Kathal Dum Masala | Raw Jackfruit Masala Gravy

Raw Jackfruit is one vegetable with which I have not experimented much in my kitchen as the cleaning process of jackfruit is quite messy and is a very tedious task. Whenever we go to Bangalore my parents make sure to get fresh ripen Jackfruits and cut them at home.The taste of these freshly cut ripen jackfruit is so sweet and juicy that I don't keep the count of how many pieces I am having.Even after distributing to relatives and friends we still had lots of jackfruit pieces left with us and hence we had experimented quite a few dishes with the ripen jackfruit like halwa,ice cream and a couple of more dishes and they have turned out absolutely delicious.I could not take the photos then but during my next visit I would definitely click the pictures to share it in my space.

Now coming to the today's recipe , when my parents visited me recently I had asked them to help me in cleaning the raw jackfruit so that I can dish out a couple of recipes with it.This gravy is one among them and the rest I would share some time later.As the curry is cooked in low heat by using Dum process the gravy tastes absolutely delicious.The texture of Jackfruit is slightly meaty and is a treat for all the vegetarains and also the raw jackfruit absorbs the masalas nicely.I had prepared this curry in a similar way like how I prepare the gravy for Biryanis and so this gravy can be used for layering the Kathal Dum Biryani,you can follow my Chole Dum Biryani and use this gravy for layering instead of chole.

Check out few other exotic gravy recipes in my blog:

• Babycorn Kurma
• Kashmiri Dahi Baingan
• Matar Paneer
• Matar Mushroom Masala | Dhingri Matar
• Mirchi Ka Salan - Hyderabadi Special
• Mushroom Chettinadu | Chettinad Mushroom Masala 
• Paneer Butter Masala - Restaurant style!!
• Paneer Makhani/Paneer Makhanwala
• Raw Banana Kofta Curry | Kacche Kele ka Kofta Sabzi
• Shahi Paneer - Restaurant style
• Stuffed Capsicum in rich gravy

Kathal Dum Masala | Raw Jackfruit Gravy:

Serves 3-4

Prep time: 30 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 1 hr

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Side dish

Ingredients:

500 gms Raw tender Jackfruit

1/2 cup frozen Green Peas

2 Tomatoes

2 Onions

1" Ginger

5-6 Garlic cloves

1 cup thick fresh curd,nicely beaten(keep at room temperature)

1/2 tsp Homemade Garam masala

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Red chili powder

2 tbsp Coriander leaves,chopped

Salt to taste

3 tbsp Oil

Spices to temper:

2 Green Cardamoms,slightly crushed

1 Green chili,Slit

1/2" Cinnamon

1 Mace flower(Javithri)

3-4 Cloves

1/2 tsp Shajeera/Black Cumin seeds

1 Bayleaf

Method:

• Spread paper on the platform or on the floor.Apply oil to your palms,knife and chopping board and cut jackfruit into two halves.Then cut each half into small portions and remove the green thick skin part and also the center thick stalk.Cut the remaining portion into 1" or 1/2" cubes and immediately immerse those pieces in a bowl of water.You can add 2 tbsp buttermilk to the water as it helps in retaining the color of the jackfruit pieces.
• Chop one onion finely and roughly chop the other onion for pureeing.
• Grind ginger,garlic and one onion to a fine paste and remove the mixture and keep it aside.In the same mixer grind the tomatoes to a fine puree and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and crackle shajeera and add all the spices - bayleaf, cinnamon, mace,cardamom, cloves and green chilli and fry them for a minute.
• Add the finely chopped onion and fry until it turns slightly brown in color.
• Add the ground puree of ginger-garlic-onion paste and fry it until the raw smell goes away.
• Now add tomato puree and fry until the oil leaves the edges.
• Add all the masalas - red chili powder, turmeric powder,coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and salt and fry well for a couple of minutes.
• Now add the raw jackfruit pieces and frozen peas and fry for 3-4 mins and add 1-1.5 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• Once the pressure drops mix the nicely beaten curd into the gravy and boil it on low flame for 3-4 mins by stirring it continuously and cover it with a tight lid(you can even seal the edges of the lid with the soft roti dough) and cook for 8-10 mins on a very low flame.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve it hot with Rotis/Naans/Kulcha/Pulavs/Biryani.

