Ridge Gourd Peel ( outer layer ) Chutney.

Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney is prepared using ridge gourd peel. Whenever you use ridge gourd, you can make use of the peel to prepare so many side dishes. I have prepared its fritter, dal, chutney, curry etc.

Ridge gourd also can be used along with the peel. But normally the inner part is used for curry or other dishes and the peel is also used in our kitchen.
Wash the ridge gourd nicely and then remove the peel. The edges should be scrapped out and then slowly remove the outer layer.
I have used little urid dal, red byadagi chilli, coconut and little tamarind.
Lets see the recipe Now :
Things Needed:
To Cook :
Ridge Guard outer layers ; 1 cup
Coriander seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Tamarind : 1/2 Lemon size
Salt : As required
To Fry
Urd Daal : 1 Tablespoon
Curry Leaves : 8 to `10
Red Chilly : 4 to 6
Ingh/Asafoetida : a pinch
Oil : 1 Teaspoon
To Season :
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : A pinch

Method :  
1.Wash and remove the outer layer of  Ridge Guard
2. Scrape the sharp edges and wash it again.
3. Slowly remove the outer layer of the ridge gourd and put it in a bowl.
4. Cook this Ridge Gourd skin with tamarind, salt, coriander seeds and turmeric powder with little water. Let it get cool.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a spoon of oil, urid dal and red chilly. Fry till urid dal turns golden brown.
6. Add curry leaves and ingh. Mix it nicely and put off the fire.
7. Add coconut and leave it for cooling.

8. Now grind cooked ridge gourd peel with the water and fried coconut- Urid mixture nicely. (According to your wish).

9. Remove from the mixi jar to a serving bowl.
10. Add mustard seasoning and serve with the main dish.

Note :
Use of chilly is optional. (more/less). You should fry urid dal nicely or chutney does not taste good. Adding oil to fry is optional. (You can just roast the dal and chilly).
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4

Garlic - Ghee Rice

Garlic - Ghee Rice is normally used for lunch or dinner.
Things Needed :

Cooked Rice : 1 Cup
Garlic Pods : 6 to 8
Red Chillies : 2 to 3
Salt : to taste
Coconut : Fresh and Grated : 2 Table spoons.
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon .
Urd Daal :1/2 Tea spoon
Cashew Nuts: 2 Table spoons
Ghee : 2 Table spoons.

Method :
Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put 1 table spoon of ghee. Put mustard seeds and Urd daal . Let the Mustard spurt. Add Garlic pods and fry for 3 seconds . Add cashew nuts and red chillies. ( Cut chillies and put it to the mixture).  Now add curry leaves and fry for 2 to 3 seconds. Add  cooked rice and stir . Then add  salt and mix well. Add coconut and put of the gas.  Add the remaining Ghee and mix well and Serve Garlic - Ghee rice with some chips or Papad.
Note:  Do not use over cooked rice.  You can add little Jeera  while frying . Left over rice can be used for preparing Gharlic - Ghee rice for  breakfast. Do not use the whole ghee in the beginning....since it gives a burnt smell. ...use little ghee to fry the mustard spurt and  add the remaining ghee at the end. It gives very good Aroma and taste better.
Serves :2 

Nendra Baale and Wheat Spicy Dosa

Nendra Bale and Wheat Spicy Dosa can be eaten for breakfast or as an evening snack. It is good to have hot Nendra Bale dosa. 

This is one of the quick, easy and healthy way of preparing Nendra Bale Dosa. Traditionally raw rice is soaked in water for at least 2 hours and then ground with little spices and dosa is done as soon as you prepare the dough.
Instead of using rice I have used Wheat flour and a very little quantity of rava/semolina.
Nendra Bale is one variety of banana, we do use this banana for preparing sweet dish and bajjis (Fried fritters). Here I just tried this Nendra bale for Spicy dosa and it has come out yummy.
Remember you should use well ripe Nendra bale to prpeare any of the dish or it turns savoury and you might not like it. We can prepare Halva, Jamoon, sweet fritters and even payasam.
Lets see the recipe Now "

Things Needed :

Nendra Bale : 1
Wheat Flour : 2 cups
Medium size Rava/Semolina  : 2 Table spoons
Jaggery: 2 to 3 Table spoon
Fresh boiled and cooled milk : 1/2 Cup
Spices :
Rasam Powder : 2 Tablespoons
Ingh /Asfoetida : a Picnch
Salt : to taste
Ghee/Oil : 4 Table spoons.
Water: Required water.

