Kharapodi/ खारापोड़ी (Spicy Tangy Red Powder)

Kharapodi

Kharapodi is red hot tangy powder primarily taken with idli and dosa. This version of Kharapodi is made in Andhra Pradesh. It is mixed with either ghee or cooking oil to make a paste before eating with idli/dosa. I and my family love it so much that with every meal it is taken as an accompaniment. Since we do not take extremely hot food thus the amount of chili is comparatively less as compared to the Kharapodi made in Andhra. 
I use more coconut and comparatively less chilies, coconut provides much required oil and thus this powder unlike its original form can be eaten without mixing with ghee/oil also, though for best taste mixing it with warm ghee is suggested.

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Roasting Time: 30-40 minutes
Grinding Time: 30-40 minutes 
Servings:  1.250 Kg(Approximately)

Ingredients Required For Making Kharapodi : 

• 250 gm Tamarind (Without seeds)
• 500 gm. Whole Red Chili
• 200-250 gm. Dry coconut
• 100 gm. Coriander seeds
• 100 gm. Chana Dal
• 100 gm. Dhuli Urd Dal (Split-chaffed Urd Dal)
• 100 gm. Salt /To taste

Directions For Making Kharapodi:

• Remove the stalk and seeds from the red chilies.
• Grate dry coconut.
• Check tamarind for seeds, if any remove them.
• Dry roast chana dal, Urd dal on low heat to light pink color. Both dal should be roasted separately not together. I use non-stick wok for roasting.
• Remove and keep aside to cool.
• Dry roast red chilies on low heat till they change color to darker shade and become crisp. Remove from wok and keep aside to cool.

Roasted Red Chili

• Dry roast coriander seeds on low heat  to light brown shade. Remove from wok and keep aside to cool.

Roasted Coriander Seeds

• Roast coconut powder on low heat to light pink color. Since coconut has oil and even after removing from heat the hot oil in it will cause it to cook more so do not roast coconut to darker shade. Remove from wok and keep aside to cool.

Roasted Dal and Grated coconut

• Lastly in the hot slightly oily (due to coconut roasting) wok add tamarind and bring the heat to medium and roast with continuous stirring for 5 minutes. Tamarind will stick to the bottom of the wok, it is normal so do not worry. Switch off the heat and remove the wok from the heat. 
• Remove tamarind from wok and let it cool.

Roasted tamarind

• Put water in hot wok to remove tamarind stains.
• Mix roasted Chana dal and Urd dal. Pulse it till it is converted to fine powder.

Dal Powder

• Add roasted tamarind to the dal powder in small portions and pulse. Repeat till all tamarind is mixed with dal powder and pulsed to coarse powder.
• Sieve the mixture and pulse the remaining coarser part. Repeat till whole thing is converted to slightly grainy powder. It will not be fine powder, but little grainy.

Dal and tamarind Powder

• Grind roasted coriander seeds to fine powder.
• Mix coriander seed powder to Dal-Tamarind powder and pulse once or twice to make uniform mixture. 

Dal,Tamarind and Coriander Powder

• As the amount will grow grinding/pulsing in one go will not be possible so divide the whole amount to two three portions and then put in grinder / mixer to grind.
• Grind roasted red chilies to fine powder. Add 2-3 teaspoon of salt while grinding red chilies, this will help converting chilies to fine powder.
• Mix powdered chili to the mixture of Dal-Tamarind-Coriander seed powder. Pulse together again.

Dal,Chili,Tamarind,Coriander and Red chili Powder 

• To roasted coconut add remaining salt and grind to get fine powder.
• Add coconut-salt powder to the mixture of Dal-Coriander seed-Chili-Tamarind powder and mix.

Kharapodi

• Pulse this mixture for 1 minute so that the mixture becomes uniform and all ingredients flavor also infuses nicely. Pulsing the whole mixture is must to get proper flavor in Kharapodi. Since the amount is large now it may require to be divided to two or three portion for pulsing.
• The change in the color of powdered mixture can be seen just after pulsing it after adding salt-coconut powder. 
• Kharapodi is ready. Let the it cool to room temperature (It will become warm due to grinding/ pulsing).

