ANDHRA STEW/DAPPALAM

  

The South Indians prepare the stews daily and these form the main course in their menu. Sambar, rasam ,kadi etc, when you get bored of these, go for a simple yet delicious and nutritive vegetable stew called mukkala pulusu or dappalm. Unlike the rasam or sambar which uses rasam or sambar powder for taste no such powder is used in preparing this dish.
This is made with a combination of all vegetables or with a single vegetable. Bottle guard, pumpkin, drum sticks, sweet potato and other seasonal vegetables are used for this stew.Traditionally onions are not used for this preparation but can use them if wanted. This sweet and spicy stew is served with rice ,dal ,ghee and gummadi vadiyalu.

INGREDIENTS

• Vegetable pieces                                2 cups( bottle guard, pumpkin,sweet potato)
• Drumstick                                           3-4 pieces
• Tamarind                                            lemon sized ball made into pulp
• Salt                                                    to taste
• Sugar/jaggery                                     to taste
• Red chilly powder                              1/2 Tsp
• Rice powder                                      2Tsp
• Turmeric                                            1/4 tsp

FOR THE TADKA

• Ghee                                                    1 Tsp
• Mustard seeds                                      1/2tsp
• Jeera                                                    1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds                                  1/4 tsp
• Hing                                                      a pinch
• Curry leaves                                          a few
• Coriander leaves                                   4 sprigs (to garnish)

PROCEDURE
The vegetables should be cut into big chunks. Take water in a large deep pot add the vegetables, salt, sugar, turmeric, red chilly powder, tamarind pulp and cook on a medium flame till all the veggies are cooked. In a small bowl add the rice powder and water and mix to a liquid consistency , now add this to the stew. Cook for another 5 minutes and switch off the flame. For the tadka, add the ghee in a pan . Once it is heated add the remaining ingredients of tadka and once mustard seeds splutter add to the stew .Finally garnish with coriander leaves and serve.