Staying in Seattle you get used to graying weather in winter months every single day. I mean literally every day. And this gloomy weather makes me crave more spicy foods and this dish tops the quick-cooking foods. Alugadda ellipaya Karam or Garlicky Potato fry is a quick and easy stir-fry served as a side dish.

             This Telangana Style Potato Roast is a gluten-free, vegan, spicy side dish. It gets ready in under 15 minutes and makes a perfect winter dish to cook on busy weekdays. The reason why I say it’s perfect for winters is the generous usage of garlic, as garlic is considered warming food. Warming foods produce more heat in your body and keep your body warm enough to endure the chilly winter. Hence we include warming foods like sesame seeds, garlic, ginger, chilies, etc in our diet. 

What makes this Alugadda ellipaya karam special ?

         Telangana regional cuisine is all about spice and garlic, and this dish just depicts the true flavors of this beautiful cuisine. Alugadda is a potato in the Telangana Telugu dialect and ellipaya karam refers to garlic spice. We eat lots of garlic and we make this special garlic spice Ellipaya karam every winter to have it in our daily meals. Some people call this dish Alugadda fry, vellulli alugadda vepudu or Alugadda vepudu. You can also call it Garlicky Potato Roast, Potato Stir-Fry, Aloo Fry, or crispy Indian potatoes. 

       In this recipe, potatoes are tossed in basic Indian spices and quick-roasted in the pan on high flame till they turn golden and crispy! Oh Yum! writing this I’m salivating already. There was a time in my life, I used to carry only potato fry and rice in my lunchbox every single day during my schooling days. That’s how much I love this dish and I promise once you try this, you’re going to love it. Also, contrary to many beliefs, potatoes are a source of good carbs when consumed in moderation!  So do include this Alugadda ellipaya karam in your weekly menu! 

Checkout more vegetarian sides and curries from my blog

Jackfruit ghee roast

Stuffed peppers in creamy tomato gravy

Dondakaya Barada

Lauki palak pakoda kadhi

Chana aloo masala

Potlakaya perugu pachadi

Munagaku podi pappu kura

Chamakura kadala pappu

Gobhi fry

Now let’s get into the recipe!!

Print

ALUGADDA ELLIPAYA KARAM

Alugadda ellipaya karam is a quick and easy potato stir fry, loaded with garlic and Indian spices making a best side for Indian meals.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Telangana, Telugu

Keyword Side dish, vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 8 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 3 Servings

Author Shravani Abhishek

Ingredients

• 4 no Potatoes medium size
• 2 tsp Red chili powder
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• 8 cloves Garlic small size, coarsely crushed with cumin seeds
• ½ tsp Mustard seeds
• ½ + ½ tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 sprig Curry leaves
• 2 tbsp Desiccated coconut

Instructions

Let's prep the potatoes

• Wash and peel the potatoes. Chop the potatoes into medium size cubes.
• Add the chopped potatoes to a bowl of water to get rid of excess starch.
• Peel the garlic cloves and coarsely crush them with ½ tsp cumin seeds in a mortar & pestle.

Let's start making Alugadda ellipaya karam

• Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet, add oil and once it's hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them crackle.
• Add curry leaves and let them crisp up. Now add the chopped potatoes and on high flame toss it well.
• Sprinkle turmeric powder and salt. Toss the potatoes to the coat the spices and cook on high flame for 3 mor min.
• Add the coarsely crushed garlic cloves with cumin seeds and toss the potatoes.
• Keep the flame high and toss it regularly and roast it till the potatoes start crisping up and turning nice and golden brown.
• Now add in red chili powder and give it a good toss.
• Finally add in desiccated coconut / grated dry coconut and coat the potatoes.
• Turn off the heat and serve hot alugadda ellipaya karam with rice and dal/rasam of your choice.
  

Notes

• You can add ground coriander/dhaniya powder and garam masala for additional flavor.  