Kharapodi Ready to be stored

• Store in airtight container.
• Mix little Kharapodi with ghee/cooking oil and enjoy with Idli/ Dosa/ Uttapa, Dal-Rice, Curd-Rice,
• Sprinkle Kharapodi on buttered slice, in sandwich. I love to have it with crisp-hot pakoras, there are unlimited options.

Tips:

• Use of non-stick wok will make roasting and later on cleaning easy.
• Roast coconut in just before roasting tamarind this will make the wok slightly greasy and roasting tamarind will become easy.
• Grind the roasted ingredients in the given order for ease and best results.
• Pulsing the mixture at all the steps is very important, because this causes the flavors of all ingredients to mix nicely. 
• Remove seeds from chilies, else the powder will not be dark red in color.
• Check the hotness of the chili and change the amount accordingly to suit your taste.

Suggested Variations:

• Instead of roasting Chana and Urd dal, roasted Black gram (available in market) can be powdered after removing chaff, 
• Powder of roasted curry leafs can be added to the mixture before final pulsing.

Chutney of Ripe Guava (Amrood- ki-Chutney)

Guava Chutney

Guava jelly, Guava cheese or Guava chutney or biting to freshly plucked guava, I love immensely. The sprawling branches of guava tree in our govt. house used to be laden with fruits from July to March every year and plucking fresh fruit to make these delicate goodies used to be most delightful. Of course one or two guavas used to be eaten before even they reached to my kitchen. The joy of plucking fruits from tree and savoring them is beyond description.

Chutney of guava has a roasted flavor and the coriander leafs, lemon juice enhances the nutritional value. Guava chutney is a great dip for nachos, pakodas, paranthas or accompaniment with regular Indian meal (We Indiand are very fond of chutney).

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-5 minutes (Roasting of Guava)

Servings: 100 gm. Chutney (Approx.)

Nutritional value: (Approximate values)

Cal.: 115

Total fat: 1..42 gm

Potassium: 625 mg

Sodium: 3mg

Carbs: 23gm

Dietary fibers: 69gm

Sugars: 15 gm

Protein: 8 gm

Micro nutrients Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, Iron

Ingredients Required For making Guava Chutney:

• 150 gm. Guava (1 Medium size)
• 1 Teaspoon freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
• 4-5 Sprigs of Coriander leafs
• 1-2 Green Chilies (To taste)
• Salt to taste
• Directions For Making Guava Chutney:
• Wash and pat dry Guava.
• Poke the guava with a fork and roast it on gas/oven till the outer cover of guava tirns black and it becomes soft. The juices will start coming out from the places you had poked it.
• Let the roasted guava cool. During cooling the internal heat of guava will cook it further.

Roasted  Guava

• Remove the blackened peel and give a wash to ensure all black is gone.

Roasted and Peeled Guava

• Mas the cooked and cleaned guava and pass the mashed guava through a sieve, till all mashed pulp is collected and seeds are separated.

Roasted Guava Pulp to be used for chutney

• Discard the seeds.

Roasted Guava seeds to be discarded

• Wash coriander leafs and shred them. Cut the chilies to pieces.
• Take
• Guava pulp
• Coriander leafs
• Green Chilies
• Salt 

in a grinder/mixer and pulse till soft, uniform mixture is obtained.

• Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice, and mix. (Do not pulse after adding lemon juice).
• Store the chutney in a glass container. It can be stored for 15 days in fridge.

Guava Chutney

• Enjoy Guava Chutney with Indian Stuffed paranthas/nachos/fried chicken/Fish and chips. The fruity flavor with tang of lemon makes the whole experience worth it.

Tips:

• Poke guava before roasting so that the steam formed in it during roasting escapes, and ensuring guava getting cooked right up to the core.
• Do not try to peel the guava while it is hot, as this may cause hand getting burnt.
• While peeling the roasted guava put it under running water for easier peeling.
• The guava chosen for making chutney should be soft not hard.
• When guavas are kept too long on shelf then they do not taste too good to eat, these can be made to chutney.
• Check the hotness of green chilies and the sourness of the lemon juice before adding because too hot and sourn will spoil the fruity taste of chutney.
• Do not pulse after adding lemon juice as the chutney will develop slight bitter atste.

