Beera Pottu Fry / Ridge gourd peel fry

Sun rays emerging through the clouds during sunrise and sunset. I always want to catch them. What a beautiful sight. The perfect painting drawn by the nature. 

Sun always plays an important roll in our life and even in preserving food. Now a days, almost all the vegetables and fruits are available all over the year. But in olden days, it's not the case. So, people used to preserve food by drying them in sun and use them the rest of the year. Even now in many cultures, people will sun dry vegetables, fish, meat and use them in there cooking and making pickles.

Today's recipe, as the title mentioned, ridge gourd peel fry. I dried ridge gourd peel in sun and prepared the fry. We can also prepare the recipe without sun drying the peel. I am posting both methods.

When we make Ridge gourd curry or fry, we will peel the skin and throw it in the trash. Why to waste it when we can prepare tasty chutney and fry with it. It is rich in dietary fiber. My Mom used to make this fry. It's my favorite. It's taste good and smells good.

 

Ingredients

• Beerakaya peel/Ridge gourd peel - 1.5 cups

For Seasoning / Poppu

• Avvalu/Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Mennapappu/Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Senagapappu/Chana dal - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic - 2
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Preparation ahead

• Take salt water in a bowl and let ridge gourd peel sit in it for 10 minutes, so that dirt and chemicals will be removed.
• Clean the peel with water and squeeze water from the peel.
• Grind the peel coarsely in a mixer.

Method 1

• Dry the peel in sun until crisp.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
• When they splutter, add garlic, urad dal, chana dal and fry.
• When they turn golden brown, add peel, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and fry for 2 minutes.
• Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Method 2

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
• When they splutter, add garlic, urad dal, chana dal and fry.
• When they turn golden brown, add peel, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and fry till the peel turn brown and crisp.
• Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Read More

Panasakaya Pottu Pulihora Kura / Jackfruit Dry Curry

Hi friends, Today I am posting one of my Mom's recipe. Until now, I posted recipes prepared by me, but this recipe is prepared by my Mom. My great-grandmother(My fathers grandmother) is very good at cooking. My mother and father used to tell me about her cooking and cooking skills. My grandmother is also so good at cooking. My mom learned cooking from both of them. My mom cook both authentic Andhra dished and modern dish very well.

The recipe today I am posting is very popular in a religious community in my region. They love to serve this curry in every function. Jack fruits will grow in summer months and can be eaten as a vegetable or eaten as a fruit. Young jack fruit can be used as an vegetable to prepare curries. When a jack fruit is fully grown we can enjoy the sweet pods along with the aroma.

In summer, in my region, cycle vendors will fill baskets with panasa pottu / chopped jack fruit and tie those baskets to there cycle and call out everyone to buy panasa pottu.  We can make panasa pottu at home. There was a jack fruit tree in front of my house. My Mom used to pluck young jack fruit from the tree and make panasapottu kura and panasakaya masala kura/Jackfruit masala curry.

For making panasa pottu, we have to apply oil and turmeric powder mixture to our hands and the knife. Milk like sticky substance will come out when we pluck and cut jack fruit. When we apply oil to our hands and knife it will prevent that sticky latex juice from sticking to our hands. Cut the young jackfruit into 4 pieces and remove it's skin and make them into small pieces. Wash them with plenty of water and process them in a food processor or in mixer using pulse mode.

Ingredients

• Panasa pottu - 2 cups
• Tamarind - small lemon size
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

For Popu / Tadka / Seasoning

• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Avvalu / Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Senagapapu / Chana dal - 1 tsp
• Minnapappu / Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Hing - a pinch
• Dry red chilies -2
• Green chilies - 3 
• Minnapa vadiyalu - 15
• Groundnuts - 2 tbsp

Preparation

• Clean panasa pottu until water is clear. Add  1/2 cup water, turmeric powder and cook till panasa pottu turn soft.
• Squeeze water from cooked panasa pottu and keep aside.
• Heat one tbsp oil in a pan and fry minnapa vadiyalu until brown and keep aside.
• Heat remaining oil. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, when they splutter, add chana dal, urad dal, groundnuts, dry red chilies and fry till they turn brown.
• Add hing and green chilies and fry.
• Add turmeric juice and cook till there is no rawness.
• Add panasa pottu, salt, minapa vadiyalu and cook for 2 mins.
• Serve with rice.

Note : If wanted more sourness, add lemon juice.
           Curry taste will enhance after few hours. 
           Adjust oil and chilies to your taste.

Read More