114 replies to this topic

[Suresh Hinduja]

Sekhar says:

Quote

I am originally from a small village in Mahabubnagar Dist. of AP, went to The Hyderabad Public School - Begumpet in Hyderabad (any other members here from HPS?) worked with Thomas Cook for a long time and relocated to the US - Georgia, about 80mi south of ATL, Buttermilk-Marinated-Fried-Chicken-Country if you will!

Currently manage a hotel (no restaurant and no I'm not a Gujju)

We will be visiting (Hyderabad)22nd may thru July 10th.

Quote

Looking forward to:

Jonna Rottelu & Mamsam Shorwa
Jonna Rottelu & Nune Puntikura
Biryani
Food at a favorite dhaba on NH7 between HYD and Mahbubnagar
Jonna Rottelu and Talakaya Mamsam
Paaya
Haleem

Will definitely take some pictures and post on here.  

[Suresh Hinduja]

Treasures of Andhra

Quote

Grandma used to make it, the neighbours make it occasionally, roadside bandis have it; the one thing common to the food is it is not available when you want it. We are talking about food items like: ullavala kodi, kanda bacchali koora, jonna rottelu and pesara punugulu.

Quote

You have heard of gourmands singing paeans to natu kodi (country chicken), a similar if lesser-known thing is potla lamb, a lamb that grazes the dry grasslands of Telangana and stays lean and succulent. This is the secret of podi mamsam and palleturu mamsam, which are at once delicately fragranced and tenderly cooked

Potla Lamb? That's a new one on me.   ???

Sekhar, what is Nune Puntikura?

[Sekhar]

I do not know the English name for Puntikura...it is a leafy vegetable very much like Gongura from the Andhra region (I am from the Telangana region) of AP. Some say they are different but I find them quite similar.

Nune Puntikura, is the leaves in a curry format, no fancy spices, just green chillies, onions.. and we also add a little bit of split chana dal at home. A bit heavy on oil, peanut oil preffered. Superb with Jonna Rotte (jowar roti) or even plain rice!

We used to take this along on journeys as it survives well.

[Suresh Hinduja]

Hyderabadi Baghare Baingan
Saute onions with jeera powder and garam masala till transculent and grind to a smooth paste with de-skinned peanuts, red chilli 'seeds' and ginger+garlic. Soak slit baingan(stems on) in salt and saute in a  little oil till almost cooked. Add the paste with some tamarind water and cook covered till done.  

Options: Use whole Red chillis or Green Chillis to obtain a different hue for the gravy.

How's that for a short and simple recipe.

[Suresh Hinduja]

Pulasu ?

Quote

Some days the fish is not at all available. If it is a Sunday, a 2-kg fish fetches Rs 1,000. The same fish will cost not more than Rs 500 on other days.

Anybody here knows wot eet ees?

[Suresh Hinduja]

Last night's dinner was outsourced from Shreedevi Andhra restaurant (CMH road, Indiranagar)

Andhra Carrier meal(takeaway @ Rs. 100 + Rs 95 for the fish) with a side order of Korameenu Pulusu. It was enough to serve 4 people and had rice to feed a small starving army of north Indians (like me)

The fish looked evil, very evil. It was. Even today morning.

3 katoris - Sambar, Rasam, Fire extinguisher
Papad, Pickle, a cluster bean something, Dal, Fish, Rice, 2 tongue soothers.


The restaurant should renamed as Shreedevil. Very Tasty food.

Sekhar/Anyone, what fish is Korameenu?

[Nichiro]

Dear Suresh,

I always refer to Andhra food as EO&ET cusine.

Eat Once & Enjoy Twice

Try Gandhinagar Andhra food eateries. You would like the food there.

Nichiro

[Suresh Hinduja]

Quote

Talking of Masalas, going way off topin in this photo blog, there is a particular kind of whole masala mix you can find imho, only in my part of Telangana.

It consists of Putana (putnaalu), elaichi, lavang, dalchini, dhania seeds, raathi-pootha (think this 'fungus' was discussed elsewhere on the site), shahi jeera and several other dried herbs and seeds I can not identify.

I'ts usually sold in the weekend markets - Santha - in the larger villages which try to be Towns. In our case this occurs on Sundays in the nearby town.

Sekhar, what is putana?

