Vedas Resources

A tourist to the Telugu-speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana can try out these light and crispy crescent shaped special sweet of Andhra Pradesh / Telangana, called Kajjikayalu. This is a traditional sweet item of Andhra Pradesh / Telangana and is available in almost all the sweet shops / home foods. This sweet is very much similar to 'karanji' - a sweet of Maharashtra. It is even available in other Indian states but is known in different / local names. Kajjikayalu is one of the must-eat sweet item which is crispy and delicious. Though it is a deep-fried item, you don't find it sticky sticky but it appears oil-free. It is a stuffed sweet and the outer covering is made of maida i.e. all-purpose flour. The dough ball is rolled into flat round shape chapati. It is then placed inside the special mold meant for the purpose to get the shape. A sweet item is then placed on the chapati and it is then pressed to get the semi- circle stuffed sweet. and then these stuffe...

Pootarekulu are the special sweet of Andhra Pradesh. Basically this is a sweet made in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. A small village named 'Atreyapuram' in the East Godavari district has gained popularity for this sweet making. A majority of the population in the village is engaged in the making of 'pootarekulu'. The moment you step into this village, your taste buds get tickled / stimulated on smelling the sweet aroma of ghee. The Telugu word 'poota' literally means 'a layer' and the word 'reku' means 'a sheet'. As the name says 'putarekulu' are made of layers of ultra thin and crispy sheets made of rice flour. Traditionally these layers are sandwiched with ghee and finely powdered sugar. There are variations where finely powdered jaggery is used instead of sugar. To enhance the taste, chopped dry fruits are added. Rice flour, sugar and ghee are the main ingredients of this special sweet. Ultra thin coats / ...

Vankaya Pachchi Pulusu is one of the traditional veg recipes of Andhra Pradesh. The Telugu word 'vankaya' means egg plant i.e brinjal, the word 'pachchi' means 'raw' i.e uncooked and the word 'pulusu' is used for gravies that are used as side dish. Though most of you are familiar with this egg plant gravy, here I'm mentioning a variation in vankaya pachchi pulusu. Almost all the family members in my in-laws are too fond of this variety of egg plant gravy. They relish this gravy as a side dish for 'pindi' - a traditional veg tiffin made of rice ravva i.e coarsely ground rice. Vankaya pachchi pulusu is a tasty recipe which is easy to prepare. The combination of tamarind extract and jaggery gives a tangy sweet and sour taste. Let's look at the ingredients required for this traditional Andhra recipe. 1 pachchadi vankaya i.e large egg plant specially used for preparing pachchadi. 1 small lemon sized tamarind. Equal measure (as tamarind)...

Different powders / podi are extensively used in preparing various Indian recipes like sambar, rasam, curries, biryani etc and some powders are even used as a side dish along with idlies, dosas and plain rice. 1. Chai Masala Fennel seeds / Saunf Cardamom seeds / Elaichi Green Cardamom Cinnamon / Dalchini Dry Ginger Black Pepper Star Anise Make a powder of the above ingredients and use it while preparing chai / tea and enjoy the hot masala chai. 2. Andhra type koora podi / curry powder 1 cup split black gram / urad dal Three fourth cup split Bengal gram / chana dal Half cup coriander seeds One fourth cup cumin seeds / jeera Few fenugreek seeds / methi Three fourth cup peanuts / groundnuts 10 -12 dry red chillies or as per taste Few sesame seeds / til Roast the above ingredients in a half spoon of vegetable oil till done, on cooling add very little tamarind for a touch of sour taste and grind it to a powder. Store this in a dry container and use it mainly for makin...

