Cauliflower Parata

Cauliflower Parota is an easy dish and we can have them for breakfast, snack or even for dinner
Cauliflower dry curry is filled in chapati dough and rolled as parata. You can have them with curd/yogurt or any type of pickle or chutney. Many like it with tomato ketchup.

Let us see the recipe now:
There will be 2 steps here. The first one is to prepare cauli flower  and then you proceed to prepare parathas.

For Cauliflower dry curry.

To Cook :
Cauliflower : 1 Medium size
To Add : 
Garam Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon
Chilly powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Cut coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Salt : To Taste
To Season : 
Cooking  Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Wash and dip cauliflower in a big bowl of warm water. Add some salt to water let cauliflower stay in warm water for 10 minutes.
2. Wash it again and cut into small pieces. (Remove the hard stem parts).
3. Wash and cut coriander leaves into thin pieces.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds. Let mustard seeds splutter.
5. Add jeera and fry for 10 seconds. Add cut cauliflower and fry nicely. Add very little water.
6. Cover the lid and cook cauliflower on low flame till they turn soft.
7. Add salt, turmeric powder, garam masala and chilly powder. Stir well.
8. Cook for 2 minutes and remove the ready cauliflower dry curry from the fire.
9. Let it completely cool. Add cut coriander leaves and smash the cooked cauliflower.
10. Take a tablespoon of Cauliflower dry curry and turn them as small ball shape.

Cauliflower Parata:

Things Needed :
Wheat flour : 3 Cups
Cooking Oil : 1 Tablespoon.

Salt : As required
Water : To mix the flour.

Method :

1. Mix little salt, 1 tablespoon of oil and wheat flower with required water and prepare chapati dough and Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Kneed the dough nicely and divide them as small balls.
3. Take a small portion of that chapati dough and spread it a little.
4. Place a tablespoon of cauliflower dry curry and place it in the middle of chapati dough.
5. Now pull the dough from all sides and just pat it.
6. Dip this parata and roll it with a help of chapati roller. Do not put weight while rolling.
7. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put a teaspoon of oil on the top of hot tava.
8. Put rolled cauliflower parata on the hot tava. Cook on both sides till it is cooked.
9. Remove it from the pan and serve with a cup of curd and pickle.
10. Repeat the same with remaining dough and the curry.
11. Repeat the same type and prepare the remaining paratas.
12. I have served the parata with onion Raitha.

Note : 

Use very little water to cook. Use of more /less spice is optional. Do not make the dry curry watery. Let all the moisture disappear. Add little besan if the curry turns watery.

Onion Raitha :
 Cut 2 onions, 1 green chilly and 2 table spoons of coriander leaves  into very small pieces. Put this onion mixture into 1 cup of curd ( Yogurt). Add little salt to it. Onion Raita is ready to serve.

Sorekai Kai Huli . (Bottle Gourd- coconut Curry )

Sorekai/Bottle gourd curry is a gravy dish. Bottle gourd is known as one of the best vegetable which has so many healthy properties. I have prepared Curry. Huli as we call it in our Kannada language./Karnataka /India.

.This Sorekai Huli can be served with almost all the main dishes like plain rice, chapatis, rotis, rotti, dosa, idli, poori etc. I have cooked this curry in a traditional way.
I have used Bottle gourd, rasam powder, tamarind and coconut with some spices. No dal is used in this curry.
No Onion or garlic is added in this curry.

Things Needed :

Sorekai : 2 to 3 cups.
Fresh coconut : 1 cup. (grated).
Rasam or Sambar Powder : 2 Tea spoon.
Tamarind Pulp:  1 Table spoon.
Turmeric powder : a pinch.
Ghee : 1 Tea spoon.
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Salt : to taste

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer skin of  sorekai  and cut it into small pieces. ( 1/2 of the medium sized sorekai will do).
 2 Cook it with one cup of water till its soft.
3. Grate coconut and grind it with Rasam powder with little water.
4.Soak small ball size of tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp and add it to the boiled Sorekai.
5. Cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and ground coconut mixture to the curry. Add a pinch of turmeric powder.
6. Mix nicely and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Add curry leaves and a spoon of ghee to the curry.
7. Serve with plain rice/chapati/poori/idli/dosa.

Note:  

You can add tomatoes and reduce the quantity of tamarind pulp.
You can also add mustard seasoning to the curry to make it more tasty.  I have not done. I just added some ghee and curry leaves. (Optional).
You can also add potatoes with sorekai, curry taste different.
Sorekai must cook till soft. You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of soaked raw rice while grinding coconut and rasam powder. It helps to thickens the curry and mixes well with cooked vegetable. I have used home prepared rasam powder. Use of any branded rasam powder is optional. It might taste differ.
Time : 25 Minutes 
Serves : 3 to 4 People.