 If you’ve tried this recipe, please share your valuable feedback in the comments below. Also, you can Tag your photo and share it with #mycurryveda on Instagram @mycurryveda  or on Facebook. Also follow @taste.of.telangana on Instagram for more traditional recipes, culture, and stories.

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              SALLA MIRAPAKAYALU, also known as buttermilk/curd chilies is one of the most loved pantry items from South Indian Kitchens. Now buttermilk chilies don’t refer to some kind of chilies, but it’s a preservation process. Mildly spicy chilies are slit and soaked in buttermilk, and then sun-dried during the day. This process is repeated for about a week until the chilies absorb as much buttermilk cure as possible and the chilies are dried to a crisp by the sun.

         During this preservation process, the chilies develop a tangy, yogurty, salty, and slightly cheesy flavor. These flavor packed Buttermilk chilies make a great accompaniment with mild dishes like Curd rice, Dal rice, Sambar rice, etc. But hey your options aren’t just limited to that, you can add these buttermilk chilies to the tempering. Imagine the ton of flavor it would impart in tempering of chutneys or raita and Dal tadka.

         The sign of a perfectly made Salla mirapakaya is that when you break a fried one it should crumble easily. Less spicy, little salty, and tangy is the perfect definition for this Salla mirapakayalu. I know that the process seems a little intimidating for beginners, but trust me this is one of the easiest processes you could ever make.

A tradition of making sun-dried vegetables

    When Summer is here, then begins the tradition of making of Wadiyalu/Papads/fryums. And apart from that we also Sun-dry vegetables, fruits, seeds which have been in our culinary tradition for ages. When there is an excess of produce, our ancestors came up with ways to utilize them smartly. So that they come in handy on a rainy day.

       They are equally healthy as the process which they undergo like pickling, drying, marinating, and curing which makes it even more delicious. The tiring scenarios of the womenfolk in the scorching Sun bring out the best goodies in their pantry. These sun-dried goodies appear out of nowhere during mealtime.

More avatars of these SALLA MIRAPAKAYALU / Buttermilk chilies

       These yogurt/curd/buttermilk-soaked chilies are inseparable from the menu of South Indian Cuisine mainly because of their spicy taste. Now call these buttermilk chilies or we Telugu people call it Oora Mirapakayalu, majjiga mirapakayalu, uppu mirapakayalu. Mor milagai in Tamil, Sandige menasu in Kannada, Dahi Mirchi in Hindi, Dahi ke mirchiyaan in Dakhani, Mahi mircha in Chhattisgarh region and Takla mirsang in Konkan region. The beauty of diverse cuisines across India, one dish with many names. 

       With diverse cuisines across India, these buttermilk chilies come in various flavors across the country. Some stuff the chilies with spices like carom seeds, fenugreek powder, etc. And they add another layer of flavor profile to these chilies.

Checkout more traditional Indian recipes from my blog.

Dibba rotte

Palli chutney

Bebberla garelu

Sunnundalu

Odappalu

Ulava charu

Chegodilu

Barada

If you’ve tried this recipe, please share your valuable feedback in the comments below. Also you can Tag your photo and share it with #mycurryveda on Instagram @mycurryveda  or on Facebook . 

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               Gil-e-firdaus, a classic Dakhni dessert from the kitchens of Hyderabad has its presence in wedding feasts, celebrations and gatherings. A luscious and melt in the mouth dessert made with Sabudana, bottle gourd, khoya, cashew paste and milk. I remember having this dish during my stay in Hyderabad, I fell in love with this kheer instantly. This divine dessert can be served chilled or warm and traditionally served in earthen bowls, which lends an earthy taste. Hence the name GIL-E-FIRDAUS, meaning clay of paradise. 

         This classic dessert Gil-e-firdaus is commonly known as Kaddu ka kheer/ Kaddu ki kheer, as Bottle gourd is known as Kaddu in Hyderabad. As The holy month of Ramadan sets in, the intoxicating aroma of Haleem, Kababs and various desserts linger in the air around the bustling streets of Hyderabad. This divine Gil-e-firdaus a.k.a Kaddu ki kheer is also sold in the small eateries and stalls on the streets. It’s rich and luscious consistency makes it absolutely irresistible. 

