Varamahalakshmi vratham is round the corner i.e on the second Friday of Sravana masam which falls on 28th August, 2015. Women folk in Andhra and Southern states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are gearing up for this special festival. Pre festival cleaning gets underway with homes thoroughly dusted, cleaned and decorated to welcome Goddesss Lakshmi. Lakshmi Ammavaru is draped in the finest silks, adorned with gold jewellery and the pooja room is decorated with the choicest flowers.

Planning of menu for varalakshmi vratham, what to cook on the special day is a major issue with most home cooks celebrating the festival. To make it easy for you, I have complied a list of special foods (pradasam recipes) of Andhra cuisine and other regional cuisines of India that you can offer to the Goddess of wealth, power, beauty and auspiciousness, the consort of Lord Vishnu.

varalakshmi vratham recipes

Badusha

Gujjiya

Coconut Laddu

Rava Laddu

Atukula Laddu ~ Beaten rice sweet

Sweet Pongali

Semiya Payasam

Chana Dal Sago Kheer

Moong dal Payasam

Carrot Kheer

Godhuma Rava Payasam

Rava Payasam

Rava Kesari

Badam Halwa

Paramannam

Chalimidi

Atukulu Payasam

Sorakaya (bottlegourd) Payasam

Appalu

Mawa Peda

Chandrakantalu

Bellam Garelu ~ Jaggery Vadas

Boorelu

Pala Munjalu

Bobbatlu

Halwa Boorelu

Kajjikayalu

Kobbari Burfi

Teepi Atukulu

Pesarapappu Bobbatulu

Chitti Budagalu

Vadai

Ribbon Murukku

Pappu Chekkalu

Puliyodharai ~ Tamil Tamarind rice

Perugu Garelu

Andhra Katte Pongali

Andhra Pulihora

Nimmakaya Annam ~ Lemon Rice

Rava Pulihora

Mamidikaya (raw mango) Pulihora

Festival Thali

Talimpu Senagalu (black chickpeas)

Guggillu (tempered white chickpeas)

Peanut sundal (tempered peanuts)

Rajma sundal (tempered kidney beans)

Vaamu aaku bajji (ajwain pakoda)

Aratikaya (raw plantain) Bajji

Pesara Pudina Punukulu

Carrot Masala Vada

Corn Masala Vada

Sabudana Vada

Ulli Garelu ~ Onion Vadas

Mudda Pappu ~ Cooked tur dal

Pappu Pulusu

Mukkala Pulusu

Vankaya Batani ~ Brinjal Peas

Potato Fry

Gutti Vankaya (Stuffed Brinjal)

Carrot Coriander leaves Pachadi

Daddojanam

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In many Telugu speaking homes you will find that most culinary conversations center around pickle making, chutney recipes and more. I have numerous hand written recipes that I have gotten off such conversations. I am sharing one such gem that is an addictively tasty, fresh tomato pickle. An easy tomato pickle prepared in Andhra style that is “not a long lasting” pickle. Yes, it has a very short shelf life i.e two days at room temperature but can be refrigerated for a week. Whenever I make this pachadi, it does not last us more than 4 or 5 days. And I regularly make it when I have guests come over for a meal. It is so so good.

My organic garden is giving me a good yield of heirloom tomatoes which I put to good use by making a batch of tomato pachadi. This easy andhra pickle tastes best when made with a mix of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes which has a balance of sweet and sour flavors. Very minimal ingredients and there is no grinding involved as its more of a saucy, chunky tomato chutney. An andhra tomato pickle recipe that couldn’t get any simpler. You will find a hint of asafoetida and is moderately spiced with a mix of dry red chilis and red chili powder. It is made without tamarind and without garlic but if you like garlic flavor, omit asafoetida and throw in a couple of crushed garlic cloves in the tempering.

I love the simplicity of this instant tomato relish and the versatality of its uses. It can be served with tiffins like idli, dosa, pongal, rice and roti. It is delicious as a dip or a salsa with chips. A vibrant orange red homemade tomato pachadi with sweet, tangy, spicy flavors and a gem among veg andhra pickles.

I have already blogged a long lasting sun dried tomato pickle without garlic and another andhra tomato pickle with garlic which are hot favorites. You can also find more pickle recipes on my blog mostly Andhra and South Indian style.

