Sprouted Moong and Brinjal Gasi

Sprouted moong and Brinjal Gasi /Thick Curry is one of the yummy side dish that goes well with almost all the main dishes.

I just tried with this curry it is one of the yummy side dish as I said it earlier. It is bit spicy and you can reduce the chilly if are very mild spice eater.
The brinjal here is known as " Mattina Gulla " a special type of brinjal/egg plant which grows only in a place called " Mattu ", and the seeds are given and blessed by Udupi Matt Swamiji Shree Vadiraja Swamy. People were very poor and they went and prayed Vadirajaru Swami. This happened in Vadiraja Swamiji's time. The taste of the gulla /badane / kattarikai/egg plant grown in Mattu is definitely tasty and you do not find this quality of Gulla.
I have done Gulla - Avarekai Curry in one of my previous post.
Here it is some thing different with Sprouted Moong and Brinjal and the spice used here bit different and you definitely get these spices in your kitchen store.
Let us see the recipe :
No Onion OR No Garlic is used in this Sprouted Moong and Brinjal Gasi/Curry 

Things Needed :

Brinjal /Gulla /Egg plant : 2 to 3
Sprouted Moong : 1 Bowl
Gasi Powder : 1 Tablespoons
Coconut : 1 Small cup\
Tamarind : A marble size or little less
Turmeric Powder : A pinch
Salt : As required
To Season :
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves

Method : 

1. Cook sprouted moong for 3 to 4 minutes and keep it aside. ( Do not over cook ).

2. Wash and cut brinjal and soak in bowl of water for 5 minutes.

3. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
4. Soak tamarind and squeeze out the pulp.

5. Now keep a pan and put a glass of water. Let it boil.
6. Add brinjal pieces to boiling water.
7. Cook till they turn soft. Add cooked moong and mix it well. Add tamarind pulp.

8. Add salt and turmeric powder. Let it boil.
9. Grind coconut and spice powder with required water.
10. Add ground coconut mixture to brinjal - sprouted moong. Mix it well.

11. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Shift the ready gasi to a serving dish.

12. Add coconut oil seasoning with mustard seeds, ingh/Asafoetida and curry leaves.

13. Serve as a one of the side dish for lunch or any other main dish.
14. Use of coriander leaves is optional.

Note :

Do not cook moong sprout much. Use of any cooking oil is optional.
I have used Gasi /Thick Curry powder. You can fry fresh spices and then grind it to get fresh aroma.

Time : 30 Minutes

Serves : 3 to 4 
Gasi Powder :
Channa dal : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Methi Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8
Byadagi chilly :  5 to 6
 Method  Dry roast or fry with a teaspoon of coconut oil on medium flame till slightly brown. Put off the fire and let it cool. Dry grind and store or use it on the same day. ( It is better to use fresh fried spices).

Mooli - Aloo Parota

Mooli/Radish and Potatoes are good combination for making parata/parota. The Parata is taste yummy and is filled with nutritious and potatoes provide energy. Kids will definitely love to have this  soft Mooli - Aloo Parota for any time of the day.

Let us see some benefits of having Jeera /Cumin Seeds in our diet.

Jeera /Cumin Seeds promotes digestion. Cumin seeds are rich in iron. It is filled with antioxidant properties and they help to protect from free radicals. Jeera is good for controlling diabetes. Cumin seeds help to improve blood cholesterol.  They fight against inflammation. It boost immunity to our body. Takes good care of skin and hair. It prevents anemia and good for bone health.It helps in relaxing and good sleep. It has the qualities of antifungal, antimicrobial properties and it helps  in natural way of healing. It is good for improving our memory.
It is very easy, quick, simple and healthy. You can have them with pickle /Chutney powder/curd Coriander leaves chutney. Choice is yours.
You can pack this Mooli - Aloo Parota to kids snack or lunch box. You can also take it for travelling.
It is good for breakfast and also for dinner or brunch.
Remember 
Eating spices will certainly damage your liver .Eating less spice helps you to stay healthy. 

