the Really easy Coconut chutney

Coconut chutney is a perfect dish to go with any variation of idli, dosa or upma.

STEP 1 : Getting the basic coconut chutney paste

Coconut, freshly grated	1
Green chilli	4
Tamarind	Marble sized
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Salt	To taste

Blend all the above ingredients to a fine paste and transfer to the serving bowl.

STEP 2 : Spice up your chutney

Oil	1 tsp
Mustard seeds	1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Dried red chilli	2
Curry leaves	6-8 leaves
Asafoetida ( Hing)	A pinch

In a small pan, heat oil, add all the ingredients in the order listed above. Take care not to burn any of the ingredients. (Takes just under 2 minutes.) Remove from the flame and add to the coconut chutney paste directly into the serving bowl. Mix and serve.

the Really easy Sagodana Upma

If you are bored making dosas and idlis as your stapled south Indian breakfast dishes (unlikely though), Sagodana Upma is a tasty, easy and healthy replacement.

STEP 1 : Soaking the sagodana

Sagodana

1 cup

Soak in water for one hour. You can soak the sagodana, make a cup of tea for yourself and then get ready with the rest of the stuff to save on time. After one hour, drain the water away and mix with chopped groundnut as described below.

STEP 2 : Groundnut

Groundnut

1/2 cup

Dry roasted ( the correct word I believe is ‘broiled’), and chopped very coarsely. Sagodana when cooked tends to stick to itself leading to a not so happy feel in your mouth. Just before cooking, gently mix in the coarsely chopped groundnut and salt to the wet sagodana. This will not only prevent lumping of the sagodana but also add to the taste and texture of the Upma

STEP 3 : Final Act

Oil	2 tblsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Onions, medium sized, cut into thin slices	2
Potato, peeled, diced (and preferably microwaved for 3 minutes)	1
Green chilli, slit lengthwise	2
Curry leaves	8
Salt	To taste
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Garam Masala	½ tsp

Heat oil in a heavy pan. Add cumin seeds. Take care not to burn the cumin; 30 seconds should do. Add curry leaves and onion and fry till transparent. Add diced potatoes and blend in for a minute. Now add the sagodana-groundnut-salt mix to the pan and gently blend in all the ingredients. Allow this to cook while turning in at frequent intervals ( about 10 minutes). Serve hot.

Batter Central

The three key south Indian dishes, idli, dosa and vada (garelu in telugu) make use of Urad dal in different combinations. It is not just the ratio, but also the holding time, technique of preparation that results in the taste and texture of the final product on your table.
For more details you can go to the respective recipes on the index

Dosa Fine paste, thin consistency	1 cup Urad Dal	2 cups Rice		¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
Idli Fine paste, thicker than dosa batter	1 cup Urad Dal		2 cups Idli Rava
Garelu Slightly coarse, thicker than idli batter	1 cup Urad dal		-

the Really easy Dosa

Nothing can beat the idea of piling ones plate with hot crisp dosa and enjoying it with a cupful of spicy sambar and coconut chutney. Thats the stuff Sunday mornings are made of...
Here's the mix for the 'Dosa'

Ingredients The ratio	1 cup Urad Dal	2 cups Rice	¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
Step 1 Roll up your sleeves	Wash & soak all ingredients together in water for 4 hours
Step 2 After three hours	Grind to a soft paste. The consistency is thinner than that for idli.
Step 3 After effects	Let the batter stand for 4 hours to allow some fermentation. You can continue to ferment it if you like your dosas particularly sour ( Many do !!). Otherwise you can make the dosa now or refrigerate the batter
Step 4 Making the dosas	Add salt according to taste to the batter Pour the batter on to a flat pan and spread it as you would do with a pancake. But spread it really thin. You can keep the dosa thicker if you like softer ones. Thinner if it’s the ‘roast’ crackling dosa that you like. Drizzle a little oil. As the dosa separates from the pan, turn it over for 30 seconds. Serve with sambar, coconut chutney or potato curry

the Really easy Idli

Idlis are among the healthiest, easiest and without doubt the most liked breakfast for South Indians. There is some difference in the way Tamilians get their mix versus the way Andhra does its idli. This is the Andhra style of Idli making.
This page will be useful if you do make idlis regularly but get your batter from the store, readymade. If this is your first time with idlis, then it may take a few times of cooking to get the 'steaming' part right.