The addition of khoa(khoya), cashew paste, and simmering sabudana and bottle gourd in full-fat milk makes it utterly creamy and divine.We have used Sabudana and kaddu(bottle gourd) here, but some add finely ground basmati rice as well to make it aromatic and more creamier. But simmering everything on low flame for longer period time is the key for this divine pudding. 

Ingredients needed to make GIL-E-FIRDAUS

• Bottle gourd
• Sabudana / Tapioca pearls
• Full fat milk
• Sugar
• Cardamom powder
• Khoya
• Nuts

How to make this dessert VEGAN?

Substitute the full fat milk with plant based milk like coconut milk/soy milk/almond milk. And also substitute the Khoya with Cashew paste or Almond paste to get that rich consistency. 

Let’s get into the recipe now, before that check out more desserts from my blog.

Basava Kajjam

Kanda gadda Bakshalu

Pappu Bakshalu

Badusha

Pala poorilu

Godhuma thalikala paasham

Aanapakaya shegala paasham

Kesar mewa phirni

Gajar ka halwa

Healthy Sabudana payasam

If you’ve tried this recipe, please share your valuable feedback in the comments below. Also you can Tag your photo and share it with #mycurryveda on Instagram @mycurryveda  or on Facebook . 

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             Palli chutney, an utterly creamy and nutty peanut condiment served alongside Dosa, Idli, Wada and other South Indian tiffins. The green chilies and garlic lends a bit of heat and spice to the creamy peanuts. Then we add a crackling tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chilies that elevates the flavor and aroma. This Palli chutney / peanut chutney is equally loved by adults and kids, because of it’s nutty and creamy taste. 

          Chutneys are a quintessential accompaniment to every Indian meal, we always have some kind of chutneys in everyday meals. And this Palli chutney is a regular thing at home in every Telugu household for tiffins like Dosa, Idli, Wada and Upma. It’s super simple, healthy, delicious and comes together quickly under 15 mins. 

         Like every other recipe, each household or region has their own variation and in Telangana we use only peanuts, chilies, garlic cloves and a basic tempering. You can find peanut chutney with urad dal or some add roasted gram dal or chana dal to make it more nutritious. Below recipe of palli chutney is something I’ve grown up eating and found across Telangana.

Is this recipe Vegan ?

As all the ingredients we are using here are completely plant based, vegan and gluten-free. 

Note : Please do not try this recipe if you have peanut allergy.

Ingredients needed for Palli chutney

• Peanuts
• Green chilies
• Garlic cloves
• Salt
• Tempering – oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garlic cloves, dry red chilies, urad dal and curry leaves

How to make Palli chutney

1. Firstly we need to roast the peanuts, peeled garlic cloves, green chilies, cumin seeds in a tbsp of oil until peanuts are well roasted. 
2. Let this roasted peanuts to completely cool down, then grind everything to a smooth paste by adding some water.
3. Add salt, blend it again, taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste preference.
4. Let’s make a tempering now. Heat a small tadka pan, add oil, once it’s hot enough add in mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urad dal. Let them splutter.
5. Now add in chopped garlic cloves, curry leaves, dry red chilies and fry until garlic turns golden brown.
6. Transfer this tempering to the Palli chutney. Voila, that’s it!!

Let’s get into the detailed recipe now, before that check more delicious recipes from my blog.

Nalla nuvvula roti thokku

Bachali aaku kadala thokku

Ellipaya karam

Potlakaya perugu pachadi

Kobbari avisala karam podi

Munagaku nuvvula podi

If you’ve tried this recipe, please share your valuable feedback in the comments below. Also you can Tag your photo and share it with #mycurryveda on Instagram @mycurryveda  or on Facebook . 