Learn how to make tomato pickle or andhra tomato pachadi

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The humble potato holds an important place in my pantry. I usually never run out of potatoes in my kitchen and I ensure that I have at least a kilo of this root vegetable at any given time. Right from preparing a basic simple potato fry, aloo korma, curry, aloo paratha, french fries and more, potatoes are an integral part of my cooking. There are hundreds of variations to the basic potato fry and I am presenting to you a favorite potato fry recipe that I usually make to serve along side mudda pappu aka cooked tur dal, avakai, andhra vegetable stewpappu pulusu or rasam.

To make the perfectly crisp potato fry that does not stick to the pan or become mushy, you need to follow certain steps. Dice the potato that are almost equal size cubes. Wash them thoroughly and soak in salted water for at least 15 mts before you stir fry. Soaking will aid in reducing the starch of the potatoes making them less sticky. You do not need much oil for attaining a crisp potato fry. All you require is a good seasoned iron kadai or a non stick pan, uniformly diced potatoes and soaking them in salted water for few minutes before frying them.

Check out more Indian style potato dishes that I have blogged earlier.

How to make potato fry recipe

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Ladies finger or orka (bhindi) is a staple in Indian cuisine and a much loved vegetable in our home. I am maintaining an organic garden which is giving me good harvest of okra, eggplants, tomatoes, chilis, ridge gourd, ivy gourd, greens and more. You can see how green, vibrant and tender the home grown bhindi are from the image below. Last week, I made a popular restaurant style North Indian okra fry that makes for good side for chapathi, roti and rice. I have already blogged a Punjabi style bhindi masala recipe and today’s bhindi dish is a slight variation without garlic.

My grandmother cooked okra to perfection with minimal ingredients where the flavor of bhindi would shine through be it a simple stir fry, stuffed bhindi dish or a yogurt based okra curry. My most favorite form of okra is in an easy dry saute made with less oil, minimal ingredients, fuss free, healthy and addictive.

Many home cooks have issues while cooking bhindi because of the slimy texture it gives off on sauteeing. The key is to choose tender green okra and when you snap the pointed end, it should break off effortlessly. This bhindi masala requires less oil and not high in calories as we are not deep frying the okra. Roasting on low flame with a tablespoon of oil is good enough and it brings out the flavor as well as reduces the slime. Adding a tsp of lemon juice or yogurt also helps reduce slime. Also ensure that you wash the okra and pat dry with no trace of moisture before your chop them.

There are three components to this easy okra recipe that shouldn’t be missed. Use of fresh, tender, vibrant bhindi, use of onions and tomatoes which add oodles of flavor along with the spices and roasting the bhindi well. Dry bhindi masala restaurant style is one of India’s best known and most popular vegan food classic dish. One of the best bhindi masala that makes a great side for roti, naan as well as white rice.

Pure vegetarian fare at its best!

How to make bhindi masala recipe

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No South Indian traditional meal or thali is complete without ‘rasam‘. Literally translated, ‘rasam’ means extracted juice or liquid . There are numerous versions of the basic rasam recipe prepared down South with each home cook lending his or her own unique touch to the rasam preparation.

I am sharing
~ an easy, most basic, simple, tasty South Indian rasam for beginners
~ a no fail recipe that can be made even by a 10 year old.
~ a rasam recipe without rasam powder and without lentils.

Rasam, more popularly known as charu, is an integral part of a traditional daily meal in telugu speaking homes. Rasam with rice is a comfort food that I grew up on and continues to be so even today. I am a rasam lover and prepare rasam fresh each day. If any extra rasam is left over, it is sipped as a soup during dinner time. Tamarind is star player that provides the necessary sourness. Each day, I tend to change the flavor profile of the rasam by tweaking the basic rasam recipe. I play around with ingredients like garlic, asafoetida, tomato, coriander leaves, black pepper corns, jaggery and end up making rasam that is different from the previous day and the one before that and so on. Just by adding or omitting a certain spice or herb, the rasam transforms into a unique flavored avatar.

