Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

Vegetarian Gumbo ~ India Inspired

When we lived in Houston, one of the recipes we picked up from that region was gumbo. Okra, vegetables, beans, rice and seafood/meat, together cooked in wheat flour broth (called roux). That is gumbo in a nutshell. Vijay is a big fan of seafood gumbo and often prepares shrimp gumbo at home. Being the non-meat eater that I am, I had to develop a vegetarian version for myself. The following recipe is the result of my trials.

I’ve made few changes to the traditional recipe to suit my taste. I replaced roux with lots of okra and coconut-spice seasoning. And for today’s meal, fresh chickpea sprouts and brown basmati have joined the excellent cast of gumbo characters.

Swampland approach, but a new appeal with Southern India seasoning, my vegetarian gumbo is a delightful one-pot dish. The side effects I have noticed so far, it’d inflict a dramatic mood change. Kindlier attitude towards fellow beings, even towards themselves, which at times could be of even greater importance, may happen.

Ingredients for Vegetarian Gumbo
Red Onion, Orange Capsicum, Tomato, Sprouted Chickpeas, Brown Basmati and Okra

Recipe:

1 tablespoon ghee
2 cloves of garlic – finely chopped
1 red onion, 2 capsicums and 4 tomatoes – finely chopped
20 okra – cut to half-inch rings
1 cup sprouted chickpeas (or beans of your choice)
½ cup brown basmati rice
Turmeric and salt – half teaspoon each or to taste

Southern India Seasoning :
Two tablespoons of grated fresh coconut, 6 dried red chillies, 6 cloves, quarter teaspoon cumin, fistful of fresh cilantro leaves, and a pinch of salt – blend to smooth, adding half cup of water in a mixer.

In a heavy pot, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until translucent. Add the capsicum, tomatoes, okra, chickpea sprouts and brown basmati rice. Mix and cook, occasionally stirring for about ten minutes. Add about three cups of water and also stir in the turmeric and salt. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about another 15 minutes.

When the rice starts to get tender, stir in the coconut-spice seasoning. Mix gently and simmer another ten minutes or so. When the rice is cooked to tender, turn off the heat. Cover and let the gumbo sit for sometime. The whole thing will thicken further on cooling.

Vegetarian gumbo goes well with papadams. They are great to scoop up the gumbo.

Vegetarian Gumbo
Vegetarian Gumbo with Okra, Chickpea Sprouts and Brown Basmati, Served with Papadams ~ Our Meal

Kitchen notes:
Grated fresh coconut, Brown basmati rice and papadams of different shapes can be purchased at Indian grocery shops. (Before serving, papadams should be fried in oil until crisp.)

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Bell Pepper,Benda Kaaya(Okra),Brown Basmati,Sprouts (Molakalu) (Tuesday July 31, 2007 at 12:11 am- permalink)
Comments (18)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Series of Sprouts ~ Chickpea Sprouts

Chickpea Sprouts

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Chickpeas,Sprouts (Molakalu) (Monday July 30, 2007 at 10:54 am- permalink)
Comments (8)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Weekend Seattle


Neighborhood Snapshot: Pike Place Market


A Favorite Vegetable and Fruit Shop


View from the Market ~ Elliott Bay

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Zen (Personal) (Sunday July 29, 2007 at 12:20 pm- permalink)
Comments (7)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Weekend Kittaya Blogging

Kittaya on the Patio
Curious Kittaya

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Kittaya (Saturday July 28, 2007 at 1:08 am- permalink)
Comments (9)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Mahanandi Selections: Sumeet Mixer

I often get asked via comments and email, to recommend cooking utensils and products. I am extremely particular about the products that I buy for my kitchen. I wasn’t sure my taste is your cup of coffee, so I was reluctant all these years. Now, I have decided to take up the challenge. Mahanandi Selections, the shopping suggestions series is going to be a new one on Mahanandi and features products that I have at my home or would like to have in my kitchen.

I hope you find this new series interesting and useful.

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SUMEET MIXER GRINDER

Sumeet homepage: Sumeet.net
(I own a Sumeet and I’ve been using it for almost six years. Great Machine!)

