Karevepaku karam(curry leaves powder)

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups Curry leaves
• 1 levelled cup Coriander seeds
• 1/4 cup Urad dal
• 2 tbsp Chana dal
• 2 tbsp Cumin seeds
• 12-14 Red chillies
• 7-8 Garlic Pods
• 1 big amla sized Tamarind
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 2 tbsp Ghee

Method:

1. Clean and wash curry leaves and remove extra water and spread it on a dry cloth to let the leaves dry completely with out any water.Leave it for 2-3 hrs.
2. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a thick bottomed kadai and fry chana dal until aroma comes and remove it and keep it aside.Do not burn them but fry upto the maximum red color you can get without burning,this is the key to get good black color for the powder.Follow the same for all the dals and spices.
3. Again heat 1/2 tsp oil and add urad dal and fry until it is red in color and remove it and keep it aside.
4. Again heat 1/2 tsp oil and add coriander seeds and fry until they turn slightly brown and remove it and keep it aside.
5. Heat 1/4 tsp oil and add cumin seeds and red chillies and fry until crisp and remove it and keep it aside.
6. Heat 1/4 tsp oil and add dried curry leaves and fry until they are crisp and remove it and keep it aside.Switch off the flame.
7. While the kadai(pan) is hot add tamarind and fry for half a minute and keep it aside.
8. Once everything comes to room temperature grind fried chana dal,urad dal,red chillies,cumin seeds and coriander seeds to a coarse powder.
9. Add fried curry leaves,salt and tamarind to it and grind again to a coarse powder.
10. Add whole garlic pods(with skin) and run it just for 30 secs in the regular mode.The powder should be coarse not very fine.
11. Heat ghee in the same pan and add the ground powder and fry for 1-2 mins until all the ghee is incorporated in to the powder.This gives a wonderful aroma and taste to Nalla karam podi.
12. Once it cools remove it and keep it in a air tight container.
13. This stays fresh for long,approx 2 months.
14. Serve this powder with Idli/Dosa and also can be served with plain white rice.You can add ghee to the powder and mix if required while serving.

Modhakalu

Ingredients:
For the outer cover(dough):

• 1 cup Rice flour(use freshly made)
• 1 handful Maida
• 2 cups Water
• a pinch of Salt
• 1 tsp Oil

For coconut filling:

• 1 cup grated Coconut
• 1 cup grated Jaggery
• 1/2 tsp Elaichi powder

For sesame filling:

• 1/2 cup white Sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup grated Jaggery

For groundnut filling:

• 1/2 cup roasted and skinned Groundnuts
• 1/2 cup grated jaggery

Method: 
Making coconut stuffing:

1. In a kadai mix grated coconut and jaggery and cook it on a low-medium flame until the jaggery melts and coats the coconut and form a thick dry and sticky lumpy mixture.It takes 10-12 minutes and keep stirring it occasionally.
2. Add cardamom powder to it and mix well and let the mixture cool completely and store it in air tight container.
3. You can make it on the previous day itself and store at room temperature which eases the process on the festival day.

Making sesame stuffing:

1. Dry roast sesame seeds overmedium flame for 3-4 mins until they smell nice.
2. Grind sesame seeds to a powder in the mixie and add grated jaggery to it and run it again to get a uniform mixture.
3. Store it in air tight container.Make this on the previous day itself to ease up the process on the festival day.

Making groundnut stuffing:

1. Grind roasted and skinned groundnuts to a powder in the mixie and add grated jaggery to it and run it again to get a uniform mixture.
2. Store it in air tight container.Make this on the previous day itself to ease up the process on the festival day.

