Palate pleasures: Sankranti favourites

The kites are out in the stalls and there is a festive buzz in the air. The harvest festival, Sankranti, is here. While the kids get busy buying kites, here are a few recipes that you can prepare at home for the festival.

The Chakarapongal is a must during Sankranti down South and the Natukodi Pulusu and Dumpudu Mamsam are delicacies from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Andhra Pradesh: Natukodi Pulusu

Ingredients

• 500 gm Natukodi (country chicken)
• 3 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 cups grated onions
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 tsp red chilli powder-
• Salt to taste
• 2 sprigs of coriander
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• Oil as needed
• For the garam masala
• 4 tsp of coriander seeds
• 2 tsp khus khus
• 7 cloves
• 6 cardamoms
• 2 inch cinnamon
• 1 star anise
• Pound all the masala ingredients to make fine powder.

Method
To the chicken, add half of the grated onions, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt and chilli powder. Mix well and set aside to marinate. Heat oil in a pan, add the remaining onions and curry leaves, stir well until golden brown. Add the chicken to it and let it fry for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the fried chicken to a cooker, add water, cover the lid and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes or till there are four whistles. After it cools down, open the lid and add three spoons of the garam masala and cook for another five minutes. Later add coriander leaves and serve.

Andhra Pradesh: Chakarapongal

Ingredients

• ½ cup rice
• 3 tbsp moong dal
• ¾ cup jaggery (depends on the sweetness)
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• Cashews and nuts for garnish
• A few pieces of dried coconut
• A pinch of pachai karpooram (edible camphor)
• Ghee adequate for frying
• 2 ½ cups of water

Method
Heat a pan and add ½ tsp of ghee and roast the moong dal till it turns  golden brown. Wash the rice twice. In a pressure cooker, add the rice, water and roasted moong dal and cook it till there are  four whistles. After the rice is cooked, remove the lid of the cooker and mash the rice. Keep aside. Heat a pan over a medium flame and add the cashews, nuts and small pieces of coconut and roast till they turn golden brown. Remove and set aside. In the pan, add jaggery and pour a little water. When the jaggery is dissolved, add the mashed rice and dal and mix well. Mix the rice mixture to spread the jaggery evenly while keeping the flame low. Add ghee slowly and stir for four to five minutes. Finally add the fried cashews and nuts, powdered cardamom, and a pinch of edible camphor  powder for fragrance.

Telangana: Dumpudu Mamsam

Ingredients

• 600 gm lamb
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 4 medium size onions chopped
• 150 gm curd
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Chilli powder:  as per taste
• 2 small cinnamon sticks
• 5 cloves
• 1½ tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp dry coconut powder
• Salt to taste
• 100 gm ghee
• ½ tsp garam masala powder

Pre-preparation:
Clean and wash the lamb and keep aside. Broil the coriander seeds and dry coconut and make a fine powder. Marinate the lamb with turmeric powder, ginger and garlic paste, beaten curd and half of the chilli powder.

Method
Heat a heavy bottom vessel, add ghee. To the hot ghee add cinnamon stick and cloves followed by the chopped onions. Sauté. As the onions turn golden brown, add dry coconut powder and coriander seed powder. Now add the marinated meat and keep sautéing while adding water as and when required till the meat is almost done, adjust seasoning. Finish with garam masala powder.