Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Andhra Bhojanam

My memories still wander around my Nanamma’s (father’s mother in Telugu) lovely home, where her kitchen opened into a beautiful wide backyard with Tulasi madam (place where Tulasi plant is worshiped), hibiscus plants, and coconut trees. In 1990’s I spent most of my childhood at my grandmother’s.

My Nanamma’s home was always busy with guests and relatives. She never used to get tired cooking for a large crowd. She was filled with energy and her kitchen was a lovely place to sit and have long chats. I come from a Telugu Brahmin family settled in Tamilnadu, so my Nanamma was an expert in both Telugu and Tamilian cuisine. Being a very strict and principled person, my Nanamma never allowed anyone inside her kitchen without completing the morning rituals such as bathing, praying, etc. Early in the morning, my cousins and I used to wait for her famous filter coffee, which would mesmerize the whole house with its aroma

During family gatherings, 10-12 cousins used to sit in a big circle in the backyard. Nanamma used to mix rice and curry for all of us in one big bowl and make Annam Mudda (rice ball prepared by mixing any curry with hot steamed rice and ghee). It used to be a very satisfying meal, which still lingers in my memory. Andhra is famous for cultural heritage, arts, crafts, festivals and food.

Some of famous Andhra paintings and handicraft works are Kalamkari, Bidri, Nirmal paintings.

This is a beautiful Konadapalli bomma. Bomma means doll. Some famous saris of Andhra are Pochampalli, Gadwal, Venkatagiri saris. Who ever visits Andhra never fails to buy them.

The soft wood available in many parts of the State is used in doll and toy making as well. The wooden figures are painted in bright colors that are pleasing to the eye Kondapalli is a small village in Krishna district and it is here that toys and dolls that have won international acclaim are made. The simple-looking Dolls depict the typical rural Indian life. Kondapalli dolls take the shape of humans, birds, animals and fruits The craftsmen of Nirmal too take advantage of the locally-available soft wood to carve brightlycoloured vegetables, fruits and animals. Wooden dolls are made of the soft Poniki or Ankudu wood and Etikoppaka in Visakhapatnam district is another centre that makes exquisite dolls with a rustic touch. Shopping for bangles in the narrow bazaars of the Old City Hyderabad is an experience one should not miss. Lac is used to manually create designs on glass bangles and the array in which they come is mind boggling. More romantic are the names given to sets of bangles by the local sellers. Hyderabad is also known as the city of pearls Though not close to the sea, Hyderabad has had a flourishing trade in pearls, as the Golconda kingdom was famous for its diamonds. The processing of pearls has been skillfully mastered in Hyderabad in that craftsmen can sort, refine and polish pearls with ease. Here is a beautiful handcrafted bag . The state is also famous for celebrating all kind of festival of with equal pomp and gaiety. Be it the age old traditional Hindu festivals or the Muslim festivity of brotherhood or Christmas. The diversity of the state is manifested in its people, languages, religions and cultures.

When we say Authentic Andhra food, it starts with Pachadi and podis which are of wide range. Pickles are also called as pachadis. Mango avakaya, gongura, dosa avakaya, ripe red chilli peppers pickle, nimakaya (lemon), allam (ginger) pachadi and many more have a longer shelf life. The other kind of pachadi with a weeks shelf life are kothmira (cilantro), tomato pachadi, Kandi pachadi, kobbari (coconut) pachadi, peanut pachadi, and many more. Pachadis are also made with yogurt like bendakaya perugu pachadi (okra yoghurt pachadi), vankaya perugu pachadi (egg plant yoghurt pachadi), carrot/ tomato, perugu pachadi. Even raw vegetable salads are called pachadis.

