Thursday, June 2, 2011

Spicy Pickles of Andhra Pradesh

1.AVAKAYA
Ingredients:-
Mustard seeds- 1 Kg
Salt – 1kg
Red chilly powder – 1kg
Mangoes – 20 to 25
Fenugreek seeds – 150g
Preparation:-
Grind mustard seeds into fine powder
Mix mustard seeds powder salt and red chilly powder and keep it aside
Clean all the mangoes with a dry cloth and them  into  small pieces
Take a big container and mix mango pieces, fenugreek  seeds, all the three powders oil and stir it well
Empty the contents into an air tight container
On the third day again mix all the contents thoroughly
Pour oil if necessary
* For ULLI AVAKAYA:  Mix 100g garlic pieces in ordinary AVAKAYA

2. MAGAYA
Ingredients:-
mangoes big size – 50
Fenugreek seeds { Roasted & powder } – 200g
Mustard seeds { roasted & powdered } – ¼ kg
Red chilly powder –  ½ kg
Asafoetida – pinch
Turmeric powder – 1 TSP
Oil – ½ kg 

Preparation:-
clean all the mangoes with a dry cloth and them into thin slices
Mix all the mango slices with ½ kg salt, 1 TSP turmeric powder and keep them in a dry jar 3 days
on the fourth day squeeze all the slices and spread them on a plastic sheet
Sun dry the mango slices for 3 days and juice for one day
On the fourth day, mix fenugreek powder, mustard powder red chilly powder dried salt.
Heat ½ kg oil, cool it and add 1 TSP asafoetida
Mix the above powders, oil with dried mango slices
Mix all the contents thoroughly and store it in a ceramic jar.

3. BELLAM AVAKAYA
Ingredients:-
1. Mustard seeds Powder - 1 Kg
2. Salt – ¼ kg
3. Red chilly powder – ¼ kg
4. Jaggery powder – 2kg
5. Mangoes – 25
Preparation:-
  1. Clean all the mangoes with a dry cloth and them into small pieces
  2. Take a dry container, mix the mango pieces, salt, red chilly powder mustard powder and mix them thoroughly and leave it for 3 days
  3. on the 4th day, squeeze all the mango pieces, separate it from the juice.
  4. Sundry the juice for 9 days and mango pieces for 4 days
  5. on the 10th day mix the mango pieces with juice and store it in a ceramic jar

4. MENTHI AVAKAYA
Ingredients:-
  1. mangoes – 50
  2. Salt ½ kg
  3. Red chilly powder -1 kg
  4. Musterd seeds -1/4 kg (Powdered)
  5. Fenugreek seeds – 200g (Powdered)
  6. oil – 1kg
  7. Asafoetida – 1 TSP

Preparation:-
Clean all the mangoes with a dry cloth and them into small pieces
Mix all the mango pieces with ½ kg salt in a jar and leave it for 3days
on the fourth day, squeeze all the pieces and separate the salt juice
Sundry the pieces for 4 days and juice for one day
on the 5th day heat 1 kg oil, when the oil is warm, add red chilly powder, mustard seeds powder, fenugreek powder and mix it well
Finally add all the mango pieces, salt juice to the above mix and store it in ceramic jar.

5. LIME PICKLE
Ingredients:-
Lemon – 100
Salt – ½ kg
Oil – ½ kg
Red chilly powder – ½ kg
Mustard seeds – ¼ kg ( roasted and powdered )
Fenugreek seeds – 100g (roasted and powdered)
Asafoetida – 2 TSP
Preparation:-
clear all the lemon with a dry cloth, take 70 lime, cut each lemon into four pieces, squeeze juice from the remaining 30 lime
Mix all the lime pieces, lime juice with salt and leave it for 3 days
on the 4th day squeeze all the lemon pieces, separate the salt juice
Sun dry the lemon pieces for 3 days and juice for one day
on 4th day, heat oil, when the oil is warm add chilly powder, fenugreek powder, mustard seeds powder 2 TSP asfoetida and mix it well 
finally add all the lemon pieces and salt juice to the above mix and store it in a ceramic jar.

6. USIRIKAYA PACHHADI
Ingredients:-
  1. Goose berries – 50
  2. Salt – 2 Glasses
Preparation:-
  1. Clean all the goose berries with a dry cloth, cut them into small pieces and remove the seed.
  2. Store all the pieces in a ceramic jar for 4 nights, then the piece becomes soft
  3. on 5th day mix all the pieces with 2 glasses salt, and store it in a ceramic jar, it will be fresh for 2yrs.
  4. Whenever we want to eat the pickle can be prepared in 2 ways.