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Basava Kajjam, a divine dessert and one of the ancient recipes from the Land of Telangana. Tiny wheat flour balls cooked in milk and creamy moong dal, sweetened with jaggery and topped with roasted nuts. Any Celebration is incomplete without a nice sweet dish to relish, and this dessert is just the one to brighten your day. The people of Telangana savor a special porridge/pudding kind of preparation made of moong daal, wheat flour, milk, sugar and dry fruits. This delicious dish has a nice rich aroma that is enhanced with the use of fresh ghee.

More about Basava kajjam 

Basava kajjam is an age-old traditional dessert prepared using Moong dal, whole wheat flour, milk, jaggery and nuts. And what makes this dessert special is the mini wheat flour balls, we call them as undalu. Traditionally they are shaped as tiny balls similar to the size of split moong dal. Making these tiny wheat flour balls requires huge amount of patience, but trust it is all worth it. Just a tablespoon of this dessert will take you back to your grandma’s kitchen. 

This traditional dessert is absolutely comforting, and nourishing, each spoon of this dessert feels like a warm hug. Even though I’m from Telangana, I have never tasted or heard about this dish until my dear friend Chandana has shared her heirloom recipe with me. She was sweet enough to share the details of the recipe and allowed me to share it with you all. Please do checkout her Instagram page, she’s a passionate cook and has immense love for her culinary heritage of Telangana.

She told me that her Grandma used to make this dessert specially for her in her childhood. And that this dessert is traditionally made on festivals like Maha Shivaratri and Bathukamma as an offering to the deity. Also I have done a little research on this regional delicacy, where some people call this dish as BASAVA GARJANAM. With the rustic Telangana dialect, the name could have been slowly settled as BASAVA KAJJAM. 

Ingredients needed for BASAVA KAJJAM

• Moong dal
• Whole wheat flour
• Jaggery
• Milk
• Nuts
• Ghee

How to prepare this Dessert?

Initially we need to soak the lentils for about an hour or two, which helps in cooking the lentils quickly. In the meanwhile we need to make a firm dough of whole wheat flour. Rest the dough for 30 min, later make tiny balls/undalu using dry flour and keep aside. 

Now we need to cook the wheat flour balls in the boiling water, add soaked moong dal and cook until the wheat flour balls are 90% cooked. Add in jaggery, milk and cook for 5 more min. Later roast some nuts in ghee and add it to the cooked moong dal and wheat flour balls. Basava Kajjam is all ready to Serve now.

Is this dish VEGAN ?

You can make this dish VEGAN-FRIENDLY by substituting the regular cow milk with plant based milk. Skip roasting the nuts in ghee and add them directly while cooking the wheat flour balls.

And if you have GLUTEN INTOLERANCE, I would suggest you to use gluten-free flour to make Undalu/balls.

Checkout more traditional festive foods and more Telangana delicacies.

Godhuma thalikala payasam

Kanda gadda Bakshalu

Pappu bakshalu

Nuvvula bakshalu

Vadapappu bellam panakam

Godhuma Nooka sheera

Shegala payasam

Sattu Pindi

 If you’ve tried this recipe, please share your valuable feedback in the comments below. Also you can Tag your photo and share it with #mycurryveda on Instagram @mycurryveda  or on Facebook . Also follow @taste.of.telangana on Instagram for more traditional recipes, culture and stories.

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Kanda gadda bakshalu is an authentic sweet potato stuffed flatbread savored on Maha Shivaratri in the Telangana region. These Bakshalu have an utterly creamy, healthy and divine sweet potato stuffing, and my kid absolutely loved it. Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Additionally, they support Healthy Vision, enhance Brain Function and Boost Your Immune System.

Sweet potatoes have a dense fiber composition, and it satiates the hunger for longer periods. Hence, in Indian subcontinent we widely use it as fasting food. On Maha Shivaratri, majority of devotees observe a special fast consisting largely of fruits along with plenty of water and milk which keeps them hydrated. And sweet potatoes are fast friendly, filling and healthy. So these Bakshalu makes a great recipe to make on this coming Maha Shivaratri.

