How do YOU keep your kitchen always ready ?

Discussion in 'Recipe Central' started by hrastro, May 25, 2015.

  1. hrastro

    hrastro Platinum IL'ite

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    Delights to celebrate that star on their project

    Mango lollypop

    Mango shrikhand
    Mango Lassi

    Yay yay it is mango season! I love mangoes and can eat 5-6 mangoes a day skipping all meals!
    We got a huge carton of mangoes and it was getting bad faster than we could eat it.

    How do you store for when the mango season gets over (Maaza = mangoes + flavouring + preservatives doesn’t count)


    Wash, peel and cut mangoes into big chunks.
    If you don’t have sugar restrictions, add a 1/2 tablespoon sugar for each cup of cut mango (if the mangoes are not sweet enough for you - remember frozen mangoes will be less sweet)
    Run it in the mixie till smooth.


    1. Store in the freezer in ice-lolly moulds, kulfi moulds and individual airtight boxes
    2. You can eat mango ice as it is for hot afternoons or add to drained yoghurt for a yummy mango flavoured shrikhand
    3. Run a few mango cubes in the blender with yoghurt for homemade mango lassi!

    Strawberry Lassi
    Strawberry shrikhand
    Strawberry lollypop

    They can be made similar to mangoes when strawberries are in season, buy them cheap, wash, clean, remove the stalk and run in the mixie with some sugar if required.


    1. Store in ice lolly moulds, kulfi moulds and individual ice cubes.
    2. Thaw and add to drained yoghurt to make strawberry flavoured shrikhand.
    3. Or add a few cubes to homemade yoghurt for strawberry lassi
     
  2. hrastro

    hrastro Platinum IL'ite

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    Pachadis to tickle the tongue

    I don’t eat too much pachadi - I love groundnut chutney with idli/dosa and don’t have the habit to mix pachadi with rice or curd rice! But with many andhrites frequenting my dinner table, I prefer to keep some chutneys ready!


    My own recipes
    Basic Groundnut/Peanut chutney


    Please note - I dont use garlic, onion as a habit - I never remember - so if you like you can fry or add raw garlic.


    Recipe :
    1 cup peanuts - dry roast and cool and remove the skin
    4-5 red chillies - heat a kadai, add a tsp oil and roast the red chillies till they become stiff (always slit any chillies before roasting in hot oil else the chilli will burst)
    Tamarind paste - 1tsp - the sourness shouldn't overtake the creaminess of the peanuts - so add very less or diluted.
    Salt to taste


    Grind in a mixie adding enough water to form a smooth paste.
    Take it out of the mixie to a serving dish, add 1 tbsp water to the jar and run the mixie again and add to the chutney and so that not a drop goes to waste :)


    Heat 1 tbsp oil for tadka -
    add a tbsp of udad dal, let it turn a bit pink,
    then add 1 tsp mustard seeds, let it splutter,
    then add more red chillies if you want more hot,
    add some curry leaves
    switch off and add hing
    Add it to the bowl of chutney and mix well and serve with dosa or idli ! [When adding hot oil of tadka to bowl, ensure bowl is not plastic !


    You can try variations with green chillies and ginger too !


    [Garlic/ginger/onion/dhaniya leaves/pudina leaves/bhuna channa (pottu kadala/potnala pappu)/roasted til (nuvvulu/ellu)
    - combination of all these can be added once you become an expert in the basic chutney - but basic chutney is the best of all - so I only add other stuff to make more quantity if peanuts are not available or if some guest specifically asks to make differently.]


    Healthy pachadi for those on healthy diets - when you want taste but not the calories
    Heat 1 tbsp oil, add 1tsp methi seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, curry leaves,
    then when they are popping, add 4 dry red chillies,
    and 1-2 big tbsp of the pumpkin + melon + sunflower seeds !


    When they are fried, add a handful EACH of carrot, snake gourd and bottle gourd pieces (or you can add whatever vegetables YOU have)


    Add haldi and salt and close with lid, cook till the veg pieces are soft.
    Add 1-2 tsp tamarind paste according to taste (or cook for 2 minutes in thick tamarind water) and switch off
    Let cool and grind in the mixie - add a tadka of mustard seeds and hing if you like



    GENERAL FORMULA

    My recipes with pachadis are usually - throw in whatever is available - the general formula is this -
    I make tadka of methi and mustard seeds for the flavour,
    add green chillies or red chillies for the burst of heat,
    add some dals or nuts or seeds or coconut for the body,
    fry well till aroma emanates,
    add some vegetables and/or vegetable peel for the softness,
    saute well till the vegetables are soft, switch off, cool
    add tamarind or mango or lime juice for the sourness and salt of course and grind! So do find out what works for you!