Product Features: The Multipurpose Asia Grinder was created specifically to tackle the tough DRY & WET grinding tasks required in the diverse cuisines of India. Yet it is equally at home where grinding is vital to the cuisines from other parts of the world, (Mexican Moles, Thai Green Curry, Harissa, etc). The Asia Grinder effectively grinds Dry or Wet ingredients into fine powder or a smooth thick paste, from as little as 50 grams to as much as 400 Grams in less than 2 minutes. Soaked Lentils, Rice, Coconuts, Chilies, Herbs, Ginger, Garlic to name a few, can be ground without adding a drop of water. A feat only possible using Stone & Pestle. It comes with 4 Interchangeable blades for various tasks such as Blending, Whipping, Mincing, Grating etc. The Small Quantity Grinder Jar is ideal for small amounts of dry and wet grinding, be it fresh coffee powder or quick chutney.

Heavy Duty Indian Mixer/Grinder has Safety Lock System, 110 Volt. 3 Stainless Steel Jars with a “Double Wall Stainless Steel” construction, a redesigned integrated blade and lids with a more user friendly snap-in locking system.

Product Reviews:

From Amazon: “It can take a kitchen aid for breakfast and black dekker for lunch and still have appetite for a couple of sun beams.”

From Food Bloggers: Barbara of Tigers and Strawberries often mentions Sumeet in her well detailed recipe instructions. Her review:

“I am very fond of and use my Sumeet Multi-Grind all the time. It is a really fine piece of equipment that will grind up any wet or dry ingredient that you would have into a very smooth paste (or powder if all the ingredients are dry), including rock hard galangal and chunks of cinnamon stick, without fail. The parts of the machine that come into contact with the food are all dishwasher safe, so they are simple to clean. I have had it for nearly eight years and have used it at least four times a week, and it has never choked, failed me or even considered not running.”

Price Details:
Ships and Sold via Amazon.com
Sale Price: $169.00 ($174.99)

For news and new product information, here is the Sumeet homepage: Sumeet.net

Last week on Mahanandi Selections :
Aebleskiver Skillet (Ponganalu/Paniyaram/Uniyappam Pan)

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Mahanandi Selections (Friday July 27, 2007 at 3:34 am- permalink)
Comments (42)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Layered Pizza with Chapatis

Layered Pizza with chapatis
Crispy, Layered Pizza with Chapatis

When it’s this easy to make flavorful, delicious pizza at home, I can only imagine restaurants suffer. Why? This homemade crisp pizza tastes as good or better as any thin crust pizza I have ever had in a restaurant.

I started with few leftover chapatis of yesterday. I added the tomato chutney layer and topped with red beans and cheese. Baked in an oven for few minutes, the outcome was a scrumptious looking, saliva inducing meal. An impressively, easy way to satiate the pizza cravings without doing the back-breaking pizza labor.

Red Beans, Onion, Garlic, Chilli, Tomato, Cheese and Chapati
Red Beans (Adzuki, Chori), Chutney Ingredients, Chapatis and Cheese ~ Ingredients for Chapati Bake

Recipe:

1. Pressure cook: One cup red beans (soaked in water overnight beforehand) to tender or use the canned red beans.

2. Prepare chutney: In a skillet, add oil and cook coarsely chopped one onion, two tomatoes, three cloves of garlic and four chillies to brown. Cool, then add salt and blend to coarse puree.

3. Take fresh or leftover chapatis, about 4 to 6. Cut each chapati to 4 wedge-shaped pieces of equal size.

4. Slice to thin strips or grate cheese. I used Monterey Jack cheese in this recipe – About half cup.

Before Meal Time:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In an iron skillet or in an ovenproof dish:
First, place the chapati pieces, then on top, add and spread tomato chutney to a thin layer. Sprinkle some red beans, cheese and cilantro. Continue until the last chapati, ending with a layer of the chutney, beans and cheese on top. Place the skillet in the oven and bake at 400°F for about 10-15 minutes, until the cheese melts and chapatis start to brown. Remove, slice and serve.

The whole combination of baked chapatis, spicy tomato chutney, red beans and cheese came out very well and tasted real good.