Making dough:

1. Boil 2 cups of water and add salt and oil to it and let it bubble properly.
2. Add rice flour and maida to it and do not mix it and reduce the flame for 10 mins.Let it cook over the steam either by covering the vessel only half the portion with a lid or cook without lid.
3. Now remove half glass of water from the sides and mix the flours into the remaining water vigorously until it is properly mixed.While making this process if you feel the dough is hard keep adding the water which is removed aside.The water quantity depends on the flour quality and hence it is always better to remove some water and add it if required.
4. Cover it with lid and let it come to the room temperature but still warm.
5. Now grease your hands well and knead the dough in small portion until you get a smooth and lump free dough,this helps in making smooth and crack free modhakalu.

Making modhakalu:

1. Grease your hands and divide the dough into small amla sized balls.
2. Cut a polythene sheet into two equal squares or rounds and wash and dry them and grease one of the sides.
3. Place them on one each side of a poori press and place a rice flour ball in the center and press in the poori presser.Do not make it very thin or very thick,it should be of the thickness as shown in the pic.You can even make like a cup with hands,but this process needs so much of practice or you can even use modak mold to shape it,but the method I mentioned is the most easiest and less time consuming process.
4. Now pick it up with the cover and keep a tbsp of your desired stuffings which are made and press it(press along with the cover)to make a semi circular shape.Remove the ready kudumu and place it in a greased plate which fits in the cooker/steamer.You can even twist the edges to give a design or you can leave it as it is.
5. Repeat the process and make all the modhakalu with all the different three stuffings and place them in three different plates and steam them in cooker/steamer with out whistle for 8-10 mins.The outer cover would be bit shiny and light colored.Keep them covered.
6. Serve them hot/warm with some ghee over it.

Tomato pickel

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Red Chilli powder
• 200 gms Tamarind

To dry in Sun:

• 1 kg Good Ripen Tomatoes
• 1 cup levelled Salt
• 1 tsp turmeric powder

To grind:

• 1 cup Mustard seeds
• 5 tsp Methi seeds

For Tadka:

• 2 tbsp Mustard seeds
• 8-10 broken red chillies
• 1 tsp asafoedita
• 250 ml Sesame Oil

Method:

1. Wash the tomatoes and then wipe it and pat dry for some time. Chop the tomatoes into eight pieces, mix it with salt and cover the vessel with clinge wrap and keep it for two days continuously(atleast for one day).
2. Squeeze the water from the Tomato pieces completely.Soak tamarind in the water that would have come out from the tomatoes. Keep the tamarind mixture and Tomato pieces under sunlight for two days until it dries completely.
3. On the second day grind tomato pieces with the tamarind mixture(the one kept in sun) to a coarse mixture. (Use the whipper mode in the mixie)
4. Slightly roast methi seeds and cool the seeds.Grind Mustard seeds(raw) and Methi seeds to a smooth powder.
5. Mix the ground tomato mixture with the ground methi-mustard powder,red chilli powder.Taste the mixture at this point and adjust salt according to taste.
6. Heat oil,crackle mustard seeds,add broken red chillies and hing and fry for a minute.Cool the oil completely and mix in the tomato mixture and store it in Air-tight containers/Glass jars.
7. Serve the Tomato pickle with hot rice.

Green Chilli pickel

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Kg big Green chillies
• 1 Cup Mustard powder(raw)
• 100 gms Fennel seeds(Saunf)
• 3 tsp Fenugreek seeds(Methi)
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp Amchur powder
• 1 Cup regular salt
• 5-6 tsp of vinegar
• Mustard Oil as required

Method:

1. Wash the green chillies neatly and pat dry them completely.Make a slit in the centre lengthwise to all the green chillies.
2. Dry roast saunf and methi separately until slight aroma starts.Do not over roast it.Cool them and grind it to a fine powder.
3. In a wide bottomed vessel mix mustard powder,turmeric,amchur,salt to the above mixture and mix everything well until all the masala's are evenly incorporated.
4. Now add mustard oil to the above mixture by mixing it constantly until the complete mixture is properly wet(do no add more oil now).
5. Stuff the mixture into the slit green chillies and keep aside.Mix the remaining mixture into the green chillies and add mustard oil slightly more than the level of green chillies and keep it in air-tight containers or the traditional glass/porcelain jars.
6. Add vinegar to it and mix properly.
7. Keep the jars(covered with lid) in sun for 2-3 days.
8. Serve it with Roti's/Paratha's and Biriyani's as a accompaniment along with raitha.