Quite a few of my hindi speaking friends have requested me to share an authentic rasam recipe. If you ask me for a rasam recipe with specific measurements, it is not an easy task since I eyeball the ingredients. I will try my best to share a tasty rasam recipe that works good each time I make it. The thinned down tamarind water is simmered along with turmeric, salt and jaggery that adds a touch of sweetenss and helps cut down the sourness of tamarind and curry leaves which lend an aromatic touch. The liquid is simmered till the rawness of tamarind disappears. I usually hand pound the spices like cumin seeds, pepper corns or garlic that are added to the almost done simmering rasam and finally finished off with a ghee tempering of mustard seeds, red chilis and asafoetida. The addition of asafoetida elevates the flavor profile of rasam by leaps and bounds.

You can add freshly crushed spices and herbs of your choice based on what is available in your pantry at Step 2 in the below mentioned rasam recipe.
– crushed garlic (3-4 cloves) OR
– crushed cumin seeds (1/2 tsp) OR
– crushed black pepper corns (7-8) OR
– crushed cumin seeds (1/2 tsp) and black pepper corns (1/2 tsp)
– crushed coriander seeds, cumin seeds and black pepper corns (1/2 tsp each) OR
– crushed garlic (2-3 cloves), cumin seeds (1/2 tsp) and black pepper corns (1/2 tsp) OR
– crushed ginger (1/2″)

The aroma of tangy, spicy, tasty rasam has be to experienced and cannot be described in words. It is best served with warm white rice, dal, pickle and papad. When you are feeling under the weather, rasam warms your soul and opens up your nasal passages and soothes a sore throat. In terms of health benefits, it aids digestion and prevents constipation. Rasam makes for a perfect party appetizer! Fragrant, warming and simply zen!

Rasam varieties
Rasam recipe with rasam powder
Andhra charu with black pepper corns
Mysore Rasam
Udupi Tomato Rasam
Pineapple Rasam
Mango Rasam
Nimmakaya Charu (Lemon Rasam)

Follow the instructions to learn how to make rasam that’s easy, simple and tasty

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Yesterday I prepared a satvik rajma recipe no onion no garlic. Rajma or kidney beans curry is a favorite among the many North Indian main course dishes. I usually prepare rajma masala with onions as the main base, the recipe of which I have already posted. Today’s rajma is a simple straightforward Jain style recipe that doesn’t take too much of your time in the kitchen. Only the soaking time of kidney beans and the making of homemade tomato puree takes some preparation time.

I like to use freshly ground or hand pounded masalas in my cooking and especially so while preparing rajma. It enhances the flavor and the aroma is simply heavenly giving this north indian style rajma curry an authentic flavor as prepared in the langars of Gurudwaras. I have added a generous pinch of asafoetida as I have done away with onion and garlic. Use tomatoes that are not too sour and puree it to a smooth paste. A smooth tomato puree as well as a handful of mashed kidney beans lend a very special kind of smoothness and creaminess to the rajma recipe.

It is a stunning, creamy, flavorful curry that makes for a great side with roti, naan and rice. You will love this addictive cury served with warm rice. One of the most comforting Indian food out there. This rajma recipe with tomato should definitely make it to the list of satvik khana i.e no onion no garic recipes. You can serve it with rice, jeera rice or any flavored rice or naan/roti.

Rajma chawal is pure vegetarian fare at its best!

Follow the instructions on how to make rajma recipe without onion and garlic

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Today I’m posting one my favorite comforting soup made with raw mango pulp. Mango rasam! Light on the stomach, easy to make and absolutely flavorful. In many telugu speaking households you will find homecooks whipping up a variety of raw mango recipes other than the famed avakai (mango pickle) and its likes including pachadi, pulusu, pappu (dal), curry and rasam.

Down South, in Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Karnataka especially in the Mangalore region, mango rasam is prepared during the mango season. Appe huli (mango rasam) is a traditional Mangalorean delicacy served at weddings and special occasions. Mango rasam is called maavina saar or saaru in kannada, mamidikaya chaaru in telugu and pacha manga rasam or mangai rasam in tamil. With minimal ingredients yet high on flavor, mango rasam preparation is almost similar across all regions with slight variations in terms of tempering and the use of rasam powder. This particular mango rasam recipe does not call for the use of rasam podi.

With summer bringing in a bountiful harvest of mangoes and the fact that raw mango is rich in vitamin C, B vitamins, antioxidants and aids digestion, it should be included in one’s diet. Mango rasam makes for a wonderful change from the regular everyday rasam. The key is to use a green mango that is almost beginning to ripen. It will have a slightly more sweet flavor which is ideal for making raw mango rasam recipe. The touch of spice and jaggery to the tangy mango broth give it a delicious tropical flavor. Though traditionally, mango rasam is served with rice, it can also be served as a vibrant soup and makes for a wonderful vegetarian party appetizer.

