Ridge gourd- Sesame Chutney

Chutney is a side dish and we can prepare many types of chutneys. Chutney is normally one of the side dish and goes well with Plain rice, any mixed masala rice, with roti, chapati, dosa idli etc.
We especially South Canara side people do prepare chutneys from peel/ the outer layer of many vegetables. Here is such one of the chutney and it can be prepared easily and it is 100% yemmy and healthy chutney.  I have used Ridge gourd peel, Kesu leaves stem (Colocasia leaves) (optional), Sesame seeds and  Coconut.

Let us see some benefits of Sesame seeds:
Sesame seeds are one of the oldest condiments known to man. They are excellent source of copper and very good source of manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1,zinc, and dietary fiber.It also contain the beneficial fiber called Lignans.Sesame seeds are rich in quality vitamins and minerals. They are very good sources of B complex vitamins. Sesame seeds are full of high quality protein. Sesame seeds contain magnesium and other nutrients. and also improve plasma glucose in hypersensitive diabetics. They help to reduce blood pressure. They help to lower Cholesterol and good for digestion since the high content of fiber in sesame seeds help to digest the food. They are very good for healthy skin. The high content of zinc in sesame helps repair the damaged body tissue. Having so many good qualities of sesame seeds needs to be added in our daily diet.

Here is a spicy " Ridge gourd- Sesame Chutney"  which can be prepared easily and as I said this dish can be served as side dish with main dish. It will be surely loved by the whole family and fits the taste of all age group. 

Things Needed :

Ridge gourd skin. ( Outer layer) :  2 Cups
Sesame Seeds : 2 Table spoons.
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Coriander seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Green Chilly
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Coconut : 1 Cup
Tamarind : Small marble size
Salt : required
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh : a pinch
Curry leaves : 1 Handful

Method :

1. Wash and remove the edges or scratch out the edges and wash the ridge gourd again. Remove the outer skin and cut it into small. Cook them in a pressure cooker with little water, salt, tamarind, turmeric powder, green chilly and coriander seeds. Let it cool.

2. Roast or fry sesame seeds till they are brown (pop up) with red chilly, curry leaves and ingh.

3. Grate coconut.
4. Grind cooked and cooled ridge gourd skin, roasted or fried sesame seeds, coconut with little water.

5. Add salt if required. Remove Chutney from the liquidizer. (Mixi) to  a serving bowl.

6. Add mustard seeds- curry leaves ingh spurt to the chutney and serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

I have also added Colocasia leaves stems while cooking ridge gourd skins. we can also use only colocasia stems and prepare this chutney. It is purely optional. It adds to the flavour and fully fiber.
Adding more or less chilly is also optional. You can add thin cut onions just before serving chutney. (optional).

Time : 15 Minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5  
  My next recipe will be Raagi - Jolada Rotti using this spicy chutney.  ( Finger Millet + Millet   Flour Rotti ).

Karchikai

Happy Gowri -Ganesha Festival to you all. Karchikai is a sweet dish and many sweet dishes are prepared during festival time. Karchi Kai, Karjikai or Karanji will be a perfect sweet dish which can be prepared for prasadam. Karchikai is prepared using Maida (all purpose flour), rava (used medium sized), jaggery, copra (dry coconut), poppy seeds and cashew nuts. And the twist I gave is adding an apple while mixing jaggery and coconut.

Here is a recipe of " KARCHIKAI " which will be liked by all the age group and every member of the family. You can also take them for picnic and outings. You can pack them in your kids munching box as snack.

Things Needed :

Maida : 1 Cup
Rava (Semolina) : 1 Cup (used medium sized rava)
Jaggery : 3/4 th cup
Apple : 1
Poppy Seeds : 2 Table spoons
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Cashew Nuts  : 10 to 12
Salt :  a pinch
Cooking Oil : 2 Cups ( to fry ).

Method :

1. Dry roast Maida  and Rava for 2 to 3 minutes. Leave it for cooling.

2. Cut cashew nuts into small and keep it aside

3. Dry grind the coconut along with cardamom.

4. Put maida and rava in a big bowl. Add  pinch of salt and a table spoon of ghee. Mix it well. Add water (little by little) and prepare dough. (Poori consistency). Cover the dough and keep it aside.

5. Now keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery and little water. Let it melt completely. Now sieve melted jaggery and keep it aside.
6. Now keep the sieved jaggery on the fire and add dry ground coconut, cardamom mixture. Mix it well.