Aam Ka Achaar(north indian style mango pickel)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Raw mango pieces(pickle variety)
• 1 cup Mustard powder (powder of approximately 3/4 cup mustard seeds)
• 1/2 cup yellow Mustard crushed
• 1 cup Salt
• 100gms fennel seeds(saunf)
• 3 tbsp Methi seeds
• 1 tbsp Kalonji seeds
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 300-350 ml Mustard oil approximately

Method:
Cleaning the mangoes:

1. Wash and wipe the mangoes with a dry cloth.You really need to have sharp thick knife to cut into 1" thick mango wedges with the inner shell.
2. If the inner shell is in tact this will increase the shelf life of pickle.Take a sharp knife and scrub the inner shell to remove a thin white layer over it.This is another important step you should keep in mind otherwise the pickle gets spoil.
3. Now take a dry cloth and wipe the pieces from all the sides ensuring that they are cleaned well.
4. Spread them over a dry cloth while you are preparing the spices for the pickle.

For making pickle:

1. Keep ready the sterilized and sun dried jars ready before you start pickling.
2. Grind soamph and methi seeds in whipper mode until coarse powder.Do not run it for long time just run it for 2-3 times until you get coarse powder.
3. Now take a big bowl and mix the saunf-methi powder,mustard powder,salt,yellow mustard tukda,kalonji seeds and turmeric powder until everything is mixed well.
4. Now take another wide small bowl and take 1 cup of mixed powders and add sufficient oil until the mixture is wet completely and mix with hands.
5. Take some 10-12 mango pieces at a time and apply the mixture all over the mango pieces with your hands.Using your hands for this step is better than mixing it up with ladle.
6. Put the masala coated mango pieces in the sterilized jar and repeat the process of coating the mango pieces in small portions and fill the jar up to 1/4 th and add 1/4 cup oil to it all over.You can even sprinkle some mixed pickle masala over this if you feel that your mango pieces are not well coated.
7. Repeat the procedure coating the mangoes with the spice-oil mixed mixture and then layering in the jar with oil in between until you fill the jar.
8. Pour 1/4 cup oil over it and cover it with lid and keep it aside for 3 days.
9. On day-1 check it some oil might have started floating over the pickle.Do not panic if the oil does not float on day-1,if not on day-1 you will see oil floating on day-2.
10. Mix with a clean and dry ladle all over and repeat the same process on day-3.
11. Now taste the masala mixture in the pickle,it should be perfect and slightly salty as the pickle has to be yet marinated for atleast one week before its usage.But if you feel the salt is less add a tsp or 2tsps of salt to it and mix well.
12. On the day-3 if you see the oil is floating on the pickle up to an 1/2" height then it is perfect.Otherwise add extra mustard oil over the top until the oil floats on top.
13. Store it in air-tight tupper ware container or glass bottles.This way your pickle stores for long with freshness in it and even the mango pieces do not get soft.
14. Serve it with hot hot parathas and raitha.

Pesara Avakaya(moong dal)

Ingredients:

• 2- 2 1/2 cups Mango pieces of 2 medium mangoes (pickle variety)
• 1/2 cup Moong dal
• 1/2 cup Red chilli powder
• 1/2 cup (minus 2 tbsp) Salt(use salt less than 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup Sesame oil

Method:
Cleaning the mangoes:

1. Wash and wipe the mangoes with a dry cloth.You really need to have sharp thick knife to cut into 1" thick mango wedges with the inner shell.
2. If the inner shell is in tact this will increase the shelf life of pickle.Take a sharp knife and scrub the inner shell to remove a thin white layer over it.This is another important step you should keep in mind otherwise the pickle gets spoilt.
3. Now take a dry cloth and wipe the pieces from all the sides ensuring that they are cleaned and dried well.
4. Spread them over a dry cloth while you are preparing the spices for the pickle.

