Rava upma Recipe (Sooji Upma) ~ Quick Breakfast Recipes ~ Upma Recipe

Upma is one of the most easiest breakfast and can be done in a jiffy.Today we will learn how to make rava upma following this easy recipe.

Rava Upma ( Sooji Upma)

How to make Rava Upma (sooji) :
Prep Time : 5 mins ;
Cook Time : 10 - 12 mins ;
Serves : 2

Ingredients :
Rava / sooji - 1 cup
Water - 2 1/2 cup
Onions - 1/2
Green chilies - 2
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves for garnish
Salt as needed

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,urad dal ,chana dal and curry leaves and saute for a minute. .
2. Add the onions and green chilies and stir till translucent and soft .
3. Then add rava or sooji and stir frequently and do not allow it to brown . Once done then add hot water and salt to taste and stirring constantly to prevent any lumps from forming .
4. Cook in low flame till it becomes little thick .Then turn off the heat.
5. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves 
6. Serve with mango pickle or any pickle or peanut chutney or Tomato chutney ....

Rava Upma ( Sooji upma)

Notes :

•  If you want a more gooey upma then add 3 cups of water.
•  You can add vegetables along with this to make it wholesome and healthy.
•  I add tomatoes occasionally if you like just go ahead adding it.

Dondakaya Pachadi or Tindora Chutney

Ivy gourd is called as Dondakaya in telugu and Tindora in hindi. It is widely used in Andhra cuisine.This ivy gourd is good for digestion and keeps stomach gases suppressed.It is used to make curries,stir fry and even chutney.

We at home make this dondakaya chutney to go with our steamed rice and we also use this as a side for our dosa and idli for breakfast. Today we will learn how to make Dondakaya pachadi / Tindora Chutney following this easy recipe.

Dondakaya Pachadi / Tindora Chutney

How to prepare Dondakaya Pachadi / Tindora Chutney :

Prep Time : 10 minutes

Cook Time : 10 minutes

Yield : 4

Main Ingredients : dondakaya

Ingredients :

• Dondakaya - 1/2 kg 
• Red chilies - 2
• Green chilies - 3
• Garlic - 5 cloves,crushed
• Chana dal - 1 1/2 tbsps
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Tamarind - 1/2 tsp
• Salt as needed

For poppu / tempering :

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red chili - 1
• Curry leaves - few
• Asafoetida / Hing - pinch
• Oil - 1 tsp 

Preparation :

• Wash and cut dondakaya/tindora into thin strips or rounds.

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan or vessel and then add cumin seeds,urad dal,chana dal and red chilies and saute for 3 min.
2. Add green chilies,garlic and dondakaya pieces and saute for 10 minutes. The dondakaya should be slightly brown as shown in the picture . Turn off heat and allow to cool .
3. Grind all the above ingredients to a coarse paste,adding tamarind and salt . Add 1 to 2 tsps of water if required, then transfer it to a serving bowl .
4. In a small pan add a tsp of oil and then add mustard seeds. Once the seeds jump around, add red chili,curry leaves and saute for few seconds.
5. Finally pour over the chutney. 
6. Serve spicy and tasty chutney with hot rice and ghee. It can also be had as a side dish for idli and dosa .

Dondakaya Pachadi / Tindora Chutnry

Punugulu with Dosa batter ~ Punukulu

Punugulu are a traditional Andhra breakfast /snack item.Even though they are prepared at homes,they are one of the popular street snacks there and can be prepared in two ways either using a batter specially meant to prepare punugulu or can be made using leftover rice / idli or dosa batters.Both ways they taste great and are prefect along with tea or coffee on a cold,especially for a rainy day.

Punugulu with Dosa batter (snack)

Prep Time : 10 minutes ;
Cook Time : 15 - 20 minutes ;
Yield : 5-6

Ingredients :
Dosa batter - 2 cups
Rice flour - 2 tsps
Wheat flour - 1 - 2 tsps
Onions - 1/2 , finely chopped
Green chilies - 2 , finely chopped
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig , finely chopped
Coriander leaves - 2 tsps , finely chopped
Salt as needed
Oil for deep frying

Method :

1. Combine all the above ingredients except oil.Mix well and leave aside for half an hour .
2. Heat oil for deep frying .Once the oil gets hot,reduce flame to medium.Place a table spoon for batter into the hot oil. (You can use your hand instead of spoon to drop small balls of the batter into the hot oil ). Place 7-8 punugulu in the first batch . Do not crowd the vessel .
3. Turn the punugulu as they change color and cook till golden color.
4. Remove onto tissue paper.
5. Serve them with peanut(groundnut)chutney or Andhra kaaram chutney(red chutney).

