Rava Appalu ~ Festive Sweet Fritters

Appalu are deep fried sweetened dough prepared as naivedyam (food offered to God) during festivals. Anything deep fried is definitely delicious :P, so are these.

These can be made of rice flour or semolina/suji/rava. Rava appalu are crusty outside and chewy inside. Traditionally, the recipe calls for cooking rava in water, but my MIL’s recipe includes milk which carries the taste to a divine level.

Ragi Idly

What could be a better way than to start your day with this healthy breakfast? Ragi idli is nutritious and delicious too.

Ragi, also known as finger millet is a remarkable source of protein and rich in dietary fiber. It has the highest amount of calcium and potassium. Being low in fat and gluten free, ragi is easy to digest. As ragi idli is steamed, it retains most of the nutrients, and of course is oil-free. 

Bellam Paramaannam ~ Rice Jagerry Pudding

Paramaannam literally meaning Param-Annam (Food of God), is made in most Andhra homes on special occasions and festivals. Every Indian state has its own version. Traditionally, it is made by cooking rice and milk together in an open pot for a very long time, and sweetened with jaggery. However, I always use pressure cooker, which saves time.

Spice it up with a pinch of nutmeg, and notice that the taste reaches a different new level. This is a lip smacking pudding when served warm or cold.

Coconut Chutney

How can anyone forget to serve this perfect accompaniment with idli or dosa! Coconut chutney has originated from South India, and each family has their own variation of making it. This is a must go with idli, dosa, utappam, medu vada, pongal, and many more breakfast and / snack dishes at any restaurant. This so delicious chutney has fast spread across the country, and is now most commonly prepared in every Indian house-hold.

Fresh coconut is ground with roasted chana dal and green chillies, and is tempered with few spices to give that extra edge. This is so simple and can be made in a jiffy. As per your taste buds, it can be made mild / extra hot.

Amrakhand or Mango Shrikhand

Amrakhand or mango shrikhand is a very common Indian sweet dish made of hung yogurt/curd and mango puree. Shrikhand is sweetened, strained yogurt, which is famous in Maharastrian and Gujarati cuisine. This can be made in various flavors, and most popular of these is amrakhand, which is made by blending mango pulp with plain shrikhand.

Amrakhand tastes best when chilled, so make it in advance and let it chill overnight. Garnish with some chopped dried nuts just before serving.

Peanut Chutney

Peanut/groundnut chutney is an excellent accompaniment with idli and dosa. This is a quick and spicy dip to go well with the south Indian breakfast dishes when you fall short of coconut. 

These nuts can be enjoyed roasted, boiled, salted, or sweetened. Boiling, in fact, enriches their nutritional and antioxidants profile. Peanuts are rich in monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-health. It is said that peanuts are good source of vitamin E, niacin, folate, protein and manganese. Niacin is an important B vitamin that helps to convert food to energy, aids with the digestive and nervous system, and helps the skin.

Andhra Tomato Pappu - Seasoned Lentils with Tomatoes

Dal is an ultimate comfort food in most of Indian homes and tomato pappu/dal is a basic dal variant of Andhra cuisine.  Pappu is basically a Telugu word which means dal. This is our family favorite and goes well with hot steamed rice and any vegetable stir fry or just with papads.

Tomatoes are fruits in a botanical sense, but they don't have the sweetness like other fruits. Instead they have a subtle sweetness that is complemented by a slightly bitter and acidic taste. These come in over a thousand different varieties that vary in shape, size, and color. There are small cherry tomatoes, bright yellow tomatoes, Italian pear-shaped tomatoes, and the green tomatoes.