Pulagam is a famous Andhra recipe mostly used as naivedyam i.e offering to God. This is basically a rice item and is a healthy combination of cereal (rice) and lentil (dal). This food item is very much similar to the North Indian recipe - Khichdi and to that of Ven / Katte Pongal. The recipe is simple and easy to prepare. It offered as naivedyam to Sun God on Ratha Saptami day This item is prepared with the new harvest of rice on the Makara Sankranti day and offered as naivedyam to Sun God. As 'Pongal' is the special dish prepared by Tamilians on Makara Sankranti day, the festival is known as 'Pongal'. In many of the temples in South India, pulagam is offered as naivedyam to the deity and is distributed to the devotees. The mouth-watering aroma of the hot hot pulagam distributed in the temples stimulates your taste buds and it is so irresistible that you can't stop yourself from asking the priest for one or two more leaf bowls of pulagam. The taste of the recipe...

Gongura leaves are special of Andhra Pradesh. These leaves are sour to taste and are of two varieties - one with white stem and the other with red stem. The leaves with red stems are sourer than the one with white stems. For preparing Andhra famous Gongura pachchadi, a combination of these two varieties of leaves will add taste to the pachchadi. These leaves are even used for making Pulusu or a gravy which goes well as a side dish with mudda pappu (roasted and boiled toor daal). Mostly gongura pulusu is prepared by the people of Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. Gongura leaves are known as sorrel leaves in English and in Hindi it is known as Pitwa. Nutritional facts and health benefits of Gongura leaves Gongura is a green leafy vegetable which is a rich source of Vitamin A, B and C. It is also a good source of important minerals like iron, calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium and content low in calories. These leaves are sour to taste due to the presence of oxalic acid and bec...

Undrallu or kudumulu are prepared on Ganesh Chaturthi day and is offered as naivedyam to Ganesha. This is one of the most important Hindu festivals which is celebrated with much fervor across the country. Ingredients Required 1 cup rice 2 cups water 1 tbsp ghee 1 tbsp bengal gram little cumin seeds (jeera) salt to taste > How to prepare Wash rice in clean water, spread it on a paper towel and allow it to dry Grind it with slight wetness to a coarse powder like sooji in a mixer. Heat little ghee in a frying pan and saute jeera. After it is done, add 2 cups of water, soaked Bengal gram to it and allow it to boil. On boiling add the coarsely ground rice to it and keep stirring to ensure that there is no lump formation Now keep it in simmer for few minutes till it becomes soft. Once it is cooked, make balls / laddus of it of desired size Place these on a cooker plate covered with thin wet cloth and pressure cook it Or can also steam cook these in an idli steamer or pressure cooker. Enj...

Patoli a healthy and popular evening snack of Andhra Pradesh. The food item is a healthy combination of lentils (daals) and veggies and it tastes good and also is liked by the Telugu people. Unlike the deep fried evening snacks like pakoras, bajjis etc, this item is oil-free and makes a healthy evening snack for the family. It even provides the required nutrients to the body. Though it is easy to prepare the dish yet it is a bit time consuming one. However once you prepare it well, you will really relish this snack. How to prepare patoli Take one measure each of black gram (urad daal / gundu minappapu) Bengal gram (chana daal / senagapappu) and green gram (moong daa / pesarapappul) and soak it for nearly 8 hours. Add little cumin seeds (jeer), 1 or 2 green chillies. little ginger and salt and grind it to a thick batter. Heat enough oil in a thick bottomed pan, saute mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When it splutters, add curry leaves and diced onion to it and stir it for a while. If you ...

Burelu is one of the most popular sweet item of Andhra Pradesh and any function, in particular a marriage is considered incomplete without Burelu. And these are made on festivals and offered to the God / Goddess. Preparation For the outer cover of burelu, you need to soak one measure of whole black gram (urad daal) and one and half measure of rice over night and grind it to a dough with dosa batter consistency. Add just a pinch of salt and not too much Or else you can even take one measure urad daal powder and one and half measure rice flour and soak it for an hour to make it to a dough Pressure cook one measure of Bengal gram (chana daal), after it is done, strain out the excess water and add equal measure of jaggery to it and keep it over low flame Keep stirring till the jaggery gets dissolved and starts thickening Once it is done, switch off the stove and on cooling add elaichi i.e cardamom powder, mix it well and smash it to a paste When it becomes paste, make balls of desired size...