Ingredients The ratio	1 cup Urad Dal	2 cups Idli Rava
Step 1 Roll up your sleeves	Wash & soak in water for 3 hours
Step 2 After three hours	Grind to a soft paste. Avoid adding too much water while grinding it down	Wash the idli rava two to three times, Squeeze out as much of the water as possible
Step 3 The batter	Mix the wet idli rava to the Urad dal paste. Let it stand for 4 hours to allow fermentation
Step 4 After effects	You can continue to ferment it if you like your idlis particularly sour ( Many do!!). Otherwise you can make the idlis now or refrigerate the batter
Step 5 Making the idlis	Add salt according to taste to the batter Pour the batter into ‘idli patram’ and steam. You can use a steamer Alternately a pressure cooker without the weight works as a steamer !! I use a pressure cooker into which I add 2 cups of water, place the idli rack, close the cover and heat it without the weight on. Wait till the steam is really strong and then turnoff the fire. Generally takes about 10 minutes but you ll have to perfect the timing.

Serve idlis hot with coconut chutney, sambar or peanut chutney. And be prepared for second servings !!

the Really easy rajma curry

Rajma is a favorite at our place and goes very well with roti ,chapathi as well as rice

STEP 1 : Soaking and pressure cooking Rajma

Rajma Choose the light brown ones and skip the dark ones. The dark ones need prolonged cooking, and that’s not Really easy

250 g

Soak overnight in sufficient water. First thing in the morning drain away the water, rinse the soaked seeds well.
Pressure cook soaked rajma for atleast 20 minutes. Old kitchen wisdom advises against adding salt as that prevents satisfactory cooking of the rajma. Try cooking with added salt. It did not make too much of a difference for me

STEP 2 : The final preparation

Oil	2 tblsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Onions, medium sized, cut into thin slices	2
Ginger –garlic paste	1 ½ tsp
Curd	2 tblsp
Tomato	1, pureed
Salt	To taste
Turmeric	½ tsp
Coriander powder	1-2 tsp
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Garam Masala	½ tsp

Note: Some recipes use onion paste. I found this gives too strong a taste and I prefer to use chopped onions. Too much of tomato isn t too good, again going by my preferences !

Heat oil in a heavy pan. Add cumin seeds. Take care not to burn the cumin; 30 seconds should do.
Add onion and fry till transparent.
Add ginger garlic paste and mix well. If you have a good nose for things, it helps. Ensuring that the rawness of the ginger garlic leaves the pan is the best way to know you can move on. Other wise I would spend 3-4 minutes here.
Add curd and blend it in well.
Now add the tomato puree. This is again an important step and the trick is to cook the tomato well in the onion. Looking for the oil to separate from the mix is a dependable sign.

As you are waiting for that to happen, add the powders, coriander, chilli, turmeric and salt to the mix. ( If you ve pressure cooked rajma along with salt, then watch your salt now! I skip salt here.)
Now add the boiled Rajma and let it boil in the gravy on a slow flame for about 10 minutes. The rajma stock in the pressure cooker can be put to good use during the final cooking. Garam Masala for the final effect.

Another option is to add the gravy mix to the cooker and pressure cook for 4 minutes but I haven t tried this so far.

Use Kasoori methi once you get a hang of the cooking (advanced level!!)

the Really easy Fish curry

Fish Curry ( Chepala Iguru )

This is the standard fish curry in Andhra, and perhaps the simplest.

