Cooking Glossery

Bengal Gram ----------->Senaga pappu
Green Gram -----------> Pesara pappu
Red Gram -------------->Kandhi pappu
Black Gram-------------> Minappappu
Urad dal ---------------->Minappappu
Gram Flour-------------> Senaga pindi
Corn Flour -------------->Mokka jonna pindi
Roasted gram ----------->Gulla senaga pappu
Aubergine,Brinjal,Eggplant -----------> Vankaaya
Bringle ----------------> Vaakkaya
Colcesia ---------------> Chaama dumpalu
Capsicum -------------> Bengulooru Mirapakaya
Coriander leaves ------- Kothimeera
chick peas ------------> Senagalu
Palmyrah ------------> Tati kaaya
Asafoetida -----------> Inguva
Bay Leaf -------------> Masala Aku / Biryani aaku
Cinnamon ------------> Dalchini chekka
Cloves ---------------->Lavangam
Cumin Seeds-----------------> JeelakarraC
urry leaves ----------------->Karivepaku
Fennel seeds ----------------->Vaamu
Fenugreek seeds-------------> Menthulu
Jaggery ------------------->Bellamu
Coriander Seeds ----------->Dhaniyalu
Mustard seeds ------------>Avalu
Poppy Seeds -------------->Gasagasa
alucumin seeds --------------->Geelakarra
Yogurt -------------------->perugu

Nazarana - The Kitchen Tips

Use frying pans with copper bottoms. They save fuel and are very easy to wash and clean.
When you have to cook pulses like 'chana' etc. and forgotten to soak them overnight, don't panic. Just put the 'chana' in a flask full of boiling water for an hour. They are ready for cooking.
Add two to three pieces of potato to curry to absorb excess salt.
Peel a beetroot and cut into tiny pieces. Dry well in the sun and powder it. This can now be used as food colour.
Store green peas for summer. Tie the shelled peas in a cloth and dip in boiling water for three minutes. Then dip in chilled water. Dry under the fan till extra moisture is removed and then pack into airtight jars or sealed packets. Freeze and use later.
Always tie peppercorns or whole cloves in a small square of cheesecloth before cooking. You will want to remove them after cooking and it's such a job to locate them one by one. Nor is it pleasant to bite into peppercorn or clove unexpectedly. The same holds true for bay leaves, garlic and other large or whole seasonings.
Reheat leftover baked potatoes instead of discarding them. Dip the potatoes into warm water, then bake them in a 250 deg oven until they are heated throughout.
For a colorful garnish that is simple to make, cut peeled lemons into 1/4 - inch thick slices, making sure to remove all the white pith. Discard the seeds. Roll half the edge of each slice in finely-minced parsley, the other half in paprika.
Help keep cauliflower white while it cooks. Add a little milk to the water in which the cauliflower is cooked.
When you cook cauliflower, cabbage and the like, eliminate at least some of the odor by putting a piece of bread in the pot while the vegetable is cooking.
Cooking rice won't boil over if a small lump of butter is added to the pot.
Restore wilted salad greens by dipping them first in hot water, then in ice water that has a little vinegar added to it. Shake off the water and store the greens in the refrigerator as usual.
Get more juice from citrus fruits by heating the lemons, oranges or grapefruit in the oven for just a few minutes before extracting the juice.
To keep green salads fresh for a longer time, sprinkle the greens with the juice of a lemon or a lime.
Cut potato-baking time in half by boiling the potatoes for about ten minutes before baking them in a hot oven for approximately one-half hour.
A rule of thumb for cooking vegetables covered or uncovered: in general, vegetables that grow underground should be cooked covered; those that grow above the ground should be cooked uncovered.
Make a "blender soup" every time you clean out the refrigerator. Use up bits of cooked vegetables, sauces and such; whirl them in a blender and taste. The pureed vegetables will thicken soup, or if the soup is too thick, more broth or stock will thin it. With compatible leftovers - spiked with a little imagination, of course - you can come up with some delectable hot or cold soups.
For perfect boiled rice every time, cook the rice in plenty of boiling, salted water for 13 to 14 minutes and then rinse the rice under hot water.

Traditional Nellore Meals

Nellore Meals:
Traditional Nellore Meals is very famous in Coastal region of South India. The food and hospitality you get can't be forogotten in life time.
There are couple of famous hotels in Nellore by name Komala Vilas which was estd in 1931 and Venkata Ramana Vilas whcih was estd in early 90's . They perform cooking in an ethnic style and believe me there is no change in taste from their day one of their hotel business.