Punugulu with Dosa batter (snack)

Tips :

1. Add more rice flour if the batter is too thin. It should be a slightly think batter .
2. You can use fermented fresh dosa batter or 2-3 days old dosa batter which gives a rice flavor to the punugulu.

Punugulu with dosa batter (snack)

Cabbage stir fry

Today I present to you a vegetarian dish with a simple list of ingredients.Did i mention that it is an easy to prepare vegan recipe that is sure to be relished by kids and adults alike.I served this stir fry with rice,brown rice,tomato rasam,avakai (mango pickle),sambar and curd.Made for a simple mid day meal .

Ingredients :
Cabbage : 1/2 cabbage,finely chopped
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
Urad dal : 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida : 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves : 1 spring
Dry red chilies : 2
Green chilies : 2
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder : 1/2 tsp
Coconut powder : 2 tsp
Oil : 2 tsp
Salt as needed

Method :
1. Heat oil in a pan or vessel,add mustard seeds and allow to splutter.then add cumin seeds,urad dal and allow to turn light brown .
2. Add dry chilies,green chilies,currry leaves,asafoetida and turmeric powder and saute for a seconds on medium flame .
3. Add the sliced cabbage and mix to combine well .Cook without lid for 9-10 minutes.Low flame,place lid and cook for 10-15 minutes stiring once in a while .
4. Remove lid ,add coriander powder and salt and mix.Cook for another 5-6 minutes and turn off heat .
5. Garnish with coriander leaves and or grated coconut.
6. Serve warm with rice or chapati .

Cabbage Stir Fry

Tips :

 1. You can add grated coconut towards the end of the cooking process .

Andhra Style Tomato Curry ~ Easy Tomato curry (Thakkali Curry) Recipe ~ Tomato Onion Curry

Tomato curry is the easiest and simplest to prepare among all the vegetarian curries. It does not require much of vegetables. Just tomatoes would do the work. Andhra style tomato curry is tangy and yummy. For beginners in cooking ,this is something to try out for .

Prep Time : 5- 8 minutes ;

Cook Time : under 20 minutes ;
Serve : 2 - 3 .


How to make Andhra style tomato curry in step by step :

Ingredients :
Tomatoes - 3 - 4 (finely chopped )
Onions  -  1 (finely chopped)
Green Chilies - 2-3
Red Chili powder - 2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 1 - 2 teaspoon
Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - few
Water  as needed
Salt as needed

Method :
 1. Take a pan to heat and add oil to it.Add mustard seeds,cumin seeds and urad dal and then saute for a minute.
 2. Then add onions ,green chilies and curry leaves and fry till it turns light brown in color.

 3. Add tomatoes, turmeric powder,salt and cook for 8 - 10 minutes by covering them with a lid .

 4. Then add red chili powder,coriander powder and water and then cook for another 5 - 8 minutes .

 5. Once done remove from heat and serve hot .

Andhra Tomato Curry /Thakkali Curry

Serving Options :
Serve Andhra style tomato curry with steamed rice and ghee ... This goes well with Idli ,dosa, puri and chapati also .

Note :
1. If you want thick curry,then don't add water into that .
2. If you want spicy tomato curry,then add ginger garlic paste after second step .

Sponge Cake / Plain Soft Cake /Homemade Cake

Sponge Cake / Plain Cake

How to make Homemade Plain Soft Cake/Sponge Cake :

Ingredients :

All purpose flour - 1 cup
Unsalted butter - 1 cup (1 stick)
Powdered sugar - 1 cup
Egg - 3 to 4
Baking soda - 1 tpsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Vanilla essence - few drops (optional)

Instructions :

1. Preheat oven to 350 F .
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl (all purpose flour,sugar&cardamom powder) .
3. Keep the butter at room temperature. Blend it with hand mixer until it becomes fluffy (the more we beat ,then it comes more fluffy )
4. Add egg at a time and blend well .
5. Add dry ingredients to the above and blend well.Finally add vanilla essence and mix well .
6. Grease the cake pan with oil or butter.Fill the pan with the cake batter 3/4th full and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean .
7. Soft and spongy cake is ready.