Method:

1. Take a big bowl and put wheat flour, rava/semolina, salt, rasam powder, ingh and jaggery.
2. Add 1/2 cup of milk and required water. Prepare dosa dough. Keep it aside.

3. Remove the skin of Nendra bale and cut the fruit into circle shape. (thin).

4. Keep a dosa pan on the fire and heat. Spread little oil on the hot tava.
5. Dip each piece of banana in the spicy wheat batter and arrange them on the tava. (Circle shape).

6. Sprinkle little oil on the top of dosa, cover and cook on low flame. Let it cook nicely.
7. Now turn the other side and cook till they turn golden brown. ( 1 t 1 1/2 minutes).

8. Remove it from the tava and serve hot Nendra bale Wheat spicy dosa with little ghee on the top of hot dosa.

9. Repeat the same with remaining dough and bananas.
10. You can also prepare this dosa with  Yalakki banana. It taste very nicely. Cut them into pieces and dip in the same batter and arrange them on the tava and cook. (Same procedure).

Note :

Do not add more rava. Just 2 Tablespoons of rava will do. Or it turns hard and chewy. Adding more jaggery is optional. Adding grated coconut is optional. I have not added. Cooking banana dosa in ghee is optional. I have used cooking oil. Powder jaggery before adding. It takes longer time to dissolve. Consstency of dough should be like idli dough. It is easy to dip the banana and arrange it on the tava. No need to add any cooking soda or baking powder. You can use sugar instead of jaggery, but using jaggery in our diet is a good aspect. Use of any brand rasam powder is optional. . (Home made is always best).
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3 (According to the size).

Veggy Modak..

Veggy Modak is a snack ..and you can have them as break-fast or  as evening snack.

Things Needed:
Rice powder: 2 cups
Carrot : 1 cup
Beans : 1 cup
Capsicum:1 cup
Green chilly : 2
Coriander Leaves : 2 Table spoons.
Salt : to taste.
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urd Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 6 to 8 leaves.
Oil: 1 Tea spoon
Method:
Wash and cut all the vegetables, Green chillies and coriander leaves  in to small pieces and keep it aside.
Take a pan and keep it on fire and heat. Put 1 tea spoon of oil . Put mustard seeds and urd daal. let the mustard seed spurt.  Add curry leaves and cut vegetables . Mix well and  cook on low flame adding little water. Add little salt to it. Cook it for 4 to 5 minutes until the water disappear. Put cut coriander leaves and remove from the pan.
Now take an another pan and put  4 cups of water and add little salt to it. .  Bring to boil and  add rice powder little by little while the water boiling. Mix it well and stir the dough for at least 5 minutes. The dough gets thickens .Stir well and remove from the pan and keep it aside. Make balls when the dough when it becomes cool and flatten them with your palm place a spoon full of  vegetable dry curry prepared and close them with your finger giving it Modaka shape. Prepare this kind of modakas placing vegetables in it.  Arrange in a  steam cooker  or pressure cooker and steam them  for 10 minutes and serve hot Modaks with Coconut chutney and a spoonful of pure ghee on hot Modakas.

Mote : Wet your hands while making balls . So that it will be easy to make Modakas. Can add Green peas to the vegetables also.

You can use Maida flour instead of rice powder. ( Roast Maida flour and leaving for cooling . Add plain water and mix as chapati dough and  kneed well and make small balls and then flatten them one by one add the filling and prepare Modakas).
Note on  steaming Modakas in a steamer or Pressure cooker:  Add 2 glasses of water put a small bowl ( any pressure cooker container will do or similar vessel). upside down.  Place a plate on it and arrange the Modakas on the plate and cover the pressure cooker and cook for  10 minutes.

10 to 15  Modakas can be prepared. 

SWEET PUMPKIN KADABU. ( RED PUMPKIN).

Sweet Pumpkin Kadabu is one of the traditional dish of South Canara and other parts of Karnataka. 

