Onion Karam Chutney

Karam dosa and karam chutney is quite popular in Rayalaseema region of Andhra. Karam usually means spicy as the name suggests it is quite spicy with lots of chillies on it. Some people accompany it with ghee to reduce the spiciness others love as it is.

Onion Karam chutney can be prepared either with or without tomato, I do both the variations and love without tomato one as its quite spicy.

This chutney can be had with all south indian breakfast dishes but best serves with dosa. Karam dosa is prepared with this karam chutney.

This is easiest and quick recipe as we dont need to cook anything just raw chutney.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Onion - 2
tomato - 1/2 (optional)
red chillies - 7
tamarind a pinch 
salt as needed

Procedure:

• Cut the onions into big pieces and tomato too.
• In a mixie add all the ingredients and grind to a paste. 
• Add water as needed but water from onions should be enough.
• It should not be too smooth.
• Instead of red chillies can also use red chilli powder.
• Based on the color of chillies the chutney color might change from bright orange to bright red.
• If its too spicy add little tamarind juice and salt.

Bread Upma

 Bread is not just to make sandwiches , can be used in various dishes. Bread upma can be made in two varieties , the dry variety , the wet one. Here's one of those two. It's easy to make , quick and delicious to serve as snacks to kids.

Ingredients:

Bread slices - 8
Onion - 1
potato -1
carrot -1
green chillies - 2
coriander leaves chopped- 2 tbspn
mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn
cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn
channa dal - 1/2 tspn
oil - 1 tbspn
salt - 1/2 tspn
water - 2 cups

Procedure:

Finely chopp onions.Cut potato and carrot into small pieces. finely chopp green chillies.

Add oil to a wok .after heated add channa dal, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. after the seeds splutter add green chillies and fry for a minute.

Add onions and fry till transluscent. add potato, carrot and salt(as per taste 1/2 tspn).Cook with closed lid for 15 mins. make sure to mix every 5 mins to avoid burning.

Take a bowl and add water. dip a bread slice and squeeze out the water and keep it aside. repeat with all the slices. separate the bread slices with hand .

Add the bread to the wok and fry it till mixed properly and cook it for 5 mins with open lid.
Add coriander leaves mix well and cook for a minute.

Tasty bread upma can be had as snacks/breakfast.

Sorakaya Pulsukura (Bottle guard gravy curry)

 Bottle gourd is extremely popular for reducing high blood pressure and keeping heart healthy. It has a lot of vitamins and minerals and extremely popular for weight loss as well.

This is very simple and easy dish to make especially when very tired . It tastes delicious with both roti and rice.

 This type of puluskura is very popular in Andhra and can be made with other leafy vegetables like gongura &Thotakura (Amaranthus)



Recipe:

Ingredients:

 Bottle gourd (size: medium )
 Tomato            - 1
 Onion              - 1 (Big)
 Green chillies - 3 big

 Seasoning:
 Mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn
 Cumin seeds  - 1/2 tspn
 fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tspn
 Split urud dal - 1/2 tspn
 Channa dal  - 1/2 tspn
 Hing (Asafoetida)

 Turmeric - a pinch 
 Oil     - 2 tspn
 Tamarind juice - 2 tspn
 whole wheat flour - 1 tspn

Procedure :

• Chop green chillies.

• Cut Bottle gourd and tomato into small pieces

• Chop onions fine and long , so they are visible in the bottle gourd pieces.

• In a small pressure cooker , add 2 tspn oil. Once heated, add the seasoning ingredients

• Once the mustard seeds splutter , add the chopped onion , a pinch of salt and fry them till transparent.

• Add the tomato pieces and stir 

• Once cooked, Add bottle gourd pieces and add water till the pieces are slightly visible.

• Either put the cooker lid on and wait for one whistle or put a normal plate as a lid and check till it cooks.

• By the time the pieces cook , take a small bowl, add one tspn of whole wheat flour and water , mix till its a thick liquid.Keep it aside. This liquid is used to thicken the gravy, once the pieces are cooked in the water.

• By the time the pieces cook ,soak tamarind in water and make a thick juice by pressing tamarind in water.

• Once the pieces are cooked, add tamarind juice ,salt  and a pinch of turmeric.

• Mix the gravy and add a tspn of whole wheat flour water to let the gravy thicken.

• Add coriander leaves or kasuri methi for garnishing 

• Can be had with roti or rice .

Spicy Potato curry

Ingredients:

potatoes – 1/4 kg (around 3-4)
onions - 2 medium
salt
chillies - 6 (for spicy)  
ginger - just a small piece about 1/2 inch 
kasuri methi or corriander - for garnishing
cumin seeds
mustard seeds.
Turmeric 
Asafoetida (Hing)
oil – 1-2 tbspn

procedure:

1. wash the  potatoes and boil them till fully boiled. Don't boil in pressure cooker the potatoes might become soft . Boil it separately on stove.

2. Chop the onions into fine pieces.

3. mash the ginger and chillies in a small mortar and pestle.

4.Once cooled , peel the potatoes and cut them into medium sized pieces (around 16 pieces per potato)

5. in a wok add oil and add cumin , mustard seeds and a pinch of hing. After it splutters add the finely chopped onions and fry till they turn transparent. Add a pinch of  turmeric for good color.

 6. Then add boiled potato pieces and the chill-ginger paste.  Stir the potatoes to mix the chilli- ginger paste well into them ,by keeping the stove in low flame. 

7. once its properly mixed , add salt and garnish with corriander or kasuri methi .

This can be had as dry curry with any rice or roti.