You can make different recipes with leftover foods. Pesarattu is a popular breakfast / snack item of Andhra Pradesh. However, the batter has to used without storage as it is made of moong daal i.e skinned / skinless green gram. So when you make pesarattu and the batter is leftover, don't worry. You can use this leftover pesarattu for making few yummy crunchy delicious snack items which is relished by young and old. You can make either paatoli (one of the popular snack item of Andhra Pradesh) with the leftover batter or you can also use it for making pesara punugulu i.e moong dal fritters and relish on a cloudy / rainy evening. Paatoli with leftover pesarattu batter Ensure that the leftover batter is not of thin consistency. If the batter is too thin, you can add little rice floor to make the batter slightly thicker. Preheat little edible oil in a pan. Add little mustard seeds (sarson), cumin seeds (jeera) and asafoetida (hing). Allow it to splutter. Add curry leaves, finely chop...

Andhra Pradesh is famous for its delicious and spicy cuisine. In particular the sweets of A.P are worth relishing. Sunnundalu i.e the laddus made of urad daal are one of the popular sweets of Andhra Pradesh. It is easy to make, tasty to eat and good for health. This is one of my favorites sweets and I enjoy preparing the sweet with powdered sugar and with jaggery. I do it in a simple way and it has good shelf life. Ingredients The basic ingredients for the sweet is whole or split skinless black gram i.e urad daal (minapappu), powdered sugar or jaggery, half cup ghee, cardamom (elaichi) powder and very little water. Preparation This is how I prepare sunnandalu at home as and when required. Take 1 measure of black gram and dry roast it on simmer till it gets dark brown in color. Do not let it turn black. On cooling, grind it to fine powder. Even slightly coarse powder is okay for making these laddus. You can grind it to either fine powder or slightly coarse as per your liking. Add almos...

Ginger pickle is known as 'allam pachadi' in Telugu. This is one of the favorites of the Telugu people who relish it as a side dish with idlis, dosas, pesarattu umpa, undrallu, uppupindi or pindi, dibba rotte and many other Andhra delicacies. Almost everyone in my family relish this pachadi and I frequently make ginger pickle as a side dish mostly for dosas, dibba rotte etc. Ginger is one of the effective treatments for seasonal cold and cough and is rich in medicinal values. Ingredients 250 gm ginger 100 gm garlic (optional) - I prefer to do without garlic as no one in our family like the smell of garlic. 200 gm seedless tamarind / tamarind extract i.e juice 250 gm grated jaggery 250 gm salt 250 gm red chilly powder 3 tsp fenugreek seed powder (methi powder) For seasoning 100 gm vegetable oil preferably gingelly (til) oil or groundnut oil 5-8 red chillies 2 tsp bengal gram / chana daal 1 tsp mustard seeds little curry leaves Method Wash ginger well in cold water and peel the ...

The name chakkara pongali itself sounds so yummy. When it is savored hot hot, hmmm!, the taste takes you to a different world. Well, sweet pongal is mostly offered as naivedyam in almost all the South Indian Vishnu temples, specially in Dhanur Masam. The taste of chakkara pongali offered to the devotees of Lord Venkateswara Swamy of Tirumala in the free prasadam counter is beyond description. Sweet pongal can be easily prepared at home. I often prepare this during special poojas and offer as naivedyam. But you don't get the typical temple taste at home. I think, the divinely touch / atmosphere in South Indian temples makes chakkara pongali tastier, particularly the sweet pongal in Tirumala temple. Here is how you can prepare it in a simple way. Ingredients 1 measure of rice. Normally we use ordinary rice but even basmati rice would be fine. I tried with basmati rice and it was really tasty. Three fourth measure of skinless split green gram i.e moong daal. 6 measures of water. 1 ...

