Mahanandi

Avocado, Besan and Turmeric

Face fresheners are fun thing I used to do with my sisters, when summer was as long as a lifetime and a month could pass without me ever knowing what days of the week it was. It has been ages since I applied one and I miss the laughter and lazy talk of facemask days.

Traditional teenage face-freshener consists of besan, turmeric, yogurt and honey. They are mixed together and applied to the face. Besan is a soothing skin-scrub and turmeric is known for it’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Yogurt and honey, the calming moisturizers make the mask more palatable.:) Buttery avocados are good in place of yogurt, and facemask puts the avocados to great use, particularly when avocados are two for one dollar.

Avocado Face Freshener:
(for two faces, for one rinse)

Avocado pulp – about 3 to 4 tablespoons
Besan (gram flour) – about a tablespoon
Turmeric – about half teaspoon

Take avocado pulp in a small cup. With a sturdy spoon mash to smooth. Add besan and turmeric. Combine thoroughly without any lumps. Apply on your face generously. Stay green for about 15 to 30 minutes and then rinse for a happy glow. Relaxing thing to do on a lazy weekend or after a costly trip to Indian grocery.:)

Avocado Face Mask with Turmeric ~ for Sowmya

I enjoy avocados. It hadn’t been always that way. My avocado experience began with facemask, then expanded to salsa, chapatis, avocado annam. And the latest is this aachar avocado, a new recipe I have come up with. A variation on a classic guacamole, in aachar avocado, the creamy avocados are spiced up with aachar masala powder. Light and clean, but with enough punch, it’s a good twist on the old classic. Also, we can avoid dealing with raw jalapeno pepper. Aachar avocado makes a good side dish to chapatis or rotis.

Aachar Avocado:
(for two, for one meal)

2 avocados, ripe but firm
8 cherry tomatoes
1 small shallot (erra ulligadda)
2 key limes
2 sprigs fresh cilantro
1-teaspoon aachar masala powder
½ teaspoon salt or to taste

Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Scoop out the flesh into a mortar. Mash the avocado to a consistency of your liking. Chop shallot, tomatoes and cilantro finely, and add them to mortar. Sprinkle the aachar masala powder and salt. With a pestle, coarsely mash the ingredients. Squeeze limejuice and mix. Serve right away with hot chapati or roti. Makes a quick and filling breakfast or light lunch.

Aachar Avocado, Getting Ready For Brunch Today

Aachar Masala Powder (R/C Pooja):
Dried red chillies, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, nigella seeds and garlic. Skillet roast in few drops of oil. Add salt and powder them together to fine.

Seattle has a great support system for homeless population. In downtown, where we live, there are many food banks; there is also one near our home. People who are going through difficult conditions can visit a food bank, and avail themselves of food like bread, fruits, milk, canned soup or soda, onions, potatoes and the like. Everything is given for free, no questions asked. Initially I was surprised to see dozens of people queuing up near our home. Then we realized what was going on. Not all times are our times. I am glad that Seattle citizens are doing a great job in taking care of their own. This good care even made few rabid TV anchors riled up. Jealousy towards the poor and less fortunate, what a way to earn millionaire salaries!

Inspired by what I see in Seattle, I resolved to generate some monetary support for our school at Nandyala through my recipes. You see, just like here, people are going through some rough conditions in Nandyala and surrounding villages. The number of school dropouts has increased greatly in recent months. Here in America, several regions took an economic hit, but at Nandyala, where the majority population, depends on agriculture, drought has brought despair. Unfortunately, unlike Seattle, there is no strong support system for children leave alone for elders in my hometown to recover.

When we wrote the maa badi post two years ago, some of you showed interest and offered help. At Swami School, we developed a system so that the school would function self-sufficiently without outside contributions. So, we kept quiet. We are providing the best education possible with minimum burden on a child’s family, and the scholarships we sponsor have been funded with our own money. But now, the need has increased immensely, and this is the time to get involved actively. As a student who has benefited from scholarships, I know how every rupee can help. With these things in mind, I am starting “Artisan Food ~ Revenue through Recipes” program to raise money, however small the amount, to support the children at Swami School at Nandyala. This will also lend a sense of purpose to my food blogging, and help me feel like I am accomplishing something through my activity in this Web world.