Method I:              Take small quantity of pickle grind 5 green chillies and cilantro and add the paste, lime juice to the pickle

Method II             Heat 2 TSP oil, fry 3 TSP mustard seeds, 1 TSP frnugreek seeds, 10 red chillies and pinch of asafeotida, grind the spices and mix it with pickle

7. TOMATO PICKLE
Ingredients:-
  1. Tomatoes – 10
  2. cilantro – ¼ bunch
  3. Red chillies – 3
  4. urad dal – 1 TSP
  5. Mustard seeds – ½ TSP
  6. Asafoetida – ¼ TSP
  7. Coriander seeds – 1TSP
  8. oil – 3 TSp
  9. Jaggery – Small piece

Preparation:-
  1. Heat oil and fry mustard seeds, urad dal pinch of asfoetida, coriander seeds, Keep the fried spices asides
  2. In the remaining oil, boil tomatoes, jaggery for about 15mins
  3. Now Grind the boiled tomatoes and fried spices into a thick paste.


8. USIRI AVAKAYA
Preparation:-
  1. Clean 1kg goose berries with a dry cloth and make small holes to each goose berry
  2. Mix ¼ kg red chilly powder, 200g mustard seeds powder, 200g salt, 1 TSP turmeric Powder and kept it aside
  3. Heat 1 kg oil in a Kadai and add all the goose berry becomes soft
  4. Now switch off the stove and let it cool for sometime
  5. Add a pinch of asafetida to the oil
  6. Add all the powders to the goose berries, mix it thoroughly and store it in a ceramic jar

9. CHINTAKAYA PACHADI
Preparation:-
  1. Boil 1 kg green tamarind in salt and turmeric water
  2. After the water cools, grind the tamarind and  separate the juice
  3. Sundry the tamarind juice for 3 days
  4. on the 4th day, heat 4 TSP oil and fry 100g mustard seeds, 200g fenugreek seeds, ¼ kg red chilly powder 2 TSP asafetida
  5. Grind all the spices into powder and mix it in sundried tamarind juice

10.GINGER CHUTNEY
Preparation:-
1. wash 100gms ginger5 and peel off skin
2.Boil ginger, jaggery; tamarind pulp in water for 5mins
3. Heat 1 TSP oil and fry mustard seeds fenugreek seeds, asfoetida, red chillies
4. Now grind the above ginger together with tamarind pulp into a paste
5. Add salt to taste.

11. CAULIFLOWER AVAKAYA
Ingredients:
Cauli flower – 1
Mustard seeds powder – 1 Glass
Red chilly powder – 1 Glass
Salt – less than – 1 glass
Lime – 3
oil – ½ glass

Choosing a right Inverter and Battery for Home


DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UPS
AND INVERTER
Inverter is an electronic circuit for converting Direct Current DC to Alternating Current AC. They are used in a wide range of applications from small switched power supplies to large electric utility applications to transport bulk power (like Computers,TV's,  A/c's,Fridge, Mixier and Grinders etc.)

A UPS typically includes the battery and battery charger in one stand alone unit, especially used for computer backups. UPS will effectively switch from utility power to its own power source almost instantaneously.

WAVES - SQUARE WAVE, SINE WAVE AND QUASI SINE WAVE
Square Wave Inverters

Simplest and least expensive in the market. Computers, televisions, induction motors, transformer loads and even light bulbs are not recommended to run on this waveform, because square wave has a high harmonic content.
Sine Wave Inverters
This is the correct waveform on which all electronic equipment, televisions, and computers are designed to run. They filter the output voltage well and recommended.
Quasi-Sine Wave Inverters
Indeed correct selection for running some types of motors and incandescent lighting and not fit for all types of equipments, hence it is not recommended.

CALCULATE YOUR POWER CONSUMPTION
This can be done by adding up the watts on the equipment specifications normally printed below or behind the equipments.

I selected 800 VA which delivers approximately 640 watts. Don’t select very high inverter than the requirement as it will consume more electricity and loss of power is also higher.
CHOOSING THE INVERTER
After calculating the consumption the next step is to select the Inverter VA.

The formula is
Watts / Power Factor = VA
For me it was
542 Watts / 0.8 Power Factor = 677 VA
(Power Factor: 0.8 for most of the UPS, incase of APC Inverters the power factor is 0.6, you can refer product manual or ask dealer for this info)

So the available VA’s in market are 500 VA, 800 VA, 1000 VA, 1400 VA and above. I selected 800 VA.