We can prepare spicy and sweet idli from the same ingredients. Adding some greeen chilly and coriander leaves will be added to the same batter to prepare spicy idli.
Jaggey is added to turn the batter sweet. So that sweet aroma and crave for sweets can be satisfied with this dish.
We from South Canara are bit sweet tooth people. Most of the snacks and breakfast dishes are added with sweet mostly jaggery. We do use many vegetables in idli/kadabu/kadubu.
Here is one such traditional dish that is Sweet Pumpkin Kadabu/Kadubu/Idli.
I have used idli plates to prepare the dish and you can cook them in a round /any shape bowl/plate.
I have used idli rava, coconut, pumpkin and jaggery.

Sweet Pumpkin kadabu is good for breakfast, snack, kids snackbox or even for dinner. As I said it is very easy to prepare and healthy to eat.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed:

Idli Rava/Raw rice rava : 2 Cups
Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Grated Pumpkin : 1 Bow; (1/4 of the medium sized pumpkin).
Salt : A little
Jaggery : 1 /2 Cup ( Powdered ).
Black Pepper : 4 to 6 pods.
Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Dry Ginger Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Method:

1. Wash and remove the thick part ( outer layer ) of pumpkin. Scrape out the inner pulp and seeds.
2. Grate pumpkin and coconut. Keep them aside.

3. Wash idli rava and put it in  a bog bowl. Add salt, curmin seeds,dry ginger powder and crushed black pepper.

4. Add powdered jaggery, grated pumpkin and grated coconut. Mix it well with pumpkin gratings.

5. Add salt and mix all the ingredients well. Add water if required.
6. Leave the batter for 10 minutes.

7. Apply little oil /ghee to all the idli plates.
8. Pour a ladle (small) of sweet idli batter to each plate. ( Each idli mould).
9. Keep a cooker /idli steamer on the fire and put some water in it. Let the water get heated.
10.Keep idli batter filled idli plates in the cooker and cover.
11. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or little more. (Another 5 minutes).

12. Remove the cooker cover and slowly take out the idli from the idli plate.

13. Sweet Pumpkin Kadubu/idli is ready to serve
14. Serve with any side dish you have prepared and some ghee on the top of hot sweet idlis.

15. You can enjoy eating these idli with fresh ghee and pickle. (My favourite).

Note :

We can use banana leaf, jack fruit tree leaf /turmeric leaf to cook these idli/Kadubu. I used idli plates to prepare. You can also use pressure cooker container to cook these idlis. Adding more grated pumpkin is optional. Use of more/less jaggery is optional. Use of dry ginger is optional. I have used pepper corns, dry ginger powder and jeera because Pumpkin is said to be contains lots of gas./Vaayu.
So using these above ingredients helps to take care.
Time :
Preparation time : 10 Minutes + Allow the batter to rest  10 Minutes + cooking time 10 minutes. 
Total Time : 30 Minutes. 
Serves : 5 to 6  ( Maximum 20 idli can be done).

Puffed Rice flakes. chat.( Puri in kannada )

Puffed Rice/Mandakki / kadle puri is one of the dish that we can munch at any time of the day. 

You can see the vendor selling in the parks or any rest areas in India. Preparing Mandakki is different place has its own originality and they are specialized in doing it. Here is a simple Puri that you can munch without hesitating at any time of the day. It is prepared with less oil and mild spicy.
Try and enjoy

Things Needed :

Puffed Rice: 1 Big Bowl.      
Ground Nuts : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Cooking Oil : 3 Tablespoons
Chilly powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Roasted chenna : 1 Tablespoon
Salt As required 
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Turmeric powder : A pinch .
Red chilly : 1 
Curry Leaves : 6 yo 8 

Method :

1. Clean Puri/ Mandakki and keep it aside.
2. Keep a pan and heat. Add oil to it. \

3. Put mustard seeds and red chilly. (Cut chilly in to two parts).
4. Let mustard seeds splutter.

5. Add curry leaves and fry. Add ground nuts and fry till they turn golden brown.

6. Add  turmeric powder and mix it.  Add roasted chenna 

7. Add cleaned Puri. Add chilly powder on the top.

8. Add 1 teaspoon of oil on the top and mix it slowly. Put off the gas.
9. Sprinkle very little salt on the top and mix it again

10 Add dry coconut pieces and serve crispy mandakki .

Note : 

It is always better to use fresh Puffed rice/Mandakki/puri.  If the puri turns soft, you need to bring back the crispness in it. Put plain puffed rice and keep it on low flame.  Stir once in a while. Let it be there on sim flame for at least 5 minutes. Then put off the fire and leave the puri in that hot pan.
Then you can add it to the ready ingredients and mix it. 
Adding any spicy is optional. You can just eat them as they are. It is nice and home made. You can also add onions and grated carrots. But it turns soft within few seconds.
It is nice to carry it for long journeys and outings .
Time : 10 Minutes
Serves : According to servings.

