Pesarattu, Upma, Allam Pachadi
Pesarattu and Upma together make a popular Andhra breakfast that is best served with Allam Pachadi (ginger chutney). Locally, the meal is known as ‘MLA Pesarattu’. The nomenclature came into being in the 1950s when the combination became a rage in the restaurants of Hyderabad’s MLA Quarters area. It is believed that serving Pesarattu and Upma priced as a single dish had become a loss-making venture. However, the restaurant owners in the area continued to serve this combination to the prominent members of the MLA quarters only. They instructed their cooks to hide the Upma inside the folds of the Pesarattu when they served it to the select few in order to deceive the rest of the customers clamouring for the combination.
Upma was and continues to be a hot favourite in the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh, which comprise Guntur, Krishna and Godavari districts—the bastion of the most powerful MLAs. ‘Upma Pesarattu’ became so famous that the combination made it to a special travel website created by the State Government in 2002 as part of its Incredible India campaign.
MLA Pesarattu is best served on a banana leaf and makes a filling and satisfying authentic breakfast. You may prepare the Allam Pachadi in advance. Start with the Upma and then make the Pesarattus. Quickly fill in the Pesarattus with Upma as you would stuff Masala Dosa—the Pesarattus must be piping hot.
VIEW INDIVIDUAL RECIPES
- Duration:30 minutes
- Serves:2 people
Authenticity Slice
Use only tender adrak, which is smooth to taste and not gravelly with threads. Generally, Andhrites break the adrak into pieces at the vegetable store to check the roots and avoid picking those with strands. In some areas of the state, shopkeepers actually stock an 'Allam Chutney' variety of adrak separately.
Ingredients
- Ginger (Adrak) (2 inches)
- Tamarind (Imli), seedless (1 lemon sized ball)
- Jaggery (Gud) (2 tbsp)
- Black mustard seeds (Rai) (1 tsp)
- Cumin seeds (Jeera) (1 tsp)
- Black gram (Urad dal) (2 tsp)
- Split chickpeas (Chana dal) (2 tbsp)
- Coriander seeds(Sabut dhania ) (2 tbsp)
- Whole red chillies(Sabut lal mirch) (5-6)
- Salt (to taste)
- Oil (2 tbsp)
- Curry leaves (Kadipatta) (a few)
Method
- Soak the imli in a cup of warm water for about an hour.
- Clean, wash, and dry the adrak by wrapping it in a clean cloth for around 30 minutes or till the dampness disappears. Chop the dry adrak into pieces.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add jeera. When the jeera starts spluttering and gives off an appetising aroma, add chana and urad dal.
- Fry until the dals turn golden brown. Add dhania and sabut lal mirch and fry for a few seconds more before turning off the flame. (Make sure you follow this sequence while preparing the tadka. Dhania and sabut lal mirch burn fast and hence need to be added after the jeera and the dals are done.)
- When cool, grind the dal mixture along with the chopped adrak, gud, imli, and salt to taste. Add water only if necessary; water decays the chutney faster, cutting down its shelf life.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add rai and kadipatta to it. When the rai starts spluttering, take the tadka off the flame and pour it over the chutney. This spice mix will sizzle and give off an appetising fragrance. Cover it instantly to let the flavours seep in.
- Allam Pachadi can be eaten warm or cool.