In Artisan Food series, there would be a brief description of recipe and the recipe will not be posted on this website. If you are interested, make a purchase and I will send you a PDF document with complete recipe details.

Well, this is a first. Wish me good luck!

Avocado Annam is a pleasing but not fluffy kind of recipe. Ingredients are avocado and annam (=Sanskrit word for rice). Tomato, onion, cilantro and lime juice are also added. The preparation process and the end result have that perfect balance of interesting, but not so tedious that it becomes frustrating. “Why didn’t I think of this simple idea before” you marvel once everything is done. The recipe is easy and quick to prepare, and makes a great luncheon or dinner dish. Avocado fans particularly will enjoy this avocado annam.

How it Works: After payment via Paypal, PDF file will be emailed to you to download the recipe. For any questions about the recipe or the download process, please email me at mailmahanandi@gmail.com .

Details:
Artisan Food: Avocado Annam
Ingredients: Basmati, Avocado etc.
Skill level: Easy. Novice to expert
Labels: Vegan (Meat-Free), Party Pleaser
Price: $2.00
Format: PDF

******
~ Indira
Thanks V!

~ Indira

Why didn’t I think of this idea before? That is what I thought, when I read the post “Avocado Parathas” by GM of ‘The spice is right’ food blog.

I know that avocado is nature’s ghee/butter. And just like them, ripe avocado is full of fat and has no significant taste to speak of. Avocado’s mashed pulp easily mixes with all kinds of ingredients and helps to make their flavors stand out. I had to give it a try.

Yesterday, I tried the recipe. The result – very smooth, tasty chapatis, the kind we know from India and dream of making it here in US. Smooth, silky flesh of ripe avocados when mixed with chapati flour, magic happened. All the fat in avocado made the flour softer, very pliable, easy to handle and chapatis off the griddle (tava), remained soft even after 6 hours. In this cold, winter weather, that’s a miracle, if you ask me.

Recipe:
for 10 to 12 chapatis

2 cups of durum wheat flour
(I used Golden Temple brand wheat flour, available in Indian grocery shops)
1 very ripe avocado (more about avocado-here)
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 cup of warm water
I also added 1/4 tsp of red chilli-garlic powder for a little bit of hotness

Preparation:

Avocado: Take a ripe avocado; cut it into half, going around the pit (seed) in the middle. Twist and separate two halves. Stab the knife into the pit; pull it out, the pit will come out easily. Scoop the flesh of avocado using a spoon, from each half. Take it into a small cup; mash it to a smooth paste, using your fingers or with a spoon.

Flour: Take flour in a big vessel. Sprinkle in salt and red chilli-garlic powder, and mix the flour. Then add the avocado paste to the flour and mix thoroughly. Now gradually adding water, make firm dough. Make sure that dough is not too soft or too hard. Knead the dough for two minutes. Cover and set it aside to rest for about 15 to 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare a curry for avocado chapatis. I made Brussels sprouts-potato curry.

Rolling out Chapatis:
Knead and rollout the dough into a cylindrical long roll on a wood board. Take small lime sized portions and using hands, shape each into a smooth ball shape.
Take the dough ball on a clean wood board, sprinkle some flour on it and around. Using a rolling pin, press/roll out the dough into a big thin round. You can fry it on a hot griddle or to get more flaky layers, what I usually do is, fold the rolled out round twice, to get a triangle shape (see the photo above) then roll into a big, thin triangle.

Cooking chapatis:
Heat a cast-iron griddle/tava, when it is hot, place the chapati and cook it on each side until golden. While the chapati is cooking on hot tava, I roll out another chapati for frying. I usually make 6 chapatis for the two of us for a meal, takes about 15 to 20 minutes maximum.

Serve hot with curry or dal.

Avocado Chapatis with Brussels Sprouts-potato Curry

Thank you GM for sharing this recipe. It’s really is a very neat and clever idea that I am going to apply quite regularly from now on. Who wouldn’t love soft chapatis anyway?

Daikon and Chana Dal (Mullangi mariyu Sanaga pappu)

A tablespoon of grated radish eaten daily for several weeks has long been recommended by traditional healers in the East as treatment for Kidney and bladder stones, and for sinusitis. Low in calories and an all around detoxifier, radishes are excellent for us health wise.