    I am giving some authentic recipes below !

    Allam pachadi - Best combination with undrallu, pesarettu, upma, beeyam rava upma etc ! You should get the right combination of ginger burst + hot red chilli + lesser levels of tamarind and jaggery to soothe the heat!
    Allam Pachhadi - Ginger Chutney - Andhra Telugu Recipes - Andhra Recipes Telugu Vantalu Gayatri Vantillu


    Tomato pachadi - Always a favourite for travels! At a pinch, it will work with any snack, tiffin, chapati, bread or even rice!
    Kids also love to eat it instead of factory made tomato sauces!
    Tomato Pachhadi / Chutney Tomato Pachhadi -


    Dosakaya mukkala pachadi - Mmmm the heat of the mustard
    Dosakaya Mukkala Pachhadi - Yellow Cucumber Chutney - Andhra Recipes - Andhra Recipes Telugu Vantalu Gayatri Vantillu


    Menthi mavadikaya - Get the bitterness of methi cover up the sourness of the mango
    Mamidikaya Mukkala Pachhadi - Raw Cut Mango Chutney - Andhra Food - Andhra Recipes Telugu Vantalu Gayatri Vantillu


    Pudina + Dhaniya - Green chutney - This is my go-to chutney for emergencies - goes with idli dosa, bread sandwich, sprouts bhel, chaat items, bonda bajji and pakoras!
    Also useful for those on diet - spices up the bland food without adding too much calories.
    And in a pinch, add the chutney to any pulav or mixed rice, and it becomes tastier!
    Pudina Pachadi - Mint Chutney - Andhra Recipes Telugu Vantalu Gayatri Vantillu
    Coriander Chutney - Dhokla Chutney - Andhra Telugu Recipes - Indian Vegetarian Food - Andhra Recipes Telugu Vantalu Gayatri Vantillu
    Gayatri is a wonderful cook and a patient teacher and has taught a generation of youngsters to become experts in Andhra cooking. Do check out her other recipes too.
     
    kavikuyil, LazyBee, iyerviji and 4 others like this.
  3. Gitunandakumar

    Gitunandakumar Bronze IL'ite

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    Very nice and Informative. Thanks for sharing..
     
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  4. sushmavja

    sushmavja Platinum IL'ite

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    thanks for sharing,very useful
     
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  5. hrastro

    hrastro Platinum IL'ite

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    Please tell us what shortcuts you use for your kitchen
     
  6. SurekhaKrishna

    SurekhaKrishna Bronze IL'ite

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    Superb....liked this thread a lot...thanks a ton for sharing knowledge to beginner like me :):)
     
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  7. fari

    fari Silver IL'ite

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    great tips...Thanks for sharing, its really useful.
     
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  8. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    A couple of batters, some cut vegetables in Ziplock bags, the podis you mentoned (Telugu people eat a lot of these podis), grated coconut, Pulihora concentrate, Bisibela concentrate, pappads and vadiums, sprouts...all these cater in emergencies. Mixed vegetable rice and raitha is a meal itself or Bisibelabhat and curd rice make an excellent meal along with some pappads. I never buy frozen vegetables or ready mixes....not much taste for them.
    In my house one day a week in one evening it is only piping hot rice along with podis and Ghee and curds. Kids eat more on that day than regular meal. I a of the view that kids hould be get used to eat everything. One evening no vegetables....it's o.k. Can eat some fruit later. I have seen in USA some men taking a little rice cooker, rice and some podis and some pickles. They plug in the rice cooker, buy some yogurt and they have a satisfying meal in their room along with podi, pickes and yogurt.
    Creativity is endless.
    Syamala
     
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  9. sangeethakripa

    sangeethakripa Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Hrastro

    Super thread . Timely one. Very Useful .. Hats off to you. :hatsoff
     
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  10. hrastro

    hrastro Platinum IL'ite

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    @shyamala1234

    I love reading your replies to the wise threads of @Viswamitra and @jayasala42

    Yeah ! Andhrites travelling abroad alone manage with rice cooker, curd, podis and pickles

    Actually that's why I started this thread. Some of my friends carry the home made instant ready mixes - just add water and microwave - whole meals ready :)
    And some want to give their kids only homemade food !

    Please please share your Pulihora concentrate and Bisibela concentrate recipes
    Please share how to prepare, store and how to use when required.

    Also Vangi baath masala podi/paste/concentrate if any ?
     
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