Pulihora - Traditional Tamarind Rice

Ingredients:

200 gms Raw Rice
50 gms Tamarind
1/2 Tbsp Grated Jaggery or Bellam
1 Tbsp Turmeric Power
3 Green Chillies (Slit long side)
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
1/2 Tsp Mustard Oil
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

4 Tbsp Sanaga Pappu or Chana Dal
2 Tbsp Minnappau  or Urad Dal
Few Peanuts or Cashwenuts
1 Tsp Mustard Seeds or Aavalu
1/2 Tsp Ingua or Hing or Asafoetida
3 Red Dry Chillies
2 Tbsp Coriander Powder (optional)
3 Tbsp Cooking Oil
10-12 Curry leaves

Process:

1. Rinse Raw Rice. Add two measures of water of water and 2-3 drops of cooking oil. Pressure cook until 3 whistles. Once the steam escapes transfer the rice into a wide plate.

2. Add 1/2 tablespoon of Turmeric Power and 1 tablespoon of Cooking oil and a few Curry leaves. Keep it aside.

3. Prepare Tamarind Pulp as follows:
    (i) Wash Tamarind superfluously and soak it in a hot water for 10 mins.
    (ii) Once cooled extract the pulp. Keep it aside.
    (iii) Heat a thick bottom kadai, add 3 of Cooking oil. When hot add slit Green Chillies and extracted Tamarind Pulp.
    (iv) Add Salt to taste, Turmeric powder and grated Jaggery (Bellam) and allow it to boil.
    (v) When cooked, you will notice oil on the walls of the kadai, this indicates that the Tamarind pulp is ready.

Cooked Tamarind Pulp

4.Once the pulp is cooled, mix it gently with the rice, and keep it aside.

For Seasoning:
1. Soak Chana dal or Sanaga pappu for 2 hours. When soft drain the water completely and keep it aside.

Soaked Chana Dal

2. Heat two tablespoons of cooking oil in a Kadai. Add drained Chana dal or Sanagapappu and fry it till golden brown. Transfer it into a small dish and keep it aside.

3. In the same oil add Urad dal and fry it for a min. Add mustard seeds, red chillies and Ingua (hing or asafoetida) and fry them till the crackling sound of the mustard seeds come to an end. Now add a few curry leaves and transfer the whole thing onto the rice.

4. In the same kadai, add another soon of Cooking Oil and add Cashwenuts or Peanuts. Fry them till golden brown and transfer this into the fried Chana dal dish.

5. Now add fried Chana dal and Cashwenuts or Peanuts along with the rice. At the end, add Coriander powder and half a tea spoon of Mustard oil. Mix it well.

Yummy Traditional Pulihora is Ready to be served :)

Traditional Pulihora is ready to serve and consume.

Note: The quantities of tamarind pulp and salt may vary from individual to individual depending upon their personal taste.

Happy Cooking!!
Your Favorite Chef!

Pav Bhaji - The Ultimate Bombay Street Food!

Pav Bhaji - The ultimate street food...Originated in Maharashtra. It's the most popular street food almost liked by everyone. It's a spicy blend of vegetables in tomato gravy served with pav toasted in butter. It is easy to cook and also filling. So, presenting Pav bhaji - my style!

Ingredients:

1 pkt fresh Pav

1 cup finely chopped Carrots and Beans

1 cup cubed Potatoes

2 cups Tomato puree

1/2 cup finely chopped capsicum

1/2 cup Green peas

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala
2-3 Cloves
2 whole Green Cardamons
1/2 inch Cinnamon

1 tsp red Chilli Powder

Pinch of Turmeric

Coriander leaves finely chopped

Salt to taste

Process:

1. Pressure cook Carrots, Beans and Potatoes till soft. I took 2 whistles. Once cooked mash them well.

2. Meanwhile take a think bottom kadai or non stick pan, add half tablespoon of butter. As the butter starts melting add Cloves, slightly crushed Cardamons and Cinnamon and fry them for a min. 

3. Add half a cup of finely chopped capsicum and green peas. Saute them for 2 mins. Now add two cups of tomato puree, a pinch of turmeric and red chilli powder. Mix them well and cook it with covered lid for 2-3 mins.

4. Now add  the mashed vegetables to the Tomato gravy and mix well. Add salt to taste, Pav Bhaji Masala (I used Everest Masala) and one tablespoon of butter. Keep stirring continuously till all the vegetables are mixed properly. 

5. Cook it further by stirring continuously. Add water if you feel the bhaji is becoming thick. Cook for one more min. The Bhaji is almost ready. Finally add one tablespoon of butter and freshly chopped coriander leaves.

6. Slightly toast Pav with butter on a hot tawa and serve hot with Bhaji and lemon.

Note: You can add vegetables of your choice like Cauliflower. I somehow don't like the taste of Cauliflower in Pav Bhaji so I did not use it. Also in the above pictures you will notice that the Pav is not buttered, that's because my hubby does not like the Pav with butter :)

Hope you liked this more or less Jain style - my style Pav Bhaji!

Signing off...

Your Favorite Chef!

Sakkara Pongal - Dhanurmaasam Special!

