Nelli kai Tambuli .(Goose berry - Tumbuli ).

Nellikai/Gooseberry Tambuli is a gravy and it goes well with plain rice and also with chapatis ( as one of the side dish).

Tambuli (in Kannada/Karnataka/India, is prepared using buttermilk which helps to cool our body. Tambuli/Tampina Huli ( gravy that cools and take care of our body), is one of the famous and healthy dish in Udupi/Dakshina Kannada/South Canara and Malanadu. The Sun rays are stronger and the weather here is mostly hot and so eating tambuli in the beginning of the lunch helps and take care of the body naturally. Tambuli can be prepared with many things like, curry leaves, different varieties of edible leaves and other things.
I have used 2 Gooseberry and the spices with little fresh coconut and little curd.
Let us see some benefits of having NelliKai/Gooseberry in our diet.
Nellikai/Gooseberry is also known as Amla in India. It is rich in Vitamin C and helps to balances the food we eat and nourishes the brain and strengthen the lungs. Helps to detoxify our body. It also increases the skin health and very nutritious for hair. It acts as an antioxidant and strengthen our eyes. Helps to improve muscle health and enhances the fertility. Gooseberry is rich in Vitamin C, antioxidants and iron and it helps the hair growth, strengthen the roots of hair, maintains colour of hair and gives a natural shine. Gooseberry is also used as hair tonic.to hair. Eating gooseberry helps the body to absorb calcium in a positive way. Calcium is one of the essential mineral to have strong bones, teeth and nails. It is good for diabetic people and women who suffer from menstrual pains. Gooseberry is rich in fiber and good digestive content.
It is an easy dish and suits to all age group in a healthy way.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients:

Nellikai/Gooseberry : 2 to 3
Red chilly :1
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Black Pepper seeds : 2 to 3.
Coconut : 1 Table spoon.
Curry leaves : 4 to 5
Ghee : 1 Tea spoon.
Curd or butter milk: 1 cup.
Salt : to taste.
Ingh/Asafoetida : a pinch.

Method :

1. Wash and cut Nellikai (Goose berry ) in to small pieces. Wash curry leaves and keep it aside.
2. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

3. Keep it on the fire and heat. Put ghee in the pan. Add jeera, ingh, red chily, pepper.
4. Add curry leaves and fry nicely till jeera turn slightly golden brown.

5. Add cut gooseberry pieces and fry for a minute. Put off the fire. Add coconut and let it cool.

6. Grind all the fried ingredients with coconut with very little water till smooth
7. Remove from the mixi jar and put it in a bowl. Add curd and salt.

8. Add jeera seasoning to Gooseberry Tambuli and serve with plain rice or any other main dish.

Note: 

Do not add more water while grinding. Add a cup of water to the curd mix it well and then add it to the ground mixture. Use of ghee to fry and seasoning is a must. (Oil fried ingredients are not that healthy). Adding curd instead of buttermilk is optional. Do not add more chilly. Tambuli should be soft and mild. 

Time : 10 Minutes

Serves : 2 to 3

Simply Simple Daal..

Simply simple daal is a gravy and you can have this with rice, chapati , roti, poories. dosas and Idly too.  Its very easy to prepare and  very good for all age group people.
Things needed :
Toor Daal : 1 Cup
Urd daal : 2 Table spoons.
Green chilly : 2
Tomatoes : 4 to 5.
Onions : 2 to 3.
Ginger : 1 Inch .
Coriander leaves: 2 Table spoons.
Curry leaves : 8 to 10 leaves.
/Salt : to taste.
Oil :  1 Table spoon.
Mustard seeds: 1/2 Tea spoon.
Jeera : 1/4 Tea spoon.
Methi Seeds : 4 to 6 seeds.
Ingh : a pinch.
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Rasam powder : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Water: 2 Cups.
Yellow Powder ( Turmeric) : a pinch.

Method :
Wash and cook both toor and urd daal together in a pressure cooker for 8 to 10 minutes. ( use enough water to cook the daal). Cut  onions, tomatoes , green chillies, curry leaves and coriander leaves . Grate ginger and keep it aside.
Now keep  a big pan on the fire . Heat and put oil in it. Put mustard seeds and jeera . Put ingh and curry leaves to it.  Add ginger and green chilly . Fry for 1 minute and add cut onions. Fry nicely for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add cut tomatoes and fry nicely. Add turmeric powder, salt, garam masala powder, rasam powder and fry . Add 1/2 cup of water and cook for 2 minutes. Now add cooked daal  and mix well and cook on low flame.
Can add little water if the curry turns very thick.  Boil for 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in between .  Add cut coriander leaves and  a table spoon of  ghee and serve  Daal  with  rice or chapati.
Note : Daal  should be cooked nicely to get the good taste.  Can add more green chillies if you like spicy. Can add a spoon of  fresh coconut also while the daal is cooking .  Can add a spoon full of fresh lime juice after the curry is done to give a tangy taste to the daal.  See that daal is not burnt while cooking.