Significance of Maha Shivaratri

The festival of ‘Maha Shivaratri’ which literally translates to ‘the greatest night of Shiva’ is one of the most revered Hindu festivals across the Indian subcontinent. The Temples across the nation witness an outpour of devotees who gather around the Shiva Linga with their abundant offerings to appease Lord Shiva. Prayers and vigils go on throughout the night of Maha shivaratri. But what makes the festival special is its characteristic fasting or the Maha Shivaratri Vratam. The vratam marks a very high significance for every Shiva devotee, with some opting to even go on fasting through the day without a single drop of water. But majority of the devotees observe a special fast consisting largely of fruits along with plenty of water and milk which keeps them hydrated.

What are Bakshalu?

Bakshalu are a traditional delicacy, that we make on festivals or special occasions as an offering to the deity. These bakshalu are stuffed flatbreads, which can be made sweet or savory. In the Telangana region, Bakshalu are a traditional dessert or sweet and it has various stuffings. And stuffings like chana dal, moong dal, sesame seeds, sweet potato, Kova, etc. are used.

Now call this bakshalu poli or Holige, obbattu, bobbatlu, burelu, polelu, vedmi, boli this one dish has many names and avatars across diverse India.

In certain regions of Telangana, people call these Kanda gadda bakshalu as Mouram gadda polelu or mouram gadda bakshalu. This Kanda gadda bakshalu are specially prepared for the Maha Shivaratri festival for the kids, as they are fasting friendly and filling too. 

Ingredients needed for Kanda gadda bakshalu

• Kanda gadda – Sweet potatoes, they are also known by Mouram gadda, Ratnapuri gadda in the Telangana region. 
• Jaggery / Sugar – As sweet potatoes alone are sweet enough, we will be using minimal amount of sweetener.
• Cardamom – this is completely optional
• Whole wheat flour – You can also use Maida / All purpose flour instead.
• Oil
• Ghee

How to prepare this Kanda gadda bakshalu?

 Like every other flatbread, this bakshalu can be either made with Maida/all-purpose flour or Whole wheat flour. And I like to use whole wheat personally as it’s more healthy and that’s what I have grown up eating. So if you prefer using All purpose flour or maida please feel free to use it according to your convenience.

Stuffing – First step steam the sweet potatoes, later mash them with jaggery / sugar, and keep them aside.

Now the kind of sweet potatoes we get in India are quite fibrous and stays firm when boiled or steamed. They doesn’t require any further cooking after steaming them. You can just steam/boil them, peel the skin, mash them with jaggery powder/sugar.

And as I’m staying in the US, the sweet potatoes, which I get here are quite soft, when I steam/boil them they turn very mushy. Hence, I cook the mashed sweet potatoes slightly until they turn firm.

Dough – This bakshalu can be made with two kinds of dough, One is the wet dough that has been soaked in oil for hours and the other is a semi-hard dough that we regularly use to make roti. If you are using slightly firm sweet potatoes that we get in India, I would recommend you to use the firm dough. And if you are using the American variety of sweet potatoes then go for the wet dough.

Is this recipe VEGAN ?

You can skip the ghee part while roasting the Bakshalu or stuffed flatbread to make it vegan-friendly. If you have Gluten-intolerance, please substitute the whole wheat flour with gluten free flour to make these Bakshalu.

Serving suggestion

These Kanda gadda bakshalu/polelu are  traditionally served with warm milk. But a simple drizzle of ghee on warm Bakshalu is good enough for savoring.

Checkout more traditional festive foods and more Telangana delicacies.

Godhuma thalikala payasam

Pappu bakshalu

Nuvvula bakshalu

Vadapappu bellam panakam

Godhuma Nooka sheera

Shegala payasam

Sattu Pindi

 If you’ve tried this recipe, please share your valuable feedback in the comments below. Also you can Tag your photo and share it with #mycurryveda on Instagram @mycurryveda  or on Facebook . Also follow @taste.of.telangana on Instagram for more traditional recipes, culture and stories.

