Ugadi Pachadi/ Ugadi Chutney And Pesarapappu Boorelu

Ugadi is the new year for Telugu people. Ugadi is also celebrated in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa states of India on the same day and in Tamil Nadu and Kerala states on April 14. Ugadi means Yuga and Aadi. Yuga means Era and Aadi means Start. In Hindu purana's, it was told that Lord Bhrama started creation on this day and 1 year on earth equal to 1 day for Bhrama. Ugadi falls on "Chitra Shuddha Padyami" on every year.

In Purana's there was a story about Ugadi. It was said that Somakasura, a demon stoles the Vadas from Lord Bhrama and hides in sea. Then Lord Vishnu turns himself into Matsya, which means fish one of the 10 Avatras and slay him and return vedas to Lord Bhrama on "Chitra Shuddha Padyami". Images shows Lord Vishnu as half man and half fish in this Avataram.

On Ugadi, people will clean their houses and decorate with mango leaves, take head bath, wear new cloths and a special dish "Ugadi Pachadi" is made and offered to god and then consumed and distributed among friends and relatives. Ugadi Pachadi contains "Shadruchulu", which means "Six Tastes".
The Ingredients used are:  Neem Flower For Bitterness, Which stands for Sadness.
                                            Ripe Banana and New Jaggery for Sweetness, which stands for                                                          Happiness.
                                          Tamarind Juice for Sourness, which tastes  for Disgust.
                                          Salt for Saltiness, which stands for which stands for Fear.
                                          Green Chili for hot taste, which stands for Anger.
                                          Unripe Mango for Tang, which stands for Surprise.

 On Ugadi, people will gather to listen to "panchangam", know as "Panchanga Sravanam". Panchangam is Hindu calender and Sravanam means heard. Panchangam will contain forecast of upcoming events in country and people life's depending on their rasi. Panchangam is very important to all the Hindus as it is connects to "Jyotisha/Astrology". People and Astrologist refer panchangam to see good time(Muhurtam) to start works, for functions and marriages.

Every village will have "Grama Devathalu"(Village Goddess). Everyone in that village will offer naivedyam to the Goddess. In old days, Women from villages, who are married and went to other places(Addapaduchulu) will come to their villages to offer naivedyam to villlage goddess. My Mother's Mom's (Ammama) village have grama devatham, Satamma Thalli. My grand mom will offer naivedyam every year to village goddess on Ugadi. They tell that village goddess are very powerful and protect villages.

Festival time means God, Puja and lot's of food and fun. In Andhra, along with Ugadi pachadi, some other traditional food will be prepared such as Pulihora, Burelu, Garelu and Paravannam as naivedyam. 

Let's see how to prepare Ugadi Pachadi:

We Need

• Banana's -  6
• Brown sugar/Bellam/ Jaggery - 1/4 cup
• Neem Flower - 2  tbsp
• Salt - pinch
• Ripe Mango - 2 tbsp
• Green Chili - small one
• Tamarind pulp - 2 tbsp
• Sugar cane - 1 tsp (optional)
• Coconut - 1 tbsp
• Gulla Senagapappu/Roasted Bengal Gram - 1/2 cup

Preparation:

• Great jaggery and mash bananas.
• Chop green chili, sugar cane, coconut and mango into small pieces.
• Mix all the ingredients and adjust tamarind and salt to taste and serve.

Let's see how to prepare Pesarapappu Boorelu:

We Need

• Urad dal/Minnapappu - 1 cup
• Raw Rice - 2 cups

Preparation

• Soak urad dal and rice over night and grind into paste.

We Need

• Pesarapappu/Split Moong dal - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Cardamom powder -  1/2 tsp

Preparing Poornam/Filling 

• Soak dal for 30 minutes and grind to thick paste by adding little water.
• Pour moong dal batter into idli plates and steam cook for 15 minutes.

• Let the idli's cool and chop make them into pieces and grind them into crumbs.
• Add sugar and cardamom powder and make into small balls.

Let's prepare Boorelu:

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Mix dosa batter with little water(if required) into thick dosa batter consistency(not too thick and not to0 thin). If you like crispy boorelu make dosa batter little thin. Add salt.
• Dip pooram/filling ball in batter and drop into hot oil and fry till golden brown.
• Serve hot. 
• We can store them 3 to 4 days as we are not adding coconut.

Read More

Bobbatlu/Bakshalu/Puran Poli

Bobbattu/Bakshalu/Puran poli is a traditional sweet and prepared in many states of India. It is a sweet filled bread and known as Bobbattu or Bakshalu in Telugu, Holige or Obbattu in Kannada, Boil in Tamil and Puran Poli in Marathi. Filling will be made with chana dal or moong dal and sugar or jaggery will be used as sweetener and cardamom or fennel seed powder is used to flavor the filling. Grated Coconut can be used in making filling along with dal but it is optional. Traditionally all purpose flour will be used to make the dough, but wheat flour can also be used to make dough. Some will use half all purpose flour and half wheat flour to make the dough. Making bobbatlu is time taking but this sweet worth it.