The following is my mother’s recipe in which the white radish also known as Daikon, Mooli or Mullangi, is cooked with chana dal and potatoes, and seasoned with dahi mirchi tadka. The recipe is easy to prepare and incredibly tasty. Great when eaten with rice, roti, pasta or with millet.

White Radish Subzi with Pita Bread and Aachar Avocado ~ Brunch Today

Recipe Details:

Artisan Food: Daikon Subzi (Mullangi Kura)
Ingredients: Daikon, Potato, Chana Dal and Tadka Ingredients
Skill level: Easy. From Novice to Expert
Labels: Traditional-India, Vegan, And Wholesome Food
Price: $2.00
Format: PDF

How it Works: After payment via Paypal, PDF will be emailed to you to download the recipe. For any questions about the recipe or the download process, please email me at mailmahanandi@gmail.com .

Artisan Food Aim and Purpose:

“Artisan Food ~ Revenue through Recipes” program aims to raise money, however small the amount, to support the children at Swami School at Nandyala. This will also lend a sense of purpose to my food blogging, and help me feel like I am accomplishing something through my activity in this Web world.

Previously in Artisan Food:

• Avocado Annam
• Chestnut-Lentil Soup
• Healing Herbal Rice
• Maamidi Thokku Pacchadi

Artisan Photo Gallery

Brown Basmati and Fresh Methi

Nutritional supplements and natural herbal remedies don’t have to be in capsule form. Example is this healing herbal rice I have prepared for our meal yesterday.

Three types of fresh herbs with potent medicinal properties and brown basmati, a nutritionally supreme rice are cooked together. The result –

a tasty and tantalizing herbal basmati.

Possessing great inner strength and capable of exerting strong nutritional benefits, this herbal rice with healing fire in its heart is the kind of meal that would provide a nourishing surround to a flourishing imagination.

Healing Herbal Rice with Potato Kurma ~ Celebrating St. Patty’s Day

Recipe Details:

Artisan Food: Healing Herbal Rice
Ingredients: Brown Basmati, Methi, Mint and Dill
Skill level: Easy. From Novice to Expert
Labels: Vegan, Wholesome, Herbal and Iron rich Food
Price: $2.00
Format: PDF

How it Works: After payment via Paypal, PDF file will be emailed to you to download the recipe. For any questions about the recipe or the download process, please email me at mailmahanandi@gmail.com .

Artisan Food Aim and Purpose:

“Artisan Food ~ Revenue through Recipes” program aims to raise money, however small the amount, to support the children at Swami School at Nandyala. This will also lend a sense of purpose to my food blogging, and help me feel like I am accomplishing something through my activity in this Web world.

Previously in Artisan Food:

• Avocado Annam
• Chestnut-Lentil Soup
• Maamidi Thokku Pacchadi

Artisan Photo Gallery

Avocado Annam:

From Diane’s Kitchen …………….. From Dee of Ammalu’s Kitchen

Green, Unripe Mango (Maamidikaya)

Source : Amma, India.

A showcase example of traditional raw cuisine with unripe mango.

Sweet, Sour and Spicy.

Centuries-old method. Still prepared to this day in old-ways. Still excellent.

A Pacchadi, with a piquant freshness.

That is Maamidi Thokku Pacchadi. My tribute to the artisans of yesteryears.

Maamidi Thokku Pacchadi

Artisan Food : Aim and Purpose

Details:
Artisan Food: Mango Thokku Pacchadi
Ingredients: Unripe Mango and tadka ingredients
Equipment Needed: A good-sized, stone mortar and pestle
Skill level: Willing to work upper-arm muscles for 5 minutes
Labels: Amma, Authentic Andhra, Vegan, Raw Cuisine
Price: $2.00
Format: PDF

How it Works: After payment via Paypal, PDF file will be emailed to you to download the recipe. For any questions about the recipe or the download process, please email me at mailmahanandi@gmail.com .

“Artisan Food ~ Revenue through Recipes” program aims to raise money, however small the amount, to support the children at Swami School at Nandyala. This will also lend a sense of purpose to my food blogging, and help me feel like I am accomplishing something through my activity in this Web world.