When summer begins in Andhra, we can see women in every household preparing pickles and vadiyalu (rice crispies). Every body must have heard of Hyderabad biriyani. Some of the other mughali dishes famous in Hyderabad are Sheermal, a local variety of bread, tandoori rotis, bagara baingan, mirchi ke salan and lot of other vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

Sheer Khorma is the milky vermicelli sweet popular in Hyderabad, other dessert delicacies include "Double-ka-meetha (a bread pudding)" and "Khubani-ka-meetha", a syrupy speciality made with apricots and lots of sugar. In other parts of Andhra, a rice and milk delicacy is "ksheerannam" in which jaggery (gur) and powdered cardamom enhance the taste. These are some dessert varieties I have brought in front of you a traditional Telugu Brahmin Bhojanam, where the recipes don’t have garlic and onions. I prepared most of the recipes which are derived from my family members like, mother, mother-in-law, husband, father and friends. Kobbari Karam podi (coconut red chilli powder)

This podi is eaten with hot rice and ghee/oil.

Ingredients

2 cup roasted Bengal gram dal (putnala pappu in telugu) 1 cup dry coconut 2 tbsp cumin seeds 4-5 dry red chillies Salt to taste Preparation Dry roast the roasted Bengal gram dal, cumin, red chillies, coconut, individually in a heavy bottomed pan. They all should be roasted on medium heat and should not turn dark. Grind them all together in to powder by adding salt . Kobbari karam podi is ready to go with rice. Kandhi Pachadi Kandhi means thoor dal. This is a pachadi made of thoor dal and coconut which is relished with rice. I learnt to make this pachadi from my husband. Ingredients ½ cup thoor dal (kandhi pappu in telugu) 1 cup fresh coconut 1 cup tamarind water 4-5 dry red chillies Salt

For Tempering

½ tsp mustard seed 1 tsp urad dal (black gram) 1/3 tsp fenugreek Curry leaves Dry red chillies Asafetida

Preparation Dry roast the thoor dal in a deep bottomed pan on medium heat, until it turns slight reddish color. Also roast red chillies for a few minutes. Grind together thoor dal, coconut, dry chillies and salt by adding very little tamarind water. Don’t add water. This pachadi has to be thick. So to blend in all the ingredients well by adding only tamarind water. This way the shelf life of the pachadi increases for a week. Now temper the pachadi with the given ingredients and enjoy with hot rice. Dosa Avakaya (yellow cucumber/Melon cucumber pickle) Dosa Avakai is an old Andhra culinary tradition that is closely similar to the famous Andhra Avakai or Mango Pickle. The main difference is that dosa avakai is ready to eat within 24 hours of preparing the pickle, while Andhra avakai takes one week.

Ingredients 1 cup of dosakaya (melon cucumber) 4 tbsp mustard seeds 4 tbsp chilli powder 1 1/2 cup Salt or lesser 2 tsp turmeric ½ tsp asafetida 1/3 cup oil Preparation

Wash a medium sized dosakaya (melon Cucumber) well and wipe it with a dry cloth before cutting. Cut it into two halves, de-seed and again cut them in to small pieces Approx 1″ size, along with the skin. Powder the mustard seed along with chilli powder and salt. (We powder mustard seeds with chilli powder and salt because if mustard is ground alone it might turn oily and sticky.) The combination of all these dry ingredients is an aromatic spice mix called the avalu pindi in Telugu, which means mustard powder. Mix these spices along with turmeric, asafoetida in a wide bowl. To this, add dosakaya pieces and mix well. Add oil and mix slowly and gently until all the pieces of cucumber are coated well. Transfer the pickle into a clean airtight jar. Leave it for 24 hours and next day gently toss the pickle with a ladle. The cucumber absorbs the spices and is ready to eat with rice and ghee. Dosa avakai is best consumed within 2-3 weeks of preparation.