Preparation to serve three (six pieces of fish)

STEP 1 : Preparing the fish

Onion, medium sized	1
Ginger	½ inch piece
Garlic	6-7 cloves
Mustard,	1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Turmeric	½ tsp
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Garam Masala	½ tsp
Salt	To taste

Make a coarse paste of all the ingredients and apply the paste liberally on to the cleaned and sliced fish

STEP 2 : The final preparation

Onions, medium sized, cut into thin slices	1/2
Green chilli	2
Curry leaves	6-8 leaves
Oil	2 tblsp
Coriander leaves	Fresh cut

Heat oil in a heavy pan. Add onions, curry leaves and red chilli. Wait for onion to turn a golden brown. Add the fish pieces and cook till the fish becomes light brown in color and takes away the raw smell. This is a delicate operation and the best way to achieve this without damaging the fish would be to gently swirl the vessel.

Add water and cook on a low flame till the gravy gets a thick sauce like consistency. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Serve hot with steamed rice.

the Really easy 'Fish in Mango sauce'; 'Besaru'

This recipe requires dried and salted mango kernels which are commonly available in Andhra. The tanginess combines beautifully with the pungent mustard to result in a strongly flavored fish curry.

While any fish can be experimented, varieties that do not break easily are preferred

Preperation to serve three ( six pieces of fish)

STEP 1 : Precooking the mango kernels.

Take about 2-4 mango kernels depending on the amount of tanginess required (tolerated) in a pot and boil it in water just enough to submerge it. Correctly boiled kernels become soft but do not separate from the seed. Separate the kernels and the water and set aside.

STEP 2 : Preparing the fish

Salt	As per taste
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/2 tsp

Slice fish as per preference. Make a thin paste of chilli powder, turmeric and salt and rub it on to the fish and set aside

STEP 2 : Preparing the curry paste

Onion, medium sized	1
Garlic	5 cloves
Mustard,	1 tsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp

Make a fine paste of all the above ingredients and set aside

STEP 3 : The preparation

Onions, medium sized, cut into thin slices	1/2
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Dried red chilli	2
Curry leaves	6-8 leaves
Oil	2 tblsp

Heat oil in a heavy pan.

Pop mustard seeds taking care to avoid charring them.

Add onions, curry leaves and red chilli. Wait for onion to turn a golden brown.

Add the fish pieces and blend them in with the spices. This is a delicate operation and the best way to achieve this without damaging the fish would be to gently swirl the vessel.

As the color of the fish changes to a slight brown, add curry paste, cooked mango kernels. Blend in gently for 2 minutes and add water to submerge the fish. The water we initially set aside after boiling the kernels would be good here.

Cook on a low flame till the gravy gets a thick sauce like consistency.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

the Really easy Lentil patties

Lentil patties ( Pesarapappu vadalu ; telugu)

This is a healthy and easy to prepare snack and a real favourite among people from Andhra, especially those who love the ‘Andhra pesarattu’

STEP 1 : Getting the Moong Dal ready

Moong Dal

1 cup

Wash dal with water and soak in three cups of water for an hour.

STEP 2 : The preparation

Onion, medium sized, chopped fine and divided into two portions	1
Garlic 2 cloves	1 tsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Dried red chilli	2
Ginger	1 inch piece
Coriander leaves	Small bunch
Salt	To taste
Oil	2 tblsp

Drain all the water from the soaked moong dal , add garlic, cumin, red chilli, ginger, coriander leaves, half of the chopped onion and salt. Grind this down to a coarse paste. This is important as making it too smooth will affect the texture of the patty. Mix the remaining half of the chopped onion to this paste.

Heat a flat pan , place one tablespoon of the dough on it and flatten it down. An average pan will accommodate about 6 such patties. Line the patties with oil and keep turning them over till the patties become light brown in color.

Enjoy hot with coconut chutney.

'the Really easy' Kodi Pulusu : Chicken in Tangy Gravy

Ma usually sets aside the chicken pieces with decent amount of meat on to them for fry / biriyani. The bony stuff goes into this tangy dish which goes well with steamed rice.