Suggested Variations:

• Instead of roasting guava can be boiled to softness and mashed without peeling, but the roasted flavor will be surely missing and much nutients will get leached into water while boiling.
• If you feel the chutney has turned little sourer than your liking then add 1 teaspoon of powder sugar to it and mix.
• Coriander sprigs can be replaced by 5-6 leafs of fresh mint. Since mint has a strong taste thus just too many leafs will over power the flavor of guava.

Vegetable-Biryani (Rice layered with veggies)

Veg-Biryani

Ready for getting sealed

Mouth starts watering when we think of Biryani. Though biryani is associated with mutton and is a regular fair in festivities of hardcore non-vegetarian people, yet we Indians are so adept in Indianizing very cuisine and making a vegetarian version of non-vegetarian dishes. I have earlier blogged Mushroom–do-pyaja, and chili-mushroom, inspired by their non-vegetarian brethren aka mutton-do-pyaja and chili-chicken. These two preparations were instant hit with my family members who love their chili-chicken as well as mutton-do-pyaja.

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2014/02/mushroom-do-pyaja-indian-savory-of.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2013/12/chili-mushroom-mushroom-cooked-with.html

For all those who wish to eat biryani but are pure vegetarian I am posting this recipe, with the aim that vegetarians enjoy this delicious way of cooking rice layered with vegetables. Vegans can omit ghee and milk, replacing ghee with oil and milk with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

Preparation Time: 20-30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Slow sealed cooking (Dum) time: 30-45 minutes

Servings: 6 large servings

Ingredients Required for Making Vegetable-Biryani:

• 200 gm Basmati Rice
• 100 gm. French Beans (10-15 in no.)
• 100 gm. Carrot (1 large)
• 100 gm. Capsicum (2 medium size)
• 100 gm. Shelled peas (1 bowl of 200 ml capacity)
• 100gm. Cauliflower (3-4 Florets)
• 100 gm Onions (3 large)
• 100 gm. Tomatoes (2 -3 medium size)
• 10-15 nuggets of Nutrela (Soya nuggets)
• 20-25 Fresh leafs of Mint
• 8-10 Sprigs of Fresh Coriander
• 50 ml. Milk
• 6 Cloves
• 2 Black Cardamoms
• 2 One Inch sticks of cinnamon
• 1-2 parts of star aniseed.
• 2 Bay leafs
• Pinch of Nutmeg
• 2 Teaspoon Ginger paste
• 2 Teaspoon Garlic paste
• 1 Teaspoon Jeera powder (Cumin powder)
• 1 Teaspoon Turrmeric powerd
• 5-10 Cashew nuts (optional)
• 5-10 Almonds (optional)
• 100 gm. Ghee (Clarified butter) / cooking oil

Directions For Making Vegetable-Biryani:

• Soak the soya nuggets in water and keep aside.
• Peel and cut onions into long thin slices. Take 10-12 tablespoon of these slices and keep aside for frying.
• Wash and cut all vegetables except tomatoes and potato to long thin slices.

Some of the veggies for biryani

• Cut potato to I inch piece.
• Cut tomatoes finely.
• Wash rice in flowing water.
• In a thick bottom container take
• Rice
• 2 cloves
• 1 black cardamom crushed
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1/2Teaspoon salt
• Add water to the contents of container till the water level is 2-3 cm. above the rice.
• Add 50 ml. of milk. Mix nicely and cook on high flame till liquid starts boiling. Stir softly once or twice.
• Once liquid starts boiling, bring the heat to low and cover the container. Cook till the rice is partially cooked. (On pressing the rice grain between the two fingers it should not mash up completely but be slightly undercooked. Al Dante).
• Drain off excess of liquid from the cooked rice keep aside for further use. (if rice grains are sticking to each other pass room temperature water through cooked rice to remove surface starch).

Rice cooked for biryani

• While the rice is cooking, in thick bottom wok take 75 gm. ghee and fry the onion slices kept for frying till they are golden brown.
• Fry the nuts to golden brown.
• In the ghee left after frying add
• Remaining cloves
• Bay leaf
• Pinch of Nutmeg
• Cinnamon stick
• Crushed one black cardamom
• Cook on low heat till the spices start spluttering.
• Immediately add slices of onion and cook till they become transparent.

