Gongura mamsam

   There always used to be five to six types of spinach around my place, though I always end up buying palak, methi.  I, got intrigued with puntikura, after an taste of gongura chutney at my mother's place.  So, when I asked an fellow lady, who, I chanced upon picking these, she told me that they used to add in gosht prepartions.

So, I happily picked these and left home.  With my 'The Essential Andhra Cookbook' handy, I zeroed over an recipe called Chigoor ka salan.  Though these were made of tamarind leaves, this recipe also suggested any addition of spinach.  So, I nailed it replacing tamarind with gongura.  This curry had an high sour quotient along with balanced spice and salt.   This was completely unique,  and we did enjoy this as an family.   Do try and let us know.  

Gutti Wonkai - Andhra styled Stuffed brinjal in a tangy sauce

     Brinjal is not so pampered member of our kitchen.  They are utmost relished as spicy biriyani rice or as an curry.  They were in need of an desparate lift and this is why I bumped into one of my precious collections, 'The Essential Andhra Cookbook' by Bilkees I. Latif.  This book has various dishes as Hyderabadi and Telangana specialities.

So browsing under the vegetarian section, I got this Gutti Wonkai.  The ingredients were as simple, as to find in any South Indian Kitchen.  With sambhar and rice made, I moved on to make these.  Green chilly and coriander imparted an nice flavour to the brinjals.  And they tasted great with rice, though recipe suggested with roti.  After an good review from my mate, this is going to be an regular menu at our kitchen. Let's move on to the recipe.

Nattukodi pulusu

      I like to view day-to-day offers from snapdeal, which is a website offering  discounts on lots of categories like Mobile, computer, cameras, accessories, clothing etc.  Every weekend my hubby would watch out for sunday buffet at hyderabad through snapdeal, as they display awesome and discounted buffet menu prices on many places... The most interesting part in snapdeal is that they even reimburse the money paid by us if we are not satisfied by the service received by snapdeal suggested places. Isn't it great??? :) Go ahead and make this website as part of ur online service....

Now coming back to our awesome pulusu,  pulusu is most important liquid meal of Andhra cuisine.  The major component added  in any 'pulusu' dish is Buttermilk/Imli, in order to impact a sour taste. This watery sour stew used to be prepared by villagers during sankranti festive.   Country chicken is cooked with onion, tomato, imli, kaalimirch and other home available ingredients on mud pots.  Though cooking on mud pots takes a longer time (than indalium-based or aluminium based cookwares) the claypot impacts a heavenly flavour on the dish, by itself.  The food cooked on mud pots is quite refreshing and does not need too much of fat/oil to do the sauting,, so  I must say that mud pot is a 'blessing in disguise'

     Though I didn't find a place to look for country chicken here at hydi, I did find a mud pot  :)  :)  I hereby, finally present u  broiler-chicken mingled with traditional pulusu spices, cooked on  simmer flamed mud pot.