For making pickle:

1. Keep ready the sterilized and sun dried jars ready before you start pickling.
2. Dry roast moong dal until slight golden in color and cool it.Grind moong dal to a fine powder.
3. Now take a big bowl and mix the moong dal powder,red chilli powder and salt until everything is mixed well.
4. Add the mango pieces to it and mix well and apply the mixture all over the mango pieces with your hands.Using your hands for this step is better than mixing it up with ladle.
5. Add 1/4 cup oil to the spice coated mango pieces and mix well.
6. Put the masala coated mango pieces and all the remaining masala in the sterilized jar add 1/4 cup oil over it and cover it with lid and keep it aside for 2-3 days.
7. On day-1 check it some oil might have started floating over the pickle.Now taste the masala mixture in the pickle,it should be perfect and slightly salty as the pickle has to be yet marinated for a day or two before its usage.But if you feel the salt is less add a tsp or 2tsps of salt to it and mix well.
8. Mix with a clean and dry ladle all over and repeat the same process on day-3.
9. On the day-3 if you see the oil is floating on the pickle up to an 1/2" height then it is perfect.Otherwise add extra sesame oil over the top until the oil floats on top.
10. Store it in a clean air-tight tupperware container or glass bottle.This way your pickle stores for long with freshness in it and even the mango pieces do not get soft.
11. Serve it with hot rice and ghee.

Palli Avakaya(ground nut)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups Mango pieces(pickle variety)
• 1/2 cup Groundnuts
• 1/2 cup Red chilli powder
• 1/2 cup (minus 1 tbsp) Salt(use salt less than 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup Sesame oil

Method:
Cleaning the mangoes:

1. Wash and wipe the mangoes with a dry cloth.You really need to have sharp thick knife to cut into 1" thick mango wedges with the inner shell.
2. If the inner shell is in tact this will increase the shelf life of pickle.Take a sharp knife and scrub the inner shell to remove a thin white layer over it.This is another important step you should keep in mind otherwise the pickle gets spoil.
3. Now take a dry cloth and wipe the pieces from all the sides ensuring that they are cleaned and dried well.
4. Spread them over a dry cloth while you are preparing the spices for the pickle.

For making pickle:

1. Keep ready the sterilized and sun dried jars ready before you start pickling.
2. Dry roast ground nuts until slight golden in color and cool it.Remove the skin and grind groundnuts to a fine powder.
3. Now take a big bowl and mix the groundnut powder,red chilli powder and salt until everything is mixed well.
4. Add the mango pieces to it and mix well and apply the mixture all over the mango pieces with your hands.Using your hands for this step is better than mixing it up with ladle.
5. Add 1/4 cup oil to the spice coated mango pieces and mix well.
6. Put the masala coated mango pieces and all the remaining masala in the sterilized jar add 1/4 cup oil over it and cover it with lid and keep it aside for 2-3 days.
7. On day-1 check it some oil might have started floating over the pickle.Now taste the masala mixture in the pickle,it should be perfect and slightly salty as the pickle has to be yet marinated for a day or two before its usage.But if you feel the salt is less add a tsp or 2tsps of salt to it and mix well.
8. Mix with a clean and dry ladle all over and repeat the same process on day-3.
9. On the day-3 if you see the oil is floating on the pickle up to an 1/2" height then it is perfect.Otherwise add extra sesame oil over the top until the oil floats on top.
10. Store it in a clean air-tight tupperware container or glass bottle.This way your pickle stores for long with freshness in it and even the mango pieces do not get soft.
11. Serve it with hot rice and ghee.