Previously in Artisan Food:
Avocado Annam
Chestnut-Lentil Soup

Artisan Photo Gallery

~ Indira

The days are getting longer already. Like the plants for sunshine, the appetite seems to hunger for variety. So I came up with this chestnut lentil soup idea for our meal yesterday. To my delight, it turned out to be the right kind of food at the right time.

Roasted chestnuts from Chinese grocery, and red lentils from Indian grocery are added, and the combination was simmered together with vegetables and spices. The lime juice, like a ray of sunshine, livened up the preparation. I served the chestnut lentil soup to friends and family. Chestnuts are complete strangers to few, but they seem to capture the sense of taste easily in that relaxed company. The verdict was:

“This wholesome food makes a gourmet delight to humble appetite of a dieting attitude.”

Artisan Food ~ Chestnut Lentil Soup

Artisan Food : Aim and Purpose

How it Works: After payment via Paypal, PDF file will be emailed to you to download the recipe. For any questions about the recipe or the download process, please email me at mailmahanandi@gmail.com .

Details:
Artisan Food: Chestnut-Lentil Soup
Ingredients: Roasted Chestnuts, Red Lentils etc.
Skill level: A tad kitchen experience required
Labels: Vegetarian, Diet-friendly
Price: $3.00
Format: PDF

Artisan Food : Aim and Purpose
Previously in Artisan Food : Avocado Annam

Food needs to be in the right company at the right time to feel right.
Thank you for the goodwill, and for readily embracing the Artisan food.

~ Indira

This is the list of recipes that I blogged from March 26th 2005 to April 30th 2007 on Mahanandi. I hope you enjoy browsing the list while I am on a mini summer break. See you again on Saturday June 23rd. Take care!

Upma:
Buttermilk Upma
Couscous Upma
Cracked Wheat Upma
Hominy Grits Upma
Oatmeal Upma
Puffed Rice Upma (Borugula/Murmura Buggani)
Ragi Mudda (Ragi Sankati)
Rice Ravva Upma (The Arisiupma Trilogy) ~ By Janani
Tomato Bath

Idly/Dosa/Utappam/Pancake and Some:
Besan Dosa (Besan ka Cheela, Puda or Socca)
Idly
Masala Idly
Masala Dosa
Pesarattu
Pesarattu with Sprouted Moong Dal
Ragi Dosa (Ragi Utappam)
Wheat Flour Dosa (Goduma Dosa)
Ponganalu
Ponganalu with Spinach and Sara Pappu(Chironji)

Aloo Methi
Aloo Vepudu (Potato Fry)
Amaranth-Coconut Curry (Thotakura Vepudu)
Amaranth-Green Brinjal Curry (Poluru Vankaya Thotakura)
Banana Pepper Curry
Beans Curry (Indian, French and Lima)
Beetroot Curry
Beetroot, Red Cabbage, Red Beans Curry
Beetroot & Carrots – Steamed
Bitter Gourd Curry (karela)
Bitter Gourd Chips
Boiled Peanuts with Salad Greens ~ Spring Salad Synergy
Brinjal-Ginger Curry
Brinjal (Eggplant) Curry
Brinjal with Besan (Besan Baingan)
Broadbean Curry (Chikkudu Podi Kura)
Brussels Sprouts Curry
Brussels Sprouts~Potato~Green Garbanzos Curry
Cabbage Curry
Capsicum (3 color) Saute
Capsicum Curry
Chayote Curry (Bengaluru Vankaya Kura)
Cluster Beans Curry (Matti kaayalu, Gawar Beans)
Cluster Beans Curry -2 (Matti Kaayalu, Gawar Beans)
Dondakaya Curry (Tindora Fry)
Hot Stuffed Cherry Peppers
Mango Salsa
Okra Curry (Bendi Fry)
Okra in Yogurt Sauce
Plantain (Arati Kaaya) Curry
Plantain Curry with Mustard Paste (Arati Ava Pettina Kura)
Paruppu Usli with Gawar Beans
Paruppu Usli with Green Beans
Red Radish Curry
Red Radish – Potato Curry
Ridge Gourd Curry (Beerakaya Kura)
Ridge Gourd-Dill Curry (Turai-Suwa Curry)
Ridge Gourd-Methi Curry (Beerakaya Menthi kura)
Silk Squash Curry (Neti Beerakaya Kura)
Spinach Curry

