A sneak peek into Cooking at Home with Pedatha, a book of vegetarian recipes from 85 year-old Subhadra Krishna Rau Parigi's Andhra kitchen

The oldest offspring of former Indian president Dr V V Giri, Subhadra Krishna Rau Parigi is fondly called Pedatha (eldest aunt) by family and friends. Pedatha used to love watching her mother Saraswathi Bai cook for family and illustrious guests, and imbibed her skills. In Cooking at Home with Pedatha (Pritya; Rs 450; 87 pages), Pedatha's nephew's wife Jigyasa Giri and family friend Pratibha Jain detail this culinary legacy, putting down on paper some time-tested recipes. We present two of them - they make a sumptuous meal when served with steamed rice.

CURRY LEAF CHUTNEY

For this dish, called Karivepaku Pachchadi in Tamil, choose fresh, tender leaves for this blend of nutrition and flavour.

Ingredients

• Curry leaves: 2 cups
• Thick tamarind pulp: 3 tbsp
• Jaggery (optional): 1 tbsp
• Oil: 4 tbsp
• Salt to taste

1st tempering

• Split black gram (husked): 1 1/2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds: 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Red chillies: 8-10; nicked at tail with stalks retained
• Asafoetida powder or paste: 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves: 1cup; chopped roughly

2nd tempering

• Split black gram (husked): 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Method

Wash the curry leaves and pat dry. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok on a low flame and roast the curry leaves until crisp. Ensure they remain green. Set aside. In another wok, heat one-and-a-half tbsp oil for the first tempering. Add the gram; as it turns golden, add the mustard and then the cumin. Switch off the flame and add red chillies. As they turn bright red, stir in the remaining ingredients for the 1st tempering. Grind this along with curry leaves, tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt into a coarse paste. Do not add water while grinding. Heat the remaining oil for the second tempering. Add the gram; as it turns golden, pop the mustard. Garnish the chutney with this crunchy tempering. If you want to preserve for a longer period, avoid the coriander leaves.

DAL WITH BANANA STEM

Called Aratidhoota Pappu, this preparation is served with steamed rice and a spicy pachchadi.

Ingredients

• Banana stems: 1 cup; chopped
• Split red gram: 1 cup
• Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind pulp: 4 tbsp
• Jaggery (optional): 2-3 tsp
• Oil: 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Tempering

• Split black gram (husked): 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds: 1 tsp
• Red chillies: 1-2; nicked at tail with stalks retained
• Curry leaves: 7-8, include the stem
• Asafoetida powder: 1 tsp

Method

Pressure-cook the red gram (you can substitute this with husked green gram) in three cups of water to a very soft consistency. If the cooked gram is too thick, add 1/2 cup water. Churn well and set it aside. Discard the outer layer of the banana stem and chop it into thick, round slices. As you chop, discard the fibrous strands and soak the pieces in buttermilk or water to avoid any discolouration. Wash well and dice into small pieces. In a wok, heat oil for tempering. Add the gram; as it turns golden, add mustard and then fenugreek seeds. Lower the flame and as the fenugreek browns, add red chillies. As they turn bright red, stir in the curry leaves and asafoetida. Add the chopped banana stem and stir for a minute. Add turmeric powder, tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt and cook until the vegetable is well done. Finally, add cooked gram and simmer for few minutes.

Dr Pushpesh Pant is away; he will be back with mouth-watering recipes next month

Featured in Harmony Magazine
November 2006