Pulihora is one of the most popular rice recipes of South India. The feast served in social / religious gatherings will compulsorily contain pulihora. It is easy to make and tasty to eat. Here is how you can make varieties of Pulihora. Mango i.e Mamidikaaya Pulihora Mamidikaya pulihora is one of the favorite food items of the Telugu people. They relish the taste during the raw mango season. Mango pulihora is even offered as naivedyam during special poojas. Prepare with little less tamarind as it becomes too sour on using raw mangoes. Take one small sour raw mango. Peel off the skin and cut it into very small pieces. Add these pieces into pulihora and blend well. Relish mamidikaya pulihora. Lemon Pulihora / Nimmakaya Pulihora Prepare pulihora without tamarind Take one small juicy lemon and squeeze the juice in pulihora. Allow the pulihora to cool down before mixing lemon juice. Do not squeeze lemon juice in hot pulihora as it won't be tasty. Mix it well. R...

Pulihora is a popular rice food of South India and is usually prepared during religious as well as social functions and is offered as naivedyam / prashad to God. In almost all the South Indian temples, Pulihora is offered as prasadam to God. In fact this rice dish is very easy to prepare and is often carried while travelling as this will not spoil easily. Ingredients Required 1 cup rice 2 cups water half cup vegetable oil half cup tamarind extract / juice few green chillies split longitudinally curry leaves salt turmeric powder mirchi powder (optional) For seasoning 2 tbsp ground nuts / peanuts, can add cashew nuts as well as per liking 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp split urad daal 1 tsp chana daal (bengal gram) few red chillies asafoetida How to prepare Cook rice in pressure cooker, rice good should not be too sticky. Heat oil in a pan and add the seasonings. On spluttering, add curry leaves, split green chillies and tamarind juice Add turm...

Dibba rotte / minapa rotte is one of the most favorite and traditional evening meal of the Telugu people. Though it needs some preparation well in advance, yet it is a very healthy evening meal which is a combination of cereals and pulses and is enjoyed very by the old and the young alike. A well prepared Dibba rotte with a crispy dark golden brown coat is relished the most. You will really enjoy this traditional item very much as an evening meal particularly when you take the item with ginger pickle / allam pachchadi. Though, this evening meal requires a bit more oil, yet it is a healthy meal and gives a filled in feeling. This food item is one of the ideal ones for carrying in long distance travels as this can be relished even without heating. Most importantly, this item remains for a couple of days without perishing / getting spoiled. All you need to do is to soak one measure of black gram / whole urad dal in the morning, for getting your evening meal ready in the evening. If y...

Punukulu or punugulu is a very popular snack item of Andhra Pradesh relished along with a hot cup of evening tea or coffee by the Telugu people after a tiresome day's work. This is a popular street food in the coastal Andhra Pradesh. These crispy fritters are mostly made with leftover idli or dosa batter by adding few spices like chopped onions, green chillies etc. Pesara punukulu or the green gram fritters are quite healthy and tasty as well. This snack item hardly takes much preparation time and is also easy to prepare. Ingredients Pottu pesara pappu / split green gram / moong daal with the green skin - 1 cup little crushed cumin seeds (jeera) little crushed pepper seeds little chopped ginger half cup diced onion chopped cilantro / coriander leaves chopped curry leaves chopped green chillies salt to taste vegetable oil for deep frying Preparation Wash the split green gram with clean water and soak it for at least 5 - 6 hours. So if you want to ha...

Appadaala pindi is one of the famous food item of Andhra Pradesh. This is a side dish mostly taken along with rice just as kandi podi. You can even make a dough of this powder and make appadaala pindi rotte or chapati with the dough which can be much relished. Ingredients One fourth Kg split black gram (minapappu / urad daal) 100 gm red chill powder little asafoetida One and a half cup vegetable oil salt to taste Preparation Fry urad daal without oil in a pan for a minute just to get it warm Grind the daal to a smooth powder. Take into the bowl and add red chilli powder, asafoetida and salt to it Add water to this and blend it into a rough dough. Knead the dough thoroughly and keep adding little oil each time while kneading Keep kneading well until all the oil absorbed. The dough can be as it is along with sambar and rice It can be rolled into a roti and fried on a pan with little oil Health benefits of black gram / urad dal As the main ingredient in ...