Sponge Cake / Plain Cake

Tips :

1. Beating the eggs is the most important step.It makes the cake really soft if you beat really well.
2. The cake will give a nice aroma when it is done. This is a basic technique to find out if the cake is done or not.

Gutti Vankaya Masala Recipe / Stuffed Brinjal Masala Curry / Egg plant Recipe

Andhra cuisine has a vast array of brinjal recipes.Today's brinjal curry is a classic Andhra vegetarian recipe that is prepared on special occasions and can be considered for a party vegetarian menu.Today we will learn how to make Gutti vankaya masala recipe with sesame seeds following this recipe ......

Vankaya Curry / Stuffed Brinjal curry

Prep Time : under 20 minutes ;
Cook Time : under 25 minutes ;
Yield : 4 -5 ;
Cuisine : Andhra

How to make Andhra Style Stuffed Brinjal Masala Curry (Gutti vankaya koora,Stuffed Brinjal curry) :

Ingredients : 1
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 3 cloves
Cinnamon - small
Cloves - 3
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Sesame seeds - 4 tsp
Peanuts - 2 tsp
Dry red chili - 3-4
Dry coriander seeds - 3 tsp
Dry coconut - 1 tsp

Ingredients : 2
Oil - 4 tsp
Brinjals - 5-6
Onions - 1 small chopped
Tomatoes - 1
Tamarind - 1 lemon size
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 3-4
Salt as needed

Preparation :

1. Dry roast each of the following items separately peanuts,sesame seeds,dry cococnut,coriander seeds and red chilies.
2. Grind them with onions,ginger,garlic,cinnamon,cloves and cumin seeds to make a think paste.
3. Wash and cut off the stem of the brinjal, make a cross shape slit on the other end and stuff them with the ground paste.
4. Keep the remaining paste for the gravy ,dilute with 1 cup of water .

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan ,add mustard ,cumin seeds and curry leaves,saute for a second.
2. Then add onions and salt and saute till it turns brown .
3. Add tomatoes and turmeric powder,saute for a minute .
4. Add the diluted paste to this along with red chilies powder,coriander powder,tamarind pulp and salt.
5. Arrange the brinjal in the gravy and put the lid on and cover over medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Now cook until the brinjal sucks in the masala and turn off heat and transfer it into bowl & serve .
7. Serve brinjal masala curry or Gutti vankaya masala curry with flavoured rice or chapati .....

Vankaya curry / Stuffed Brinjal curry

Coriander Chutney ~ Cilantro Chutney ~ Kothimeera Chutney Recipe ( with tomatoes)

This is a delicious coriander chutney that goes well with any breakfast.Today we will learn how to make coriander chutney with tomatoes following this easy recipe.

Coriander Chutney / Cilantro Chutney / Kothimeera Chutney

How to make Coriander Chutney ( Kothimeera Chutney) :

Prep Time : 5 minutes ;
Cook Time : 10 minutes ;
Serve : 4 - 5

Ingredients :
Coriander leaves - 1 bunch coriander / cilantro leaves
Green chilies - 3-4
Tomato - 2 small
Tamarind - a small size
Urad dal - 2 teaspoon
Hing(asafotida powder) - a pinch

For the seasoning :
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 teaspoons
Salt - 1 teaspoon or as per taste

Preparation : 
1. Cut tomatoes into big pieces.
2. Wash ,drain and chop coriander leaves.

Method :
1. In a pan or kadai put one teaspoon oil and fry urad dal till it turns slightly red.
2. Add green chilies and fry for a while ,then add tamarind and fry that too for a second.
3.Then add tomatoes and hing powder and fry for 2-3 minutes on a low flame,before removing add coriander leaves and fry just for a second and switch off the flame .
4. Allow to cool,grind it with salt and little water to make a smooth paste.Transfer it into a bowl and add seasoning.
5. Heat oil and add mustard seeds.Once it starts spluttering ,then add urad dal .Turn off the heat, when the urad dal starts to turn light brown. Add this to the chutney and mix well. Coriander Chutney is ready .
6. Serve it with dosa ,idli, roti, upma or even bread .

Coriander Chutney / Cilantro Chutney / Kothimeera Chutney

Note :
1. Always wait for the mustard seeds to splutter and then add urad dal .

Bottle gourd dal / Sorakaya pappu

Bottle gourd have always been an integral part of Andhra cooking.Various gourds like bottle gourd and snake gourd are incorporated into every day cooking in various recipes like dals,stir fries..etc.High in fiber content and low on calories,these vegetables are specially recommended  after about of sickness when digestive system is affected and needs to recover.Also very good for health conscious people.Mixed with dals,gourd from a complete meal combining required protein content with fiber and other necessary vitamins.

