Capsicum Fry..

Capsicum Fry is a dry curry and it can be served as one of the side dish. Capsicum is available in different colours and you get this veggie in the market at any time of the year. It has its own aroma and most of us love the veggie. We all know that capsicum goes well with almost all dishes.

Lets see some health benefits of having capsicum in our diet.
Capsicum help to relieve the pain. It has anti-inflammatory analgesic properties which help to give relief in pain. It is good for treating gastrointestinal disorder and improving bone health. It has a good source of antioxidant properties and beneficial for repairing tissue protein and helps the healthy tissues to receive protection from anti oxidant. Capsicum is good for hair fall, but one must take care while applying it on the hair.
Capsicum dry curry goes well with plain rice, chapatis, poori or any type of rotis and bread.
No onions or No garlic is used in this curry.
Lets see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Capsicum : 2 ( Medium Size )

Oil : 2 Table Spoon

Rasam/Sambar powder : 2 to 3 Teaspoons

Salt : to taste

Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon

Urd Daal 1/2 Tea spoon

Jeera : 1/4 Tea spoon

Curry leaves : 4 to 6

Coriander leaves : 2 sticks

Ingh or asafatodia : a pinch

Turmeric : a pinch
Coconut : 1 Tablespoon (Optional)

Method :

1. Wash and cut capsicum in to thin pieces.
2. Wash coriander leaves, curry leaves and cut it into small pieces.
3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil, mustard seeds and urid dal. Let the mustard splutter.
4. Add jeera and curry leaves. Mix it well. Add ingh/Asafoetida and cut capsicum.
5. Fry nicely on low flame till they turn soft. Add turmeric powder.

6. Add rasam/Sambar powder and salt. Mix well and let it cook for 1 to 2 minutes on low flame.

7. Add coriander leaves and shift the ready curry to a serving dish.
8. Add coconut (optional) and serve. ( I did not use coconut).

Note : 

Fry capsicum on low flame so that it cooks nicely. Add little jaggery to it give better taste.

Adding onions or garlic is optional. (Fry onions nicely before adding capsicum). Taste differ. Adding lemon juice (1 Teaspoon ) is optional.
Time : 10 Minutes
Serves : 2  

Sorekai Pappu ( Dall with Sorekai )

Sorekai/Bottle gourd/Doodi is one of the healthiest vegetable and it is loaded with many nutrious minerals and vitamins. Pappu is nothing but the dal cooked with vegetables. Vegetables like bottle gourd, edible leaves, mooli, brinjals, beans and carrots can be added with dals and cooked with some simple spices. Pappu is known name for dal in Telugu Language. (Andra Pradesh in Indian). Pappu goes well with almost all the main dishes and it is one of the healthy, easy and quick dish anyone can prepare.

Lets see the recipe now. I have used Moong dal here. No onion or no garlic is added to this dish.

Ingredients:

Toor Daal or Moong Daal : 1/2 cup.

Sorekai/Bottle Gourd    : 2 cups .( Cut according to your wish).

Green chillies : 4 to 6
Corianer Leaves : 3 to 4 sticks.

Curry leaves : 6 to 8 leaves.

Oil or Ghee : 1 Table spoon .

Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon.

Urd Daal : 1/4 Tea spoon.

Jeera : 1/4 Tea spoon.

Ingh ( Asafatodia ) : a pinch .

Ginger : small piece

Salt : To taste .

Water : According to the requirement.

Turmeric : a pinch
Lemon Extract : 1 Teaspoon (1/2 Lemon)

Method :

1. Wash Moong dal and add a cup of water. Pressure cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Let it cool.
2. Wash bottle gourd, remove the outer layer and cut it into small pieces.

3. Wash green chilly, ginger and coriander leaves.
4. Remove the outer layer of ginger and wash again. Grate it. Cut coriander leaves.
5. Cook cut bottle gourd pieces with little water till they turn soft.

6. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add mustard seeds, urid dal. Let mustard splutter. Add jeera.
7. Add ingh and curry leaves. Add cut green chilly and fry for a while.
8. Add cooked bottle gourd pieces and cooked moong dal.

9. Add turmeric powder, salt and mix it well. Add required water and mix it well.

10. Let it boil nicely for 4 to 5 minutes.
11.Shift the ready dal to a serving bowl and add lemon extract. Mix it well.
12. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

 Adding onions and garlic is optional. Adding ghee is optional. Ghee adds to the aroma and taste. You can add more chilly . (Optional).
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4

Bottle gourd Kichidi :

Add a cup of cooked rice and little salt. Mix it well . Let it cook nicely for 3 to 4 minutes.
Bottle Gourd Kichdi is ready to Eat. Serve with Papad and pickle.

Sweet Potato Palya or Dry curry

 Sweet potato curry is a side dish. It is an easy dish and goes well with all the main dishes like chapatis, pooris, plain rice and rotis.

Sweet potato is said to be one of the healthy vegetable and filled with fiber and carbohydrates.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Sweet potatoes : 2 to 3

Green chillies : 2 to 3

Oil : 2 Tablespoons

Salt : to taste

Curry Leaves : 4 to 6

Coriander Leaves : 2 sticks

Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Jeera : 1/4 Teaspoon

Urd daal : 1/2 Teaspoon

Ingh : a pinch

Method :

1. Wash and boil sweet potatoes (Half boil)and leave it for cooling .
2. Remove the skin and cut into small pieces.

3. Wash and cut green chilly, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil.

5. Put urid dal, mustard seeds and let mustard seeds splutter.
6. Add jeera and curry leaves. Fry for a second. Add ingh/asafoetida.
7. Add cut sweet potatoes and cook on low flame. Stir in between. Add cut green chilly and mix.