Almond and Cashew balls..

Almond and Cashew balls are sweet and healthy  snacks and you can have them with breakfast too...and eat any time of the day.
Things needed:
Almonds : 1 cup
Cashew Nuts : 1 cup
Raisins : 1 Cup
Jaggery  : 1/2 cup
Coconut : 1 cup ( Fresh or dry coconut: copra ).
Cardamom : 5 to 6
Ghee : 2 Table spoon.


Method :  Roast Cashew nuts and Almonds separately .  Dry grind Almonds in to small pieces.( Do not powder). Cut cashew nuts in to small pieces and powder cardamom and keep it aside.
Now keep a bowl on the fire . Add jaggery and add 1 table spoon of water and let jaggery dissolve and become liquid. Put off the fire when it starts bubbling.  Add powdered Almonds , roasted cashews and raisins.  Mix thoroughly .Add fresh coconut and powdered cardamom and mix again . Take a handful of the dough and prepare balls using your palm.  Serve them when it is cold.

Note : Adding coconut is an option. You can also try  using grated copra( kobbari in Kannada). If it does not hold can use little ghee or sprinkle little hot milk and prepare  Almond balls.  Remember if you use milk it will not stay for long. So better to use ghee . You can also add 1 table spoon  of roasted  edible gum and roasted wheat powder.  so that balls can be prepared easily by adding wheat powder.  Adding edible gum will help you to reduce your backache. 

15 Almond Balls can be made .

Capsicum Mini Dosas

Capsicum is one of the vegetable which is available plenty in the marker around the year. It has its own aroma and people like me love to add them in our food. Here I have done Capsicum Mini dosas using Patrode dough (One of the famous dish of South Canara) and little besan/Channa dal flour.

This Capsicum Mini Dosas can be eaten for breakfast, as a side dish with lunch or as snack.
I have used Patrode dough, and little besan flour and prepared the dough.
This is an easy dish and you can enjoy having them with a cup of coffee/tea/juice.
Things Needed:
Capsicum :  1 to 2 (Medium size)
Patrode dough : 1 Cup
Gram flour/besan/channa dal flour : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Chilly Powder : 1 teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt ; to taste
Coconut Oil. 4 to 5 Tablespoons.
Water : If required : (/4 Cup)

Method :
1. Wash capsicum and remove the seeds. Cut into circle shape.

2. Take a big bowl and add besan, Patrode dough, chilly powder, salt and jeera.

3. Mix it well and prepare dough. (Dosa consistency).

4. Keep a tava on the fire and heat. Sprinkle oil around the tava.
5. Now dip the circle shape capsicum and place on hot tava. (Let it be on medium flame).

6. Cook for a minute. Sprinkle some oil on the top and turn the other side and cook.

7. Capsicum mini dosa is ready to serve. Add butter on the top and serve hot Capsicum Mini Dosa
8. Repeat the same with remaining dough and capsicum.
Note :
Add water little by little while preparing the dough. Use of any spice powder is optional. (Garam Masala, chat masala , jeera powder  or daniya powder). Use of any cooking oil is optional. Use of more/less spice is optional.
Time : 15 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 .
Preparing Patrode dough :
Soak 2 cups of raw rice, 1/2 teaspoon of methi seeds and 1 tablespoon of urid dal for 2 to3 hours.
Grind it with coriander seeds (1 handful or 3 to 4 tablespoons), 6 to 8 red chilly (byadagi), marble size of tamarind, 1/2 cup of fresh grated coconut, 1 teaspoon of jeera and 2 tablespoons of jaggery.
First grind all the spices with coconut and then add soaked raw rice. (Wash it before soaking or before grinding). Add required water (little by little) while grinding. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and ingh while grinding. Add salt at the end and give a churn. Shift the ground paste to a clean bowl.
You can prepare capsicum, brinjal, potato, bitter gourd, raw banana, sweet potato and grated carrot and cut onions. Use one vegetable at a time to get the best taste.