Onion and whole spices cooking

• Add paste of garlic and cook on low flame for a minute with continuous stirring.
• Add ginger paste and cook on low flame with constant stirring for a minute.
• Add tomatoes and cook with ocassional stiring till tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

Onion and tomatoes cooked with ginger garlic paste

• Squeeze water completely from Nutrela (soya nuggets) and cook on mmedium flame for 3-4 minutes with occasional stirring.
• Add potatoes, stir and cook on medium flame for a minute or so.
• Add all vegetables except capsicum and peas and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add capsicum and peas and mix. Cook for 1 minute.

All veggies added and being cooked

• Add
• Salt
• Red chili powder
• Turmeric
• Garam masala
• Jeera powder
• Finely chopped coriander leafs
• Shredded mint leafs
• Mix and cover the container.

Spices added to veggies

• Let the vegetable mixture with spices cool.

Partially cooked veggies for Biryani

• In a thick bottom container having good lid put 10 gm. ghee and heat till it melts.
• Put a layer of rice and press it slightly.
• Mix the vegetables nicely and then put one layer of vegetables on the top of rice.

Veggies over first layer of rice

• Repeat till all vegetables are finished.

Second layer of rice over veggies

Last layer of veggies layered

• Last layer should be of rice.
• Sprinkle 10-15 ml of milk/water on the top layer of rice.
• Pour the remaining ghee after melting it, evenly on the top of rice layer.
• Decorate the top layer with jeera powder, turmeric and green chili.

Layering done ready to be sealed

• Place the lid on the container and seal with wheat dough.

Sealed and ready for slow cooking

• Heat a Tawa (iron plate) on the gas and keep the container with rice and vegetable on it.
• Cook on low flame without disturbing for 30-40 minutes. (Time factor depends upon the heat your cooking stove gives in low heat)
• Switch off the gas and leave the container on tawa.

Biryani Cooking on low heatover Tawa

Biryani Ready to be served

• This biryani can be made by baking also.
• Layer the veggies and rice as said above in a baking dish cover with aluminum foil and seal with wheat dough. Bake at 180 degree centigrade for 15-20 minutes and then switch off the oven.

First layer of rice over ghee

Layering being done

Ready for getting sealed

• Leave the dish with biryani in oven for 10 minutes the heat of oven will cook it nicely.
• When ready for meal, break the seal and garnish the piping hot biryani with fried, golden color onion slices, cashew nuts, almonds.

Veg-Biryani

• Serve with Curd/ raita, papad salad and achar (Pickle).

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/mango-pickle-north-indian-style.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/tangy-mango-pickle-maharashra-style.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/spicy-mixed-vegetable-pickle-less-oily.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/hariyali-chutney-raw-mango-chutney.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2013/03/healthy-least-oily-tomato-pickle.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2015/04/oilless-green-chili-pickle.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2015/11/bathua-raita.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2012/07/pahari-kheere-ka-raita-cucumber-and.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2015/04/oilless-lemon-pickle_19.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2013/07/tomato-dates-chutney-thick-sauce-of.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2013/01/lal-mirch-ka-bharwa-acharindian-red.html

Vegetable-Biryani with pickle and raita

Tips:

• The ratio of rice to vegetables should be 1:2 (minimum) . More the vegetables better the taste of biryani.
• Do not add pumpkin, gourds, to the biryani as they turn mushy and spoil the biryani.
• If you wish to add brinjal (Egg plant) then cut them to round slices and place them over the last alyer of biryani.
• Do not overcook the vegetables as they will cook with rice also. Vegetables in biryani should be slightly crunchy.
• Rice should be cooked to the state that when you press with fingers a grain in the center should feel under cooked.
• Rice grains after cooking should be separated not sticking to each other, so excess water while cooking rice is always good. Extra water can be drained easily.
• Pass cooked rice through water if starch of rice is causing the grains stick to each other.
• For those who do not take onion and garlic it can be avoided.
• Milk added to rice enhances the whiteness of rice and grains to separate after cooking.