Slice of Red Bean Pizza
A Slice of Layered Pizza

This recipe was first published on Mahanandi, on September 19th, 2005.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Revisiting Old Recipes (Wednesday July 25, 2007 at 9:05 pm- permalink)
Comments (17)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Marathi Usal with Sprouted Peas & Spinach

Sprouted Vatana (batani, peas) on a Spinach Leaf

Sreemathi Kamalabai Ogale, my authority on Maharashtrian vegetarian cuisine has written in Ruchira that usal can be prepared with fresh or rehydrated dried peas and also with sprouted ones. So, I reserved a cup of sprouted peas to try the usal recipe today. I couldn’t resist adding little bit of green – the fresh spinach from the local ritu bazaar. Two pretty and ordinary foods together became an extraordinary combination, all thanks to miracle like Marathi usal recipe. What a way to enjoy the sprouted peas!

Recipe:

1 teaspoon peanut oil
¼ tsp each – mustard seeds and asafetida
1 cup – yellow and green sprouted peas
1 bunch – fresh spinach, finely chopped
¼ tsp turmeric
2 tablespoons fresh coconut gratings, 4 green chillies and ¼tsp cumin
(blend to smooth paste)
Salt to taste or ¼ tsp

Heat peanut oil in a wide skillet.
Add and toast mustard seeds and asafetida.
When seeds start to pop, add the sprouted peas and reduce the heat to low.
Sprinkle handful of water, cover and steam-cook the peas to tender.
Add the chopped spinach.
Sprinkle turmeric, coconut-chilli-cumin ground paste.
Mix and cook until the spinach collapses. Season with salt and serve hot.


Sprouted Peas and Spinach Usal ~ A Fine Sidedish for Rice and Chapati

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Peas (whole),Spinach,Sprouts (Molakalu) (Tuesday July 24, 2007 at 9:05 pm- permalink)
Comments (20)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Scrumptious Subjis ~ Sprouted Pea Subji

In pale green and yellow colors, the dried peas make pleasant looking sprouts. The sprouting process changes dried peas to tender and also enhances the natural sweetness unique to peas. And when cooked together with tomatoes and spices, sprouted peas make a robust and filling meal.

Both green and yellow colored dried peas can be purchased from Indian grocery shops. To sprout, soak the peas in water overnight. Next day, drain the water and gather the peas in a clean, breathable cotton cloth. Place them in a basket, cover, and keep the basket at a well ventilated windowsill or warm area in the home. Don’t let the cloth dry. Spray water to supply moisture necessary for sprout growth. Usually within a day, sprouts start to appear and wait another day or two, to grow them the size shown in the photograph.

Green and Yellow Vatana  Sprouts
Green and Yellow Sprouted Peas

Recipe:

1 teaspoon peanut oil
4 curry leaves and a pinch each cumin and mustard seeds
1 onion and 4 tomatoes – finely chopped
1 cup green and yellow sprouted peas
2 tablespoons roasted cashews – ground to fine powder
½ tsp each – ginger-garlic paste and garam masala powder
¼ tsp each – turmeric, red chilli powder and salt or to taste
Lemon/lime juice to taste

In a big saucepan, heat the oil until a curry leaf tossed in it sizzles. Keep the heat to medium. Add the curry leaves and toast to pale brown. Toss in cumin, mustard seeds. When seeds start to splutter, add the onions and ginger-garlic paste. Stir fry few minutes until onions soften. Stir in tomatoes, sprouted peas and about a cup of water. Cover the pot with a lid and cook.

When peas start to get tender, stir in the garam masala powder, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and cashew powder. Add water if the subji looks too dry. Mix and simmer until peas reach the tenderness you desire. Serve the Subji warm with lime juice sprinkled on.

We had it with paratha and a cup of yogurt on the side. Good meal.


Punjabi Inspired Sprouted Pea Subji
for RCI: Punjabi Cuisine Event Hosted by Richa of As Dear As Salt

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Peas (whole),Sprouts (Molakalu) (Monday July 23, 2007 at 7:45 pm- permalink)
Comments (16)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Batani (Vatana) Sprouts ~ Green and Yellow

Green and Yellow Pea Sprouts
Green and Yellow Pea Sprouts ~ for This Week’s Indian Kitchen

Yellow peas split are marketed as yellow split peas. And, yellow split peas are neither toor dal nor chana dal.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Indian Ingredients,Indian Kitchen,Peas (Bataani),Peas (whole),Sprouts (Molakalu) (Sunday July 22, 2007 at 9:13 pm- permalink)
Comments (7)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Weekend Garden ~ Chickpea Flower