Vankaya Masala Kura (egg plant masala subzi) I learnt this delicious kura from my mother-in law. Small sized eggplant is pampered in tamarind sauce and blend of masalas to make a mouthwatering kura. Ingredients 10 small sized eggplant 1/2 cup thick tamarind water For Masala 2tbsp coriander seeds 1tbsp chana dal (Bengal gram) 1tbsp urad dal (black gram) ¼ cup coconut (dry) 1tsp cumin seed ½ tsp fenugreek seeds 1tbsp sesame seed 4-5 dry red chillies ¼ tsp asafetida

For tempering

½ tsp mustard seeds Curry leaves Preparation In a deep, heavy bottomed pan, dry roast all the masala ingredients together except asafetida. Lovely aroma arises from all those ingredients. Roast them on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Grind them all together into a coarse powder. Not a fine one.

In another pan add 3tbsp oil and temper with mustard and curry leaves. Add the medium cut eggplant to it. Sauté for a few seconds and add tamarind water, salt, turmeric and cover with lid to cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and let the moisture evaporate out of the pan. Do not over cook the eggplants. Once you find them done add the masala to it and fold them carefully so that the eggplant doesn’t break. Simmer the heat cover with lid and leave it for another 10 minutes. That’s it, Vankaya masala kura is ready. Vaamu-Bangaala dumpa fry (carom seed-potato fry) This is my mom’s special. She makes this fry which goes great with rice or roti. Potato is called bangaala dumpa in telugu. Ingredients 2 cups Boiled potatoes 1tsp carom seeds (vaamu in telugu/ ajwain in Hindi) 1tsp red chilli powder ½ tsp turmeric ½ tsp urad dal (black gram) ½ tsp chana dal (Bengal gram) Salt Curry leaves Oil Preparation In to a pan add about 3-4 tbsp oil. When oil get warmer, add carom seeds, urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves and let it get golden brown. Aroma arises from carom seeds. Now add medium cut potatoes. You can either add raw potato or boiled potatoes. My mom adds boiled potatoes. Any thing would taste great. To the potatoes add chilli powder, turmeric and salt and sauté. The potatoes should get fried on medium high heat with regular tossing so that they don’t get burnt. All the sides of the potato should get crispy and golden brown. Dosakaya Pappu (melon cucumber dal) With the same dosakaya, a dal variety is made to relish with rice. This is called dosakaya pappu. Pappu in telugu means dal. There are a lot of other dal varieties in Andhra to be had with rice like palak kura pappu made with palak(spinach), menthi aaku pappu (methi leaves), and even lot of veggies are blend in with dal to make delicious dals. Ingredients 1 cup dosakaya (skin peeled off) 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes 1 cup thoor dal (cooked) 1cup tamarind water Green chillis 1tsp Coriander powder 1tsp Turmeric Fresh cilantro chopped Salt

For tempering

½ tsp mustard seeds ½ cumin seeds ½ tsp urad dal (black gram dal) Dry red chillies Curry leaves Asafetida Preparation In a heavy, deep bottomed pan add 2 tsp of oil and add the dosakaya pieces. Also add salt and turmeric, fold them all together and cover it with lid and cook for 10-15 minutes. In another sauce pan add tamarind water, a little salt, turmeric, coriander powder, green chillies, tomatoes and bring it to boil. Add the cooked thoor dal to this. Also add the cooked dosakaya and bring it to boil. Remove from heat, add fresh cilantro and temper. Nimakaya rasam (lemon rasam) My dad makes this rasam for us and it tastes simply heavenly. This rasam does not require tamarind. It’s quite simple yet very comforting. Ingredients 1cup cooked thoor dal 1cup water One lemon ½ cup chopped tomatoes 2 tsp Rasam powder ½ tsp Turmeric Salt Fresh Cilantro

For tempering

½ tsp mustard seed ½ tsp cumin seed Curry leaves Asafetida Oil Preparation Combine water to thoor dal, add salt, turmeric, rasam powder, tomato and bring it to boil on medium heat. After it has boiled well simmer the heat add the lemon juice of one lemon. If you want a little tangier you can add more lemon juice. Also add fresh cilantro and temper. Delicious Nimakaya rasam is ready. Chitrannam Chitrannam is variety rice in Andhra made for festivals and special occasions. They are lemon pulihara, tamarind pulihara, coconut pulihora and daddhojanam (yogurt rice). In this list I made two special varieties, the coconut rice and daddhojanam.