A typical full Andhra vegetarian meals generally consists of, Annamu (cooked Rice) together with each of the following items, click on each to know how to prepare the same and have a great day with a Full Meal.
Annamu (Rice)
Ghee
Podi (Gunpowder)
Pappu (Dal)
Talimpu (Koora - Dry Vegetable Curry)
Uragaaya (Pickle)
Sambaaru/Sambhar
Majjiga Pulusu
Rasamu/Rasam
Perugu (Curd)
Appadamu (Papad)
Payasam (Sweet Kheer)
Arati Pandu (Banana)
Beeda (Sweet Pan)
There is not much more that an individual would need to live on this earth happily.

Palak Paneer

This recipe is simple,tasty and nutritious. Instead of Paneer, you can add aloo for Aloo Palak recipe.

Ingredients:

Spinach - 500 gms
Butter - 50 gms
Paneer - 100 gms
Cummin - 1 tsp
Garlic cloves - 2
Green chillies - 4 nos.
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Wash fresh spinach
Boil spinach and green chillies in half a cup of water. Allow it to cool down.
Grind spinach and chillies in a mixer to make a fine paste.
Cut paneer into 1cm cubes and fry it in fresh butter till they turn golden as shown in picture below.
Now get the seasoning ready by frying cummin and garlic in butter.
Add spinach paste, fried paneer and salt to taste to the above seasoning and mix them well.
Tasty palak paneer is ready to be served.

Tomato Chutney

An Yummy yummy Tomato chutney. My friends used to like this a lot when I prepare.

Lets have a quick walkthrough of this recipe:

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 500 gms
Green chillies - 8
Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 1 or 2 cloves
Cumin - 1 tsp
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying and seasoning

Seasoning:

Dried red chillies - 2
Black gram - 2 tsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Oil for frying - 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Cut tomatoes into two halves and make few slits on green chillies and keep them aside.
In a pan add 1 spoon oil and fry the green chillies and keep them aside.
Then fry the tomatoes also on a medium heat till they turn soft as shown above and allow them to cool down.
In another pan dry fry the sesame seeds till they pop up which will take about one minute.
Now in a mixer jar add these fried tomatoes, green chillies, sesame seeds, tamarind, 1 tsp cumin, garlic and salt and grind them to make a coarse paste.
Tomato chutney is ready to be served with hot steamed rice or ulli dosas (Onion dosa).
Season it if you like. For seasoning, take 2 spoons oil and preheat it and keep the stove on medium heat.
Add mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin and black gram and toss them till they pop up.
Now add dried red chillies and curry leaves and fry them till the seasoning starts smelling good, this will take few seconds only.
Add the above to the chutney and serve.

Majjiga Charu

Ingredients:
Stirred yoghurt (Majjiga) - 1 bowl
Dried red chillies - 4 nos.
Bengal gram (Chana dal) - 1 spoon
Black gram (Urid dal) - 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds (Menthi seeds) - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Ginger - finely chopped as shown below.
Curry leaves - few
Onion - 1 small
Green chillies - 4 nos.
Oil - 1 spoon
Corriander leaves for garnishing


Preparation:

Heat some oil in a pan and add chana dal, urid dal, menthi seeds, cumin, mustard seeds, red chillies and fry them for few seconds till they start smelling good.
Now add curry leaves, finely chopped ginger and green chillies to the pan and fry them for few more seconds.
Add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt to taste and pour this in the stirred yoghurt as shown in the picture.
Now add finely chopped onion and corriander leaves to the yoghurt. Majjiga charu is ready.

Mamidi kaya pulihora

One more yummy yummy recipe is on its way. This is very easiest pulihora and tastiest.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Mango - 1

Oil - 4-5 table spoons (or enough to fry the following)

Mustard seeds - 1 table spoon

Cumin seeds - 1 table spoon

Chana Dal - 2-3 table spoons

Peanuts - 50 grams

Asafoetida - a pinch of powder

Turmeric - 1 small tablespoon or a pinch of it for colour

Green Chillies - 5-7 in number (Can add more if Spicy is preferred)

Red Chillies - depending upon taste (if required)

Preparation:

Cook the rice seperately as you do regularly.

Peel the skin of mango and grate it using a grater. keep it aside.

Take a pan/vessel and heat oil in it.

Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds.

Allow mustard seeds to splutter and then add Asafoetida, chana dal, green chillies, red chillies(if needed), turmeric and fry for few seconds or until all the above items are fried a little bit. then add the grated mango into it.

Mix it for a minute or two and remove it from stove.

Add salt to the above mixture.

Spread rice in a bowl or which ever you feel conveniant and spread the above mixture on it. Mix the rice and mixture with hand or spoon.

Your Mamidikaya Pulihora is ready.