Curries With Gravy/Sauce (Kurma/Stew/Pulusu):

Home Classics ~ Scrumptious Subjis
Banana Pepper-Baby Aloo Curry
Bottle Gourd Kurma (Sorakaya-Pappula Pulusu)
Bottle Gourd in Sesame Sauce
Bottle Gourd in Yogurt
Brinjal – Potato Curry
Brinjal – Chickpeas Curry (Baingan Chole)
Brinjal – Stuffed Curry (Gutti Vankaaya Kura)
Brinjal – Stuffed Curry (Nune Vakaya Kura)
Brinjal Babies in Masala Sauce (Gutti Vankaya Kura-2)
Broadbean Curry (Chikkudu Pulusu)
Capsicum in Peanut Sauce
Capsicums – Stuffed
Chayote in Chilli Sauce (Bengaluru Vankaya Kurma)
Drumsticks Curry(Munaga Kaaya)
Kadala Curry (Black Chickpeas in Coconut Milk)
Lima Beans Curry
Mango – Sesame Curry
Masala Turnips(Shalgam)
Methi Chole (Fresh Fenugreek~Chickpeas Curry)
Methi Matar Malai
Nimona (Fresh Peas Curry)
Okra~Split Pea Stew (Afghan Inspired)
Plantain – Moong Bean Curry
Portabellas in Sesame Sauce
Potato Kurma
Potatoes in Tamarind Sauce (Aloo Pulusu)
Potato-Brinjal Curry with Punjabi Wadis
Ridge gourd Kurma (Beerakaya Pulusu)
Sarson da Saag (Mustard Greens, Spinach and Paneer)
Tindoras in Sesame Sauce (Dondakaya-Nuvvula Pulusu)
Zucchini Kurma

Restaurant Popular:
Aloo Chole (Potatoes & Chickpeas)
Aloo Dum (Potatoes in Cashew Sauce)
Aloo Gobhi (Potato & Cauliflower)
Chana Masala (Chole)
Palak Paneer
Paneer Jalfrezi (Kadai Paneer)
Paneer Naanini

egg :

Egg Kurma

Dazzling Dals: Dal~Rasam~Sambar

Dal (Pappu):
Amaranth Dal (Thotakura Pappu)
Brinjal Dal (Vankaya Pappu)
Fenugreek Dal (Menthi kura Pappu)
Gongura Pappu (Ambadi Dal)
Khatti Dal ~ Hyderabad Style
Lemon Cucumber Dal (Budamkaya/Dosakaya Pappu)
Mango Dal (Maamidi Kaya Pappu)
Ridgegourd Dal (Beerakaya Pappu)
Spinach Dal (Palakura Pappu)
Spinach – Garlic Dal
Spinach Mango Dal (Palakura Pullakura)
Spinach-Split Pea Dal
Tomato Dal (Tomato Pappu)
Tindora Dal (Dondakaya Pappu)

Moongdal Aamti with Kokum and Goda Masala
Moongdal with Ridgegourd (Beerakaya/Turai Pesara Pappu)

Rasam (Charu~Pappucharu):
Bhakshala Rasam (Puran Poli/Holige Rasam)
Pappuchaaru with Bendakaya (Bendi/okra)
Moong Dal Rasam (Pesara Chaaru)
Plain Toordal Rasam (Chappidi Pappuchaaru)
Tomato Rasam
Taro Root Rasam (Chaama Dumpala Chaaru)

Pachhi Pulusu (Cold, No-Boil Rasams):
Peanut Pachhi Pulusu (Peanut Cold Rasam)

Sambar:
Okra Sambar (Bendakaya Sambar)
Pacha Sambar: Sambar with Fresh Green Spices
Shallot Sambar (Ulli, Baby Onions Sambar)
White Radish Sambar (Mullangi Sambar)

Rice and Grains:

