Andhra Style Mutton Curry

Ingredients:

• Mutton 500gms, cut into medium size pieces
• 3 medium size onions, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 medium size potato, cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds (posto)
• 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds 
• 4 black pepper corns
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 6 tbsps mustard oil
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 10-15 curry leaves
• 1/2 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tbsp black pepper powder
• 5-6 cloves
• Some chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 1/3 tbsp turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste

Procedure:

• Pressure cook mutton pieces with two cups of water, salt and turmeric powder for six whistles. Open the lid when the pressure reduces, drain and reserve the cooking liquor.
• In a pan roast poppy seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and green cardamoms. Cool and grind to a fine powder.
• Heat oil in a kadai or saucepan or wok.
• Add curry leaves and chopped onions.  Sauté   till the onions are brown.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder and half the black pepper powder and sauté for a minute.
• Add tomato and mutton pieces, cook on light heat till the tomato is soft.
• Add salt and the spice powder and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the reserves cooking liquor and a cup of water and bring it to boil. Simmer till the mutton pieces get well coated with thick gravy.
• Add the remaining black pepper powder and mix well.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Banana Stem Fry

Ingredients:

• Banana stem 250gm, finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 6-8 dried jackfruit seeds
• 3 dried whole chillies
• 5 tsp mustard oil/ vegetable oil
• Some cracked black pepper
• 1/3 tsp chilli flakes
• Turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste

Preparation of banana plant pith

• Take the stem and cut lengthwise the outer shell
• Remove the shell by pulling apart. Keep on removing the shell, there may be more than one.
• Once you reach the core, peel it very carefully from the surface.
• Now cut it into round slices, while doing so, lots of thread like fibres will come out, remove that by spindling it on your finger tips.
• Now cut the slices into small pieces.
• Now put chopped stem in a bowl, add some salt and mix well. Leave for 10-12 minutes. Salt will help to release lot of water.
• Squeeze out a handful banana stem  and discard the water.
• By this method remove all excess water from the chopped stem, now it will look like roughly meshed stuff.
• Now this is ready for cooking.

Method:

• Wash and boil/roast jackfruit seeds till half boil. Remove and keep aside.
• heat oil in a saucepan or kadai and add chopped onion and dried chillies.
• After 1minute add ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.
• Now add chopped stem and jackfruit and stir fry for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle some water and cover with a lid.
• Cook over low heat till the banana stems are soft and all the water dries out.
• Serve hot as side dish with rice and daal.