Kobbari palu posina kobbari annam ( coconut rice made of coconut milk) One of my friends gave me the idea of how to make it. 1cup rice ½ cup coconut milk 11/2 cup water

For tempering

½ tsp mustard seed 1 tsp chana dal (Bengal gram) 1 tsp urad dal (black gram) 1 tsp groundnuts (peanuts) 2tbsp chopped cashews 2tbsp raisins Red dry chilli Curry leaves 1tsp chopped ginger 1/4 cup Grated coconut Preparation You have to be very careful on the coconut milk water ratio as the rice might get over cooked. To ½ cup of coconut milk add 2 cups of water. I used canned coconut milk which is very thick so diluted it.

For making coconut milk at home, Soak 1 grated coconut in 2 1/2 cups water for 1 hour. Grind in a mixer using same water. Strain to extract the milk. Repeat process with the residue twice. Press out till residue is crumbly. The milk prepared at home has water content in it so 2 1/2 cups can be used with rice to cook rice.When the rice gets cooked, let it cool. In a pan add 3tbsp oil and temper with given ingredients. Add grated coconut at last, add salt and lower the heat. Add the rice and fold them all together and remove from stove.I had prepared this recipe for the first time, with the entire ratio in my head and no reference. So the rice had got a little over cooked. Best would be to use home made coconut milk and fresh coconut rather than canned milk. Chakkara pongali (Sweet pongal) Ingredients 1 cup rice 1/3 cup moong dal (pesara pappu, split green gram) 3 cups water 4tbsp ghee (clarified butter) ½ cup jaggery dissolved in ¼ cup water 1tsp crushed cardamom 3 tbsp cashews 3 tbsp raisins Preparation Pressure cook the rice and moong dal together adding water. In a pan heat the jaggery with water until it gets viscous. Separately fry cashews and raisins in ghee and keep aside. Add cardamom powder to the jaggery pan along with 4 tbsp ghee and add cooked rice/moong dal mix. Fold them all together. Add more ghee if required. Also add cashews and raisins to this.

I was in a rush to make so many items so didn’t use some steps. Here are some tips, use fried coconut chunks too to enhance the flavor. Roast the dal and rice in a skillet before pressure, for a lovely finish. If cooking on stove top add 31/2 cups water and 2tsp ghee to it. Daddojanam (Yogurt rice) Ingredients 1cup cooked rice 1 cup thick yogurt ¼ cup whole milk Salt

For tempering

½ tsp mustard seed ¼ tsp fenugreek seed 1tsp chana dal (Bengal gram) 1tsp urad dal(black gram) 2tsp groundnuts (peanuts) 2tsp cashews 2 tsp raisins 2 tsp chopped ginger 2tsp chopped green chillies 1-2 dry red chillies Curry leaves Chopped cilantro Oil

For garnish

Pomegranate seeds Grated carrot Preparation Mix the rice with yogurt and milk. Remember the rice should be warm. Add salt and keep aside. In a skillet add 3tbsp oil and add all the ingredients one by one in the sequence as given for tempering. Mix this tempered ingredients to the yoghurt rice and garnish with pomegranate seeds and grated carrot. Yummy daddojanam is ready.

Rest of the dishes on the banana leaf are, Garelu ( Urad dal vada), kobbari pachadi (Coconut chutney), ripe mango pieces, gongura pickle and avakaya pickle, mudda pappu (thick dal) and Plain rice. The Gongura and Avakaya pickles were made and sent from India. Will give the recipe when I make them myself.