NO Onion or NO Garlic is used here in this Mooli - Aloo Parota.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Radish : 2 Medium sized
Aloo/ Potato : 2 to 3 /Small ones
Jeera Powder/Cumin Seeds Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 1 Handful /3 to 4 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Oil : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Wheat flour : 3 Cups

Method :

1. Wash and boil potatoes in pressure cooker  and remove its outer layer after it cools.
2. Wash and scrape out the skin of mooli / radish and grate it and keep it aside.

3. Now take a big bowl, add grated mooli, boiled potatoes and mix it well. Smash potatoes nicely.

4. Add wheat flour, salt, chilly powder and cumin powder/jeera powder. Mix all the ingredients and prepare parota dough. Use of water only if requires.

5. Add a tablespoon of oil and kneed the dough well. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
6. Divide the dough in small portions and make as ball.
7. Keep little dry wheat flour in a small bowl.

8. Take a small portion of the dough and dip in dry wheat flour and roll it with a chapati roller.
9. Keep a pan on the fire and heat.

10. Put rolled parota on the hot pan. Sprinkle little oil on the top.
11. Cook for a minute and turn the other side and cook.

12. Parota is ready to serve.
13. Repeat the same and prepare remained parotas.

14. Serve with your choice of side dish. We had it with curd, chutney powder and pickle.

Note :

Use of water should only if required. Radish and boiled potatoes do contain water. So first mix the flour nicely with grated radish and boiled and smashed potatoes. You can prepare parotas as soon as you prepare the dough. Adding ghee instead of oil is optional. I have added oil. Adding more chilly powder is optional. Adding more spice is not good for health. Use of more oil to prepare parotas is optional.
Time : Preparation 15 minutes.
Preparing parota 15 minutes : Total time 30 minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Almonds - Corn flakes Laddu

Laddu/ Laadu / Unde is one of the healthy sweet done and stored for munching at any time of the day.

Here are some laddu which I prepared for distributing it for our relatives with Kashi Tirtha. We had been to Kashi/Varanashi , Gaya, Ayodhya and Prayag Rajya. It was beautiful trip with our friends and always cherish the memory. 

Visiting Kashi Vishwanatha temple is one such moment and taking dip in Ganga River and other holy rivers really an awesome feeling. Ok it is left to people with believers and non believers any ways. One has to enjoy his or her feelings and cherish the moment that he or she gone through.

Coming back to Laddu, I have prepared this type of laddu using corn flakes and ground nuts, for Our Kashi tour and distributed among us in the bus while travelling to Gaya from Varanashi. 

I have done that laddu on Facebook live too. It is an easy, healthy, quick and simple to prepare and you can enjoy it any time of the day. Here I used almonds instead of groundnuts. 

The ingredients I used are mainly Corn flakes, almonds, jaggery. Thats it.Minimum ingredients and healthy laddu to be munched. It stays for a week or little more days and it and no coconut used here.

Lets see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Corn flakes  : 500 Grams

Almonds : 250 Grams 

Jaggery : 250 Grams 

Ghee : 3 To 4 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Dry Grind Kelloggs corn flakes. ( No needs to roast )

2. Dry Grind almonds /badami in to rava consistency and shift it to a bowl.

3. Mix both the powdered almonds and corn flakes and keep it aside.

4. Take a big pan and keep it on a fire. Add powdered jaggery and 1/4 Cup of water.

5. Let it dissolve completely. Sieve it and  keep it aside.

6. Now take cleaned jaggery and put it to a pan. Keep it on the fire and let it boil.

7. Stir in between and let it get one string consistency. Let it be on low flame. (Whole procedure).

8. Add powdered almonds - cornflakes mix and mix it well. 

9. Take away the pan from fire and keep it down.

10. Put 3 to 4 tablespoons of ghee and mix it nicely. 

11. Take a small portion from it and prepare laddu. 

12. If you find the laddu mixture dry add 2 tablespoons of hot milk and mix it well. 

13. You can easily prepare laddu. Prepare laddu with remaining mixture.

14. Let it completely cool. Store in air tight box or bottle.

Note :

Check with one string consistency. Do not add more water. It takes long time to get thick.