 8. Grate apple (with skin) and add it to the coconut mixture.Add cut cashew nuts to the mixture.

7. Add poppy seeds (no need to roast) and mix it again.

9. Stir it till the mixture is thick. Now remove the mixture from the pan. Let it cool.

10. Take the prepared dough and divide them into small balls.

11. Roll them as pooris and place the sweet mixture in the middle and bind the edges with fingers. Prepare the same with the remaining dough.

12. Keep a pan and add oil and heat. Fry ready Karjikaion low flame till they turn brown on both sides.
13. Remove from the oil and put it on kitchen tissue, so that it absorbs extra oil.

14. Arrange them on a tray and serve them as Prasadam.

Note : 

Roasting maida and rava will help to get the crispness and also you can use less oil or ghee while preparing the dough. It does not absorb much oil. It stays crispy for 2 days.

Sweet Potato - Onion Curry

Sweet potato curry is a gravy dish and we can have chapatis, Poori, idli, dosa, roti and almost all the main dishes. Its 100 % simple, easy and quick preparation. All we need is some sweet potato, onions, green chilly and some spices.

Let us see some benefits of using "Sweet Potato" in our daily life.
Though Sweet potatoes grow well in winter, we get this vegetable round the year. It is one of the healthiest vegetable. They are high in Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 helps to reduce the chemical homocysteine in our body. (Homocrysteine is an amino acid made in our body from dietary protein and it is regulated by Vitamins B6, B12 and folic adid to work properly). Sweet Potatoes are good source of Vitamin C, which is very important for bone and tooth formation, digestion and blood cell formations. It helps accelerate wound healing. Vitamin C helps to cope up with stress. It even helps to protect our body against toxins. Sweet Potatoes contain Vitamin D and Vitamin D plays an important role in our energy levels, moods and helps to build healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin and teeth. It also supports the thyroid gland. Sweet Potatoes contain iron and iron plays an important role in our body. They help to increase resistance to stress , proper immune functioning and the metabolizing of protein. Sweet Potatoes are a good source of magnesium.

Here is a recipe of " Sweet Potato - Onions Curry " as I said it earlier it is very easy to prepare and all age group will surely enjoy eating this curry. This is a quick recipe too.

Things Needed : 

Sweet Potatoes : 2
Onions : 3 Medium sized
Green Chilly : 3 to 4
Lemon : 1 Tea spoon
Ginger : 1 Tea spoon
Salt : according to taste.
Oil : 1 Table spoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urid Dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Coriander Leaves : 2 Table Spoons.
Turmeric Powder : a pinch

Method :

1. Wash and boil sweet potato for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the outer skin  and smash the boiled sweet potatoes when it is cooled.


2. Remove the outer skin of onions and wash it. Cut it in to thin slices. (long slices).

3. Wash and cut green chilly , coriander leaves and curry leaves. Wash ginger, remove the outer skin and wash again and grate it.
4. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put oil  urid dal and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter.

5. Add jeera , cut green chilly and curry leaves. Fry for 1 minute.

6. Add cut onions and fry them nicely for 2 minutes. Add turmeric powder and 1/2( half)  cup of water.

7. Let the onions turn soft. Add grated ginger, smashed sweet potato and salt. Mix it well.

8. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in between and put coriander leaves and lemon extract. Mix it well and shift the curry to a serving dish.

9. We had Sweet Potato -Onion curry with Pooris.

Note :

Do not over cook sweet potatoes. Adding green chilly more or less is your choice. You can also add a little garam masala if you want. But the taste differ. ( I did not). Do not add more water. The does not taste that good. But do not cook as very dry too.
Time : 20 minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Eggless Mango Cake

Mango Eggless Cake is a sweet dish and  I just thought of baking a Mango cake. That too with out eggs. I have prepared cakes many times and it has come out really well most of the time. This time thought of preparing Mango Cake since it is a season of  King of the fruit "Mango". Cakes can be eaten at any time of the day. It is best for evening Tea or for kids snack box for school, or even for outings, picnics it is the best dish to wrap.

Now Lets see some benefits of eating Mangoes.
Mango is called as  "The King of Fruit ".  They are one of the most nutritious and delicious fruits. They are full of Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Mangoes contain  Vitamin A,  Vitamin E and help to guard against heart disease other illness. They are great source of potassium which helps to regulate blood pressure. Mango contain high Iron and is beneficial to people with anemia and pregnant women. Eating mango fruits help to easy digestion and good for acidity. They have high amount of fiber and helps to prevent constipation. They are good for high blood cholesterol level.


