Uggani/Mur mur Upma

Uggani is a popular Rayalaseema dish made with puffed rice. This a breakfast item also an evening snack usually served with mirchi bajji. It’s called maramarala upma in other parts of Andhra. This is a very tasty and easy low calorie dish.

Some people like to add eggplant or tomato to this recipe. But I like my upma this way. You can always make changes by adjusting to your taste.

Ingredients:

• Puffed rice/ Murmur: 2 cups
• Onion: 1 finely chopped
• Green chilies: 2-3 (to taste)
• Pea nuts: ¼ cup
• Curry leaves: 2-3
• Mustard seeds: ½ tsp
• Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
• Asafetida: pinch
• Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
• Red chili: 1
• Oil: 1-2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Chopped cilantro/coriander leaves: 1 tsp

Method:

• Roast peanuts and coarsely ground them and keep aside.
• Soak murmur in water for couple of minutes.
• Squeeze water from murmur by pressing with hand and keep them aside.
• Heat the oil in a pan. Once the oil is heated, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chili, and asafetida and turmeric powder.
• Add chopped green chilies, curry leaves and chopped onions and fry them till the onions become translucent.
• Add salt and mix well.
• Add wet murmur and mix well and cook for a minute.
• Sprinkle peanut powder liberally and mix well.
• Cook for 30 sec to a min and switch off the stove.
• Garnish with cilantro leaves and for people who likes tangy taste can add a dash of lime juice for fresh and tangy taste.

Saggubiyyam vada/ Sago/Tapioca patties:

Saggubiyyam/sago vada is a good evening snack and a change from routine snacks like pakodas or bajjis. Some people get heartburn after bajjis due to besan. For them it’s a perfect snack. These crispy outside and soft inside yummy vadas are very easy to make with a little preparation.

Ingredients:

• Sago/Saggubiyyam- ¼ cup
• Potatoes-4 (medium size)
• Onion- 1(finely chopped)
• Green chilies-2 (finely chopped)
• Chopped cilantro-1 tbsp
• Chopped curry leaves- 1tsp
• Red chili powder- 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds-1 tsp
• Chat masala- 1 tsp (optional)
• Rice flour- 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Wash and soak sago/saggubiyyam in water for 2-3 hrs.
• Boil potatoes peel them and mash them.
• Add onions, green chilies, cumin, salt, cilantro leaves, curry leaves, red chili powder and chat masala to the potatoes and mix well.
• Wash the soaked sago/saggubiyyam in cold water till the white residue washed out.
• Add the sago to the potato mixture and mix well.
• Add the rice flour as needed and mix to absorb any water and becomes like nice dough.
• Heat the oil in a pan to deep fry the vadas.
• Make small balls of the mixture and press slightly between your palms and deep fry till they become golden brown.
• Remove from the oil and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
• Serve hot with tamarind chutney or mint chutney or ketchup.

Kothu parota

Kothu parota is a south Indian especially Tamilnadu’s and Srilankan street food. Kothu means chopped in Tamil and parota is parota.

It is a chopped parota/roti mixed with vegetables and egg to make a delicious filling dish.

Though it is street food, it’s little heavier than normal snack. It can be a meal. Normally I do with left over rotis as it’s quick and easy and don’t have to make separate curry J

Ingredients

• Rotis-2-3
• Eggs-2
• Onions-1 chopped
• Tomato-1 chopped
• Oil-1 tbs
• Mustard seeds-1tsp
• Cumin seeds-1 tsp
• Garam masala-1tsp
• Cumin powder-1tsp
• Coriander powder- 1 tsp
• Curry leaves-some
• Chopped cilantro for garnish
• Salt to taste
• Red chili powder to taste

Method:

• Break the rotis/parathas in to small pieces and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a pan. When heated add mustard and cumin seeds and curry leaves.
• When mustard seeds sputter, add onions and cook them till they r translucent.
• Add tomato pieces and mix well once they are cooked, add salt and all the spices and mix well.
• Now add the chopped rotis and mix well. Cook for 1-2 min.
• Now add two eggs and mix well cook till the eggs are cooked and garnish with cilantro.

There are so many variations to this dish. You can add more vegetables like carrot, cabbage etc. I once saw in video using curry gravy instead of all the spices. Also you can add some cooked dal to make it more nutritious. Personalize according to your taste and enjoy.