Chickpea Flower
Chickpea Flower ~ From Our Patio Garden


Slide Film Photography ~ by Singari Vijay

Sree’s Canvas ~ by talented artist Sree of Kochi, India

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Chickpeas-Black,Hara Chana(Green Chickpeas),Zen (Personal) (Saturday July 21, 2007 at 9:05 pm- permalink)
Comments (12)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Mahanandi Selections : Aebleskiver Skillet

I often get asked via comments and email, to recommend cooking utensils and products. I am extremely particular about the products that I buy for my kitchen. I wasn’t sure my taste is your cup of coffee, so I was reluctant all these years. Now, I have decided to take up the challenge. Mahanandi Selections, the shopping suggestions series is going to be a new one on Mahanandi and features products that I have at my home or would like to have in my kitchen.

I hope you find this new series interesting and useful.

double_curve.gif

Lodge Pro-Logic Cast-Iron Aebleskiver Pan

(Ponganalu/Paniyaram/Uniyappam Pan)

Product Features: Cast-iron aebleskiver pan with 7 slots for creating Ponganalu, Paniyaram and Pancake puffs. Preseasoned with vegetable oil formula and ready for immediate use. Cast-iron surface heats slowly and evenly to prevent burning. Nonstick, rustproof finish. Cleans easily; hand wash only. Includes long handle and opposite helper handle. The impressions are 3 1/4″ in diameter and 1″ deep.
Product Reviews: Click Here.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Sale Price: $19.99 (Reduced from 31.99).
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.

Traditional Recipe Ideas with Cast-iron pan:

Ponganalu ~ From Andhra Pradesh, India
Spinach Ponganalu with Sarapappu ~ From Andhra Pradesh, India
Kuzhi Paniyaram ~ From Tamilnadu, India
Ravva Unniyappam (Sooji Pancake Puffs) ~ From Kerala, India
Sweet Unniyappam ~ From Kerala, India
Deep Fried Unniyappam ~ From Kerala, India
Danish Pancake Puffs with Mango Sauce
Danish Doughnuts

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Mahanandi Selections (Friday July 20, 2007 at 7:36 pm- permalink)
Comments (22)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Tomato Pulusu from Nandyala

During peak tomato season, when tomatoes are at their best and prices are low, my mother, Rajeswaramma would prepare this tomato pulusu. With ripe tomatoes, fresh coconut, and toasted coriander seed seasoning, tomato pulusu is nothing but taste buds tingling tomato love.

While picking tomatoes for tomato pickle, I found this precious looking tiny tomato (shown in the photo). I guess it belongs to one of those heirloom varieties. It looked so pretty and different. I did not put it in the pulusu. I photographed it and ate it like that, adding little sugar. Tasted good!


Tomato, Fresh Coconut, Coriander Seeds

Recipe:

Cut and cook:
Rinse 8 ripe tomatoes and cut them to large pieces.
In a saucepan, heat a teaspoon of ghee. Add and toast the popu or tadka ingredients (cumin, mustard seeds – a pinch each). When seeds start to splutter, add the tomato pieces. Stir in chilli powder, salt and turmeric to taste or quarter teaspoon each. Mix and cover with a lid and cook on medium high for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring in-between.

Blend and Add:
While the tomatoes are cooking, in a spice grinder, take 3 tablespoons of fresh grated coconut, add a tablespoon of toasted coriander seeds. Also 2 cloves and half inch piece of cinnamon stick. Grind to fine consistency.

Add this paste to the cooking tomatoes. Stir the mixture together and gently press the softened tomatoes with the back of the spoon to mush them. Add about half cup of water. Mix and taste it for spices and adjust the salt and chilli levels to your liking. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on medium-low for another 10 to 15 minutes. When the pulusu starts to become thick, then turn off the heat.

Serve the tomato pulusu piping hot with chapati, puri or rice with little bit ghee drizzled on.


Tomato Pulusu with Chapati ~ Taste buds Tingling Tomato Love

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Amma & Authentic Andhra,Tomato (Thursday July 19, 2007 at 9:22 pm- permalink)
Comments (16)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Vegetarian Congee with Rosematta and Yuba

I’ve been experimenting different recipes with Rosematta rice (the terracotta colored rice variety from Kerala, India).

In addition to the traditional steam-cooked Rosematta rice, I’ve made Rosematta pongal and Rosematta idly so far. Everything turned out excellent. Rosematta truly brings wholesome and wholegrain rosy goodness to a meal. The Chocolate Lady seems to agree with me. Check out her Rosematta rice and cashew matar meal combination.