Here is a recipe of Eggless Mango Cake and its easy to prepare. It is a perfect snack with cup of Tea or Coffee.

Things Needed :

Mango Pulp " 1 Cup
Maida (All purpose flour ) : 1 1/2 cup
Curd and Milk : Each 1/2 cup
Bicarbonate Soda (Cooking Soda) : 1/2 Tea spoon
Baking Powder : 1 Tea spoon
Ghee and Oil : Each 1/4 Cup
Cardamom : 1/2 Tea spoon (Powdered)
Salt : a pinch
Sugar :3/4 Cup

Method :

1. Sieve Maida, baking powder and Cooking Soda together . Add a little salt and keep it aside

 

2. Now powder sugar and put oil and ghee and grind for 2 to 3 minutes.

 
3. Add curd, milk, mango pulp and cardamom pods or powder to the sugar mixture. Grind nicely till it is soft and fluffy.

4. Now  remove the ground sugar - curd mixture to a bowl and add sieved maida mixture slowly.

5. Mix all the ingredients nicely and keep it for baking. \

6. Bake about 40 to 45 minutes and remove baked cake and allow it to cool.

7. Cut it into small pieces and serve with cup of tea or coffee.

Note :

Do not add lots of mango pulp. It turns the cake very soft. Adding sugar more or little less is your choice. You can also use only oil or only ghee according to your wish.  Do not add more soda since it may turn the cake very soft and it many break. You may feel very soft after the cake is baked. But once it is baked it is done. Check with a tooth pick to check out its done. (insert a tooth pick or a edge of a spoon. You can add any essence of your choice instead of cardamom.
Preparation time : 10 Minutes.
Cooking time : 45 Minutes
20 ieces can be done.

Dil leaves Coconut Rice

Di leaves (Sabbassige or Sabsige soppu) and Coconut rice is a main dish and we can eat them at any time for the day like for breakfast, lunch or as snack or even dinner. We can even pack for lunch or when you going for a picnic or traveling.

Lets see some benefits of eating Dil Leaves:
Dil Leaves have significant amount of Vitamin A and Vitamin C and good amount of folate, iron and manganese.Dil leaves helps in digestion. They are good for relieving constipation. They are very good for people who are suffering from Insomnia and help the people to get good sleep at night. The calcium content in Dil leaves helps to keep bone strong. Calcium and other minerals are a key component helps in proper growth and development of bones and the repair of injured bones as well. Dil leaves are good for people who are suffering from diabetes. They also good for excess gas, hiccups and immune system.

Here is a recipe of Dil Leaves Coconut rice with Gooseberry Tokku . Its mild and all age group will surely enjoy.

Things Needed :

Dil Leaves : 1 bundle (Big)
Raw Rice : 2 Cups
Goose berry dry pickle (Tokku ) : 2 Table spoon
Oil : 1 Table spoon
Ghee : 1Table spoon
Curry leaves : 8 to 10
Coriander leaves : 2 Table spoons
Salt : according to the taste.
Mustard seeds :  1 Tea spoon
Urid Dal : 1 Tea spoon
Turmeric powder : a little

Method :

1. Wash and cook rice in a pressure cooker and leave it for cooling.
2. Wash and cut Dil leaves into small and leave it aside. Wash and cut coriander leaves, 1 green chilly and curry leaves.
3. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
4. Now keep a big pan on the fire, add oil and heat. Put mustard seeds and urid dal.

5. Let the mustard seeds splutter. .Add curry leaves and green chilly
6.. Add Dil leaves and fry it till they turn soft. Add turmeric powder.

7. Now add Gooseberry tokku and mix it well.

8. Add cooked rice and mix it well. Add grated coconut and mix it well. Add coriander leaves and ghee at the end stir once slowly and shift Dil leaves Coconut Rice to the serving bowl.

Note :

 Do not over cook rice.Using a tea spoon of oil while cooking rice helps to keep the rice grain separately. Add red chilly or green chilly if you want the dish to be spicy. You can use mustard seeds, red chilly ground mixture instead of Goose Berry Tokku.
Time :  40 miutes.
Serves : 4 to 5.
You can serve them with a cup of curd .