Notes:

1. You can use the same gravy for layering for Kathal Dum Biriyani.Follow the same process as my Chole Dum Biryani and use this gravy for layering instead of chole.
2. If you like it more masaledar add few more masalas according to your palate.

Technorati Tags: kathal dum masala, raw jackfruit masala ,jackfruit curry, jackfruit gravy, raw jackfruit recipes, kathal ki sabzi ,jackfruit sabzi, north indian side dishes, north indian gravies

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Janmashtami Recipes | Gokulashtami Recipes | Krishna Jayanthi Recipes 2015

Sri Krishna Janmashtami also known as Krishnashtami | Gokulashtami is on September 5th which is on saturday.I am posting my collection of Janmashtami recipes by updating with new recipes which would be useful for the festival preparations. Every region prepares different varieties for Krishna Jayanthi while many prepare only poha(atukulu) based items as it is the most favourite food of Lord Krishna. You can prepare various savoury snacks and sweets ahead of the festival and offer it as Naivedyam to Krishna and on the festival day you can prepare items like Atukula upma, Atukula Payasam, Gojju Avalakki, Kobbari Atukulu, Mosaru Avalakki or Atukula Dosa along with home made butter.                                                                        

                        
             Spicy Seedai                      Chakli                                   Thengolu 

                        
              Manugu Poolu                 Ribbon Pakoda                       Sago Murukku
                            
                         
         Chekkalu/Thattai                 Spicy Makhana                       Poha Chiwda

                      
         Karam Gavvalu              Spicy Sev(Karasev)               Ompodi/Plain Sev                   
                       
                  
         Coconut Avalakki                  Mosaru Avalakki             Poha Kheer

                
      Ariselu(Adhirasam)              Aval Ladoo                   Moong Dal Ladoo

                   
     7 Cups Cake                        Paneer Peda                         Paal Payasam

                     
          Sunni Undalu                       Karanji                        Kobbari Louse            

                        
         Rabdi                                Kesar Peda                              Semiya Kheer

                                

Poha options for Breakfast:

• Atukula Upma/Lemon Poha
• Batata Poha/Kanda Batata Poha
• Coconut Poha/Kobbari Atukulu
• Gojju Avalakki/Pulusu Atukulu
• Kothimeera Atukulu/Dhaniya Poha
• Vangi Poha
• Atukula Gunta Ponganalu / Avalakki Paddu
• Atukula Dosa/Sponge Dosa

Technorati Tags: janmashtami recipes, sri krishna jayanthi recipes, sri krishna janmashtami recipes, atukula recipes for krishna jayanti, gokulashtami recipes, seedai recipe, chakli recipe, thattai recipe, atukula payasam, atukula pulihora, poha recipes for janmashtami, festival recipes

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Aval Ladoo | Poha Laddu | Atukula Laddu | Janmashtami Recipes

Janmashtami is nearing by and it is on Sep 5th and I am sure the preparations would have been started in many households. Though I do not celebrate the festival in a grand scale I do prepare few varieties to offer as a prashad to Lord Krishna on Gokulashtami. Poha, considering as a favorite to lord Krishna I usually prefer to prepare a couple of items with Poha on the festival day. My usual fare would be Atukula Payasam , Atukula upma  or Coconut Poha and Mosaru Avalakki(Curd Poha) on the festival day. I usually prefer to prepare Poha Kheer for a sweet item but one can prepare various sweets like Sweet Poha, Poha Ladoo with poha.You can offer any of these poha items along with freshly homemade butter, milk ,curd for the prashad.