8. Let it turn soft. (Do not over cook). Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix it well.
9. Add coriander leaves and mix it. Shift the ready quick Sweet potato dry curry to the serving dish.

10. Serve with the main dish of your choice.
Note :
You can cut the pieces into small and then cook directly on the fire. One should take care while cooking. It should not be over cooked. Adding any spice is optional. Adding onions or garlic is optional. Use of minimum oil is optional and healthy too.
Time : 15 Minutes.

4 servings.;

SOREKAI PAYASA..( KHEER )

Sorekai/Bottle Gourd Payasa/Kheer is a sweet dish and it is nice to have at any time of the day. Bottle gourd is loaded with healthy properties.
I have used bottle gourd, Avalakki, cardamom, coconut milk and jaggery for this payasa.

Lets see some benefits of eating " Cardamom " in our diet.
Cardamom helps to control cholesterol levels and improves blood circulation in the body. It is good for curing dental diseases and urinary tract infections. Cardamom contain some amount of anti inflammatory properties. It helps control and lower the blood pressure. It is rich with antioxidant properties. It is good for preventing cold and flu. Cardamom is rich in fiber. Cardamom is a good detoxify the unwanted things. It helps to clean out urinary tract, bladder and kidney  and removes excess water, toxins and salt. In Ayurveda, it is said that it helps to fight depression. Cardamom is used for bad breath, mouth ulcers and infections of mouth and throat.
Lets see the recipe Now.

Things Needed .

Sorekai/Bottle Gourd : 2 cups.
Avalakki/Poha/Flattened Rice : 2 Tablespoons

Jagery : 1 Cup.

Water : 1/2 cup

Cashew Nuts : 1 Fistful (small pieces)

Coconut :1 Cup.

Cardamom : 4 to 6 seeds.

Ghee : 1 Tablespoon.

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer layer of bottle gourd and cut them into small pieces.

2. Cook cut pieces till they turn soft.
3. Great coconut and grind it with little water and squeeze out the milk. Grind it again and squeeze out the milk second time. Keep this milk aside.
4. Powder cardamom and fry cashews with 1 tablespoon of ghee.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked bottle gourd pieces.
6. Add powdered jaggery (used organic jaggery) and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 minutes.

7. Add the watery coconut milk (taken second time) and let it boil nicely for 2 minutes.
8. Add thin Avalakki and mix it well. Add the thick coconut milk and mix it well.

9. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add cardamom powder and shift the Kheer to a serving dish.

10. Add ghee fried cashews and serve Sorekai Payasa cold or hot .

Note :
You can grind coconut into paste consistency and then add the ground coconut to payasa. (No need to add coconut milk). Remember that coconut should be tender.(not tender coconut). Jaggery should be reboiled to remove the dust particles. Keep 1/2 cup of water in a pan. Keep the pan on the stove. Let it melt and turn full liquid. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Sieve this content with a strainer. This way you can remove the dust particles in jaggey. Use the clean jaggery always. Adding avalakki/flattened rice is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5

COCONUT RICE VADA..

Coconut Rice vada is one of traditional and special dish from Udupi/Dakshina Kannada. It is prepared using raw rice, coconut, a very little jaggery and salt. The rice is soaked and ground it into paste and then added with little jaggery and salt.

It is nice to have it when it is raining heavily outside, you start eating this Kai Vada with a cup of coffee or Tea,  You will really just say WoW. This Wow does mean every thing that you have enjoyed the dish thoroughlly.
This is one of my earlier recipe and just thought would add some pics, which I have reacently captured while prepring the dish.
There is no onion or garlic in this dish. COCONUT RICE VADA  can be prepared at any time of the day and it is easy I can say. All we need is rice flower and other ingredients.
Lets us see the recipe now.

Things Needed:

Coconut : 1 cup ( fresh and grated )
Rice powder : 2 cups
Green Chillies : 2 to 3
salt : to taste
Oil : 1 cup
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon
Water : 1/4 cup

Method :

1. Grate coconut and grind jeera and green chilly. ( Add very little water while grind).
2. Remove from the mixi jar and put it in a big bowl.
3. Add rice flour to the coconut mixture. Add salt and jeera/cumin seeds.

4. Mix it well and prepare dough ( Poori consistency).
5. Keep a frying pan on the fire and add oil. Heat.
6. Divide the dough into small portions. Wet your palm and take one divided portion and pat it with fingers.

7. Fry this flattened vada on medium and low flame. (Both sides should be golden brown). 1 vada at a time.
8. Remove it from the pan and put it on a kitchen tissue.

9. Let the oil absored from the kitchen tissue.

10. Serve " Coconut Rice Vada " with a cup of tea/coffee.

11. Repeat the same with remaining dough.
12. You can prepare these vadas by adding little jaggery instead of chilly.

Note :

Do not grind coconut with more water. Then you will have to add more rice flour and it will not be tasty.  Adding very little jaggery adds to the taste. Do not use jaggery if you are using green chilly.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : At least 15 to 20 Vadas can be prepared.