Janthikalu I had also made Janthikalu also called as chakli or murukulu. Call it murukku, Janthikalu or chakli, there is nothing like eating this crispy and crunchy snack with a crackling noise. The other day my husband was telling me about his school days in his hometown. He used to come home from school and find these huge tins of janthikalu made and stored by his mother. He also mentioned that they used to never miss it while having tea. I thought of making some for him the next evening when he arrives from office to give him a good surprise. Ingredients 3 cups rice flour 1 cup besan flour (Gram flour) 2tbsp-unsalted butter 2tsp sesame seeds 1tsp Ajwain/ vaamu (carom seeds) 1tsp chilli powder 1tsp salt. Oil for deep-frying Preparation

Mix up all the ingredients in to dough and press it inside the murukku mold. For easy lubrication apply oil on the inner surface of the mold and fill in the dough. Heat oil in a deep wok or frying pan and press the dough with the murukku maker into the oil in circular manner. Be careful not to be too close to the oil as the hot steam from the oil might burn your hands. Remove from oil when they turn golden brown. I tried making some different shapes called the ribbon murukku and plain murukku.

Here is a palate filled with Pulla Reddy sweets. Pulla reddy sweets are very famous in Andhra. My friends got them for us from India. This post is my Contribution to RCI Andhra hosted by Latha of Masala Magic.

Also a small contribution for the letter "R", "Lemon Rasam" goes to Nupur's A-Z of Indian Vegetables .

77 comments:

Reena said...

sharmi, i am always amazed seeing your RCI entry. how do you manage to cook such a tasty and huge spread. i have already bookmarked a few to try. you are superb GIRL!!!

---reena
http://spicesofkerala.wordpress.com/

archana said...

I just wrote a comment it vanished.
Your RCI entry is superb. You are gr8.
It is lunch time here so you can imagine my plight.The banana leaf laden with goodies is right there but I can't taste it:(
Photos and recipes are too good. Good work Sharmi :)

Roopa said...

Sharmi, again i am...ooooooooooooo..drooling at the pictures. Your hubby and son must have enjoyed their meal.
fantastic entry for RCI!

Padma said...

Its a feast going on here! The photos are good and can imagine the amount of hard work put into it.
Feel like going India....Padma

FH said...

Sharmi,great to see the post.Excellent presentation.I will save the whole page and look at it again later.Great job girl.Hugs.

Aruna said...

Sharmi, What a great feat u have cooked up!!! Amazing!!! soo many recipes wow!! Great job.

www.themistressofspices.wordpress.com

Mishmash ! said...

The whole of Andhra in one single post ! Superb !! How long it took you to prepare all this ?? Got some energy left now ? :)

Shn

Suganya said...

Hay it is a great feast..... Excellent job. Gorgeous entry for RCI...Superb job..

TNL said...

That is a delicious spread of Andhra Food...you're so enthusiastic! I love that.

-trupti

Nupur said...

An exquisite meal, as always! What a beautiful festive spread!

Kribha said...

OMG! OMG! Right now I can keep on saying that. What a feast? You are so great. Fantastic entry.

Richa said...

what a beautiful meal! I need to try many recipes from the spread, better yet how about i come over for the andhra bhojanam :o)
loved those wooden dolls, they are so adorable, i've a similar bag :) those sweets must be really popular have heard about it from so many.

Seema Bhat said...

Sharmi,
How on the earth do you find time to make so much girl. That looks so very authentic and mouth watering. Reminds me of maduve oota( food served on wedding). By the way where did you get the fresh banana leaf in NJ? And Pass me you address and let me know when you are done with your next RCI entry. If its gonna be this way I am surely gonna drop by your place. Great job girl.
hugs on your wonderful job
Seema

sra said...

Sharmi, you worked v hard. And your post shows that!

Shivapriya said...

You got lots n lots of energy to make all these mouthwatering dishes.
Its a treat for everyone. Love the way u presented.
Most of them are my favorites.

Sreelu said...

Sharmi

How did you .. ?
How long did it ..?
How much preparation time ..?
How far do you live from me ?
Too many how's
OMG this is way above, love the food. Just wished I was your neighbour

Sig said...

