Red Sorrel Leaves (Gongura Pachadi)

Red Sorrel Leaves (Gongura Pachadi)

by kalpana

For this Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Kalyn's Kitchen, I am blogging about a very interesting sour leaf called Red Sorrel.Hibiscus cannabinus aka red sorrel leaves,roselle,gongura (telugu)pulicha keerai (Tamil),Ambad bhaji,ambada,ambadi(Hindi) are popular sour greens here in the Southern State of Andhra Pradesh.Red Sorrel comes in two varieties, one is green leaf and the other being red variety which is more sour than the green/white stem variety.The leaves are bitter and mildly astringent and have a predominantly acidic taste.The Caribbeans prepare an exotic deep red sorrel punch, a sweet fruit drink with a wild tanginess from the flowers of the red sorrel plant ("sorrel" to Jamaicans) that form its base. These leaves and flowers have a cooling effect and act as an appetizer.

Red Sorrel has some health benefits too and is useful in relieving symptoms of fever. The leaves of this herb are useful in the prevention and treatment of scurvy which is a deficiency caused by lack of vitamin C. Fresh leaves of the plant are useful in stimulating the stomach and aiding its action. These leaves are beneficial in the treatment of jaundice and a tablespoon of fresh red sorrel juice mixed with butter-milk (made from cow's milk) is recommended once daily in the treatment of jaundice.

Gongura is available in abundance here and Gongura pachadi/pickle is a very popular authentic Andhra pickle variety on the lines of aavakai (raw mango pickle).These greens are used to prepare curries, stews, dals, and spicy pickles.In Andhra ,Gongura is used to prepare dishes such as Gongura Pappu (lentil),Gongura Vepudu(stir fry),Gongura royallu(prawns),gongura mamsam(mutton)and gongura pachadi,the recipe of which I am posting today.The recipe source is amma (my mother)who prepares excellent authentic andhra pickles.

Ingredients:
4 big bunches fresh gongura leaves (red sorrel)
7-8 whole dry red chillis(de-seeded)
1 tsp methi seeds (fenugreek)
7-8 green chillis(less spice ones)
1 tbsp minapppapu (black gram dal)
1 tbsp senaga pappu (bengal gram dal)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
12-15 cloves garlic (peeled and lightly crushed)
4 tbsps oil
salt to taste

Tempering:
3 tbsp oil (yes,its 3 tbsps as its a pickle)
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 whole dry red chillis
10 curry leaves

Seperate the gongura leaves from the stalks and leave them in an open cool and dry place for 2 days so that the leaves wither.After 2 days wash the leaves.Spread over kitchen towel.
Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed vessel.Add the leaves and fry them till rawness disappears and it becomes soft.Remove and cool.The fried leaves should look like shown in the picture.

In the same vessel add 1 tbsp oil and add methi seeds and fry till light brown and then add coriander seeds,urad dal(black gram),channa dal (bengal gram lentil) and dry red chillis and fry stirring constantly till light brown.Add the slit green chillis and fry for 2 minutes.Remove from fire and cool.
Grind these above ingredients with salt.Now add crushed garlic and the fried gongura leaves and grind very coarsely.It should not be soft.

Now heat 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.Now add the whole dry chillis and curry leaves and fry for 20 seconds.Remove from fire and add to the ground gongura pachadi along with the oil.This pachadi does require a wee bit more oil like most pickles.

This particular pickle can be stored in the refrigerator upto 3-4 weeks and goes well with hot steamed rice and a liberal dose of ghee and sliced raw onions.

Note:I have used the red stemmed variety of leaves which is more sour than the white stemmed.If you are using the leaves of the white stemmed variety,you can add approx 1-2 tbsp tamarind extract while grinding the ingredients.

Spinach Dal (Palakura Pappu)

by kalpana

Pressure-cooking with toor dal is the most common way that we consume green leafy vegetables like spinach etc., in our house. Combine all the ingredients below; mix them with one glass of water and pressure cook. Within a half an hour, you can have a tasty, nutritious dal and mix it up with rice for a complete meal or enjoy it as a filling soup.

Recipe:

One bunch of Spinach, washed and cut or tiered into big pieces
One cup of Toor dal (Kandi Pappu)
One medium sized tomato and onion, cut into pieces
One tsp of chilli powder or 7 to 8 Indian variety green chillies
Half tsp of turmeric (pasupu)
Key-lime size tamarind (Chinta pandu)
One glass of water
For popu or tadka:
1 teaspoon of peanut oil or ghee
1 teaspoon of each - cumin, mustard seeds, minced garlic, chana dal, urad dal and few pieces of curry leaves and dried red chilli pieces

After pressure-cooking all of the above ingredients, add 1 tsp of salt and with a whisk or a wood masher make a paste of spinach dal.

In a saucepan, add one tsp of oil or ghee and lightly fry the minced garlic, urad dal, chana dal, cumin and mustard seeds, red chilli pieces and curry leaves. This is called “Popu” or “Tiragamata”in Telugu. Without the Popu the dal is not ‘dal’, so don’t even think about skipping this step. Popu not only adds wonderful fragrance to dal, hot oil or ghee with all other toasted ingredients makes the dal more palatable, sort of like dressing it up.

Add the spinach dal to the popu and combine them together. Serve the dal with rice or with chapati/roti.

Our meal:
Spinach dal with rice, ghee and papad and of course a cup of yogurt on the side.

