Raagi Sangati

Raagi Sangati is a Rayalaseema dish, usually served for lunch. Raagi is rich of calcium, iron, protein, fiber and other minerals. Raagi is considered one of the most nutritious cereals. I was born and brought up in a place where raagi sangati was prepared almost daily for lunch. It was prepared in large quantities for farmers in our fields and not to mention it was our favorite lunch!

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup

Raagi powder – ½ cup

Water – 3 ½ cups

Salt – ½ tsp

Ghee – 1 or 2 spoons

Serves – 2

Preparation:

1. Wash rice and soak it for 20 mins. Drain the water and keep the rice aside.
2. Take a thick bottomed utensil, add rice and 3½ cups of water and put it to boil. Rice should be cooked more than usual.
3. Add raagi powder, ghee and salt on cooking rice and leave it for 2 minutes. Close the lid partially, this avoids the raagi from becoming hard. Now turn off the flame.
4. Use a thick wooden stick to mix rice and powder. Stir this when it`s hot. Hot water can be added if it`s looking dry.
5. Now raagi sangati is ready to serve. It tastes better with tomato pappu, chinta chiguru pappu, palli chutney with ghee, kodi kura pulusu (chicken curry), endumirchi pulusu.

Masala Poori

Ingredients:

Maida – ½ cup

Wheat flour – ½ cup

Sooji rava – 2 tbs (soak in water for 10 min)

Ginger – green chili paste – 1 tbs

Garam masala – ¼ tsp

Jeera powder – ¼ tsp

Butter – 1 tbs

Salt

Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

1. In a bowl; add all the ingredients except oil and mix well. Add water and make firm dough.
2. Divide the dough into small pieces and roll out into circles.
3. Heat oil in a kadai; when it is ready add poori and fry gently pressing down with skimmer. Turn over when puffed up and fry on the other side.
4. Serve hot with curd or vegetable curry or aloo curry.

Mixed dal dosa

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup

Toor dal – ¼ cup

Whole green gram dal/Moong dal – ¼ cup

Bengal gram dal/Chana dal – ¼ cup

Black gram dal/Urad dal – ¼ cup

Hing - pinch

Jeera – 1 tbs

Cooking soda - pinch

Salt

Preparation:

1. Soak rice and dals together in water for 4 hours.
2. Grind them to a smooth consistency adding enough water.
3. Cover and allow the batter to ferment in a warm place overnight.
4. Add jeera, hing, salt and cooking soda with little water to the batter and mix well.
5. Spread dosa batter thinly on dosa pan and apply some oil or ghee. Flip dosa and roast properly.
6. Serve with coconut chutney or tomato pudina chutney.
   

Gutti vankaya koora (Stuffed Brinjal Curry)

Ingredients:

Green brinjals - ¼ kg

One medium onion diced

One medium tomato diced

Chopped coriander leaves

Curry leaves – 6 - 7

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Jeera – ¼ tsp

Chana dal – ½ tsp

Garlic pods – 3

Oil – 4 tbs

Masala paste:

Peanuts/groundnuts – 2 tbs

Grated dry coconut – 3 tbs

White sesame seeds – 1 ½ tbs

Cinnamon – small piece

Cloves - 3

Cardamom - 1

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Chili powder – 1 tbs

Dhania powder – 1 ½ tbs

Tamarind – small piece (soak in water for 10 min)

Dry roast peanuts, coconut and sesame seeds one by one and allow them to cool.

In a mixer jar; add peanuts, coconut, sesame seeds, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and grind them into a powder. Now add turmeric powder, chili powder, dhania powder, soaked tamarind, salt and little water and grind them to a paste.

Preparation:

1. Take brinjals and cut them diagonally.
   
2. Now stuff the masala into brinjals and keep them aside.
   
3. Heat oil in a pan; when it is ready add mustard seeds, cumin, chana dal, garlic and sauté for 2 min.
4. Add onions, curry leaves and sauté till onions become translucent. Now add tomatoes and sauté for 3 min.
   
5. Add masala stuffed brinjals and let them cook for 5 min by closing the lid.
   
6. Now add remaining masala and mix well.
   
7. Add 2 cups of water and adjust salt.
   
8. Stir well and let them cook for 15 min.
9. Garnish with coriander and serve with rice or roti.
   

Fish fry

Ingredients:

Fish – ¾ kg

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Red chili powder – 1tsp

Dhania powder – ½ tsp

Garam masala powder – ¼ tsp

Half Lemon

Salt

Oil – 4 -5 tbs

Preparation:

1. Wash fish pieces properly.
2. Take a bowl and add ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, dhania powder, garam masala, lemon juice, ½ tsp of oil and salt. Mix well and apply this paste to fish pieces and marinate in fridge for half an hour.
3. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the fish pieces.
   

