Shanthi's Cookbook

~~~~~Happy Ugadi ~~~~~

Ugadi is called the New year's day for the people of South India. People from this region celebrate the festival with great fanfare and have gatherings of the extended family with a sumptuous feast . The day, however, begins with bath followed by prayers, and then the eating of a specific mixture of -

• Neem Buds/Flowers for bitterness
• Raw Mango for tang
• Tamarind Juice for sourness
• Green Chilli/Pepper for heat (yes, and that's a proposed solution to the world's heating problems. Eat green chilli/pepper on cold days, and you don't neet to turn the heat on...)
• Jaggery and ripe banana pieces for sweetness
• Pinch of Salt for saltiness

This mixture with all six tastes (షడ్రుచులు), called "Ugadi Pachhadi" (ఉగాది పచ్చడి) : Symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of different experiences (sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise) , which should be accepted together and with equanimity.

Ingredients:

Raw Green Mango - 1 (small)

Tamarind Pulp

Grated Jaggery ( found in Indian stores. Also called as sugarcane sugar)

Salt

Red Chilli Powder

Fenugreek seed powder ( Great Substitute for Neem leaves)

Procedure :

1. Peel and chop raw mango into small pieces. Take it in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Combine small amounts of Tamarind pulp, grated jaggery, Salt and Red chilli powder. Add it to the mango pieces.

3. Just add a pinch of Fenugreed seed powder ( too much of it makes it bitter). Mix everything together and serve. If you desire you can add 1-2 tsp of water.

Ingredients :

Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Tomato Pulp - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - 3 tbsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Green Chillis - 2
Red Chilli Powder / Paprika - 1 tsp
Red Chillis - 3
Dhaniya seeds / Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Garlic pods - 3
Curry leaves - 10
Chana Dal - 2 tsp
Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Cashew nuts - 8
Cilantro - 1 bunch
Salt - according to taste


Procedure :

1. Cook 1 cup of rice with 2 cups water.

2. Heat1 tbsp oil and add tomato pulp , 2 tbsp tamarind pulp. Mix it well and let it cook for about 10 minutes on a medium-low flame. Add salt, green chillis and red chilli powder. After they cook, take them out in a plate and let it cool down. Set it aside.
3. In a different pan, heat a tbsp oil fry some red chillis. Remove and set aside in a plate. Grind and set aside.
4. In the same pan, heat up another tbsp of oil and roast 1 tsp of Urad dal + 1 tsp of coriander seeds + curry leaves + garlic pods + salt. After it cools down grind it and set aside.

5. Mix step - 3 and 4. Now mix this powder with the cooked rice from step-1
6. Now combine it with step - 2 , the tomato pulp paste
7. In another pan, heat up a tbsp of oil and add 1 tsp of chana dal + 1 tsp Jeera + 1 tsp Mustard seeds + 1 Red chilli + Curry leaves. After they roast well add it to the rice.

8. Fry some cashew nuts in oil and add it on top.
9. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Suggested Serving : Serve it with raita.

Ingredients :

Ingredients :

Ridge Gourd / Beerakaya - 2
Tomatoes - 4
Green Chillies - 3
Red Chillies - 2
Tadka / Popu ( 1 and 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds + 1 and 1/2 tsp Urad dal + 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds + inguva / Asafoetida )
Oil-3 tsp
Salt- According to taste
Turmeric - a pinch

Procedure :

1. Heat up a tsp of oil and get the tadka/popu done in a pan. While that's getting done, add green chillis, red chillis and set aside.
2. Finely chop the Beerakaya / Ridge gourd (along with the skin) and cook them in a tsp of oil in a seperate pan. Put the flame on medium low and keep a lid on the pan.. till the whole thing cooks. Occassionally mix with a spoon so that all the pieces cook evenly.

Ingredients -

Ghee /Butter/oil - 2 tsp
Cashew nuts - 2 tsp
Green Cardamons - 3
Cloves - 4
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Palak / Spinach - about 1 cup
Green Chillis - 3
Medium Onion - 1
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1 tsp
Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Lemon juice - 2 drops
Salt - According to taste
Ajinomoto - 1/4 tsp

Pre requisite -
Wash and Soak Basmati rice in water for 1 hour.

Procedure -
1. In a Pressure pan add 1/2 tsp ghee/butter/oil... fry 1 tsp cashew. Keep aside.
2. Grind Palak/spinach, green chillis, onion pieces, 1 tsp cashew nuts into a paste
3. In the same pan, heat up the remaining butter / oil and add Green cardamons, Cloves, Ginger Garlic Paste, and spinach paste from Step 2.
4. While stirring on a low flame, add Coriander powder, Gram masala, Jeera powder and black pepper. Cook till Spinach cooks .
5. Now add the soaked basmati rice and water (1:2 ratio). Mix well all the contents in the pressure pan. Add salt and ajinomoto.
6. Pressure cook it. (Instead of a pressure pan, you can follow all the above steps in a regular pan and later transfer them into a electric rice cooker)
7. Garnish with fried cashew nuts (from step 1) and serve.

Serving Suggestion : Serve hot with Raita.

Ingredients -

Veggies - Potato OR Green raw banana (aratikaya) OR Drumstick OR Frozen Mixed Vegetables
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Jeera - 1 tsp
Green Chilli - 1 or 2 (according to taste)
Water- 1/4 cup
Curd /Yougurt - 1 cup
Coconut / Cooking oil - 2 tsp ( Coconut oil would give it more taste)
Tadka / Popu Ingredients ( Mustard seeds + Jeera + Inguva/asafoetida powder / hing)
Salt - According to taste

Procedure -

1. Boil the veggies and keep aside.
2. Grind into paste - Grated coconut , Jeera, Green chillis with a little water .
3. Take a pan , get the tadka done and add step 1 and 2. Bring it to a boil
4. Turn off the stove and let it cool down to room temperature.
5. Add some curd / Yogurt to it. Add salt and mix well.

Serving Suggestion : Serve with Hot rice.

Ingredients :

Cooked rice - 1 cup
Plain Curd / store bought yogurt - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Salt - according to taste
Ginger - a small piece
Green Chilli - 1
Curry leaves - 5
Tadka / Popu ( Oil + Mustard seeds + Urad dal + Cashew)
Cilantro


Procedure :

1. Cook rice and let it cool. In that add curd / yogurt, milk and salt. Keep it aside.
2. Finely chop ginger, green chillis and curry leaves. Add it to Step 1.
3. Add the Tadka / popu , after it cools add it to the rice.
4. Garnish with Cilantro

Suggested Serving : Can be eaten as it is or even chilled.

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