Serves:  3 to 4

Cucumber Spicy and Sweet Dosa...

Cucumber Spicy and Sweet dosa is a healthy food and  good to have for break fast or in the evening as snack..

CUCUMBER SPICY DOSA

Things needed: 

Rava ( Semolina , medium sized ) 2 cups.

Milk : 1/2 Cup. 

Cucumber : 1 medium sized.

Coconut : Fresh and grated : 1/2 cup.

Green chilly : 1 to 2

Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 table spoons.

Curry leaves : 2  Table spoons.

Salt : to taste.

Oil: 4 to 5 Table spoons.

Water : Required 

Method :  Cut coriander leaves, curry leaves , green chillies and keep it aside.  Grate cucumber and keep it aside. Take a bowl and put Rava , salt , green chillies , curry leaves and coriander leaves.  Put  required water and 1/2 cup of milk and mix it together. Put grated fresh coconut. Mix it nicely and keep it aside for 10 minutes. Now add grated cucumber and  prepare dosas . 

Keep a pan on the fire. Heat the tava and put a tea spoon of oil.( Sprinkle).  Now take a spoon of Rava dosa mix and spread it on the tava slowly . Do not spread a lot . Let it be  a handful size. Put 1 spoon of oil and cover with lid and cook  on  medium flame for 1 minute and turn and cook it on other side. Remove the dosa from the tava and serve with a  spoon of ghee and any side dish of your favourite.  Repeat  the same with remaining dough and cook  SPICY CUCUMBER DOSAS.

CUCUMBER SWEET DOSA

Things Needed : 

Rava : 2 cups.

Jaggery : 2 to 3 Table spoons.

Salt : Required.

Milk : 1/2 cup

Cucumber : 1 ( Medium sized).

Coconut : 1/2 cup.

Ghee or oil : 3 to 4 Table spoons.

Water : Required .

Method: 

Grate cucumber and put it in a bowl. Add Rava , milk, salt,  grated coconut , jaggery  and required water. Mix nicely and keep it for Ten minutes and then  prepare Dosas  and serve  Hot Sweet  cucumber dosas  with little ghee on the top of  the dosa. 

Note : The dosa dough should not be very watery or too thick too. Let it be like idli dough consistency. Prepare dosas on medium flame and see that it does not get burn. You can also add  two  table spoons of wheat flour  to the dough . So that dosa taste soft and nice. You can also add onions to the  spicy dosa, but it taste different.  

Serves  : 2 to 3

Spicy Maida ( All purpose flour) Rotti.

Maida Rotti  can be eaten with chutney or pickle or chutney powder, honey or jaggery.  We can have this Rotti for break fast or dinner or in the evening as snack.

Things Needed:
Maida ( All purpose ) flour: 2 cups.
Red chilly : 2
Curd : 1/2 cup
Coconut : 2 Table spoons.
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Salt : to taste.
Onions : 2 to 3
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 table spoons. ( cut ones).
Curry leaves : 2 Table spoons.( 8 yo 10 leaves).
Water : Required water . ( 1 cup).
Oil: 2 to 3 Table spoons.
Method :
Cut onions, curry leaves and coriander leaves into small pieces. Grind  coconut , red chillies and jeera together adding little water.  Now take a big bowl . Put the ground mixture, cut onions, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Put curd and little water . Add salt and mix maida nicely adding little by little water.  The dough should not be very thick or very loose. ( The consistency should be like rava rotti consistency).
Now keep a tava on the fire and heat. Sprinkle 1 tea spoon of oil and take a handful of  rotti mixture and spread on the tava.  You can wet your fingers and spread the dough on the tava.  Now sprinkle little oil on the top of roti and cover it. Cook on low flame for 2 minutes and turn the rotti and cook on the other side.
Maida rotti is ready to serve.  Put a spoon of ghee or butter on the top and serve with coconut chutney or any other chutney or  honey or jaggery.

 
Note: Using curd or butter milk is a must. It does not stick when you add curd. Cook on low flame . Can add  grated carrots,  any kind of edible leaves or cucumber. It gives a different taste. Can also add green chillies instead of red chillies.  Adding is coconut is an optional.
Serves : 2 to 3