WOW Sharmi! You go all out for RCI, huh? I am not big into veg dishes, but this spread is inducing some serious drool... I can't even close my mouth!!! What an informative post!!! Where did you find that whole banana leaf?

Inji Pennu said...

ooooooooooooooo maaaaa!

Bowing before you!!!

Pravs said...

oh sharmi.. what a sumpcious andhra bhojanam !! It must have been a grand feast for your family. Everything looks delicious in that banana leaf. Did you have any help to cook all this ?
Beautiful dolls...very nicely presented sharmi... kudos to you !

Madigas said...

Sharmi,

Hats off to you for such elaborate cooking. Why not, when it is coming from a Telugu home right! I have some Andhra display pieces too, I will post them soon.

Yes, I am from Hyd near Mehdi area....

bee said...

what an outstanding effort. hats off to you, sharmi.

Cynthia said...

I am speechless and in awe. You are one fantastic lady, you educate and feed us both at the same time. This entry is awesome. Congrats, Sharmi.

WokandSpoon said...

This is a really fantastic feast! Most of these foods are unfamiliar to me but they look really good. Thanks for your introduction to all these dishes!

Unknown said...

sharmi,
Andhra bojanam yenta bagaa explain chesaaru.
How did u manage to make that much in a day?
hats off to u...

Madhavi

Sia said...

u made my jaw drop and touch the ground with this AMAZING spread shwarmi... superb, amamzing, fantastic, excellent, drool-worthy spread of andhra food and culture. u have done it again girl and i am gonna look forward to ur next RCI spread;)

Anupama said...

Hi Sharmi, first time on your blog and was completely zapped. Are you a super women in disguise. Thats a stupendous depiction of Andhra. it is so colourful and vibrant. That spread on the banana leaf and that dolls wedding procession was simply awesome.

Sharmi said...

Dear friends, thanks a lot for your lovely comments.

Shn, I worked it all out on sunday. the next day I didnt have to make anything.

Seema and Sig, I got the banana leaf from Pathmark stores , International aisle.

Sreelu, it took me half a day to cook all this.:)

Pravs, no help dear. but it was not so tough though.

THANKS AGAIN to all my lovely friends with their valuable comments.

Chef Jeena said...

Hi Sharmi I like your recipes you take a lot of time making your posts nice your pictures look great too :)

Nabeela said...

WOW!!!!!! What an AMAZING entry! You go girl!

shweta said...

Sharmi,
excellent photos and description is wonderful !!!LIek archana said it is lunch time here and I am eating salad! wishing I could just taste one of the pickles !!!
Good Work !! Keep it going !!

Alapana said...

"shadruchulu",thats the word i remembered checking the post:)

Lakshmik said...

Wow Sharmi. That's an amazing post. Thanks for your participation for RCI - Andhra Cuisine.

Viji said...

An authentic recipe collection for the wonderful event. Appreciate your effort in showcasing them. A good job. It depicts your interest. Very nice Sharmi. Viji

Saju said...

Awesome spread! Very interesting reading too. I am surely going to try some of the recipes.

Bharathy said...

Sharmi,where do you get all the energy from?cooking...blogging...visiting other blogs..leaving comments and encouraging them and smartly updating urs as well :O...Awesome work girl..
Brilliant at the same time..you could sense a fellowbloggers absence so well...yeah!!! I was on a break!Came back yest'day..but lots of stuff to do before I blog..great going Shammu!!!

Mahek said...

hi
sharmi
thanks for visiting my blog
you have made such a grand post its a pleasure to read it
best of luck and keep writing.

Pelicano said...

Astounding Sharmi! You have no idea how very much my mouth is watering to try everything here- especially the vankaya masala kura and that dosa avakaya pachadi!

This is a very fascinating cuisine; I am still shocked by the work you have put into this post!

That was very nice of you to make chaklis for your husband- he is a lucky man to have you for his wife! :-)

Manasi said...

