) and Kodiguddu Pulusu( Egg stew) are cooked across Andhra.

9.: Fusion : A variety of meats / vegetables / mushrooms can be cooked into delicious pulusus.   

The flavouring: 
Pulusu is a simple stew and does not need elaborate flavouring. Usually a simple garnish of fried mustard, red chili and curry leaves is sufficient. But a variety of different flavouring techniques are used. Non-veg pulusus usually have an elaborate flavouring  from cloves, fennel and cinnamon. Column 2 lists various combinations of flavouring you can use.

100 Simple Pulusu ( Andhra's Sour Stew)

This cookbook lists 100 simplified sour stews, the Pulusu, cooked in Andhra. Ten bases are combined with ten different additives to create a hundred different pulusus.  The ten different bases are listed below: 

The bases :
0.: Pacchi Pulusu is raw tamarind curry, unique to Andhra cuisine.

1.: Pulusu has a variety of additives simmered in tamarind water.

2.: Bellam Pulusu has jaggery added to tamarind water, making it a sweet and sour stew.

3.: Majjiga Pulusu uses buttermilk as a souring agent instead of tamarind.

4.: Tomato pulusu uses sour tomatoes in place of ( or in addition to ) tamarind.

5.: Mamdikkaya Pulusu uses sour, boiled raw mangoes as a souring agent.

6.: Gongura Pulusu uses the sour spinach ( sorrel) for its sourness

7.: Pesarapappu Pulusu has boiled and mashed mung dal mixed in along with tamarind water

8.: Pappu Pulusu has boiled and mashed tuvar dal mixed in with tamarind water.

9.: Fusion : You can try using a variety of souring agents like gooseberry or even vinegar. Or try using a combination of the above souring agents.

The additives :
A variety of additives are simmered in tamarind water. The cookbook lists below the most commonly used additives in Andhra.

0.: Garlic is cooked into the velluli pulusu

1.: Red Pumpkin gives us gumidikaya pulusu

2.: Eggplant , the much loved vegetable across Andhra gives us the Vankaya pulusu

3.: Okra is slimy and by stir frying it for a few minutes minimizes the sliminess.

4.: Bitter gourd can be made less bitter by rubbing it with salt, resting it for half an hour and washing it to remove excess salt.           

5.: Bottle gourd is cooked into the Anapakkaya pulusu

6.:  Drumstick gives the munnakaya pulusu.

7.:  Mixed Vegetables  : A variety of mixed vegetables can be cooked into the mukkula pulusu. 

8.: Non Veg Chicken and mutton can be boiled first and then simmered into the pulusu. Fast cooking sea food like fish , crab or  prawns can be simmered in the pulusu without prior cooking. Hard boiled eggs are added after scouring  them with a knife so that the flavouring can reach inside the egg. Marinating meats prior to cooking makes them more flavourful.

9.: Fusion : Try using a variety of meats / vegetables / mushrooms  etc.