Aloo Tamatar Subzi - Curried Potatoes In Tomato Sauce

Aloo Tamatar Subzi - Curried Potatoes In Tomato Sauce

by kalpana

Simple,comforting and flavorful – is how I would describe today’s vegetarian dish with overtones of North Indian style of cooking.I learnt this recipe during my college days from one of my numerous North Indian friends who would bring it in her tiffin dabba with rotis.I reminse the days when we would swap our tiffin dabbas and how I'd lap up delicious North Indian fare like stuffed paranthas and chole while my friends would relish our South Indian tiffins like masala dosas,idlis and garellu.

I always tried out different combinations of a particular dish(which is new to me) using different spices with recipes like curried baby potatoes and aloo palak and finally settle for one which is suited to my palate in terms of spice and flavor.North Indian cuisine calls for the use of less spice than our Andhra cuisine.If I feel that the flavor of a dish needs to be peped up a bit in terms of spice then I do make a subtle change without playing too much with the ingredients and cooking style of the authentic original recipe.The end result has never been disappointing so far and I always had my family and friends relish the food served to them..:)

Aloo Tamatar Sabzi or Curried Potatoes in Tomato Sauce is very simple,everyday dish regularly cooked in many North Indian kitchens.Boiled potatoes are cooked in a spiced gravy of onions and tomatoes and it makes a great curry with rotis and chapatis.I also make this sometimes as an accompaniment to a subtle flavored rice or steamed white rice.
Aloo Tamatar Subzi (Potato-Tomato Curry)

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes (boiled and slightly mash with hand roughly to form small chunks)
1 large onion chopped finely
3 cloves garlic finely minced
1" ginger finely minced
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 dry red chillis
10-12 curry leaves
2 green chilli slit length wise
1 tsp red chilli pwd (adjust according to your choice)
1 tbsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp cumin pwd
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
salt to taste
3 medium sized tomatoes finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp oil
chopped coriander leaves for garnish
1 tsp jaggery or sugar (optional)

Heat oil in a cooking vessel and add the mustard seeds and let them pop.Now add the red chillis and curry leaves and stir fry for a few seconds till the flavors are released in the oil.Now add onions,ginger and garlic and saute till the onions turn light brown.Add the green chillis and all the pwds.Combine.
Add the tomatoes and stir fry till the oil seperates and it gets mushy.
Add the potatoes and combine and keep covered with a lid on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
Remove lid and cook further for another 3-4 mts stirring once in a while.
Add salt and enough water to cover the potatoes.
Bring to a boil and let it simmer on low heat till you get the desired curry consistency.Finally add the jaggery/sugar and combine.Turn off heat.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rotis/chapatis/steamed white rice.

Gutti Vankaaya Kura (Stuffed Egg Plant/Brinjal Curry)

Gutti Vankaaya Kura (Stuffed Egg Plant/Brinjal Curry)

by kalpana

Gutti Vankaayi Kura or Stuffed Eggplant/Brinjal curry is Andhra special curry.This dish can be made with either the small purple brinjals or the small round green ones.But you need to make sure that the brinjals are absolutely fresh,shiny and tender(the seeds shouldnt be black)without a dried withered look.This dish tastes good only if the brinjals are fresh young and tender.The one I am posting today is made with the small purple ones.

Well stuffed brinjal curry can be made with a variety of stuffings.The one I am posting today is a family favourite and very simple to make.If the brinjals are tender you dont need to use a pressure cooker.The brinjals will cook well on steam in a cooking dish if tender.

10-12 fresh tender purple brinjals(vankaayi,aubergine)
2 onions finely sliced
6 flakes garlic
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp red chilli pwd
1/3 tsp turmeric pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp cumin pwd
1 tbsp white butter or ghee
1/2 tsp sugar (optional-but tastes good with sugar or jaggery)
oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
12 curry leaves
1/3 tsp methi seeds(menthulu,fenugreek)
salt
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves(garnish)



Wash and dry the purple brinjals.Keep the stalks.
Prepare the stuffing first.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add the garlic cloves and onions and fry on medium heat for 7-8 minutes or till transparent.Remove from fire and cool.Grind to a paste adding little water.
Add the coriander pwd,cumin pwd,chilli pwd,butter or ghee,sugar or jaggery and salt.Mix well.
Now take each brinjal and cut from the base end (opposite side of stem)and make a slit towards stem side but not all the way through i.e slit each brinjal into four sections lengthwise without cutting off the crown.The brinjals are ready for stuffing and the stuffing requires some patience...:)
Seperate the brinjal quarters gently and fill the stuffing inside slowly without breaking the brinjals.You dont want to break the brinjal...:)
Stuff all the brinjals in this manner.Keep aside the remaining paste.



Heat 2 tbsp oil in a cooking dish.Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.Add the methi seeds and curry leaves and fry for 5 seconds.
Now slowly place each of the stuffed brinjals in the dish and add the remaining paste on top and sprinkle 1/4 cup of water.Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes on slow heat.
Do check in between to stir the brinjals without breaking them.Once the brinjals are three fourth cooked add the tamarind paste and one cup water. Adjust salt.
Cover and cook further for another 15 to 20 minutes or till the brinjals are well cooked and soft to touch.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

To serve, gently lift the stuffed brinjals with a wide spoon and place on serving plate and pour the gravy.Tastes wonderful with hot rice or roti.
You can also check out stuffed brinjal curry at Indira's Mahanandi and Bharli Vaangi at Nupur's One Hot stove