Let's see how to make bobbatlu:

Soak and cook chana dal

Take Jaggery and little water in a vessel and cook till jaggery dissolves and to a boil
add cardamom powder 

Add cooked dal and cook till it comes together

Grind the cooked dal mixture and keep aside.

Mix semolina and all purpose flour and make into soft dough, apply oil and keep aside for
1 hour and make balls out of filling and dough. Filling balls must be little big

Make as shown in the image and fold the dough and press into small puri 

Yield : 9 to 10 (May vary depending on size)
Ingredients For Filling (Poornam):

• Senagapappu/Chana dal - 1 cup
• Grated Bellam/Jaggery or Sugar - 1 1/4 cup (Jaggery taste good)
• Ellachi/Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Ingredients For Making Dough:

• Maida/All purpose flour - 1.5 cup
• Rava/Semolina - 1 Tbsp
• Oil - 1/4 cup
• Salt - pinch
• Water as needed (up to 1/2 cup)

Preparing Poornam:

• Wash and soak senagapappu/chana dal up to 2 hours.
• Cook the soaked dal in 2 cups water for 3 whistles or cook in a thick bottomed vessel until the dal is done. (If cooking in a vessel add more water)
• Strain the water and keep the dal aside.
• Add jaggery or sugar or half jaggery and half sugar and 1/4 cup water and cook till jaggery dissolves and comes to a boil (No need to get string consistency), then add cooked dal and cook till the dal thickens by stirring and add cardamom powder. 
• Let it cool and grind the dal to paste and keep aside. It thickens after sometime.                                                                        OR
• Grind the cooked dal into paste and add it the dissolved jaggery mixture and cook till it thickens by stirring and add cardamom powder and keep aside until cools. It thicken more after cooling. Don't leave the poornam on stove alone, it may burn. We have to stir continuously while thickening.
• Make balls out of the poornam.

Preparing Dough:

• Mix semolina and little water and add all poupose flour, salt to semolina mixture and make it into soft dough by adding little water at a time and apply oil. (Dough must be soft like puri dough)
• Keep aside for 1 to 2 hours by soaking in 1/4 cup oil. (If don't want to use so much oil apply little oil to the dough.
• Make balls out of dough. Dough balls must be little smaller than poornam balls.

Preparing Bobbatlu:

• Take the dough ball and make it into small puri with hand by applying oil.
• Place poornam in the middle and close it with the dough.
• Apply oil to a plastic sheet and place the dough filled with poornam and press it gentle with hand by applying oil and make it into thin chapati.
• Heat a griddle and cook the bobbatu on both sides by adding little ghee or oil. (Ghee adds flavor)

Read More

Attisara, Tomato Pachi Pulusu

Attisara is a combination of rice and pesarapappu/moong dal. In the same way we make Pulagam, in which rice is tempered with some spices. For attisara we won't do tempering. In Coastal Andhra, attisara will be prepared during festivals like boghi and Vinayaka chavithi and offered to God as naivedyam. Best combination for Attisara are Coconut chutney/Kobbari pachadi, Bellam/Jaggery. ghee and Pachi pulusu made with brinjal/Vankaya or Tomato and Avvakaya/Mango pickle. Serving hot Attisara on banana leaf will add nice flavor to the rice. In South India food is served on banana leaves for functions and on festivals.

Today I prepared Tomato pachi pulusu. Preparation will be very simple and easy and we can have this with plain rice and attisara. Adding raw onion will add flavor to it.

Ingredients:

• Rice - 3/4 cup
• Moong dal/Pesarapappu - 1/4 cup
• Salt - little
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Wash rice and moong dal/pesarapappu and add 2 cups water, little salt, turmeric powder and cook until rice and dal are cooked perfectly.
• Serve this hot rice with coconut chutney, pachi pulusu and bellam/Jaggery on banana leaf.

Toamto Pachi Pulusu:

• Tomato - 1
• Chilli - 1 or 2
• Bellam/Jaggery or sugar - 1/2 tsp or to taste (not optional)
• Tamarind - small lemon size
• Salt to taste
• Onion - 1/4 piece
• Coriander leaves/Kotimeera - 2 tbsp

Method:

• Boil tomato and chilli with little water(1/2 cup) and let it cool.
• Soak tamarind in water and extract pulp.
• Mash tomato and chilli and add tamarind pulp, salt, sugar, chopped onion, coriander leaves and 1.5 cup water and stir.
• If you feel more sourness add little water.
• Serve with Attisara/White Rice.

Read More