STEP 1 : Marinading the chicken

Onion, medium sized, chopped	2
Ginger-garlic paste	2 tsp
Mustard,	2 tsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Oil	2 tsp
Salt	1tsp ( adjusted to taste)

Pop mustard and cumin seeds in the oil. Make a fine paste of all the above ingredients. Mix the chicken pieces with the paste and set aside for about an hour.

STEP 2 : The preparation

Onions, medium sized, cut into thin slices	2
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Dried red chilli	2
Tamarind	Lemon sized ball soaked in 2 cups of warm water
Coriander leaves	Small bunch
Curry leaves	6-8 leaves
Oil	2 tblsp

Heat oil in a heavy pan. Pop mustard and cumin seeds taking care to avoid charring them. Add onions, curry leaves and red chilli. Wait for onion to turn a golden brown. Add the chicken pieces with the masala paste and cook on a low flame. This takes time, and the chicken should be well cooked. Oil separating from the pieces is a sign. Now add the tamarind extract and 2 more cups of water. Cook on a low flame for 10 – 15 minutes, or till gravy thickens. Add salt according to taste. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with steamed rice and fried chicken.

'the Really easy' Dum Biriyani

This requires chicken to be marinaded. Rice used for the biriyani is half cooked separately and then cooked along with the marinaded chicken

What you need

Chicken (1kg), Basamati rice, Pudhina leaves, Coriander leaves, Ginger – garlic paste, Green chillies, Garam masala, Lemon juice, Curd, Salt, , Cloves, Elaichi, Cinnamon, Bay leaves, Onions, Saffron. And nothing more. Dont fret about the quantities. Scroll down....for the three simple steps

STEP 1 :Marinading the chicken:

1 kg of chicken and the following ingredients:

Pudhina( Fresh mint) leaves	1/2 cup
Coriander leaves	1 cup
Ginger – garlic paste	2 tsp
Green chillies	2
Garam masala	2 tsp
Lemon juice	1 tblsp
Curd	3 tblsp
Salt	1tsp ( adjusted to taste)

Clean and cut chicken into chunky pieces.

Make a paste of all the ingredients, mix with the cleaned chicken pieces and set aside for atleast 4 hours in the refrigerator

STEP 2 : Getting the rice ready

Basamati rice	3 cups, washed
Cloves	2
Elaichi	1
Cinnamon	2 sticks
Salt	1 – 2 tsp
Bay leaves	2

Set the rice to boil in 10 cups of water along with the spices. Keep checking the consistency of the rice and stop short of completely softening the grain. Drain excess water . Divide into two portions and keep aside

STEP 3 : The final step

Onions cut into thin slices	3, medium sized
Saffron	1 pinch soaked in a tsp of milk
Ghee ( Clarified butter )	2 tblsp

Brown the onion in the ghee , divide into three portions and set aside

Traditionally whatever we ve made so far is put together in a pot, which is sealed with the help of wheat flour paste and cooked over a flame. Similar results can be achieved even in a pressure cooker, which is what we ll do!

1. Pack the marinaded chicken in the bottom of the pressure cooker. I mean really pack!
2. Layer the first portion of fried onions over this. Layer the two portions of rice with the remaining two portions of fried onions alternating with each other. If you ve done this right, the top layer is that of fried onions.
   
3. Pour the saffron-milk over this.
   
4. Pressure cook on a high flame for the first five minutes, and then lower the flame. Cooking continues till the pressure builds up just short of setting up the whistle. This takes about 15 min. on low flame.
5. Take the cooker off the flame just before the whistle goes off!
   

The cooking is done. Hold on. Atleast till the cooker quitens down. Gently mix it up in the serving bowl and enjoy.

Whats so special about this recipe :

• Most recipes require the chicken to be cooked seperately. We ve done away with that step by smartly marinading the chicken for four hours
• This may be the least greasy biriyani you ll have in your life !!