Recipe for home prepared Rasam Powder:

Coriander seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Methi seeds/Fenugrik seeds  :1/4 Teaspoon
Byadagi chilly : 5 to 6
Jeera/cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh/Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

Dry roast methi seeds till it turns slightly golden brown, add coriander seeds and red chilly/Byadagi chilly and fry for 1 t 2 minutes on low flame. Turn off the gas and add ingh, curry leaves and jeera. Mix it nicely and let it cool. Dry grind and use. ( I time use for 2 to 3 people ).

Capsicum Fry

Capsicum fry is a dry curry and can be eaten with Rice, Chapatis or pooris and even with Buns and Bread too. Can be used as side dish along with main dish also.
Things Needed :
Capsicum : 2 ( big sized).
Red chilly powder : 1/2 spoon.
Green chilly : 1
Curry leaves : 4 to 6
Coriander leaves : 1 Table spoon.
Oil : 1 Table spoon.
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Urd Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Jeera : 1/4 Tea spoon.
Methi seeds : 6 to 8 seeds.
Salt : to taste.
Turmeric : a pinch.
Ingh : a pinch.
Method :
Wash and cut capsicum  into small pieces. Cut green chillies, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
Keep a pan on the fire. Put oil and heat. Put mustard seeds and urd daal. Let it spurt. Put jeera and methi seeds. Put curry leaves and green chillies, and ingh  and fry for 1 second. Put cut capsicum and fry it nicely on low flame until its soft. add salt and red chilly powder and fry nicely for 2 to 3 minutes and remove from the pan. Add coriander leaves and serve hot Capsicum fry with chapatis or Hot rice.
Note : Must be fried on low flame. Fry till its soft. No need to add water. Can also use sambar powder or Rasam powder along with red chilly powder.( just a 1/2 spoon will do). Can add boiled potatoes also while frying done.
2 serves.

CAULIFLOWER PALYA. ( DRY CURRY )

Cauliflower palya is a dry curry. It can be served as one of the side dish along with other dishes. Cauliflower is used in many types of curries, manchuris, dry curry, pakoda, parota etc etc.

I have used cauliflower, spice powder and some simple spices.
Let us see some benefits of eating " Cauliflower " in our diet.
Cauliflower belongs to the Brassicaceae family and broccoli, Kale and Cabbage also included in the same group. Cauliflower helps to reduce the risk of heart and brain disorders, It helps to give a relief from indigestion. It boost eye health and maintain the hormone balance. Detoxify our body and aids in weight loss. It helps to keep away us from harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation and diabetes. It is filled with antioxidant properties and helps in strengthening the immune system. It helps to balance cholesterol level in our body. Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamins like, Vitamin C,folate, Vitamin K and E, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B1, B2, B3. Cauliflower contain minerals like, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and low amount of unsaturated fat. It does contain omega -3 fatty acids. It has good dietary fiber in it.
Let us see the recipe now "

Things Needed : 

To cook :
Cauliflower : 2 cups. ( 1 medium size cauliflower).
To season : 
Oil : 2 Tablespoons.
Curry leaves : 2 Tablespoons.( cut into small pieces).
Jeera : 1 Teaspoon.
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon.
Urd daal: 1/2 Tea spoon.
To Add :
Green chilly : 1
Vanghi baat  powder: 2 Teaspoons.
Salt : to taste.
Turmeric Powder: a pinch.
Coriander leaves: 2 Table spoons.( cut into small pieces).
Coconut : (Optional). : 1 Table spoon. ( grated).

Method :

1.Wash and soak cauliflower in water for at least 30 minutes.
2. Wash it again and put it in salt water. Let the water be hot/warm. Add 2 teaspoons of salt  to water.
3.Soak  cauliflower in it for at elast 10 minutes. Cut it into small pieces. (like flower bud).

4. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Wash green chilly , curry leaves and coriander leaves. Slit green chilly.
5. Keep a pan and heat. Add oil, mustard seeds, urid dal and fy till mustard seeds splutter.
6. Add curry leaves and cut green chilly. Add cauliflower and fry for 2 minutes.
7. Add very little water and cook on low flame till it turn slightly soft. ( Do not over cook).
8.Add salt, turmeric powder and mix it well. Let all the moisture disappear.
9. Add  vanghi baath powder and mix it nicely. Let it be on low flame.
10. Add a teaspoon of oil on the top. Do not mix it as soon as you put the oil.
11. Add grated coconut and mix the whole ingredients slowly. Add cut coriander leaves.
12. Shift the curry to a serving dish and serve as you want to be.

Note : 

Add water if only required. Cauliflower turns soft very quickly. Just frying on the low flame helps the vegetable to be soft. Do not over cook cauliflower. It turns as messy and does not taste good. Adding any spice is your choice. I have added vanghi baat powder and it really taste good. Adding onions or garlic is optional. ( I have not added).
Time : 15 minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3
Style : Karnataka. 

Vanghi baat powder :
 Dry roast channa dal, urid dal, (each 1 teaspoon), coriander seeds (2 teaspoons), and 2 to 3 cloves. Dry roast 5 to 6 red chilly ( Byadagi chilly ). Dry grind when it cools down. Add ingh and curry leaves while frying.