[Sekhar]

It's roasted bengal gram.

[Sekhar]

Dry Coconut & Khus Khus Mutton Curry

Mutton                   1 Pound
Onions                    2 Large - chopped
Green Chillies           5 (according to taste) - slit
Fresh G+G Paste      2 Tsp
Chilli Powder            2 Tsp (according to taste)        
Turmeric                 1 Tsp
Grated Dry Coconut  4 Tbsp
Khus Khus               1 1/2 Tbsp
Cinnamon Sticks       3 Medium
Cardamom               4 -5
Cloves                    5-6
Shahijeera               1 Tsp
Garam Masala Pwdr   1 Tsp
Oil                         3 Tbsp
Salt                       According to taste
Lemon Juice            1 Tbsp

Marinate mutton in G+G paste, yogurt, chilli powder, turmeric and salt for a couple of hours. The marinade is separate from the above ingredients. We added raw papaya powder to tenderize the meat, which is optional.

Dry roast grated coconut till it turns a light brown, seperately dry roast khus khus seeds and then grind both adding a little water as needed to make a thick paste.

Heat oil and add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and as they start to pop add shahijeera. Add onions and chillies and saute till onions turn golden. Add G+G Paste, turmeric and chilli powder, and then mutton. Cook or pressure cook till mutton is tender.

Add salt, garam masala powder and coconut+khus khus paste and cook for a few minutes, add lemon juice.

Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, till oil separates.

Great with roti or plain white rice or a side to a biryani that did not meet expectations......

PS: Add more onion or a little water for desired consistency.

Strictly speaking, this is a Telangana recipe.

[bague25]

Thank you Shekar & Vandana!

[Sekhar]

(Post inspired by the Baingan Bharta discussion in the Bengal Foodways thread    )

Home (mine) Style Eggplant:

Rough grind red onion and Thai green chillies. Cut eggplant (preferably the small round green variety you get in Thai / Chinese stores) into long slices and drop in salt water.

Heat a little peanut oil, one with some flavor in it if available, add some jeera and mustard seeds. Now add the onion+chilli paste, and fry for a while, remove eggplant slices from the salt water, add and fry till the eggplant is almost tender. If necessary add a little water. Add a little gur and salt to taste.

Cover and cook for afew minutes. Before removing from the stove add roasted sesame powder (medium coarse) and mix.

Serve with Jowar roti / phulka.

Wheat chapati or phulka are OK too.

[Sekhar]

Not really 'Andhra', but from AP, Kabab aur Roti vendor near Charminar - Hyderabad. From my visit last year:

[Suresh Hinduja]

That's a huge Roti ! What is it called there?

[Sekhar]

ceo, on 29 Nov.  2007, 11:43, said:

That's a huge Roti ! What is it called there?

Rumaali Roti.

This one has ghee/oil in it but the one I like best is from the Nizam Club, no oil or ghee very thin and dryish. Huge, but  folded like a kerchief.

[Suresh Hinduja]

Isn't it a bit on the thicker side?

OTOH most places here in Bangalore make it thick too.  

[Sekhar]

I guess they are catering to folks who want to have a 'full' meal.

[Sekhar]

Extreme close up of the Kababs:

[Gautam]

Sekhar,

Who is Renuka Choudhary, Minister of Child Welfare & Development? What is her Andhra connection? From Khammam, her cv reads. Who is her husband? Where does the "Choudhary" come from? Her Hindi is perfect and fluent, like a native speaker! She has been applauded for her openness as Tourism Minister.

I was so totally impressed by her, as a natural-born cooking teacher, and representative for Andhra Pradesh cooking and in general.

Thanks much.

She also is/was the Minister of Tourism about whom i wrote in the original post, upthread.

Looking at ther physique stature and general toughness, I have no difficulty bellieveing the following!

http://timesofindia....how/1016522.cms

Quote

 Choudhary was accused of beating up a traffic cop who stopped her from taking a road which was closed due to security reasons for the PM's motorcade. The court has fixed March 15 for framing of charges.

She is an amazing woman, great personality, even on TV.

[Sekhar]

Ah the Firebrand!

Did you get a chance to meet her?

http://en.wikipedia....enuka_Chowdhury

http://164.100.24.20...a.asp?mpsno=100

I had no idea her talents extend to teaching cooking!