This post has been pending from such a long time but somehow I could not post it anytime. This year I made a point to post this one simple sweet in my blog for Krishna Jayanthi and after almost an year I took my camera out to click this simple ladoo to post it in my blog. After all the festival season has just begun and I hope I get some enthusiasm from the fellow bloggers to post few recipes for the upcoming festivals.

Check out other Poha Recipes for Janmashtami:

• Atukula upma, Atukula Payasam
• Gojju Avalakki,Kobbari Atukulu, 
• Mosaru Avalakki or Atukula Dosa

For a full collection of Janamshtami recipes, CLICK HERE.

Aval Ladoo | Atukula Laddu Recipe:

Yields:6-7 Ladoos | Shelf life:1 week

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 10 mins | Total time: 20 mins

Cuisine: Indian | Category: Sweets

Ingredients:

1 cup Poha/Atukulu

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1/4 cup Ghee

2 tbsp Cashew nuts,finely chopped

1 tbsp Raisins,chopped

2 Green Cardamoms

Method:

• Dry roast poha over low-medium flame until the poha is well roasted and it turns slight brown in color and also crispy ,it takes around 7-8 mins and let it cool and then powder it to a very fine powder.

• You can use approx grind 1/3 cup sugar(+ 1 to 2 tbsp sugar for sweeter ladoos) with the seeds of two cardamoms to get a fine powder.

• Mix together sugar powder and roasted aval flour without any lumps and it is mixed properly.Check for the sweetness now if you want more sweet add 1-2 tbsp extra sugar powder and mix well again.
• Heat ghee in a wide kadai and add chopped cashew nuts and raisins and fry them until the cashews turns slightly brown and raisins become plumpy.
• Add the ghee with the roasted dryfruits to the aval-sugar powder mixture and mix it properly until the ghee is coated properly.

• Let the mixture becomes luke warm and can be handled with hands.Make lemon sized round balls out of it and arrange them in a plate. If you find it difficult to make into ladoos heat 1-2 tbsp ghee accordingly and add it to the mixture and make ladoos.

• Once it is cooled completely store it in an air tight container.These can be stored for over a week.

Enjoy!! 

Notes:

1. These ladoos are very fragile and hence handle it with care.
2. Grind poha to a very fine powder, if it is coarse the ladoos would not taste nice.
3. If you find it difficult to make into ladoos heat 1-2 tbsp ghee accordingly and add it to the mixture and make ladoos.
4. If you want to reduce the ghee portion you can even sprinkle some milk to the mixture and make ladoos but it reduces the shelf life of ladoos.
5. Add 1 cup powdered sugar to 1 cup poha , but you can taste the mixture after it is mixed and add more sugar powder if necessary.
6. You can even add grated dry coconut to the mixture while preparing ladoos, the dry coconut adds nice texture to the ladoos.
7. You can even add roasted gram dal powder or roasted peanut powder or freshly grated coconut to the mixture while preparing ladoos, all those variations taste good.
8. You can use jaggery instead of sugar but I prefer the sugar version.

Technorati Tags: janmashtami recipes, aval laddu ,poha laddu, atukula laddu recipe, krishna jayanthi recipes, gokulashtami recipes, easy laddu recipes, ladoo recipes, poha recipes for janmashtami, poha sweet

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Varalakshmi Vratam Recipes 2015 | Varalakshmi Vratam Menu

Varalakshmi Vratam is on 28th August and this is a small effort to categorize all Naivedyam recipes at one place for Varalakshmi Vratam, So that it would be easy for those who celebrate the festival as they can plan the menu ahead. While at our place the menu would be constant with Bele Holige as main sweet and a variety rice like Lemon Rice or Pulihora along with vada, sundal and few usual other items. You can choose the varieties according to your convenience.

I am sharing a sample menu with you which we usually prepare at my place but one can adapt the menu and change according to your convenience.We usually serve lunch on a banana leaf during festivals.