Definitely one of the best mango rasam out there and if you are looking for raw mango recipes that are easy and flavorful, I’d recommend you bookmark this authentic South Indian rasam recipe that’s vegan too.

How to make mango rasam using raw green mango

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Mango phirni is an ultimate comfort dessert in a bowl. A fantastically rich, creamy, silky smooth pudding that is popular as aam ki phirni in North India. Phirni is a festive sweet dish prepared with full fat milk, fragrant rice like basmati, sugar and cardamom. The main star of today’s easy mango dessert is fresh mango puree which is added to the basic phirni recipe lending it a fruity sweetness.

The mango phirni recipe starts by boiling milk till it reduces to three fourth of its original quantity. Soaked raw rice paste that is diluted in milk is slowly added to the simmering milk and constantly stirred till the mixture is cooked through and thickens. Sugar, almond paste and cardamom are added in the final stage and cooked for a couple of more minutes. Once this mixture comes to room temperature, fresh mango puree is added and mixed to combine to a smooth consistency. It can eaten either warm or chilled. I like to serve chilled mango phirni that’s garnished with chopped pistachios.

Soaked raw rice paste lends a really rich, creamy consistency to this phirni aka mango pudding. The simmering pudding has an aroma that is intoxicating due to the use of basmati rice. This eggless mango dessert is by no means overly sweet and the flavor of cardamom cuts through the richness of the mango phirni.

Mango phirni is one of the best Indian mango dessert to make for festivals like Ramzan or birthday celebrations. And if you are looking for an eggless Indian dessert to make for your next party, do try this deliciously decandent chilled mango dessert in a bowl.

Follow the instructions below on how to make mango phirni

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We are going through a very bad heat wave with high humidity in the midst of the monsoon season. The weather is screaming for ice cream. The perfect frozen dessert to beat the heat would be one with a mango flavor since the mango season is almost ending. I love fruit based ice creams with mango ice cream being my favorite. Armed with a perfect easy mango ice cream recipe without an ice cream maker, I got down to making it recently.

It needs only 4 ingredients and yields a creamy textured ice cream with absolutely no crystal formation. Love the burst of real mango flavor due to the use fresh mango pulp. Its an eggless, no churn ice cream and melts fairly quicker than the basic ice cream recipe I have posted earlier. Perfectly scoopable, gorgeously addictive and a recipe worth trying for birthdays or summer parties.

With mango being the flavor of the season, I think this is the perfect homemade mango ice cream to make at this time of the year. With refreshing summer flavors and ultra creamy texture, its the best refreshing summer treat for mango lovers. Do bookmark this straightforward mango ice cream recipe to add to your list of easy mango desserts.

How to make mango ice cream

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Mango sago is a delicious, addictive pudding made with fresh mango pulp and tapioca pearls. There are many versions to the basic mango sago recipe based on the region its prepared especially in South Asian countries like Singapore, Thailand or Hong Kong. Coconut milk and palm sugar are usually an integral part of this classic mango dessert but I have used dairy and replaced palm sugar with normal white sugar.

This easy mango sweet dish has a light, fluffy, creamy texture bursting with mango flavor and a sutble aroma of cardamom. One of the easiest mango desserts that is refreshing, smooth, creamy and perfect to beat the heat.

This pudding has my favorite fruit go into its making and am so glad that I made it before the mango season ends in my part of the world. One of the main ingredients of this eggless dessert is tapioca pearls or sago aka sabudana which is made from gluten free tapioca starch and comes in different sizes. I have used the large size tapioca pearls which I washed thoroughly and soaked in water for 20 minutes. After they have been soaked, I washed and boiled the sago in lots of water till the pearls turned transparent yet held shape. The creamy texture of mango sago pudding contrasts perfectly with the chewy texture of soft tapioca pearls.

Instead of going for that boxed pudding mix for your next party, do consider serving this delicious mango sago dessert to your friends and family. You can easily make this eggfree pudding ahead of time and nothing beats homemade desserts made with fresh ingredients and loads of love.

How to make mango sago recipe

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