CHOOSING INVERTER BRAND
This was quite difficult. I selected few known brands in market like Luminous (widely advertised in 2004), Genus (OEM supplier for LG and Samsung), Su-Kam (From few years they are in the market, but most advertised), Hyundai (New, manufactured by Luminous under license from Hyundai Korea), Microtek (Addidas group) and APC (New to Home Inverter).

CHOOSING BATTERY SIZE
Batteries are available in various Amperes. You need to decide how much backup you require and decide on the amperes.
Here is the formula to calculate the backup
Load/Voltage x Backup hours = Amperes
In my case it was
542 Watts / 12 V x 3 hrs = 135 Ah
I selected 130 Ah Standard Furokawa battery for my home.

CHOOSING BATTERY
Battery is a backbone for any inverter. There are different types of battery available in the market.

Maintenance battery
These batteries requires maintenance every month. The distilled water needs to be filled every month.

Maintenance free battery
This comes with flat plate collectors and maintenance free. These batteries will have a life of 4 years.

Tubular batteries
Here the active material (lead oxide) is encapsulated in polyester tubes to prevent ‘Shedding’. The electrode geometry facilitates ‘cyclic’ deep discharges. They are recommended for back up power for UPS and Inverters where environmental conditions are tough and high ambient temperatures are common. These are capable of long hours of backup.

CHOOSING THE DEALER
I was looking for a branded inverter which is in the market from a long time and providing good service. Price was the second priority, however I and my friend did a good analysis to get best deal. We validated almost 5 Inverter vendors and battery vendors.  This dealer is dealing in the market from a long time and have many clients who are satisfied with their service. They also gave price assurance. They assured they will return back the difference if we bring a quote lower than what they offered. What else we need, we went ahead.

The prices were as below (as on Apr 2007)
Inverters
Genus / Hyundai / Sukam / Mikrotek / Luminous - 800 VA: Rs.6000.00
Genus / Hyundai / Sukam / Mikrotek / Luminous - 1400 VA: Rs.7000.00
APC 800 VA with AMCO maintenance free battery – Rs.12,925.00
Batteries
Standard Furokawa 130 AH Tubular Battery: Rs.9500.00
Exide EL 120 AH Tubular Battery: Rs.9500.00

USEFUL WEBSITES
Luminous - http://www.myluminous.com/
Genus - http://www.genusoverseas.com/
Sukam - http://www.su-kam.com/
APC - http://www.apc.com/

Exide Battery - http://www.exideindustries.com/
Online Exide Battery shopping (Expensive, you can know the current market price) - http://www.bizrate.com/
Amaron Battery - http://www.amaron.in/

Allam Aavakaya-Mango Raw Ginger-Garlic Pickle

Allam Avakaya Raw Mango Ginger-Garlic Pickle is very popular in Hyderabad. We can preserve this pickle for 6 to 9 months,without loosing its flavor and taste.Steaming hot rice is mixed with Allam Aavakaya (one or two mango pieces), and ghee (clarified butter) or groundnut oil, and made into handy balls and eaten. Aavakaya is often eaten with cooked rice and yogurt. Most people prefer to eat it along with Muddapappu (Pigeonpea Dal) and Neyyi (Ghee/Clarified Butter). Some people prefer to eat it within the 1–2 months period of preparation and is called Kotta Allam Avakaya.

Raw Mango Ginger-Garlic Pickle Recipe for  1 Kg Mango cut Pieces quantity.

Mangoes selection.The mangoes should be green,small or medium with  good fiber and pulp. Medium Pulp with average moisture content will be best. Per KG the mangoes should be weighed 6 to 8 nos.The skin of the mangoes should not be thin or thick,It should be medium. wash the mangoes and clean with a white dry cotton cloth and remove the butt The mangoes - meticulously chosen by experts, after much due diligence for this pickle - are cut into medium sized pieces approximately 2cmX2cm size using strong and ultra sharp cutters/knives in swift strokes so as not to structurally damage the pieces. These pieces are wiped clean and dry with a well absorbing soft cloth - usually an old sterilized cotton saree with no embroidery, stowed away for this purpose in foresight. remove the soft cut seed pieces and clean with white dry cotton cloth. dry the pieces under a ceiling fan and peel of the thin transparent skin of the hard shell of mango.Do not remove the hard shell.



Location of mangoes available in Hyderabad-Temple,near Begum bazaar fish market- The raw mango cut piece per KG is Rs 25/- year 2011.Available from 7:00 A.M onwards upto 7:00 P.M.