• Salt
• Pickle
• Sundal - one/two varieties
• Stir fry - one/two varieties
• Plain dal
• Main sweet - one variety
• Kheer/Payasam - one/two varieties
• Vada/Bajji - one/two varieties
• Fryums/Papads/Mor Chillies
• Rice variety
• Plain Rice
• Dal
• Sambar
• Rasam
• Curd 

Main Sweet Varieties(ONE- compulsory):

1. Karida Kadubu Fried Modak
2. Bele Holige Pappu Obbattu
3. Boorelu | Suzhiyan | Sugunta
4. Garugu Obbattu-Holige with rice flour and coconut stuffing
5. Haalu Holige | Paala Poori | Paal Poli
6. Groundnut Holige | Shenga Holige
7. Karida Kayi Kadubu | Fried Modak with Coconut stuffing
8. Pooran (Puran) Poli | Bobbatlu
9. Sajjappa | Sojja Appalu | Halwa Poori

Kheer/Payasam(ONE or TWO Varieties):

1. Moong Dal Kheer / Pesara Pappu Payasam
2. Carrot Kheer
3. Hayagreeva/Chana dal Sweet
4. Korra biyyam Payasam | Fox Millet Kheer
5. Poha Kheer/Aval Payasam
6. Paal Payasam | Rice Kheer with Chana dal 
7. Paal Payasam / Rice Milk Pudding
8. Palathalikalu Payasam 
9. Rasayana | Balehannu Rasayana
10. Sabudana(Sago) Kheer | Saggubiyyam Payasam
11. Semiya Kheer | Vermicelli Payasam
12. Sooji Ki Kheer | Rava Payasam
13. Undrallu Payasam | Paal Kozhukattai
14. Semiya Kesari

Sundal and stir fry varieties(ONE or TWO varieties from each category):

1. Lobia Sundal/Alasandula Guggillu
2. Kabuli Chana Sundal
3. Peanut sundal
4. Kala Chana Sundal | Black Chickpeas Sundal 
5. Mixed Bean Sundal
6. Sweet Corn Sundal
7. Beans Stir fry
8. Beans-carrot Palya
9. Raw Banana Stir fry
10. Beetroot Stir fry with Coconut
11. Cabbage Carrot Stir fry
12. Cabbage Pesarapappu(moong dal) Dry Curry 

Vada/Snack varieties(ONE or TWO Varieties):

1. Alasandula(Lobia) Vada/Fritters
2. Aratikaya(Raw Banana)  Bajji
3. Masala Vada/Chana dal Vada
4. Mixed Dal Ambode(Vada)
5. Medu Wada/Uddina Vade/Gaarelu
6. Mosaru Ambode/Dahi Dal Vada
7. Dahi Vada/Perugu Vada/Mosaru Vade
8. Avarekaalu Kadubu/Spiced Steamed Rice flour Dumplings

Rice Varieties(ONE or TWO Varieties):

1. Aava Pettina Pulihora | Tamarind Rice with Mustard flavor
2. Coconut Rice
3. Dabbakaya Pulihora/Indian Grapefruit Rice
4. Lemon Rice/Chitrannam
5. Mamidikaya Pulihora/Maavinkay Chitranna
6. Pulihora/Puliyogre
7. Chintapandu pulihora - Andhra style
8. Gongura Pulihora | Gongura Rice | Sorrel Greens Rice
9. Raw Mango Rice/Mamidikayi Gojju Annam
10. Rava (Biyyapurava) Pulihora | Pindi Pulihora
11. Mamidikayi Gojju Annam/Raw Mango Rice -Version2
12. Methi-Peas Bath
13. Lemon Sevai | Khara Shavige
14. Ottu Shavige with Kayi Halu and Sweet powders

Dal/Stew/Rasam Varieties(All Varieties-ONE each):