Festival Rice:
Chitrannam(Lemon Rice)
Mango Pulihora
Mango-Coconut Pulihora (Mamidi Kobbarannam)
Yogurt Rice with Mangoes (Mamidi Pandu Perugannam)

Pulagam ~ Sankranthi Tradition
Pongal (Pongali) ~ Classic Centuries-Old Recipe
Vegetable Pongal ~ A Pleasing Meal

Pulao (Masala Annam, Pilaf, Fried Rice):
Methi~Nariyal Pulao (Fresh Fenugreek-Coconut Pulao)
Mint Fried Rice (Pudina Pulao)
Red Radish Pulao
Tomato~Basmati Pulao

Otherthan White ~ Rice and Grains from India:
Rosematta Rice (Kerala Red Rice)
Millet Rice (Korrannam or Korra Buvva)

Rice Noodles:
Paneer Pad Thai with Bok Choy
Rice Noodles and Tofu in Fiery Peanut Sauce

Chapati/Naans/Parathas/Roti:

Avocado Chapati
Punjabi Naan
Sorghum Roti (Jonna Rotte, Jowar Roti)

Chutneys/Pickles/Spicy powders:

Chutney/Pacchadi (using Rolu/Ural/Mortar & Pestle):
Brinjal~Jaggery Chutney (Vankaya-Bellam Chutney)
Coconut Chutney – Raw
Gongura Chutney (Ambadi, Sour Greens Chutney)
Onion Chutney
Ridgegourd (Beerakaya) Chutney

Chutney/Pacchadi (using mixer/blender/food processor):
Coconut Chuteny (Kobbari Pacchadi)
Coriander~Pappula Chutney
Coriander – Tomato Chutney
Methi Chutney (Fenugreek, Menthi Chutney)
Peanut Chutney (Palli, Buddala Pacchadi)
Peanut~Jaggery Chutney (Tiyya Buddala Pacchadi)
Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Pickles (Uragaya):
Amla Pickle (Usirikaya)
Crunchy Cucumber
Sweet Lemon Pickle (Mitha Nimboo Chutney)
Lime Pickle

Spicy Powders(Podulu):
Idly kaaram Podi
Red Chilli-Garlic Powder
Spicy Dalia Powder (Pappula Podi)

Snacks For a Rainy Day ~ Deep Fried & Oven Baked:

Deep Fried in Peanut Oil
Bajji/Pakora
Stuffed Green Chilli Bajji (Mirchi Bajji)
Mirchi Bajji ~ Hyderabad Style
Egg Bhajji

Blackeye Beans Fritters (alasanda vada)
Little Golden Parcels (Samosas with a Twist)
Murukulu
Plantain Chips

Oven Baked:
Egg Puffs Prepared with Parathas (Puffy P Egg)
Green Chickpea Kababs (Hare Chane Ki Seekh)
Oven-Roasted Red Potatoes
Microwave Potato Chips
Stuffed Baby Portabellas
Taro Root Chips (Chaama Dumpa/Arvi) ~ Oven Baked

Traditional Sun~Dried Snacks of India
(Vadiyam, Papadam, Appadam etc):

Majjiga Mirapa (Sundried Yogurt Chillies, Dahi Mirchi)

Traditional Indian Sweets:

Festival Sweets:
Bellam Paramannam (Jaggery Rice) ~ Sankranthi Sweet
Bhakshalu (Bobbatlu, Puran Poli, Holige) ~ Ugadi/Dasara Sweet
Chana Dal Payasam (Sanagapappu Payasamu)
Kudumulu ~ Vinayaka Chavathi Sweet
Moong Bean Payasam (Pesarapappu Payasam)
Paramannam (Sweet Rice)
Sabudana Payasam (Saggubiyyam Kheer)
Sesame Spheres (Nuvvula Mudda, Til Laddu) ~ Nagula Chavathi Sweet
Sweet Pongal (Tiyya Bellam Pongali) ~ Sankranthi Sweet

Mithai:

