The Andhra cuisine is one of the major cuisines on the food map of India which is popular the world over. Rice, millets, chilies, and oilseeds are predominant in this cuisine due to their large cultivation in the regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Simple preparations yet delicious dominate this cuisine. The regional variations bring in a vast variety to the foods of this cuisine.
Foodialogues begins this journey of Andhra cuisine with a tangy and spicy, “pacchadi” or an instant relish/pickle using the Andhra cucumber /dosakai known as the culinary cucumber and also the oriental pickling melon. One of the first melon types to be domesticated in China this vegetable has been in culinary use since 1500 BC.
Loaded with Vitamin C this “pachadi” uses raw cucumbers with a melange of spices.
Ingredients for Dosakai Mukkala Pachadi
- Peeled and cubed dosakai 1 cup
- Finely chopped onion 1/4cup
- Sesame oil 1 tsp +1 tsp
- Mustard seeds 1 tsp +1 tsp
- Cumin seeds 1 tsp
- Bengal gram dal 1 tbsp +1 tsp
- Black gram dal 1 tbsp +1 tsp
- Red chilly 3
- Green chilly 4
- Tamarind marble size
- Salt as required
- Turmeric powder 1tsp
- Curry leaves few
- Chopped coriander leaves 1 tsp
Preparation Method:
- Place the chopped dosakai and onions in a bowl.
- Take a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Add oil and when hot fry 1 tsp mustard, cumin, 1 tbsp dals, tamarind, red chilly and green chilly. Remove when the dals turn brown
- Cool and grind coarse with salt and turmeric without adding water.
- Mix well with the vegetables.
- Heat oil and temper with remaining mustard, dals and curry leaves.
- Pour the tempering on the dosakai mixture. Mix well. Add coriander and give a good mix. Set aside for 30 minutes.
- Serve with hot rice or pulkas
Recipe Courtesy: Nirupama Vishwanath