One another recipe I wanted to try with Rosematta is vegetarian congee. Congee or ganji is little amount of rice simmered in large quantities of water to a creamy porridge. At its most fundamental, congee is rice water, flavored with buttermilk or coconut milk, chilli and salt. For today’s meal I dressed up the Rosematta congee with vegetables and Yuba (The thick cream that forms on the top of simmering soy milk is removed in layers, sun-dried and rolled into sheets). Add few pieces, the yuba will soak up the saaram, become soft and taste like milk meegada. A neat protein delicacy popularized by Buddhist monks, I gathered.

Sometimes you have to spend hours in the kitchen to make a remarkable meal. Sometimes it becomes effortless, today is one such day. Rosematta and yuba together made a hearty vegetarian congee. We loved our soothing, simple supper.

Broken Rosematta Rice and Yuba
Coarsely Milled Rosematta Rice Grains and Yuba (Soymilk Meegada, Bean Curd Sticks)

Recipe:

1 cup – coarsely milled (broken) Rosematta rice
½ cup yuba (bean curd sticks, broken to one-inch length pieces)
½ cup each – cut pieces of carrot and ridge gourd (turai, beerakaya)
6 cups water and 1 cup milk.
1 teaspoon peanut oil or ghee
Seasoning:
6 fresh curry leaves
1 tablespoon ginger juice (Grate or crush the ginger & squeeze.)
1 teaspoon – coarsely crushed black pepper
½ teaspoon salt or to taste

In a big pot, heat ghee or oil.
Add and saute curry leaves, black pepper, carrot and ridge gourd pieces 2mts.
Add the yuba, Rosematta rice, water and milk.
Stir in salt and ginger juice.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
When the congee becomes thick and creamy, turn off the heat.
Serve warm. Tastes great with pickle.


Vegetarian Congee with Rosematta and Yuba ~ Our Meal Today

Notes:
Homemade Yuba ~ Recipe
Rosematta rice ~ Broken variety purchased at Apna Bazar, Bellevue
Yuba (Bean Curd Sticks) at Uwajimaya or also at Chinese grocery.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Beera kaaya(Ridge Gourd),Biyyamu (Rice),Rosematta Rice,Soy (Tofu, Yuba) (Wednesday July 18, 2007 at 9:23 pm- permalink)
Comments (19)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Roasted Red Capsicum Chutney

Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Of all different colored bell peppers (capsicums), I like the red ones. Red bell peppers are matured green bell peppers and when bell pepper ages, not only the color but the flavor also changes. They become sweet, which is a surprise. Usually maturing into red signals the more fierce kind of flavor in vegetables, but here they mellow.

This favorite chutney of mine is prepared by roasting red bell peppers, onion and dried red chillies and by blending them including peanuts, jaggery and tamarind juice. The result is one of the flavorful and easiest Bharath-inspired chutneys you will ever try. Tastes superb with all the breakfast items, like idly, dosa, upma and also with rice, chapati or as a spread and dip for snack items.

Red Bell Peppers, Onion, Garlic, Dried Red Chillies, Roasted Peanuts, Tamarind and Jaggery - Ingredients for Red Bell Pepper Chutney
Red Bell Peppers, Onion, Garlic, Dried Red Chillies, Roasted Peanuts, Tamarind and Jaggery

Recipe:

Cut to big chunks:
2 big red bell peppers
1 medium sized onion
6-8 dried red chillies
1 garlic clove

Saute:
Heat about 1 to 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in a skillet.
Add and Saute the cut vegetables and dried red chillies on high heat. The vegetables should be very well browned and soft. Remove them from heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile Soak and Roast:
Small Lime sized tamarind in half-cup of warm water for about 10 minutes. Or microwave for 30 seconds – This is to soften the tamarind, so it can blend well.
Roast half-cup of peanuts till golden and remove skins. Store-bought un-salted, roasted peanuts are fine too.

Blend, in a blender or in a mortar using a pestle:
All the roasted vegetables
Tamarind, along with the water it soaked in.
Half cup of roasted peanuts
½ tablespoon of powdered jaggery
¼ tsp of salt or to taste
Grind them together to coarse puree, without adding any extra water.

Remove to a cup and serve with your favorite breakfast/lunch/supper items.

