This is one more special dish of Andhra Pradesh.The dish I am going to prepare today is made with Dosakaaya(Yellow Cucumber).This vegetable belongs to the cucumber family.This tastes similar to the regular cucumber we use for salads, except that this Dosakaaya/YellowCucumber is thick in size and less watery than the regular cucumber.These both cucumbers can sometimes be bitter.The seeds of salad cucumber are very tender and soft but the yellow cucumber seeds are little tough to chew and can sometimes be bitter.So everytime we cook with this Dosakaya/YellowCucumber we should always check for bitterness by tasting a piece of cucumber and the seeds too.If you don't taste any bitterness go ahead and prepare this wonderful mouth-watering chutney.
We can use this Dosakaya to make many dishes like daal,pickle,curry and chutney in many different ways. Today I would like to introduce you to one of the favorites of our family----Dosakaya Mukkala Pachadi. Let's start preparing this healthy, simple and easy to make chutney-----------
Main Ingredients :
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Dosakaaya......................1(small)
Green Chillies..................4
Turmeric.........................1/2tsp
Tamarind........................2tsp(pulp)
Cilantro..........................1/2 bunch
Seasoning Ingredients :
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Red Chilly......................1
Mustard seeds...............1tsp
Cumin Seeds.................1/2tsp
Fenugreek.....................1/4tsp
Urad Daal.....................1tsp
Chana Daal...................1tsp
Asafoetida....................1/2tsp
Olive Oil.......................1tbsp
Salt..............................to taste
Preparation :
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Wash the yellow cucumber and peel off the skin and cut a piece and taste it for bitterness.After cutting the cucumber remove the seeds and if it is not bitter,cut the cucumber into small cubes and keep it aside.
Place a pan on the stove on medium heat and add oil ,chana daal,mustard seeds,urad daal,cumin seeds,methi seeds,red chilly and asafoetida in the order mentioned here.Once the seasoning ingredients are nice and golden switch off the stove.
Now take a mixie/blender/food processor jar and add green chillies,cilantro,toasted red chilly from seasoning and grind it coarsely.
Now add cubed yellow cucumber(Dosakaaya),salt,turmeric,tamarind and rest of the seasoning and pulse them in the mixie jar for a minute.The cucumber pieces should be intact not to be pasted.It's okay if few pieces are crushed while pulsing.
The Yellow Cucumber Chutney/Dosakaaya Mukkala Pachadi is ready to serve.This goes well with hot rice or can be eaten as a condiment with any daal.This is a good combination for rotis and parathas too.
Try this healthy recipe and let me know your comments.
Note :
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1)If you are using tamarind flakes use 5 to 6 flakes and grind it along with the seasoning first and then continue with the rest of the process.
2)We can add the seeds to the chutney while grinding if they are not bitter,but I prefer to leave them as it is hard for kids to eat.
3)Again each family has a different way of making this recipe.You can make changes according to your family's appetite or taste.
4)You can substitute regular cucumber for this yellow cucumber and make the chutney same way(but it would be more watery).