Suggested Variations:

• Nutri nuggets (Soya nuggets) can be replaces with pieces of cottage cheese.
• In case cottage cheese is being used they need not to be fried or cooked before adding to the vegetable mixture.
• Coriander leafs and mint leafs can be made to paste and added to veggies instead of chopping and shredding, this will give strong flavor of mint and coriander to biryani.
• Vegans can replace milk with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and the squeezed lemon also can be added to the rice while cooking. Remove the lemon piece before layering.

• Red, Yellow bell pepper can be added nutritive value and add color to biryani.

Coconut Chutney/नारियल की चटनी (Coconut sauce )

Tangy Coconut Chutney

Absolutely irresistible one of the delicious chutney from south Indian cuisine, it is must with Dosa, Idli, Pesarattu, Uttapa, Upama. In fact no South Indian house hold would serve food without this hot, tangy wonderfully flavored coconut chutney.

Coconut is rich in oil which has vitamin A and E. Fresh coconut is sweet in taste and with all the minerals, fat and vitamins it is very nutritious. Coconut chutney along with coconut has garlic, coriander, onion, lemon and this makes the coconut chutney very tasty healthy and nutritious. The sheer sight of white / green coconut chutney seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves and whole red chili makes my mouth water. 

Preparation Time: 10 min.

Making Time: 10 min.

Servings : 10 Generous helpings.

Ingredients Required for making Coconut Chutney:

• 1 Fresh Coconut

Coconut

• 4-5 Cloves of Garlic

Garlic

• 2-3 Green Chilies

Green Chilies

• 1 small Onion

Onion

• 1 Lemon

Lemon

• 2-3 Curry leaves

Curry leaves

• 1/2Tea spoon Mustard seeds

• 1-2 Whole Red chilies

• Salt to taste

• 1 ml Olive oil or any other cooking oil

• Water

Directions For Making Coconut Chutney:

• Break the coconut to two halves.

Coconut broken to two halves

• Remove the coconut kernel from coconut shell.

Kernel of Coconut removed from its shell

• Remove the brown color covering from coconut kernel with the help of peeler of knife.

Coconut kernel after brown covering removed

• Cut the kernel after removing the brown covering to small pieces.

Coconut kernel cut to pieces

• Peel garlic

• Peel and cut onions.

• Take out juice of lemon.

• Take

• Cut coconut kernel,

• Onion

• Garlic

• Green chilies

• Salt 
• 10 ml. Water

Coconut kernel, Onion,garlic and green chilies

• in a mixer/ blender and make fine paste.

• Add water in small amounts while making paste.

• Remove the thick paste in a bowl and add lemon juice.

• Mix nicely.

• In a small pan take 1 ml.  oil and heat it.

• When the oil is smoking  hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter.

• Add whole red chili and curry leaves and cook for 30 sec.

• The color of red chili will change to dark red and curry leaves to brownish green and wonderful aroma will emanate.

• Pour over the paste of coconut with spices.

Tangy Coconut Chutney

• Tangy, spicy coconut chutney is ready to be served with Dosa, Idli, Pesarattu, Upama, Uttapa, Poha,Sabudana Khichadi…..

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/05/idli-steamed-rice-and-pulse-puff.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/upama-salty-semi-dry-low-calori.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/09/pesarattu.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/poharoasted-pound-rice-cooked-with.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/sabudana-khidadi-dry-salty.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/09/dosa-with-out-urd-dal.html

 

 Tips:

• Do not add excess of water in the starting while grinding. Water should be added in small proportion as per the requirement.

• The paste should be thick.

• Lemon juice should not be added during grinding.

• If you are using only half coconut then rest can be stored in a bowl of water in the fridge.

• Do not add too much onion / garlic otherwise the subtle flavor of fresh coconut will get overpowered by garlic and onion.

Suggested Variations:

• 2-3 sprigs of fresh green coriander can be added to the coconut while grinding this will not only change the color to beautiful green but will also increase the nutritive value.

Cut Coriander leaves

• If you do not want to remove the outer brown covering of the coconut kernel then grind it with the covering , only the texture will become slightly grainy and color will have brown specks along with white color.

• Those who do not eat onion and garlic may omit them and add coriander leaves and 1 inch piece of ginger instead.Lemon juice can be replaced with tamarind pulp.

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/sweet-tamarind-chutney.html

•  If you like slightly sweet taste in coconut chutney then add 1 tea spoon jaggery while grinding.