Red Bell Pepper Chutney and Besan Dosas
Besan Dosa and Red Bell Pepper Chutney


This recipe was first published on Mahanandi on June 20th, 2006.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Revisiting Old Recipes (Tuesday July 17, 2007 at 9:10 pm- permalink)
Comments (28)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Tomato Pacchadi (Tomato Pickle)


Tomato Pacchadi (Tomato Pickle)

A new grocery shop has opened in the neighborhood recently and they had a grand opening sale on some items. Good looking tomatoes, still on the vine were advertised for 49 cents a pound. The deal was irresistible and I bought 20 pounds thinking of making tomato pickle.

There are mainly two ways of tomato pickle preparation that I am familiar with. The sun-dried method and the stove-top simmering method. Both produce excellent tasting pickles of different personalities. The first one needs super bright sunshine. It’s hot here in Seattle since last week, but it is no way near Nandyala hot. So, I decided on stove-top simmering method. Mainly, it’s fail-proof and produces tomato pickle of high quality that’s ready to eat as soon as it’s done simmering.

Like in any pickle preparation, the ingredients quality matters a lot for tomato pickle also. Tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes with thin skin and little bit under-ripe are the best. Traditionally, tomato seeds and skin are included in pickle for that special texture and extra something they bring to the end experience. Sesame oil, tamarind, fenugreek, red chilli powder, iodine-free salt, asafetida, garlic, and fresh curry leaves – total eight ingredients are needed, which can be purchased at Indian grocery shops for low prices.

Surrounded by all natural ingredients, simmered tomatoes in tomato pickle sure make a bold, declamatory statement on taste buds. Sweet, sour, salty and spicy, the rich taste of tomato pickle is an addictive one. We particularly like it with upma, pongal, and yogurt rice. Also as a spread on chapatis and on toasted bread.


Tomatoes for Pickle

Recipe:

Tomatoes: 25 tomatoes rinsed and wiped dry with a clean towel. Coarsely chopped – about 15 cups.
Tamarind: 3 index finger-length tamarind pods soaked in half cup hot water and juice extracted. Or about ¼ cup thick tamarind pulp (added to enhance the tomato’s sweet-sourness quality).
Sesame oil (non-toasted variety from India, not the Chinese type) – ¼ cup
Red chilli powder – ¼ cup
Iodine-free salt – ½ cup
Fenugreek powder – 1 tablespoon

For Popu or Tadka:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 sprigs curry leaves, about 15 fresh curry leaves
10 garlic cloves – thinly sliced lengthwise, (like sliced almonds)
¼ teaspoon asafetida (inguva)


Sliced to Chunks

In a big, non-reactive pan, add and heat sesame oil (¼ cup). Add the tomatoes to hot oil. Also the red chilli powder, salt and tamarind pulp. Mix and cover the pot. Cook on high heat, stirring in-between for about 30 minutes. Tomatoes will be mushed down and you will be seeing lot of tomato juice trying to lift the pot lid and splash the counter-tops.

At this stage, add the fenugreek powder. Reduce the heat to medium, partially cover the pot and simmer until the tomatoes become thick but spreadable like jam. It takes easily an hour. Fine-tune the balance and adjust salt and chilli levels to your liking. The next step will be adding the toasted popu or tadka ingredients.

In a skillet, heat the sesame oil (2 tbs) until a garlic piece tossed in it sizzles. Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic first and then the curry leaves. Toast to pale gold color. Turn off the heat. Stir in asafetida. Mix and immediately add the toasted skillet contents to the tomato pickle.

Stir so that everything gets well combined. Simmer, uncovered for about ten minutes, gently mixing. Turn off the heat and let the pickle cool. (Do not cover the pot.)

Fill the completely cooled tomato pickle in a clean glass jar with a tight lid. It stays fresh for a month, and stores very well even without refrigeration.

Enjoy!


After one hour of simmering


Tomato Pickle ready to be placed in a jar

Tomato Pickle
Rosematta and Yuba Vegetable Congee with Tomato Pacchadi

Recipe Source: Amma, Nandyala
If you are planning to make it with regular salt, reduce the quantity by couple of teaspoons, also adjust the salt level to your taste.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Amma & Authentic Andhra,Tomato (Monday July 16, 2007 at 9:10 pm- permalink)
Comments (47)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

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