Do it on low flame. Adding ghee more /less is optional. Adding more ghee taste better. You can add ghee instead of hot milk if the mixture turns dry. Heat the ghee and then use it. It is always better to clean jaggery and then use it.

Time : 30 Minutes

25 to 30 Laddus can be prepared. (The size must be small).
Watch to Know more about making Almonds - Corn flakes Laddu 

Bimbli /Averrhoa bilimbi & Lemon Grass Juice

 I have tried a juice with lemon grass used bimbli/ bilimbi with jaggery. The juice is so yummy and I thought I should share it here.

Bimbli is a fruit which is used widely in South Canara. It is very sour taste and people use it for preparing pickle or use it cooking instead of tamarind or lemon.
Bimbli is commonly known as bilimbi or Averrhoa bilimbi.  

Let us see some benefits of having Bimbli in our diet.
Bimbli /Bilimbi is a sour fruit which has natural sour taste. It is full of Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Iron, phosphorus and antioxidants. They help in curing cough, itches, pimples and skin irritations.They help to fight cholesterol and inflammation. It is rich in anti diabetic and anti- bacterial properties.
Bimli is used in cooking varieties of dishes. It is one of the favourite fruit of many people.
I have used Dry Lemon Grass, Dry Bimbli which I got from Subramanya Kordale and his wife Ragini. They do have a Bimbli tree in their garden and they dried the fruit and brought it.

This Juice recipe started after seeing Sadashiva Rao Mailankody's post, Majjige hullina Panaka in Foodie blog. He is the admini for that blog and do try varieties of food and put it. The lemon grass juice had the green mirchi and lemon. It is a spicy one of course. After seeing the post actually I wanted to try the sweet version using jaggery. But some how after remembering this dried bimbli I thought of using bimbli instead of lemon. That the way Bimbli - Lemon Grass Juice arrived.
The bimbli's savoury taste and jaggery's sweet taste mixes well and gives out yummy taste. It can be relished so well and helps you to keep your mind and body cool.
Let us see the recipe now:

Things Needed :

Dry Lemon Grass : One handful : 4 to 5 sticks.
Dried Bimbli : 2 to 3 Tablespoons /8 to 10 pieces
Jaggery : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Salt :   A little
Dried Ginger : 1/2 Tsp.
Kamakasturi / Sabja seeds : 1/2 Tsp. (Optional)

Method :

1. Wash and boil lemon grass in 1 cup of water for  6 to 8 minutes. Let it cool. Sieve it in a strainer. Keep it aside.

2. Wash and soak bimbli in hot water for 10 minutes and Grind it till paste.

3. Now put cooled lemon grass water in a big bowl. Add jaggery and ground bimbli mixture.

4. Add dry ginger and salt. Mix all the ingredients nicely. Add 2 to 3 glasses of water.

5.  Let jaggery dissolve nicely in that mixture. Stir nicely and sieve this panaka to a separate bowl.
    Add Kamakasturi seeds.

5. Bimbli - Lemon Grass Panaka is ready to serve. Pour Panaka to glasses. Adding Ice cubes is optional.

6. Serve Bimbli - Lemon Grass Panaka.

Note : 

Soaking bimbli in hot water helps the bimbli to get soft. Let it cool then you grind it. Use as you like. (Quantity). Use of jaggery /sugar/honey is optional.

Fresh bimbli fruits can be used and fresh lemon grass too. Adding ginger helps to avoid cold. You can use crushed pepper pods instead of ginger. Check the taste and add water according to your taste. Adjust sour and sweet. I added 1/2 tsp of Kamakasturi seeds which is grown in our garden.
Time : 15 to 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 Glasses.