Banana Halwa (Nenthra Pazham Haluva) – By Kerala Girl
Besan-Coconut Burfi (The 7-cup Magic)
Borugula Laddu (Murmura Laddu, Rice Crispies)
Cashew Sweet (Kaju Tikki / Jeedipappu Paakam)
Cashew-Walnut Laddu (Jeedipappu-Akhrot Burfi)
Coconut Burfi (Kobbari Lauzu)
Gulab Jamuns with Sweet Potato
Jaggery~Coconut Puffs
Jaggery~Tamarind~Cumin Candy
Mango – Strawberry Popsicles
Mysore Pak
Pala Kova (Doodh Peda)
Pumpkin Halwa with Almonds
Ripe Plantain Sweet (Pazham Puzhungiyathu)
Sunnundalu (Urad Dal Laddu)
Walnut Burfi (Akhrot Laddu)

Refreshing Drinks/Ice:

Masala Chai
Pomegranate Sherbet (Anar/Danimma Sherbet)
Ragi Malt
Sonti Coffee and Sonti Tea (Dried Ginger Coffee and Tea)
Sonti Kashayam (Dried Ginger Ale)
Watermelon Granita with Cherries

How to Prepare? Some Basics:

Ganji Flavored with Curry Leaves
Ginger, Garlic, Coriander Paste (Allam Vellulli Kottimera Mudda)
Homemade Coconut Milk (Kobbari Paalu)
Homemade Ghee (Neyyi)
Homemade Neem-Clove Tooth Powder
Homemade Paneer
Homemade Yogurt (Perugu, Curd)
Jaggery (Bellam, Gur)
Popu or Tadka (Tiragamata) ~ The Technique

Yogi Diet (Food of Fasting Days):

Guggullu – Alasanda (Black Eye Beans)
Guggullu – Fresh Peas
Guggullu – Pesalu (Moong Beans)
Guggullu – Sanagalu (Chickpeas)

Western Food

Bread/Burger/Pizza/Pasta

Bread:
Cornbread – Skillet Style with Okra Topping
Cornbread – Upside-Down with Cranberries
Cornmeal – Cabbage Muffins
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Sesame Buns

Burger(Cutlet):
Aloo Tikki Burgers
Lentil-Almond Burgers

Pizza:
Egg Pizza (Paratha+Frittata)
Pizza with Red Beans and Tomato Chutney
Steelers Pizza

Pasta (Noodles):
Lasagna Rolls – Indian Way
Melon Seed Pasta with Veggies
Pasta in Basil-Spinach-Cashew Sauce
Pasta in Cherry Tomato Sauce
Pasta in Red Bell Pepper Sauce
Penne Marinara with Fresh Goat Cheese

Sugary Desserts – Cakes, Cookies, Jams, Pies and Tarts:

Banana-Walnut Cake
Carrot Cake
Date Cake (Kharjuram Cake) with Honey and Walnuts
Chocolate-Chilli-Pecan Mini Cakes
Mango – Strawberry Scones

Burger and Fries – The Sweet Kind
Chestnut-Almond Cookies
Dark Chocolate Covered Sweet Sesame Spheres
Ebleskivers (Sweet Ponganalu) with Mango Sauce
Ma’amoul (Dates and Pistachios Filled Cookies)
Walnut-Coconut Caramel Toffee

Cranberry Jam
Cranberry~Clove Marmalade
Mango Jam

Cherry Clafouti
Peach Pie – Lattice Topped
Fruit Tart
Mini Custard Tarts

Discoveries and Divine Prasadams

New Traditions:

Holiday Treats ~ Roasted Chestnuts
Oatmeal with Old~Fashioned Oats
Soymilk – Homemade
Soymilk Skins (Yuba) – Yuba Wrapped Potato Curry Rounds and Soymilk Halwa
Wild Rice

Bhakti~Bhukti (Divine and Dine Series about Temple Traditions):

Sri Venkateswara Temple ~ Pittsburgh, PA, US
Vrindaban and Krishna Prasadam ~ Wheeling, West Virginia, US

Cookbook Reviews and Interviews:

Cooking at Home With Pedatha ~ Review, Interview and a Recipe
Tandoor: The Great Indian Barbeque ~ Review, Poem and a Recipe
Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts ~ Review and Recipe By Veena Parrikar

The Joy of Effort

Joy in Effort ~ Personal and Team

Thumbnail Gallery of Mahanandi’s Recipes
101 Indian Sweets – Photo Gallery

Jihva For Ingredients ~ Mango
Jihva For Ingredients ~ Greens
Independence Day Food Parade ~ August 15th, 2006

