Thotakura Fry/ Amaranath leaves stir fry - Garden to Plate

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We can make thotakura fry in two ways. I already posted my first version in which we add thotakura to tempering and stir fry. In this version, we cook thotakura in water and then stir fry it. This version is for people those who may not like the smell from thotakura.

Thotakura is from my garden. If anyone want to know how to grow them organically read tips under this post.

 Ingredients 

Thotakura/ Amaranth leaves - 250 grams
Salt to taste
Water to boil leaves - 3 cups approximate

For Tempering

• Oil - 1 tbsp.          
• Mustard seeds / Avalu - 1/2 tsp                      
• Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1/2 tsp
• Chana dal / senagapappu - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 2 tsp.            
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.  
• Dry red chili - 1 or 2
• Green chili - 4 or to taste
• Garlic - 8 or to your taste

Let’s start preparing

• Clean thotakura leaves and chop them.
• Boil water and add chopped thotakura leaves and cook for 5 minutes.
• Drain water and keep the leaves aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds
• When they start dancing, add chana dal,urad dal and red chili.
• When dals turn red, add green chili and garlic.
• When garlic turn golden brown, add thotakura leaves.(squeeze excess water)
• Stir fry for 10 to 12 minutes and serve with rice.

Tips for growing Thotakura:

1.Thotakura is prone to pest. To make organic spray at home, take  2 bulbs of garlic and make into paste by adding 1cup of water. Let it sit for 24 hours. Strain the water and add to 1 portion of garlic water and 10 portion of water and spray.
2. We can also use neem oil or neem powder.
3. Do patch test before using the above sprays on some leaves. If you see any spots on leaves, dilute the liquids with more water.
4. Spray under the leaves too.

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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.

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Thotakura fry/Amarnath Leaves Fry ll Thotakura Kadala Pulusu/Amarnath Stalks in Tamarind Sauce

Before Marriage, when my mom asked me to water the plants, I used to find reasons to escape from that job. But after marriage, I came to know how much I miss those plants, flowers, Greens and veggies....

One thing I love the most is, going to the garden and pluck some fresh veggies and greens. Growing veggies and greens, sharing them with friends  and using them in recipes that's what my mom do and that's the thing I  miss so much.

I love greens and among them Amarnath/Thotakura is my all time favorite. We can use both the leaves and stalks of amarnath. 

Ingredients For Fry

• Thotakura/Amarnath Leaves - 1 bunch
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• For Tempering/Poppu
• Mustard seeds/Avalu - 1/2 tsp
• Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Minnapappu/Urad dal - 2 tsp
• Chana dal/Senagapappu - 1 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 3 to 4
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Green Chillies - 2
• Garlic cloves- 10 (Skin removed)

Preparation:

• Pluck the leaves along with tender stems, Clean them, let all the water drain and chop them.

Let's prepare Amarnath Leaves Fry:

• Heat oil in a pan, add all ingredients under tempering and let them fry.
• Add Chopped Amarnath leaves to the tempering. Add turmeric powder, salt, mix and cook the leaves with lid on until the leaves are cooked.
• Water will oozes out from the leaves which will be sufficient to cook them.
• Serve with rice.

Ingredients For Pulusu/Tamarind Sauce

• Amarnath Stalks/Thotakura Kadalu - 2 cups (I took from 1 bunch)
• Onion - 1. medium
• Menthulu/Fenugreek seeds - 10
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic cloves - 2
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Tamarind pulp - 2 tbsp or small lemon size Tamarind
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water - 2 cups
• Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Preparation:

• 
  
• If not using tamarind pulp, soak tamarind in 1/2 cup hot water and extract pulp.
• Break the amarnath stalks into 1 inch piece and remove any fiber on sides and wash them and keep them aside.
• Finely chop onions.

Let's prepare Pulusu

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garlic and curry leaves and fry till  mustard seeds pops.
• Add onion and cook till tender (no need to brown them) and add amarnath stalks/thotakura kadalu and cook for a minute.

• Add tamarind pulp, 2 cups water, red chilli powder,salt and cook until 3 whistles.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice.

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Kakarakaya Fry/Bitter gourd Fry

If we ask which veggie you don't like, many will tell one common name, that is Bitter gourd, which is known as Kakarakaya in Telugu Language. Many don't like it due to it's bitterness. But it is one of my and my hubby's favorite vegetable. Today's  recipe is kakarakaya fry/bitter gourd fry, which is very easy to prepare and taste good. It will be little bitter, little sweet and little spicy.

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

• Kakarakaya/Bitter gourd - 4, Medium size
• Onion - 1
• Green chillies - 2, split lengthwise
• Mustard seeds/Avvalu - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal/Minapappu - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder -  1/2 tsp
• Cumin-Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 8
• Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, chopped
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder - 1tsp
• Sugar - 2 tbsp or to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation:

• Lightly peel the skin of Bitter gourd if u want. Wash Bitter gourds and slice into thin round pieces.
• Sprinkle 1 tbsp salt and little turmeric powder on sliced Bitter gourd, mix and leave them for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes squeeze them to remove the bitterness. If want to remove more bitterness wash the Bitter gourd pieces once again.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal. When mustard seeds splutter and urad dal turn brown add green chilli, curry leaves, onion, turmeric powder and little salt.
• When onion turn transparent ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute and add Bitter gourd and cook with lid on for 10 to 12 minutes. Mix in between.
• Add cumin-coriander powder, red  chilli powder, sugar and salt, mix and cook till Bitter gourd cook completely. 
• garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice.

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