Yum! Yum! Yum!

If you are from South India and especially from Andhra region, I bet you never say NO to Bajji! Bajji is spicy or savory snack item that is popular as fantasy street food. There are several variations in making bajji or it can be made with several vegetables, but Mirapakaya Bajji is the most popular and favorite to everyone in spite of it's SPICYness (as it is made with green chili). There is a reason why I am giving you the history of Bajji, that is my Beerakaya Harvest! Confused...! Let me explain :-) My turai/beerakaya plant has given abundant harvest this season, I almost got 100 beerakaya/turai from my garden this year, after distributing to friends, colleagues and in community, I am still left with lot of Beerakaya, well that is a pleasure problem to have. :-) So I am in search of beerakaya recipes and started exploring every single one. A few I have tried so far are Beerakya Pachadi, Beerakaya Perugu Chutney, Beerakaya Pala kura, Beerakaya Nuvvula Kura! And today I made these Beerakaya Bajji, sine the beerakaya used in this recipe are home grown, they are very tender and gave superb fresh taste to these bajji. Here is the recipe, Njoy!



Ingredients:
Beerakaya - 2 Small
Besan Flour / Chick Pea Flour - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Ajwan seeds / Vamu - 1/4 tsp ( optional)
Paprika - 1/4 tsp ( or pinch of red chili powder)
Water - 1/4 cup
Oil - for deep frying


Method:

1. Trim the edges of beerakaya/turai and peel and wash them. Chop them into round slices and keep them side.
2. Take a medium size bowl, add besan flour, salt, paprika. crush Ajwan seeds roughly between your palms and add to bowl. Mix everything well. Add water slowly in increments and keep mixing until it forms like batter. ( it should be like dosa batter consistency).
3. Heat Oil in Kadai for  5 minutes or until oil is hot (for deep frying).
4. Once the oil is ready, dip the Turai rounds / Beerakaya slices in the besan batter and drop them gently in the hot oil. repeat this for all the rounds and deep fry these until they turn to golden color on both sides. 
5. Take the fried bajji on to a wide plate with kitchen towel spread (to remove excess oil) and let them cool for few minutes.
6. Transfer to serving bowl or plate and serve them warm with spicy hot sauce or ketchup. 

Notes:

• For this recipe, you need to pick tender beerakaya than ripen one. Pick about I foot long beerakaya that is usually tender. 
• Always taste one slice from beerakaya, there is a possibility that some times you can get bitter turai. You don't want to mix the good ones with bitter ones when you slice them.
• When dropping turali slices in oil, be careful, oil will be very hot and it can spill on your hands if you throw these into kadai.
• I don't like lot of besan coating on veggies, hence I mix the batter little runny, if you prefer thick bajji, you need to make the batter little thick.
• Ajwan seeds are optional, but usually these are good and pairs well with besan flour of health benefits. Ajwan will help to avoid the gas formation in tummy that besan flour can cause. 

Will be back with another simple fantasy recipe
take care until then
-Mythreyi

Beerakaya Nuvvula Kura ~ Andhra Delicacy

• Trim edges and peel Beerakaya/Turai, wash thoroughly, chop into small pieces (I always use my Vidalia Wizard for chopping, now my kids are trained to use it and they are my little 'chopping' helpers in the kitchen :-)).
• Chop onion and green chili and set aside.
• Sesame Masala: Dry roast sesame seeds and rice together along with red chili in the non-stick pan for 2 min. Let it cool and grind in the small mixie jar until it becomes coarse, then add 1 tbsp milk and grind again until it becomes into smooth paste.