What an entry!!! AMAZING!!!
Girl U ROCK!! I am at a loss of words!!! toooooooooo good!!!

Vani said...

Wow! You made all that??!!! Amazing, Sharmi! Everything looks really good and appetizing! Great entry for the RCI! :)

Bong Mom said...

Sharmi
Thats a delightful article. Your heart is into this. First I though maybe there was some festival I missed, but then I see you have done this for RCI. Wow Sharmi great, shall come back and read in detail

P.S. I was a bit busy last week and this week will be a bit busy too but maybe I can at least visit some of my blog buddies

Gattina Cheung said...

what a great post! I know all the food is so good, but once I scroll to the part about jewellery and bag, I'm stunned by instinct :) :)

sunita said...

Wow!!!what a spread!!! Must really commend you on the good job...well done!!

Sharmi said...

Sandeepa, thanks a lot for taking time from your busy schedule and leaving lovely words on my blog. Thanks for being my buddy:)

Thanks a million to all my other buddies too for their valuable comments.

Rajani Rayudu said...

Hi Sharmi,
What a lovely post. Ipude chusa mi post, I don't know how I missed it though.

What a lovely surprise for your hubby. I bet he liked it a lot.

Liked those kondapalli bommalu, next time India ki vellinapudu definetaly will try to buy them apart from getting one wetgrinder for me. List goes on......

Next time dosakaya koda konali, so many in one post....

cheers
rajani

Nanditha Prabhu said...

sharmi, this is the first time im visiting your blog.....what do i say?all the comments lined up above speaks for you rt?i savoured it all with my eyes.....
thanks again for leaving a comment on mine too. it did mean a lot.

Shilpa said...

Ohh thats an awesome thali. How do you manage to cook so many things? I wish I could taste that thali. Its been ages I haven't tasted a complete meal.

Neelam said...

Hi Sharmi, This is my first time to your blog. Your recipes are awesome. You have a great blog and the Andhra Thali on the banana leaf is beautiful!Rasam is one of my favourite!

KF said...

Oh dear I missed lot of things here ,Where I will comment I got confused ..Hmmmmmm U are Great!

marriedtoadesi.com said...

Kalyana Saapaadu! Sharmi, this is fit for a wedding. Seriously, I wish I was there to eat this. Your family must have really appreciated this RCI event. I will be coming back to read this is detail! Way to go!

Kanchana

Revathi said...

oh my my my... What dedication - Hats offfffffff to your spread !! Superb and awesommmeeeee

Raaga said...

Hi,

I married a Telengana brahmin a few months ago... but since my in-laws live in a different city, I don't get to learn too much of the Telugu style of cooking. We do experiment from time to time and when my MIL does give me recipes, its always in Telugu, so my brain switches off after a bit. But you have so many lovely recipes, in English... and the pictures are calling me to try them out.

Lovely blog.

sailaja said...

Simply outstanding!

Prema Sundar said...

Wow sharmi those Andhrafood in the looooooooong banana leaf looks Amazing.u really have lots of patience to cook and post all these recipes.. U are simply great.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sharmi!
That was the perfect Andhra Bhojanam.How cud u make out time to make so many dishes?U r amazing and great.and I wud say urs is the best entry for RCI - ANDHRA CUSINE.KEEP ROCKING!!!

RML said...

Hi sharmi,
This is my first visit to your blog.I am amazed to see your mouth watering Andhra recipes on a plaintain leaf.Awesome presentation!U made me nostalgic by making all my favourites.Grt
work.
Potato fry with vamu is new to me.
Thanku for sharing wonderful recipes.
Madhuri

Siri said...

Sharmi,

Ur post reminded my mom's khana a lot..

thanks....:)

Unknown said...

Hello,
delicious recipes. Can u tell me mouth watering menthi koora pappu?
thank u
Praveena

Sharmi said...

Dear Praveena, Thanks a lot for the comments. Can you send in an email at sharmikomal@gmail.com so that I can give you the recipe.