Dining Hall
Food Blog Desam
Mahanandi’s Food Blog List

This is a collection of my favorite images taken from the recipes I have blogged so far on Mahanandi. These images appeal to me personally for a variety of reasons, some for technical reasons and others for aesthetic reasons. I hope you enjoy them too.

a:
(aloo, amla and avocado)

b:
(bhakshala rasam, blackeye peas, brinjal, brussels sprouts, buggani, besan, beetroot, bendi, beans, beerakaya, banana, banana pepper and bajjis)

c:
(cabbage, capsicum, caramel, carrot, chana masala, chaaru, cherries, cherry pepper, chestnuts, chikkudu kaya, chitrannam, chocolate, cilantro, cluster beans, coconut, corn meal, couscous, cranberries and cucumber)

d:e:f:g:h:
(dondakaya, drumsticks, eggplant, eggs, frittata, fruit tart, ghee, gongura, guggullu and hominy grits)

i:j:k:l:
(idli kaaram, idli, jaggery, kadala curry, kakara, lasagna, lentil burger, lima beans, limes and lemon cucumber)

m:
(mamoul, mango, masala-tea;dosa;idli, menthi, mint, mirchi bajji, moong beans, muruku and majjiga mirapa)

n:o:
(naan, nimona, oatmeal and onion)

p:
(paneer, pappulu, pappu chaaru, paramannam, parappu usli, pasta, pie, peanuts, pesarattu, plantain, pongali, ponganalu, popu and portabella)

r:
(raagi, red beans, red chillies, red radish, rice noodles and rosematta rice)

s:
(sesame, shallots, silk squash, sonti, sorakaya, sorghum, soya, spinach, steelers pizza, sweet burger and sarson)

t:u:v:w:x:y:z:
(taro root, tomatoes, turnips, undrallu, upma, watermelon, wheat flour dosa, white radish, whole wheat bread, wild rice, yogurt, yuba and zucchini)

“Slurp.. slurp and burp..burp.
The simple pleasure of having dinner sitting on the floor“ – I totally agree.

yum.. my kind of food – “Avocado Parathas“.

Very useful tips on food photography from Food Blog School.

Mahanandi is easy to navigate, and recipes are archived in four ways.

Browse by Ingredients: Ingredients are listed in alphabetical order in category section on the sidebar of Mahanandi.

Browse by Date or Month: Recipe name appears by hovering the mouse on the calendar. Clicking on the dates in the calendar will take you to the recipe that is blogged on that day. Or click on the month in archives section and then on the date in calendar.

Browse by Title: Recipes are listed in types of meal, courses and cuisines on this page.

Browse for Indian Sweets: Sweets List

My culinary life in few words:

I started out as a burper and spitter (aren’t we all?), taste tester, picky eater, ruthless critiquer (1 to 12 years age), trained under my mother’s guidance to dish washer, prep cook, line cook, sous-chef (12 to 25 years) at home. I was a partner and assistant chef, immensely benefited from my other half’s culinary wisdom and wit (25 to 30 years). I am the chief home-chef and kitchen manager at this time.
My culinary experience is a process of progression and I will always be an eager student at Mother Annapoorna’s culinary school.

Recipe Inspiration:

The main portion, about 60 percent of the blogged recipes at Mahanandi listed below, are from my home – Nandyala in India.

The remaining 40 percent, inspired by my imagination and the time I spent visiting and browsing famiy, friends and fellow food bloggers real and virtual kitchens.

As a reader, cook, taster and enthusiast I fashioned the index page following the strict Indic culinary wisdom, on how we serve the meal in a traditional setting. This page is laid out in a way, that if you cook a recipe from each category, you would have sampled the complete “Morning to Night” meal experience of my home. The combinations and possibilities are endless. It’s very much possible to re-create the varied and myriad hues of Indian cooking – a different flavor and texture for each of its hundred thousand villages.

“Real Knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance”, the old Sanskrit proverb says. I hope you find here some information and recipes which you recognise, and others which surprise and delight you enough to try them out. Enjoy!

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