1. Moong dal /Pesara Kattu
2. Beans Sambar with coconut - Karnataka style
3. Kandi Vunta Majjiga Pulusu / Steamed Toor dal Dumplings Stew
4. Lemon Rasam
5. Holige Saaru/ Special Toor dal Rasam or Chickpeas Rasam/Senagala Kattu

Technorati Tags: varalakshmi vratam recipes, varalaksmi vratam festival recipes, festival recipes, varalakshmi vratam menu, south indian festival recipes

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Matki Usal | Moth Beans Curry | Matki Chi Usal Recipe

Usal and Misal are popular gravies which are usually served with Pav or Bhakri.While Usal is a thick gravy made up of sprouts, Misal is a thinner version of usal with the addition of farsaan(namkeen) on top and is served with pav,this combination is popularly known as Misal Pav. I usually prepare it as misal and serve it with pav but sometimes I serve usal with bhakris along with a dry sabzi. You can use various kind of sprouts like moong sprouts, yellow peas, mixed sprouts of moong,matki,kala chana and peas to prepare usal. I end up preparing either Matki Usal or Yellow peas usal most of the times.Usal is usually made spicy and slightly oily.There are various variations to the usal like Kolhapuri usal where kolhapuri masala is used which is a very spicy version and tastes slightly different from the regular version.

Check out other Maharasthrian recipes in my blog.

• Masale Bhat | Tendli Bhat | Ivy Gourd Rice
• Misal Pav
• Sabudana Khichdi - Maharastrian style
• Sabudana Thalipeeth 
• Sago Tikkis
• Bharli Vangi - Maharasthrian style stuffed Eggplants

Matki Chi Usal | Moth Beans Curry Recipe:

Serves:2-3

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:10 mins | Total time:20 mins

Cuisine: Maharasthra-India | Category: Side dish

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Matki(Moth beans) Sprouts,steamed

1 large Potato,boiled and cubed

1 Onion,finely chopped
1 Tomato,chopped(optional)

2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

1 tsp Kala Masala or Goda Masala or 1/4 tsp Garam masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

5-6 Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

a pinch of Asafoetida

Salt to taste

1.5 tbsp Oil

Method:

• To sprout Matki - Wash and soak matki(moth beans) for 6-7 hrs in water and wash it once with fresh water and drain the excess water and tie in a muslin cloth or use a sprout maker to make sprouts.It will take 12-15 hrs.
• Steam the matki sprouts in cooker with a pinch of salt for 8-10 mins.
• Boil the potato and remove the skin and cut into cubes.
• Heat oil in a kadai/pan and crackle mustard seeds and add asafoetida and curry leaves and fry for half a minute.
• Add chopped onions and fry until they turn translucent.Add ginger garlic paste and tomato and fry until the raw smell goes away.
• Add steamed moth beans and boiled and cubed potatoes and fry for 2 mins.
• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, goda(or kala) masala and salt and fry it for another couple of mins.
• Add 1/4 cup water and cover it and cook for 7-8 mins.The Usal would be thick but if you want it like a gravy add some more water and boil it.

Serve it hot with Roti/Bhakri/Pav.

Notes:

1. Usal can also be prepared with mixed sprouts or moong sprouts or sprouted Yellow peas.You need to cook them according to their cooking time.
2. Usal is usually a thick gravy but if you want it you can slightly thin it down with the addition of water and boil it again,while serving add finely chopped onions and farsaan(namkeen) on top of it which is known as misal.
3. I usually do not add tomato to usal but as I was preparing a thinner version I added a tomato,but the addition of tomato is optional.
4. The addition of Goda masala or Kala Masala adds a unique flavor to the recipe.But if you do not have it in hand you can use garam masala instead.

Technorati Tags: moth beans usal, matki usal, usal recipe, simple usal recipe ,maharasthrain usal recipe, sprouts usal, sprouts recipes ,maharasthra recipes, side dish for rice ,side dish for rotis

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