Unknown said...

Hi

I should really appreciate you for your tremendous work on this.The pictures are too good and just mouth watering.Greatwork..Keep it up...

--Anjana

Unknown said...

Hello sharmi:what a spread! Just was going around ur blog for the first time, fantastic work that you have done! Hats off to you girl!
btw, what is the name of that kondapalli doll that you have..am very curious to know! I have quite a couple of collections of'em.
Thanks for the visual treat!

Sharmi said...

Kay, I could not get to you through your link. the doll does not have a specific name. all the toys are called kondapalli toys as far as I know. I am sorry if am wrong. somebody sent it from India for us. Thanks for the compliments.

srivy said...

Hi Sharmi, this is the first visit t ur blog. im happy u have named it naivedyam.this was one idea i had of making festival foods. and u also have thalis of different regions. truly an indian!i have seen all ur thalis and was wondering what u will put up for andhra thali. andhra being a state with diferent states in it.one complex state like bihar. coastal andhra, telangana and rayalaseema have typically different cuisines and dishes although they all come under andhra meal.by putting the brahmin andhra meal, u have put forth the essence of andhra food. how clever!the spread is marvelous and is comprise of all basic andhra dishes.all telugu speaking people are proud of you! mee vantalu anni chala bagunnayi!

jaey said...

awesome place thanks

orangefan said...

Hi sharmi,

All your recipes looks good.Will try some very soon.Keep posting.Great job!well done

SANGI said...

Hi sharmi,

Doing a grest job.Keep posting many recipes.Will try some of your recipes soon

Thanks

Sag said...

hmmmm
good recipes.. great job..
pics are more interesting.
Hmm i rembered how my mom unsed to prepare kandhipachhadi. But she used to prepare without coconut.. i guess..

Roo said...

reminds me of my lunch at home in india... yummy.... nice post

www.rooathome.blogspot.com

Kay said...

Oh my goodness!!!

You do go all out! :) Oh sharmi, I'm so damn impressed!!

I bow before thee!

Unknown said...

Yummy Blog !!

Linda said...

Dear Sharmi,

I'm not sure how I came to be here tonight, nearly two years after you posted this incredible assortment of delicacies!
I remember being away at the time of RCI: Andhra -- now I am crying over what I missed :)

I hope that you have this beautiful collection burned to a CD and stored away somewhere. It's a priceless work -- well worth saving for your grandchildren.

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful 2009!

Vinodh Valluri said...

Experiment: Blog-walking for good food.
Observation: Traditional Andhra style of cooking without onion and garlic.
Comment: Reminds of home and festivals and marriages...
Result: Excellent source of homely recipes for struggling pure veggie bachelor in USA.
'Salutations to your nanamma and you.'
Vin

lucky said...

hi everybody its very nice to have telugu vantalu on net that too with pictures as a learner its very nice and wonderful site for me thanking u!

Vidya Mali said...

Hi sharmi,
Amazing i like to try Andhra food let me try all the recipes
Thanks a lot
vidya

manadhii said...

Hi..This is Manadhii....Hay it is a great feast..... Excellent job. Gorgeous entry for RCI...Superb job.. Naivedhyam,Special Festival Recipes

Unknown said...

Sharmi,

Awesome! U've simply presented my childhood memories in ur menu and ofcourse the pics..the count of the cousins, the menu., O gosh! Gud old days! Those servings in a banana leaf would always remain far ahead of the porcelain plates or a buffet or an alacarte that we adopted from the West.

Aarati said...

Hi Sharmi,

That was some spread...looks so delicious & yummy. I am sure your house too has the same loving enviornment as you described of your Nanamma. That love brings out the best in cooking. Even simple recepies made with love tase so good. Keep it up Sharmi & share your recepies.

Cheers!!
Aarati

SweetKaramKapi said...

Hey shrami, what a wonderful one! OMG such a long one! I cant even imagine the time you would have took for it! This would be a great one for my event,


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