Mirchi powder:Three mango agmark Mirchi powder for Pickles. Prepared from finest Warangal bamboo Mirchi. SWASTIK BRAND. Required quantity per KG of mangoes is 125 grams or 0.125 KG


Location of Mirchi powder available: SWASTIK Mirchi store,15-6-519,Begum Bazar.HYDERABAD 500 012 AP.India.500 grams price is Rs.100(price on the pack is rs.150) May 2011

Husked Gingelly Oil: A.S husked Gingelly oil/Pappu nune, Agmark . Manufactured by Ambati subbanna & co., Oil firm,d.No18-1-12,PDP road, Samalkot-533 440 A.P,INDIA. www.ambatioils.com
Required quantity of oil is 250 grams or 0.250 KG, per KG of mangoes cut pieces


Location of availability at Begum bazar: All leading oil stores in Begum bazar,Hyderabad. 1KG. oil price is rs.130(price on pack is Rs. 157)May 2011.

SALT- Non iodized powdered salt , brand preferred is COW  brand.
Required quantity of salt is 250 grams or 0.250 KG, per KG of mangoes cut pieces.


Location of availability at Begum Bazar: All leading Kirana stores in Begum bazar,Hyderabad.

GINGER and GARLIC: medium sized skin peeled ginger garlic paste.
Required quantity of Ginger is 60 grams or 0.060 KG, per KG of mangoes cut pieces .
Required quantity of Garlic is 70 grams or 0.070 KG, per KG of mangoes cut pieces
Grind together the ginger and garlic into a fine paste.

Location of availability at Begum bazar: All leading Kirana stores in Begum bazar,Hyderabad.


 

 


















Other ingredients required per KG of Raw mango cut pieces. 
1 tea spoon mustard seeds,1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds,1 tea spoon Turmeric powder.2teaspoon mustard powder, 1tea spoon Fenugreek seed powder.


Pickle Preparation:

Heat oil in a non stick thick base PAN and add 1 tea spoon mustard,1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds and 130 grams of ginger-garlic paste.See that the moisture in Ginger garlic paste is evaporated and Now let the oil + GG paste,cool down to room temperature.


MIX 1kg raw mango cut pieces with 1 tea spoon Turmeric powder,2 teaspoon Mustard powder, 1tea spoon Fenugreek seed powder,250 grams salt,125 grams Mirchi powder.Mix well so that all the ingredients are sticky to mango pieces.Now add  oil +GG paste  and fill it in a Ceramic Pickle Pot container for 3 days and stir after 3 days. This Pickle will be ready to eat from 5 th day of preparation.
OIL and SALT powder can be added if required based upon individual taste.




 Pickle storage Pot. Once the mixed pickle is filled wrap the pot lid with white cloth.


Aavakaya
Aavakaya (The default one made with mustard seeds powder).

Quantity for 25 small or medium size raw mangoes OR 3 Kg's Raw Mangoes.

2Kg Gingelly oil .
1Kg Mirchi Powder.
1Kg Mustard Powder.
1kg  No iodized salt.
1/2(Half) Kg Peeled garlic pods.
3tea spoons fenugreek seeds.

Note: Cleaning,cutting of mangoes you need to follow as mentioned in above recipe. Brand of Oil/Mirchi powder/Salt and mangoes procurement as mentioned in above recipe.

Step-1 Mix cut mango pieces with Mirchi powder,Mustard Powder,Salt and Fenugreek seeds.

Step-2 Mix OIL to the above Mixture and preserve in Pickle pot as mentioned above recipe.


 

Varieties

This pickle is very popular in South India, especially in the states of Andhra Pradesh.
There are a wide variety of Mango pickles.
  1. Aavakaaya (The default one made with mustard seeds powder)
  2. Menthi aavakaaya or Menthikaaya (Includes fenugreek)
  3. Nuvvulu aavakaaya (Includes sesame)
  4. Maagaya (Made with raw, peeled and unstoned mango)
  5. Thokku Maagaya (Maagaya including the mango peel)
  6. Thurum Maagaya (Maagaya with grated mango)
  7. Uduku Maagaya (Maagaya with boiled rather than raw mango)
  8. Bellam Aavakaaya (A sweet variant of Avakaya made with Jaggery)
  9. Allam Aavakaaya (A spicy variety including ginger-garlic paste)
  10. Vellulli Aavakaaya (Aavakaaya with Garlic)
  11. Senagala Aavakaaya (Aavakaaya with Bengal Gram or Chana)
  12. Yendu aavakaaya (Aavakaaya with pickled, dried mango cubes mildly sweetened with Jaggery)
  13. Pulihora Aavakaaya (Aavakaaya with taalimpu (Telugu) called Chaunk in Hindi)
  14. Dosa Aavakaya (Mango replaced with a type of dosakaya (cucumber))