Kobbari putnalu laddu

Ingredients:

Putnalu/ fried chickpea dal - 1 cup

Dry coconut – ½ cup

Sugar – ½ cup

Ghee – 5 -6 tbs

Preparation:

1. Grate coconut and keep aside.
2. Grind dal coarsely; now add grated coconut and sugar and grind once again.
3. Add 5 to 6 spoons of melted ghee and start making laddus.

KO

Ragi Murukulu

Ingredients:

Ragi powder – 1 cup

Rice powder – ½ cup

Red chili powder – 1 tbs

Sesame seeds – 2 tbs

Jeera – ½ tbs

Salt

Butter – 2 tbs

Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

1. Take a bowl; add ragi powder, rice powder, red chili powder, jeera, sesame seeds, butter and salt.
2. Mix well and add hot water as needed and make into soft dough.
3. Now take the murukulu maker and add the dough into it and press on top into the oil and make a round.
4. Fry on both sides until they turn brown color. Store them in air tight container.
   

Curd Rice

Ingredients:

Boiled rice – 2 cups

Curd – 3 cups

Mustard – ½ tsp

Chana dal – 3 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Cashew – 2 tsp

Raisins – 2 tsp
One small onion finely chopped (optional)

Finely chopped green chilies – 1 tbs­

Curry leaves – 1 stalk

Finely chopped coriander – 1 tbs

Finely chopped ginger – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 1 tbs

Oil – 2 tbs

Sugar – ¼ tsp (optional)

Salt

Preparation:

1. Take a bowl; add curd, sugar, salt and beat well. Add rice and mix well.
2. Heat oil; add mustard, chana dal, urad dal, green chilies, curry leaves, cashew, raisins and sauté for 2 min.
3. Now turn off the flame and add grated coconut, ginger, coriander and mix well. Now add curd rice and mix well.
4. Garnish with fried cashew and raisins.
   

Egg Manchuria

Ingredients:

Boiled eggs – 4 (Cut into small pieces)

Maida (All-purpose flour) – ½ cup

Corn flour – ¼ cup

Ginger garlic paste – ½ tbs

Red chili powder – ¼ tbs

Food color – pinch (optional)

Salt

Oil to deep fry

Gravy:

One medium onion diced

Green chilies – 4

Soy sauce – 2 tbs

Chili vinegar – 2 tbs

Tomato sauce

Oil

Preparation:

Make batter by mixing maida, corn flour, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, salt and water.

Keep oil for deep fry. Then dip egg pieces in batter and put them in hot oil.

Take them out over paper towel to drain excess oil.

Gravy:

Heat oil in kadai; add onions, green chilies and fry till the onions become translucent.

Now add soy sauce and chili vinegar. Sauté for a minute and add fried egg pieces and mix well to coat the gravy well.

Now add tomato sauce and sauté for 2 min.

Apple Kheer

Ingredients:

One medium apple chopped into small pieces

Basmati rice – 2 tbs

Sugar – 2 tbs

Full fat milk – ½ litre

Cardamom – 1

Dry fruits (almonds & cashew) – 2 tbs

Preparation:

1. Soak dry fruits in water for 20-30 min.
2. Soak rice in water for 1 hr. Then grind rice with cardamom and little water to a smooth paste.
3. Boil milk in pan; add rice paste and stir well. Once a boil comes; add sugar and mix well.
4. Turn off the flame once the sugar melts.
5. Now add apple pieces and dry fruits.
   

Ponganalu (Gunta Ponganalu)

Ingredients:

Fermented dosa batter – 2 cups      

Finely chopped onion – 1 big

Finely chopped green chili – 4

Curry leaves – 1 stalk

Grated carrot – 2 tbs

Semiya – 2 tbs

Mustard – ¼ tsp

Jeera – ½ tsp

Urad dal – 1 tbs

Chana dal – 2 tbs

Cooking soda - pinch

Salt

Oil

Preparation:

1. Add salt and cooking soda with little water to the batter and mix well.
2. Heat ghee in a saucepan; add mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal and chana dal and sauté for 2 min.
3. Add onions, green chili and curry leaves and sauté till the onions become translucent.
4. Now add semiya and sauté till they turn brown in color.  Add grated carrot; mix well and turn off the flame. Transfer this mixture into dosa batter and mix well. Leave it for 10 min.
5. Place the ponganalu skillet on medium heat. When the skillet is hot; add few drops of oil into each impression. Spoon the batter into impressions. Close the lid and let it cook for 5 min.
6. Now gently turn the ponganalu using fork. Close the lid and let it cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Take out and serve hot with palli chutney or coconut chutney.