Sakkara Pongal or Sweet Pongal is most cherished sweet prasadam not only for SriVaishnaviates, but also by those Sweet lovers. This Prasadam is specially made during Dhanurmaasam and offered to Lord as Naivedyam. 

To give you some insight about the background history of this Dhanurmaasa Divya Prasadam, first of all let me tell you what Dhanurmaasam is. Dhanurmasaam is also known as Margali Maasam (usually falls from 16th December to 14th January of the succeeding English Calander year) and is an auspicious month for SriVaishnaviates. During this whole month we, the SriVaishnaviates celebrate a Vratham seeking Lord SriKrishna, as preached and practiced  by our Mother A:nda:l. She showed us the way how to Pray Lord Srimannarayana (in his Archavataram as Lord Sri Krishna) and beget best of one's life.
 
Sri Andal is none other than our compassionate mother "Earth" who took the form of a human being in Kaliyuga and appeared at Srirangam of Tamilnadu to bless each and every one of us. Sri Andal composed 30 beautiful Pasurams  (songs) titled Thiruppavai.  During this Dhanurmaasam Sri Andal composed and presented a song each day at the Lotus feet of the Lord Srimannarayana  (Sri Ranganath Perumal). She submitted all the 30 pasurams in the form of a wonderful garland to him and attained Moksha. 

 

Here is the procedure to make Sakkara Pongali Prasadam.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Raw Rice

1/2 Cup Moong Dal/ Pesarapappu

A Pinch of Salt

1 and 1/2 Cups Grated Jaggery or Sugar (Tastes best with Jaggery)

1 and 1/2 Cups Ghee

Few Cashewnuts, Almonds and Raisins

1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Coconut Pieces

A Pinch of Paccha Karpooram or Edible Camphor

1 Tbsp Cardamom Powder

Process:

1. Wash and rinse Raw Rice and Moong dal together. Add a pinch of salt and pressure cook with two measures of water until soft (Allow up to 3-4 whistles).

Pressure Cooked Rice and Dal

2. Meanwhile, take a thick bottom pan or non stick kadai. Heat it on low flame, add two to three tablespoons of Ghee. Fry Cashewnuts and Almonds until golden brown and keep them aside. Similarly, fry the finely chopped fresh Coconut pieces until golden brown and keep them aside. Add one more spoon of Ghee if required and fry Raisins till they become plump and keep them aside.

3. Once the pressure is escaped from the Pressure cooker, mash the cooked rice and dal mixture, transfer this into the kadai. Add half a cup of Ghee, Grated Jaggery or Sugar and mix well.

Rice & Dal with Grated Jaggery

4. Cook this on low flame till the Jaggery melts. Add some more Ghee if required and cook it with a covered lid. Keep stirring occasionally. When cooked completely you will notice Ghee on the walls of the kadai as shown in the picture below.

Ghee on the walls of Kadai

5. Add fried Cashewnuts, Almonds, Raisins and mix well. Add a pinch of Paccha Karpooram or Edible Camphor and finally add one tablespoon of Cardamom powder and mix well

Sakkara Pongali - The most Cherished Sweet Prasadam is Ready. Tastes best when served steaming hot.

PS: Be careful  while adding Paccha Karpooram or Edible Camphor. It should be added in a very little quantity, else your favorite sweet will turn bitter.

Signing off...

Your Favorite Chef!

Welcome to 'The Soul Food - Solely'!

Hi Foodies!

To introduce myself, I'm Sree - Your new Chef! who intends to share various and innumerable vegetarian recipes specially made without Onion & Garlic. I'm a born SriVaishnaviate and an Andhraite presently stationed at Bangalore. A great foodie who loves cooking and enjoys treating  family and friends with my new cuisines. 

Why the name 'Soul Food - Solely'? 

Coming from a traditional SriVaishnaviate family, I learnt cooking tasty recipes from both South & North India. My recipes will have "No Onion & No Garlic." I feel Cooking is an innate art something that can't  be done by anyone and everyone; that too without using Onion & Garlic. That's  it! (with sincere thanks to none other than my hubby).

I am sure by now you must have understood my meaning of Soul Food as "Saatvik Aaharam".

I take pride in presenting food that is not only delicious, healthy and hearty, but food that one can cherish without sacrificing one's Good Health.  After all, eating right food and staying healthy too is the minimum that a human can do in this modern era.

What kind of recipes can you find here?

This blog contains a variety of pure vegetarian recipes like Gutti Vankaya Kura originally originated from Andhra to Eggless Cakes; Chaat Items from North India. My recipes will be consisting of most of the Vegetables, Grains, Dairy products excluding Egg. My assertive single word answer would be a BIG SORRY for all those enthusiastic foodies searching my blog for some vegetarian recipes with Onion & Garlic.

Last but not the least, I want every one of you not only try my recipes but also email your comments and feedback with positive and constructive suggestions for better improvement so that my cooking could be better utilized by many more. I am sure you would realize that your feedback will make the experiment more enjoyable! Needless to say that each and every recipe has been tried and found immense satisfaction from among my close circle here at Bangalore and in A.P.

Happy Cooking & Healthy Eating!

Best Regards,
Your Favorite Chef!