1. Heat non-stick pan and add oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add chana dal, urad dal, cumin, mustard seeds. Saute until mustard starts spluttering, then add curry leaves and followed by turmeric powder. Add chopped onion and green chili to the tempering and sauté until onion becomes translucent and tender. 
2. Add Beerakaya/Turai pieces to the pan and mix well or toss it so that everything mixed well. Close the lid and let it simmer on medium to low heat for 15 min. 
3. After 15 min, Beerakya/Turai becomes tender and comes together as gravy, add 1 tsp salt to it and, simmer for 5 more minutes. Now add sesame masala to the gravy and mix it well. Increase the heat to medium to high and cook for another 5 min (with out closing lid) or until gravy comes together and becomes thick. 
4. Now taste and adjust any salt/seasonings and top with Cilantro and switch off the stove. After 5 min transfer to serving bowl and enjoy with white rice or warm roti. 

Beerakaya Chutney

Ingredients:
Beerakaya - 2
Green Chili - 3
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Garlic - 4 cloves
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Tamarind - 1 Tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp ( per your taste)

Tempering:
Oil - 1 tsp
Red Chili - 1
Chana Dal - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds  - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1 pinch ( optional)
Curry leaves - 5

Preparatory Steps:

• Trim edges and peel Beerakaya ( Angular Gourd) and chop into small pieces. 

Method:

1. Heat non-stick pan, add 1 Tbsp oil to it. Add cumin seeds, garlic cloves, green chili. Add beerakaya pieces along with tamarind. Saute until beerakaya pieces becomes tender ( prob for 10 min). Switch off the stove and let the mixture cool in the pan. 
2. Once the mixture is cooled enough grind it all together along with salt in food chopper or Indian Mixie, until it becomes into smooth consistency. Do not add any water, that spoils the taste. Transfer the Chutney to serving bowl. 
3. In the same non-stick pan, add 1 tsp oil. Once it is hot, add red chili, followed by chana dal, urad dal. As lentils turn to golden brown, add mustard seeds, a pinch of turmeric and curry leaves. Switch off the stove. Add this tempering to chutney in the bowl and serve immediately with white rice and ghee.

Notes:

• Tempering is optional and you can skip it, serve the chutney as it is.
• Chutney tastes good with Dosa or Utappam as well. 

will be back with another traditional recipe,
Take Care until then!
-Mythreyi

I have never seen my mom doing this version of  Beerakaya Chutney with Yogurt. I have heard this recipe from one of my friend and trying it today. This version is creamy compare to regular Beerakaya Chutney and tasted good with White Rice. My Kids also loved this, if you want to start your kids off with trying Chutney I suggest to try with these type of Creamy versions, so that they can handle the spice and that keeps them interested toward trying chutneys. Here is the recipe, Njoy!



Ingredients:
Ridge Gourd (Beerakaya) - 1 cup ( chopped pieces)
Garlic - 2
Green Chili - 4
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Tamarind - 1 Tbsp ( Whole)
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Yogurt - 1/3 cup
Salt - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp of Oil in non-stick pan. Once the Oil is hot, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, green chili, garlic. After 1 min, add ridge gourd pieces. Saute them for 5 to 7 min until the ridge gourd becomes tender. Then add 1 Tbsp tamarind and saute for 3 more minutes. Switch off the stove and let this mixture cool off. ( at least for 10 min)
2. Transfer this mixture to mixie jar and grind it at medium speed. Add salt in between and taste, adjust accordingly. Now add 1/3 cup Yogurt to the mixie jar and grind until the chutney becomes smooth.
3. Transfer this to a serving bowl.

Tempering: 

1. Heat non-stick pan and add 1 Tbsp of Oil. Add Red Chili, 1 tsp Chana Dal, Urad Dal. As the lentils turning to gold color, add 1 tsp mustard seeds. They start spluttering, then add pinchful turmeric powder and finally add curry leaves and switch off the pan. 
2. Add this tempering to Chutney on top in the serving bowl.  Mix together before serve. Serve with Hot White Rice. 

Tempering gives a whole new taste to your chutney!

Notes:

• Do not be tempted to add water while grinding. It spoils the taste of chutney.
• Tempering is Optional. But I always prefer to add tempering to chutney as they give nice lentil taste along with rice. 
• With out tempering, you can serve this as dip or spread as well.