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Banka laddu, made using edible gum resin (banka/gond), cashews, almonds, khajoor, and all the wintery goodness. A quintessential winter food, which is utmost divine, delicious and nourishing which keeps you warm in chilly winters. These energy balls are rich in calories and nutrients and hence ideal for kids and the elderly. Also, these are given to Lactating or postpartum mothers to regain strength, helps in speedy recovery and provides nutrition. Hence these laddus are more of a medicinal confection than indulgent food.

What is Banka or Gond ?

Banka or Gond is an edible gum collected from hardened sap sourced from wild-growing acacia plants. Banka is a Telugu(more in Telangana) term for glue or gum substances, hence the name. 

Edible gum has a lot of medicinal value. It not only cures heat-stroke yet it even combats constipation, improves the health of skin and hair along with increasing our overall immunity. My grandmother used to say that winter is the perfect time when your body has the maximum capacity in absorbing calcium. And this edible gum helps in soothing inflammation, lubricates joints, and reduces joint stiffness caused by arthritis. Besides protecting against cold, gond is used to heal wounds. It is also known to treat cardiovascular ailments and chronic kidney diseases. 

More about Banka laddu

 Banka laddu or Dinkache ladoo or Gond Ke laddu, as the name suggests are prepared with Gond or Edible Gum. It is a popular sweet, that is made in Many regions across India during winters. 

The recipe I’m sharing here is an heirloom recipe that has been passed down from many generations. And our version of Edible gum laddu calls Dry Fruits, Nuts, Seeds, and lots of ghee. This laddu is usually looked at and served as a medicinal food rather than a delicacy. Hence it is mostly served with a glass of warm milk first thing in the morning. 

These nourishing energy balls are considered very healthy to consume in Winters due to their rich ingredients which are warm and keeps our body protected from the chilly winters. Also, these are made for postpartum mothers or lactating mothers, which helps to keep the body warm and helps in lactation. These Banka laddus are great nutritious snacks for kids and toddlers, as they are rich in iron, calcium, and protein.

Ingredients needed for Banka laddu

• Banka / Gond –  Edible gum sourced from the Acacia plant. It is quite odorless and tasteless. 
• Nuts – Nuts are the essential part of these laddus and I have used Cashews, marking nut, Pistachios, and walnuts here. 
• Dried fruits – Traditionally we use khajoor powder(dried dates powder), as I could not find the dried dates here, I used Medjool dates instead.
• Ghee – Ghee acts as the binding agent here, so do not skip on the ghee. It adds richness, flavor, and essential nutrition to the ladoo.
• Seeds – I have used Almonds and Melon seeds here. You can also add poppy seeds for extra nuttiness and richness. 
• Dry Coconut – We add a little amount of dried coconut here, which adds a lovely coconut flavor and nutrition.
• Spices – We are going to add Ginger powder(sonti podi/ saunth), pepper powder, and Nutmeg. They provide flavor and helps in providing warmth to our bodies. 
• Sugar / Jaggery 

How to make these Banka laddus?

 With diverse cultures and cuisines across India, the foods have regional influence and hence it varies with each region. You can see many Gond ke laddu recipes on the internet, where some add whole wheat flour, and some just use dried fruits and nuts. Unlike many recipes of Gond ke laddu you find on the internet, we don’t roast or puff of gond crystals. Instead, we just grind them as is, and we do not roast any ingredient too, just powder up everything and add piping hot ghee to shape the laddus. 

Check out more delicious desserts and Indian sweets from my blog.

Sunnundalu

Shakkarpara

Motichoor laddu

Shegala payasam

Sabudana payasam

Palm jaggery whole wheat biscuits

Penilu

Badusha

 If you’ve tried this recipe, please share your valuable feedback in the comments below. Also you can Tag your photo and share it with #mycurryveda on Instagram @mycurryveda  or on Facebook . Also follow @taste.of.telangana on Instagram for more traditional recipes, culture and stories.

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