Bottle gourd dal / Sorakaya pappu

Preparation Time : 10 minutes ;
Cooking Time : 15 minutes ;
Cuisine : Andhra Cuisine

Ingredients :
Bottle gourd /sorakaya : 1 cup sorakaya pieces
Toor  Dal (Kandhipappu)  : 1 cup
Dried Red chilies : 5 - 6
Onion : 1 small
Tomato : 2 medium
Garlic : 4 cloves
Tamarind : small sized
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Oil : 1 tsp
Mustard seeds,urad dal : 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves : a few
Salt to taste
water for cooking

Method :

1. Clean the dal and keep aside.Chop onions and tomatoes.Crush the garlic or cut it into small pieces along with the skin.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker ,add mustard seeds,urad dal and curry leaves.Once it splutters,add onions ,red chilies and garlic.Once onion turns brown,then add dal and fry for few minutes.
3. Then add tomatoes,sorakaya pieces/bottle gourd pieces,tamarind,turmeric and add water for cooking.Cover it with lid and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles till the dal is cooked well.
4. When the pressure is off,take the dal masher or pappu guthi ,then mash the dal well the red chilies. Add salt and cook on high flame for 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Then serve with hot rice,chapati ..... etc.

Bottle gourd dal / Sorakaya pappu

Note :

1. Normally sorakaya is mashed well and blended with the dal. But if you prefer to have bigger chunks don't overcook it.

Jeera rice recipe - jeera pulao - Indian cumin rice

Jeera rice ( cumin rice) is a very simple and can be prepared in a few minutes.It is the simplest of all flavored rice and goes well with most of the gravies like brinjal masala,mushroom curry,panner masala ,raita ...etc.

jeera rice /cumin rice recipe

                         

How to make jeera rice / jeera pulao (cumin flavored rice) :

Ingredients :

Basmati rice - 1 cup

Onions -1 small chopped 

Ghee - 2 tsp +1 tsp oil 

Bay leaf - 1

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

Jeera /cumin seeds - 1tsp

Salt as needed

Preparation :

Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 15 minutes.Drain and keep it aside.

Method :

1. Heat ghee+oil in a pan or rice cooker,add cloves,cinnamon and bay leaf,saute for a few seconds and add jeera seeds,saute for a minute until jeera splutters.

2. Then add onions and salt ,saute for 2 minute

3. Then add drained rice and fry for a few minutes.Add 2 cups of water and add salt as needed,mix well and close the lid.cook for 1 whistle.

4. Once the whistle goes off ,take off the heat immediately and let all the steam out.If you see water pouring outlet it come out.Once all the steam is out,let it stand for 5 minutes.

5. Then fluff it with a fork and serve hot rice with any kurma or curry or raita.

jeera rice /cumin rice recipe

                        

Note :

1. You can substitute ghee with butter also.

2. You can cook rice in a rice cooker or in a pan with a lid.

Lady's finger side dish / Bendakaya side dish in Andhra style / Okra fry / Bendi fry

We all make different side dish every day, this is one of my side dish.It tastes good and a nice combination with any curry, sambar and chapathi.Try it and it is very easy to prepare.    

Lady's finger side dish / bendakaya side dish 

                        

Prep time : 5 -10 minutes ;

Cook time : 15-20 minutes ;

Serves : 2-3

Ingredients :

Lady's finger - 1/2 kg

Onions - 1 small ( chopped)

Green chilies - 2 ( chopped)

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt as needed

Preparation :

Wash lady's fingers,wipe and dry it with a clean cloth and Then cut off the head and the tail.Then cut it into small pieces as shown in the picture.

                                              

                                              

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan or kadai,add mustard and cumin seeds and saute for a second,when it splutters.Then add chopped onions,green chillies,curry leaves and salt and then saute for a minute.

                                             

                                              

2. Then add chopped lady's fingers and add turmeric powder ,mix well and cook in open.Sometimes the bottom smell like burnt ,just sprinkle little water and cook for 8-10 minutes in medium flame.

                                             

                                             

3. Then add chili powder and coriander powder,mix well and stir it for 2-3 minutes.

                                              

                                               

4.This curry can be served as a side dish for sambar rice,any kind of curry,rasam and chapathi.

Bendakaya /lady's finger sidedish with rice and curry