Chama dumpa /Taro root fry

Chaama dumpa vepudu/ Taro root fry

Taro root also known as Colocasia is one of the favorite vegetables of my husband. Many dishes can be made from it like fry, curry, pulusu etc. Today I am in the mood to fry as it tastes great with dal and rasam I made. My mom used to deep fry it. But, due to little health consciousness I am not deep frying it. But its gonna be just as tasty and crispy as the deep fried one n little more healthy J

Ingredients:

 Taro root- 1lb

 Urad dal-1 1/2 tsp

 Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

 Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

 Hing-pinch

 Red chilies-1-2

 Curry leaves- 10 leaves ( as many u want)

 Garlic-3-4 cloves

 Red chilli powder-2 tsp (to taste)

 Coriander powder- 1 tsp

 Cumin powder-1 tsp

 Turmeric-1/4 tsp

 Oil- 1-2 tbs

 Salt to taste

Method

• Wash and boil the taro root. I put them in a pressure cooker along with dal in separate bowl. Just sprinkle   some water. Don’t soak them in water when cooking in pressure cooker. Wait till 3 whistles or dal is done and switch off the stove
• Peel them. The skin will come off easily and they will be little sticky. Cut them in to 1 inch pieces
• In a bowl mix salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric and mix well.
• Add the boiled and cut taro root pieces to the spice mixture and mix well carefully so that every piece is coated with masala but should not become like a paste.
• Heat oil in a big non stick pan add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, red chili pieces, asafetida(hing)
• Add garlic (either cut in to big pieces or crushed) and curry leaves
• Now add the taro root pieces and mix carefully and let them cook on low flame for 8-10 mins
• Stir occasionally to cook evenly
• Switch off the stove when they are cooked and turn crispy
• Take in to a serving bowl
• Hot steamed rice and ghee would be an awesome combination.

Muntha kinda pappu

Muntha kinda pappu

Muntha kinda pappu is the south Indian bhel. If I say it’s every south Indian child’s favorite street food, it’s not a lie. The bandi wala put an earthen vessel with some hot coal on a heap of murmur/maramaralu(puffed rice) and make muntha kinda pappu by taking the murmur from under that vessel so they r roasted. Hence the name muntha (vessel) kinda (under) pappu (food/dal)

The street person put all the ingredients and mixes in a coconut shell with a stick and serves on a newspaper with palm leaf spoon.  It sure was mouth watering.

It’s a tangy crispy snack easy to make when not in a mood to make some laborious one. A healthy and easy tea time snack sure pleases everyone.

You can always change the recipe according to your taste and the availability of the ingredients. This is very similar to one on the street

Ingredients:

Murmur- 2 cups

Onion- 1 finely chopped

Green chillies -1 finely chopped (optional)

Lime-1

Mixture (like boondi etc)- 1-2 tbs

Roasted peanuts n dalia/putnalu– 1 tsp (optional)

Melted Ghee- 1tsp (optional)

Chopped mint n cilantro- 1tbs or to taste (mint lesser than cilantro and skip if not available)

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder to taste

Garam masala- pinch

Method:

Lightly roast murmur

Take murmur in a deep pan/vessel add roasted peanuts, mixture, ghee, onions, green chilies, and mix well

Add salt, red chili powder,garam masala, lime juice, cilantro n mint leaves and mix thoroughly that murmur absorbs all the flavors and become little soft

Now serve with some chopped onions sprinkled on top

Lightly salted Roasted peanuts

Roasted Peanuts

Roasted peanuts or time pass palli is a healthy and tasty snack. Back in our town there used to be a bandi/cart ringing a bell and selling the lightly salted roasted peanuts on the street. I used to love them a lot and buy them when ever my mom game me a rupee or so. I tried to make them at home as they are simply roasted peanuts and didn’t want to spend my pocket money on them. But it never worked out. Roasting peanuts is easy but I didn’t know how to make them lightly salty.

Recently I saw this recipe online and tried at home. They turned out really good. This is the tried and tested recipe for yummy lightly salted dry roasted peanuts

Ingredients:

Peanuts: 2 cups

Salt: 2 tsp(to taste)

Water: ½ cup

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 360 degrees F

Mix all the ingredients in a pan and put it on a medium flame and cook till all the water is evaporated. Stir many times to coat the salt evenly.

Place the peanuts in single layer in an oven safe pan.

Cook them in the oven for 30-45 mins or till they are roasted

Mix them occasionally to cook evenly and prevent any burning.

Yummy peanuts ready

Store in an air tight container once they r cooled and enjoy.